City Harvest's Bid Against Hunger Patrons Bring An Appetite For Auctions

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- When chefs from the cities best restaurants come together for a mega-tasting the resulting food coma has a dangerous side effect of wild bidding. Sho Shaun Hergatt, Le Bernardin, landmarc and Maialino were only a few of the Sam Sifton approved boites indulging foodies out to support City Harvest, the food rescue organization that feeds over a quarter million New Yorkers each year with food that would otherwise be thrown away. -

Diners made their rounds at food, booze and most importantly dessert tables before raising the stakes at the live auction.

Friendly competition was in the air as groups gathered together and egged each other on to set records and bid higher on everything from Vespas to Turks and Caicos getaways and private in home dinners with chefs who typically grace cookbook covers. In a particularly inspired bit of fund raising, Le Bernardin chef Eric Ripert sold a $28,000 package including hand signed bottles of Krug, private wine classes and a dinner for 10 prepared specially by him...twice. The move drove the crowd wild and will provide 130,000 New Yorkers with meals. The winners looked pretty satiated too.