In a show of solidarity, many top OC chefs and restaurateurs are uniting to help their colleague, Sir Bruno Serato, in the wake of a fire that closed his Anaheim White House restaurant, leaving his staff unemployed. The public is invited to attend the event to be held at Highway 39 Event Center (1563 South College Blvd, Anaheim, 92806) on Presidents Day, Monday, February 20 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 each and include menu samplings; VIP tickets at $75 each offer early admission at 5 p.m. and beer and wine are included in the ticket price. To purchase tickets, visit http://bit.ly/HelpAWHEmployees or call (949) 310-5839.
Participating restaurants will prepare samplings from their menus, allowing guests to enjoy diverse offerings from many well-known and beloved establishments. Among them are Mozambique, Zov’s Bistro, Provenance, Taps, The Catch, Clay Oven, Pascal’s, D’Vine Mediterranean, Fiesta Adobo, Sea Legs, Skyloft, Sundried Tomato American Bistro, Yves Restaurant & Wine Bar, Dickey’s BBQ, Summit Event Catering and the offsite Anaheim White House Catering.
The fire, that was ignited by an electrical malfunction, started in the early morning hours of Saturday, February 4, 2017. Firefighters from several OC agencies eventually extinguished the flames but not before the restaurant was nearly burned to the ground. Though Serato has insurance, it is not enough to cover the costs required to restore the historic 1909 mansion back to its former glory.
Judy Walker, whose nonprofit Golden Rule Charity is sponsoring the event, said that 100% of the net proceeds will assist employees of the fire-damaged restaurant pay their bills.
For those interested in making a financial donation online, visit the official fundraising page: GoFundMe.com/AnaheimWhiteHouse.
Background:
The 1909 Colonial-style mansion in Anaheim was converted into a restaurant now owned by Sir Bruno Serato 30 years ago and through the decades has achieved iconic status. Chef/Owner Sir Bruno (he was knighted by the Italian Consul in 2013) is best known for the work of his nonprofit Caterina’s Club which feeds 1,800-plus underprivileged children a day. Over the years, the restaurant has served more than a million free meals to children.
Serato has been operating temporarily out of the Highway 39 Event Center in Anaheim. However, on Monday he will move operations to the Christ Cathedral campus in Garden Grove, said Ryan Lilyengren, spokesman for the Catholic Diocese of Orange.
For more information on Sir Bruno Serato and the fire that destroyed the iconic Anaheim White House read this Orange County Register article and, for updates and information about Caterina’s Club like Caterina’s Club on Facebook.
Video from NBC Nightly News.
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