Chefs Wylie Dufresne, Terrance Brennan, Sam Talbot, and Franklin Becker Among Those

Heating Up the Night in Support of Autism Awareness and Research

Autism Speaks Co-founders Suzanne and Bob Wright, Tom Colicchio, Chef and Owner of Craft Restaurants, and Brian Williams, anchor of NBC Nightly News, will host an evening of fine dining and entertainment for a worthy cause.  Autism Speaks to Wall Street: 2nd Annual Celebrity Chef Gala, a large scale VIP dining experience in the heart of Manhattan's Financial District, will feature a live musical performance by Harry Connick, Jr. and will bring together over sixty of the nation’s leading chefs on Wednesday October 1, 2008 at Cipriani Wall Street located at 55 Wall Street, to help increase awareness about autism and raise funds for autism research.  Christian Albin (The Four Seasons); Franklin Becker (Sheridan Square); Terrance Brennan (Artisanal & Picholine); Wylie Dufresne (WD-50); former Top Chef semi-finalist Sam Talbot (The Surf Lodge);  Aaron Sanchez (Centrico); Shaun Doty (Shaun's); James McDevitt (Four Food Studio); and Ken Oringer (KO Prime, Toro, Uni and Clio) are among the renowned chefs who will cook table side meals for their guests.

Autism Speaks to Wall Street: 2nd Annual Celebrity Chef Gala will kick-off with a cocktail reception where seven chefs will serve hors d'oeuvres on the mezzanine level. Cocktails will be followed by a sit down dinner where fifty of the nation's top chefs will be featured in Cipriani's grand ballroom - one chef per sponsor table -- as they each prepare and serve a four-course meal exclusively for their guests. Chefs will be preparing the gourmet meals using electric ranges donated by LG Electronics.

Following the entrée course, dessert will be prepared by twenty-five renowned pastry chefs, including Karen DeMasco; Nicole Kaplan (The Plaza); Pichet Ong (p*ong); and the 2007 James Beard Outstanding Pastry Chef winner; Sam Mason (Tailor).

The event will also feature a live auction of rare access packages including private dinner parties by the country's leading chefs, luxury culinary themed getaways and other unique items.  Proceeds will benefit Autism Speaks, the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization dedicated to increasing awareness of autism and funding for autism research.  Franklin Becker, Philip Harris, and Kevin Murray will serve as the evening's co-chairs.

Tickets for the event start at $1,500 for limited individual tickets and range to $100,000 for a VIP table.  VIP sponsors will receive prime logo placement along the red carpet and on the evening's giftbags, premier seating for ten, a double page ad in the commemorative event journal, a commemorative event journal signed by all participating chefs and a certificate for six to a participating restaurant.

For an interview with a participating chef or Autism Speaks co-founders, please contact Jaclyn Benedetto at 212.843.9397 or JBenedetto@Rubenstein.com 

For event and ticket information, contact Beth Irving at (212) 252-8584 or Eirving@autismspeaks.org

About Autism

Autism is a complex brain disorder that inhibits a person's ability to communicate and develop social relationships, and is often accompanied by extreme behavioral challenges. Autism spectrum disorders are diagnosed in one in 150 children in the United States, affecting four times as many boys as girls. The diagnosis of autism has increased tenfold in the last decade. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have called autism a national public health crisis whose cause and cure remain unknown.

About Autism Speaks

Autism Speaks is dedicated to increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders, to funding research into the causes, prevention and treatments for autism, and to advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families. It was founded in February 2005 by Suzanne and Bob Wright, the grandparents of a child with autism.  Bob Wright is Senior Advisor at Lee Equity Partners and served as vice chairman, General Electric, and chief executive officer of NBC and NBC Universal for more than twenty years. Autism Speaks merged with the Autism Coalition for Research and Education (ACRE), the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) and Cure Autism Now (CAN), bringing together the nation’s leading autism advocacy organizations. To learn more about Autism Speaks, please visit www.autismspeaks.org.

