Take a couple dozen mommies with a penchant for high heels and vino, an open bar, a cocktail waitress, a couple of great chefs, and a fully-stocked kitchen; pour them into a pair of super-stretch Cadillac Escalade limousines, and transport them to a food bank, and what’ve you got?  A very creative idea, serving as both an introduction to and a fundraiser for Three Square Food Bank; thought-up by philanthropist Izzy Haring.

The invitation read “Wine & Dine with Us” and asked a small group of guests (mostly moms from the Alexander Dawson School and the Adelson Educational Campus, with one gay-uncle thrown-in for flair) to join Haring and Chef John Hilton (Executive Chef, Three Square), for a “Cooking Party” benefiting Three Square’s Childhood Nutrition Programs.

Being utterly exhausted, that evening, Haring told me that (being familiar with Three Square and its various programs) I could skip the intro and arrive at 7:30pm.  I’m not sure what I’d expected to find, upon my arrival, but nothing could’ve prepared me for the spectacle I stumbled upon.  Twenty or so of my gal-pals were in clusters around the immaculate kitchen of Three Square, preparing different parts of a meal.  Virtually all of them were in 3-4” heels, and clutching a wineglass in one hand, while prepping the food with the other.   I mean, on the one hand I was impressed by the ability mothers possess for multitasking; while on the other I had to chuckle at the hilarious juxtaposition of limousines and Louboutins, with a food bank located smack-dab in the middle of a neighborhood where the term “red-bottoms” has less to do with fine French footwear than with a recently-spanked behind.

Well, let me be the first to applaud the ladies who (drink their) lunch, because they prepared one heckuva delicious meal, consisting of Chicken and Pork Empanadas, Grilled Chicken and Rice, Fresh Pico de Gallo, and Fresh Guacamole.  And it wasn’t just a “Put this in the oven, and wait,” but involved all steps of preparation, from trimming the fat off the raw chicken, to dicing, slicing, marinating, sautéing, grilling, cooking, plating, and serving.  And it tasted great!

Best of all, it introduced another twenty-something thirty-somethings to the wonderful organization that is Three Square, and the important services it provides to the people of the Las Vegas Valley.

Special credit is due to Izzy Smith Haring, Chef John Hilton, Chef Ryan Brown (Sous Chef, Three Square), Matt Muldoon (Chief Development Officer, Three Square), with a well-earned shout-out to the cocktail server, who, at any given moment, was balancing a tray of cocktails in one-hand, and holding a bottle of wine in the other.  I mean, c’mon – it’s all about priorities, right?

Childhood Nutrition Programs
Three Square Food Bank
Click HERE for info

Get into it!