BOB SAGET, BEN FOLDS ALONG WITH TOP CHEF MASTERS AND A SURPRISE HEADLINING COMEDIAN BRING COOL COMEDY – HOT CUISINE TO LAS VEGAS ON JUNE 5
Bob Saget to host an evening of cool comedy, live music by Ben Folds and hot cuisine by celebrity chefs Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken and Rick Moonen to benefit scleroderma research
In its 26th year, Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine (CCHC) comes to Las Vegas for the first time, bringing the Scleroderma Research Foundation’s (SRF) signature fundraiser event to the House of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino. On Thursday, June 5, comedian and SRF Board Member Bob Saget will host an evening of comedy, live music with special guest Ben Folds and exquisite cuisine, prepared by celebrated Vegas chefs and Top Chef Masters personalities Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken and Rick Moonen.
Bringing this event to Las Vegas from its traditional entertainment and culinary capitals of Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York, the SRF will host its signature fundraiser event where celebrity chefs, comedians, and musical guests come together for a night of entertainment to raise funds and spread awareness for scleroderma. The disease means “hard skin”, often attacking the lungs, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract with life-threatening consequences. The event supports scleroderma research at premier institutions such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford University and UCSF.
To complement the entertainment, the event will also include a cocktail reception, as well as four-course dinner experience prepared by Border Grill Co-Chef/Owners Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger, also a founding SRF Board Member; and Rick Moonen of rm seafood and Rx Boiler Room in the Shoppes at Mandalay Place, for guests to enjoy throughout the evening.
“There are many things I am proud of in my professional life, but this Foundation that I started with my best friend and college roommate, is a high point; we are making a difference in the lives of patients who suffer from scleroderma,” says Feniger. “This event that Mary Sue and I dreamed up brings together some of our favorite things: delicious food, great wine, laughter and the opportunity to give back.”
The Too Hot Tamales share this commitment to “give back” with fellow Top Chef Master Rick Moonen who says of the event, “A dear friend was recently diagnosed with scleroderma so, to collaborate with other passionate culinarians for this important cause is not just an honor, but a priority for me to contribute in any way I can.”
To reserve a table for Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine and learn more about this lifesaving research-funding event, guests can call 1-800-441-2873 from 9 am – 5 pm, Monday through Friday, or visit www.srfcure.org.
About Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine
Cool Comedy – Hot Cuisine is the Scleroderma Research Foundation’s signature fundraiser. It’s a night of gourmet cuisine and world-class comedy hosted by SRF Board Member and actor/comedian Bob Saget, featuring the foods of celebrity chefs Susan Feniger (also an SRF Board Member) and Mary Sue Milliken (Bravo Top Chef Masters and Food Network’s Too Hot Tamales) and appearances from some of the biggest names in comedy – including Jimmy Fallon, Jimmy Kimmel, Conan O’Brien, John Oliver, Jerry Seinfeld, Sarah Silverman, Jon Stewart and Robin Williams. The event often features a special musical guest (previous guests have included Counting Crows, Sheryl Crow, Goo Goo Dolls, Dave Koz, John Mayer, Train and others). The evening typically includes a small number of exclusive live auction packages. Attendees include luminaries from the worlds of television, film, music and business—and many others who have been directly or indirectly affected by scleroderma. Since its inception in 1988, the event has raised millions of dollars for scleroderma research and brought a great deal of media attention to the disease. It has introduced scleroderma and the Scleroderma Research Foundation to thousands of people around the country. For additional information, visit www.srfcure.org
About Border Grill
Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger are co-chef/owners of the popular, critically acclaimed Border Grill restaurants & Truck, serving modern Mexican food in Las Vegas, Santa Monica, Downtown Los Angeles, and most recently in the new Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. Border Grill will open its second Vegas location at The Forum Shops in Summer 2014. The Border Grill Truck can be found on the streets of Southern California and beyond cooking gourmet tacos, quesadillas, ceviche, and more. Mary Sue and Susan, Bravo’s “Top Chef Masters” and Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales,” are preeminent ambassadors of authentic Mexican cuisine, setting the standard for gourmet Mexican fare and authoring five cookbooks, including Cooking with Too Hot Tamales and Mesa Mexicana. Active members of the community, Mary Sue and Susan play leading roles in Share Our Strength and the Scleroderma Research Foundation. In addition, they are passionate about the environment and lead the culinary industry with their eco-friendly policies. For more information, visit www.bordergrill.com.
About Chef Rick Moonen
Chef and cookbook author, Rick Moonen, has been the country’s leading advocate for the sustainable seafood movement for the past 25 years, bringing national awareness to this subject near and dear to his heart. In 2014, he was honored as one of the prestigious Vegas Dozen by Saks Fifth Avenue, Greenspun Media Group, VEGAS Magazine and Keep Memory Alive. In 2013 USA Today named him one of Earth’s “Power Players” as one of five leaders helping the health of our planet. He’s been featured on CNN, TODAY, Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Dan Rather Reports, and many more. His flagship restaurant, Rick Moonen’s rm seafood at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, showcases his commitment to sustainability without foregoing culinary creativity and innovation, and has been critically acclaimed by local and national press alike. In 2010 Rick made a memorable appearance on Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, nearly taking home the title and raising thousands of dollars and national awareness for Three Square food bank in Las Vegas. In May of 2011 Monterey Bay Aquarium honored Rick as their Chef of the Year for his tireless efforts towards sustainability, and appointed him as one of the top twenty leading culinarians in the aquarium’s Blue Ribbon Task Force in 2014. He was named Humanitarian of the Year by the American Culinary Federation in 2013. In June 2013, Chef Moonen transformed rm upstairs into a steampunk-inspired restaurant and lounge named Rx Boiler Room, with décor reminiscent of industrialism during the 19th century Victorian era. Combining the alchemy of food and drink, Moonen showcases his spin on classic comfort food, offering guests a variety of playful creations in small and large plate portions, ideal for a shared dining experience. Rx Boiler Room was named Best New Restaurant of 2013 by Desert Companion magazine. Find him on Twitter @RickMoonen, Facebook.com/ChefRickMoonen, on Instagram @ChefMoonen or www.rickmoonen.com.