Chef Gala Confirmed Chefs to date:

Tony Aiazzi - Executive Chef, Aureole

Christian Albin - Executive Chef, The Four Seasons

Julian Alonzo - Executive Chef, Brasserie 8 1/2

Franklin Becker - Executive Chef, Sheridan Square

Jimmy  Bradley - Chef & Owner, The Red Cat

Terrance Brennan - Chef and Proprietor, Picholine & Artisanal Premium Cheese Center

Ed Brown - Chef & Owner, eighty one

Anne Burrell - Executive Chef, Centro Vinoteca

Joey Campanaro - Chef and Owner, The Little Owl

Josh Capon - Executive Chef, Lure Fishbar

David Carmichael - Pastry Chef, Gilt

Cesare Casella - Chef and Owner, Salumeria Rosi

Jansen Chan - Executive Pastry Chef, Oceana

Jawn Chasteen - Executive Chef, Sea Grill

Ratha Chau - Chef and Owner, Kampuchea Restaurant

Thomas Ciszak - Executive Chef, Copeland

Cory Colton - Executive Pastry Chef, Quality Meats

Patrick Connolly - Executive Chef, Bobo

Juan Cuevas - Chef de Cuisine, eighty one

Scott Cutaneo - Chef and Owner, Le Petit Chateau

John DeLucie - Executive Chef, The Waverly Inn and Garden

Karen DeMasco - Pastry Chef          

Harold Dieterle - Chef and Owner, Perilla

Jennifer Domanski - Pastry Chef, Bobo

Shaun  Doty - Executive Chef and Owner, Shaun's

Brian Doyle - Chef, World's Fare Culinary

Wylie Dufresne - Executive Chef and Owner, wd~50

Josh Eden - Executive Chef and Owner, Shorty's.32

Josh Emett - Chef de Cuisine, Gordon Ramsay at The London

Joey Fortunato - Executive Chef, Extra Virgin

Neal Fraser - Chef and Owner, Grace Restaurant

Amanda Freitag - Executive Chef, The Harrison

Michael Gabriel - Executive Pastry Chef, The Sea Grill

Kerry Heffernan - Executive Chef, South Gate

Craig Hopson - Executive Chef, One if By Land, Two if By Sea

Martin Howard - Pastry Chef, Brasserie 8 1/2

Hung Huynh - Executive Chef, Solo Restaurant

Johnny Iuzzini - Executive Pastry Chef, Jean Georges

Nicole Kaplan - Executive Pastry Chef, The Plaza

Craig Koketsu - Executive Chef, Park Avenue Autumn

Ken Larsen - Pastry Chef, Brasserie

Christopher Lee - Executive Chef, Gilt

Patrick Lemble - Pastry Chef, The Four Seasons

Emily Luchetti - Executive Pastry Chef, Waterbar, Farallon and Nick's Cove Restaurants

Sam Mason - Pastry Chef, Tailor

James Mc Devitt - Executive Chef, Four Food Studio

George Mendes - Chef and Owner, Aldea

Fred Mero - Chef de Cuisine, The Four Seasons

Tory Miller - Executive Chef, L'Etoile

Harold Moore - Executive Chef, Commerce

Marco Moreira - Executive Chef and Owner, Tocqueville & 15 East

Seamus Mullen - Executive Chef, Boqueria and Suba

Pichet Ong - Chef and Owner, P*Ong

Ken Oringer - Executive Chef and Owner, KO Prime, Toro, Uni and Clio

Ben Pollinger - Executive Chef, Oceana

Michael Psilakis - Chef and Co-Owner, Anthos

Deborah Racicot - Pastry Chef, Gotham Bar and Grill

Larissa Raphael - Pastry Chef, Telepan

April Robinson - Pastry Chef

Aaron Sanchez - Chef and Co-Owner, Centrico

Masato Shimizu - Sushi Chef, Tocqueville & 15 East

Andrew Shotts - Chef, Garrison Confections Inc.

Ivy Stark - Executive Chef, Dos Caminos Park

Alex Stupak - Pastry Chef, wd~50

Lon Symensma - Executive Chef, Buddakhan

Sam Talbot - Executive Chef, The Surf Lodge

Bill Telepan - Chef and Owner, Telepan

Bradford Thompson - Executive Chef, Lever House

Toshio Tomita - Head Sushi Chef, Nobu

Sue Torres - Chef and Owner, Sueños & Los Dados

James Tracey - Chef de Cuisine, Craft

Jason Travi - Chef & Partner, Fraiche

Marc Vetri - Executive Chef and Owner, Vetri

Michael White - Executive Chef, Convivo

Damon Wise - Executive Chef, Craft

Michael Zebrowski - Pastry Chef, Copeland