Chef and host Robert St. John wit Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes
BILOXI, Miss. – Beau Rivage Resort & Casino is teaming up with Mississippi restaurateur and author Robert St. John, five Mississippi Gulf Coast mayors, and five talented chefs representing each of their cities for the second annual Five Course Feast. Hosted by Robert St. John and presented by Beau Rivage, the November 16th fundraiser will feature live cooking demonstrations and five delectable courses with wine pairings, while raising money and awareness for food insecurity on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. This year’s participating mayors and chefs include:
Biloxi Mayor Andrew “Fo Fo” Gilich with Beau Rivage Executive Chef Kristian Wade
Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes with The Rack House’s Bob Taylor
Ocean Springs Mayor Shea Dobson with Frog Head Grill’s Chef Devin Spayde
Pascagoula Mayor Dane Maxwell with Singing River Yacht Club’s James White II
Waveland Mayor Mike Smith with Rum Kitchen’s Chef Chappy
Each cooking pair has selected one of the following courses to prepare: cold appetizer, hot appetizer, meat entrée, fish entrée, and dessert. As the demonstration of each course begins, guests will be served that course. Dinner will begin at 7 p.m. in Beau Rivage’s Magnolia Ballroom. Coast television personality Rebecca Powers will be the evening’s emcee. All proceeds will benefit Extra Table, an organization that purchases and delivers healthy food in bulk to Mississippi food pantries and soup kitchens each month. On the Gulf Coast, Extra Table is partnered with Feed My Sheep, The Lord is My Help, Loaves & Fishes, Our Daily Bread, and St. Gerard Outreach. One hundred percent of donations received through Extra Table are used specifically for its mission to purchase food and end hunger.
“Last year’s Five Course Feast raised enough money to feed 30,000 families in South Mississippi,” said Extra Table founder Robert St. John. “At a time of year when many are in the giving spirit, we hope to feed the hungry and raise top-of-mind awareness for those less fortunate along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.” According to Feeding America, Mississippi has the highest rate of food insecurity in the nation at 22 percent. Food insecurity refers to the number of people that don't have regular access to nutritious food that they need to lead healthy lives. This includes children who rely solely on meals at school, elderly who choose between purchasing food or medication on a week-to-week basis, working poor who may not be able to consistently afford full meals, and shut-ins who rely on food pantries and soup kitchens to help get meals. In the three Mississippi coastal counties of Harrison, Hancock, and Jackson, nearly 67,000 people are food insecure. "There is never a bad time to do a good thing,” said Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes. “Helping to provide for those experiencing hunger and lacking basic necessities in our communities is essential to the character of our society. Supporting Extra Table is an effective way to have a direct impact on local outreach organizations that provide food to those in need." Tickets are $100 each or a pair for $175. Tables of 10 are $1,000 without wine pairings, $1,500 with wine pairings, and $2,500 with wine pairings and a VIP meet and greet reception with Robert St. John. A limited number of VIP seats are available at the Chef’s Table on stage for $500 per person. Chef’s Table tickets include a VIP meet/greet reception with Robert St. John at 6:30 p.m., seating on stage, an overnight stay at Beau Rivage with breakfast buffet for two and recognition at the event. To purchase tickets, visit www.fivecoursefeast.com or call 601.434.1680 with questions. Cocktail attire is recommended.