Teach a Man to Fish...

and he'll eat for the rest of his life. Give a girl a tasty five course meal and... she'll love you forever. Or at least blog about you. Last week I had the pleasure of dining at St. Vincent de Paul of Alameda for The Kitchen of Champions' Guest Chef Series. Kitchen of Champions is a culinary training and job placement program that supports St. Vincent de Paul's free dining room by serving 1,000 hot meals a day to Oakland's homeless and hungry. The program is a complete menu: Job training and placement, a side of safety net services, accompanied by some delicious food. 

The culinary students, who commit to 12 weeks of culinary training, life skills training, and case management, get hands on experience as they prepare meals under a master chef. On nights like tonight, they prepared a five course meal alongside Jacob Alioto, Chef of Luka's Taproom as a fundraiser for the program. It's a chance for over 100 supporters to enjoy a fancy meal and an opportunity for the students to work with professional chefs like Alioto and last year's guest chef, Matt Colgan of A Cote (check out Oakland North's story).

     (Peep Chef Alioto in the glasses)

As far as fundraisers go, this was a hit in my book (and my book counts because I do fundraising, oh-kay). I met a board member, a food journalist, a volunteer from UC Berkeley, and a local artist who all loved talking food. At my table I overheard a "damn, I could curl up with these shortribs" (wait, I said that) and a "I've never had crem brule before!" (you know that wasn't me) and one of the best compliments a chef could receive after serving a five course meal, "I feel satisfied, but not uncomfortably full. I feel perfect."

The program also includes job placement services, so that students find fair wage employment and get support retaining their jobs. Over 70% of graduates have gained employment after completing the program, and the staff is building partnerships with local restaurants (hint, hint my restaurant-owning friends). Glasses raised to the students, because kitchen work is a grind, and big ups to the staff, because putting together a program like this ain't no piece of cake either.

Got the travel bug?
Check out the champions here: St Vincent De Paul or the Kitchen of Champions Blog.