Food and Beverage Museum to serve up gala benefit

New Orleans CityBusiness, Jun 24, 2009 by Greg LaRose

The Southern Food and Beverage Museum at the Riverwalk recently obtained the original bar from Bruning's Restaurant, part of the old West End/Milneburg resort area destroyed in Hurricane Katrina.

To help pay for the restoration and assembly of the 137 pieces that comprise the bar, SoFAB Museum Director Liz Williams is counting on the success of its upcoming annual fundraising gala planned for July 2 at the museum.

"The gala provides about 20 percent of our annual budget, so it's quite significant," Williams said.

The gala is being held in conjunction with the dedication of the Leah Chase Louisiana Gallery. Williams said the museum approached the culinary icon about lending her name to the gallery since she is representative of all things good that have emanated from New Orleans.

"She's really into the arts, music and has been so active in civil rights," she said. "She's been an overall fabulous contributor to the museum."

The gallery details the history of food in Louisiana and includes an exhibit dedicated to Chase, who has run the family-owned Dooky Chase restaurant since the 1950s.

A formal dedication is scheduled for 10 a.m. July and the gala takes place the following night. It will feature food and drink offerings from about 20 area restaurants, Williams said.

A lineup of participating chefs and ticket information is available at www.southernfood.org.