Dine Out for The Gulf Coast

America’s premier chefs and restaurants unite to create Dine Out for the Gulf Coast, benefiting the Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund.

From June 10-12, 2010, participating restaurants throughout the United States will set aside a portion of profits to help those directly affected by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and to support the long-term restoration of the treasured coast.

Participating restaurants will customize their own Dine Out for the Gulf Coast benefit program. Some restaurants will contribute a percentage of total sales for the day and others will donate the sales from specific menu items, while others will offer specialty cocktails with a dollar-value from sales donated to the fund.

Many restaurants will highlight Gulf seafood offerings as a way to support the Gulf Coast fishing industry (commercial and charter fisherman), just declared a national fisheries disaster by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke.

The short-term goal of The Gulf Coast Oil Spill Fund, administered by the Greater New Orleans Foundation, is to make emergency grants to nonprofit organizations helping the victims of the oil spill. The long-term goal of the fund is to address the long-term economic, environmental, cultural effects of the disaster, and strengthen coastal communities against future environmental catastrophes by investing in solutions. No administrative fees will be charged to the fund: all funds will be re-granted to the communities in need.

At this time the only local restaurant participating  is Rue Dumaine, which should be no surprise to those that know that Chef Anne Kearney spent many years cooking in New Orleans.  In 1995 she ended up purchasing the restaurant she’d worked for, Peristyle, which she ran until moving home to Ohio in 2004 to be nearer her family.  In 2007 Anne and her husband and business partner launched Rue Dumaine, named  after the street in New Olreans that housed Peristyle, their French Quarter restaurant.

Dine at Rue Dumaine June 10th, June 11th, June 12th, and help raise money for the Gulf Coast.No matter when you choose to dine,  $1 from each meal served will be contributed. Evan is mixing up a few tasty cocktails for the event, the local strawberry concoctions taste delicious laced with a touch of rum from Martinique. $3 from each specialty cocktail served will be contributed.