Lombardi Food & Wine Experience

Home | Register today | Tasting Gala | Connoisseur's Room | Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner | Sponsor packages | Invite a friend | Raffle | Auction items | General information | Photo gallery

The Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner is from 6:30 - 10:00 p.m. at the University Club of Milwaukee. Attendance is extremely limited. Please make your reservations early. The Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner is $225 per person. Corporate tables of eight (8) are available for $2,000.

The attire for the Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner is cocktail.

Special room rates are available at The Pfister Hotel and the University Club of Milwaukee. Please contact The Pfister Hotel and University Club directly at 414.273.8222 or 414.271.222, respectively, and request the Lombardi rate.

2009 Celebrity Chef
Vince Lombardi Charitable Funds is proud to announce the 2009 Food & Wine Experience Celebrity Chef - Beau MacMillan. As Executive Chef of Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain and its signature restaurant, elements, Beau MacMillan inspires his staff with his passion for fresh ingredients. His ingenuity in the kitchen is stimulated by his belief that food should not be overworked, but rather appreciated for its simplicity and natural perfection. This philosophy is evident in Chef MacMillan's innovative seasonal menus that focus on fresh, local ingredients procured from a network of artisans and organic farmers.

Chef MacMillan has cooked in some of America's most distinguished kitchens. He hails from Plymouth, Massachusetts and is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. His culinary career began at the age of 16 when he secured a position at Crane Brook Tea Room in Carver, Massachusetts. Chef MacMillan spent a year under the tutelage of Chef Francois de Melogue. Inspired by this experience, he joined the brigade at La Vieille Maison in Boca Raton Florida, rising through the ranks to the position of Sous Chef. Drawn to the culinary scene on the West Coast, Chef MacMillan moved to Los Angeles where he held Sous Chef positions at the prestigious Hotel Bel Air, and later Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica. He was then recruited to Arizona in 1998 to develop the cuisine at The Ranch on Camelback, which later became Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. Chef MacMillan and former Executive Chef Charles Wiley opened elements restaurant in March of 2001.

As Executive Chef, MacMillan's innovation has brought elements national recognition and acclaim. In March 2006, Chef MacMillan was invited to The Food Network's kitchen stadium to compete in an episode of the hit series, Iron Chef America. Chef MacMillan was pitted against Iron Chef Bobby Flay in "Battle American Kobe Beef." Ultimately, Chef MacMillan's cuisine reigned supreme, letting him claim victory over Flay.

Beau also appeared on NBC's Today Show in December 2006, February 2008 and most recently in January 2009.
Chef MacMillan has cooked at The James Beard House and at Bon Appétit Magazine in New York, and regularly conducts cooking classes for the guests of Sanctuary. In addition, Chef MacMillan lends his time and talent to several local and national charities and was recently named "Culinary Chef Extraordinaire" by the local non profit, Scottsdale League for the Arts for his outstanding charitable contributions in his community.

2009 Celebrity Vintners
Rob and Linda Wetzel - Alexander Valley Vineyards
Patrick Roney - Girard Winery
Guido Andretta - Italian winemaker and importer

2009 Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner Menu

2009 Celebrity Chef & Wine Dinner Menu

Hors d' oeuvres

pickled vegetable spring rolls
devil fried oysters & hijiki aioli

caramelized butter tart
foie gras mousse & black pepper caramel sauce

buddha buns
bbq shiitake mushrooms, cucumber pickles & sushi cut scallions

Mercato Durello

Menu

crab & tuna tataki
avocado & ossetra caviar
2008 Girard Sauvignon Blanc, Napa

honey 5 spice glazed kurobuta pork belly
candied yams, green onion, toasted cashew
2007 Alexander Valley Vineyards Pinot Noir, Alexander Valley

american kobe beef short rib
salsify fondue, roasted brussels sprouts, black garlic cherry glaze
2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards "Cyrus", Alexander Valley

wisconsin cheddar
sesame biscuits, celery hearts & red pepper jelly
2006 Girard Artistry, Napa

salted caramel panna cotta
spiced quince, whiskey cream & chocolate bacon
2008 Alexander Valley Vineyards Gewurztraminer, Mendocino

Past Celebrity Chefs include
2008 - Michael Kornick, mk the restaurant, Chicago
2007 - Walter Scheib, White House Executive Chef, 1994-2005
2006 - Hubert Des Marais, Four Seasons Resort, Palm Beach, Florida
2005 - Mauro Mafrici, New York
2004 - Tony Mantuano, Spiaggia, Chicago 

Past Celebrity Vintners include
2008 - Far Niente, Nickel & Nickel, and Dolce, Beth Nickel, Partner and Proprietress
2008 - Grgich Hills Estate, Violet Grgich, Co-proprietor; Vice President of Operations and Sales
2008 - Gruet Winery, Sofian Himeur
2007 - Simi Winery, Steve Reeder, Vice President of Winemaking
2007 - Eponymous, Robert Pepi, Proprietor
2007 - Domaine Chandon etoile Rose, Pat Mangan
2006 - Duckhorn Wine Company, Margaret Duckhorn, Co-Founder and Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales/Pete Przybylinksi, Vice President of Marketing and Sales
2006 - Markham Vineyards, Kimberlee Nicholls, Winemaker
2006 - Veuve Clicquot, Pat Mangan
2005 - Peju Province Winery, Lisa Peju, Marketing Director
2005 - Schramsberg Vineyards, Hugh Davies, President and CEO
2005 - Trefethen Vineyards, Janet Trefethen, CEO
2004 - Heitz Wine Cellars, Kathleen Heitz Meyers, President
2004 - Iron Horse, Joy Sterling, Partner