Local Restaurateurs to Serve Food for Those Who Need Food

It’s autumn, and restaurateurs’ thoughts turn to charity.

South Coast Plaza’s Crystal Court in Costa Mesa will be the site of a benefit tonight for the Food Distribution Center in Orange, which collects surplus food and gives it to 220 local charities.

The event, which will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., costs $30 and includes food, drinks and entertainment. The full ticket price goes to charity, organizers said.

More than 40 Southern California restaurants, wineries, breweries and coffee makers are participating. Among them are Bangkok Four, Scott’s Seafood Grill and Bar, Tutto Mare and Birraporetti’s.

KTLA sportscaster Ed Arnold will emcee the evening, which includes live jazz and a silent auction.

For information and reservations, call (714) 771-1343.

3333 Bear St., Costa Mesa.

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To benefit homeless families, a group of six restaurants will host a dinner series beginning Sunday and ending in April.

Last year’s dinner series was sold out and raised $30,000 for the Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter in Costa Mesa.

Participating restaurants include Pascal, Antonello Ristorante, Gustaf Anders, the Ritz, Golden Truffle and Topaz Cafe. The dinner Sunday at 7 is at Pascal. The main dish is Chilean sea bass with a thyme crust.

The Nov. 13 dinner will be at Antonello.

Individual dinners are $85 (including wine, tax and tip), or $600 for the series of six. If you purchase the series, you will be invited to a Thanksgiving champagne and dessert reception on Nov. 18 at the home of Ygal and Sheila Sonenshine.

For information, call (714) 640-5388.

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Antonello Ristorante and Newport Tobacco have created an evening’s entertainment tonight especially for cigar enthusiasts, featuring a four-course Italian dinner, cognac and a selection of vintage cigars.

The $100-per-person ticket price includes a hosted bar and gratuity. The evening, which will be in a private dining room, begins at 6:30.

1611 Sunflower Ave., South Coast Plaza Village, Santa Ana. (714) 751-7153.

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John Dominis will hold its annual international beer and food tasting festival Friday from 7 to 10 p.m. Ten beers from around the world will be paired with dishes developed by chef Lasse Sorensen.

Some examples: Asahi from Japan with assorted sushi, Fosters from Australia with crab cakes and spicy chutney and Red Stripe from Jamaica with jerk chicken.

Tickets for the informal dinner are $30 per person, everything included.

2901 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. (714) 650-5112.

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At least five French chefs of Southern California will dine with guests of the Ritz-Carlton on Monday. Guests will be seated at tables of eight with one chef per table, and chefs plan to change tables throughout the meal.

The chefs include Pascal Olhats of Pascal, Jean-Pierre Lemanissier of Restaurant Antoine, Pierre Sauvaget of Bel Air Bay Club in Pacific Palisades, Jean-Francois Meteigne of Cicada in Los Angeles, and Christian Rassinoux, executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton and president of the French Culinary Assn. of Southern California.

Fabrice Canelle, chef of the hotel’s dining room, will cook the dinner.

The cost, $65 per person, includes a champagne reception at 6:30 p.m., a five-course dinner, wine, tax and tip. Menu items include lobster cannelloni with porcini mushrooms, and venison daube with zucchini blossom filled with goat cheese.

33533 Ritz-Carlton Drive, Dana Point. (714) 240-2000.