This year’s holiday season will see some of Chicago’s most respected chefs working side by side, but they won’t be competing for accolades or chasing stars. They’ll be cooking for something bigger.
Pendry Chicago has joined forces with French brasserie Venteux for the third edition of Chefsgiving, a multi-course charity dinner scheduled for November 20. The event brings together six accomplished chefs whose combined effort will raise funds for the Greater Chicago Food Depository, an organization that has been distributing food across Cook County through a network of more than 800 pantries and community programs. The dinner format itself speaks to a simple truth, good food can create change when the right people are in the room.
The evening will start with a reception from 4:30pm to 6:00pm before dinner service begins at 6:00pm and runs until 9:00pm. Chef Rickie Perez from Logan Oyster Social will serve aguachile de uva verde with oysters, green grape aguachile and salmon roe. Pendry Chicago’s Chef Felipe Pulido follows with crispy maple-glazed pork belly skewers. Chef Rodolfo Cuadros from Amaru and Bloom Plant-Based Kitchen presents a beef tongue arepa that pairs slow-braised meat with crispy corn arepas, roasted mushrooms, mojo, and celery. Chef Marcello Florio from Fora at The Emily Hotel prepares a duet al forno featuring both a savory truffle and winter mushroom crepe and short rib au jus lasagna.
The centerpiece comes from Venteux’s Executive Chef Marcel Heiduk, who will serve dry-aged stuffed turkey ballotine with chestnut mushrooms, sweet potato puree, turkey jus, and green bean salad. Pendry Chicago’s Chef Heather Rawlinson closes the meal with a pear and ricotta dacquoise layered with fig confit and honey crème anglaise. Wine pairings will accompany each course, and a portion of ticket purchases will go directly to the food bank.
Pendry Chicago is housed within the historic 1929 Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building on Michigan Avenue, and the hotel earned Two MICHELIN Keys in 2024, recognizing its blend of contemporary luxury with preserved architectural heritage. Venteux, led by Chef Heiduk, serves classic French fare with contemporary updates and has become a fixture for both hotel guests and locals seeking elevated brasserie dining in the Loop.
The Greater Chicago Food Depository was founded in 1979 and has grown from distributing 471,000 pounds of food in its first year to more than 70 million pounds annually. In fiscal year 2024, the organization distributed over 119 million pounds of food, the equivalent of 92 million meals. The organization recently completed a $43 million expansion that includes Chicago’s Community Kitchens, which increased daily prepared meal production from 300-500 meals to about 3,000.
Last year, the Chefsgiving event had raised nearly $4,000 for Common Threads, a nonprofit that champions improved community health through the power of nutrition and food. What makes Chefsgiving stand out in Chicago’s crowded charity event calendar is its straightforward approach. There are no lengthy speeches or complicated auction formats, just a gathering of chefs who understand that their skills can serve a purpose beyond their individual kitchens.
Restaurant-led fundraisers have become more common as the industry grapples with its role in addressing food insecurity, but events like this one demonstrate that the most effective model might be the simplest: cook great food, bring people together, and direct the proceeds where they’re needed most.
Tickets for the charity event can be purchased here.
