Food For Thought

Painting by Sonoma County artist Marylu Downing.

Graphic Design by Lynn Newton

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Good Food, Good Friends, For Life

WHAT: 7th Annual Dining Out For Life

WHO: Benefiting Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank

WHEN: Thursday, Dec. 4, 2008

WHERE: All over Sonoma County, in 58 participating restaurants (see list below)

EVENT WEBSITE: www.DiningOutforLife.com

Media contact:

Ron Karp

Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank

707.887.1647

ronk@FFTfoodbank.org

For the seventh year, Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank is inviting everyone out to eat!

On Thursday, Dec. 4, 58 Sonoma County restaurants will donate a percentage of their sales to Food For Thought, making this year’s Dining Out For Life event a record-breaker.

“Last year’s event raised nearly $90,000,” says Food For Thought Executive Director Ron Karp. “Five-thousand people went out to dinner in support of our agency. This year promises to be even bigger. We have 58 restaurants participating, including all four of the restaurants owned by Mark and Terri Stark. We’re very excited about this year’s event.”

The Starks own four innovative concept restaurants in Sonoma County including Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar in Healdsburg, and Willi’s Wine Bar, Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar, and Stark’s Steakhouse, all in Santa Rosa.

“Dining Out For Life supports a fantastic cause,” Mark Stark says, explaining their decision to participate. “This relationship is so natural. We feed people; Food For Thought feeds people. We’re happy to help make that happen. As restaurant owners, we’re asked to do so much for our community. This is an event that allows us to have maximum impact and it showcases our restaurants and our food in the best possible way.”

His wife and business partner Terri Stark agrees. “We have regular customers who will appreciate the event, and we hope to meet new customers as well. We’re looking forward to a busy night in all of our locations, which is a bonus for our staff. This is an event where everybody benefits!”

Dining Out For Life is one fundraising event that is easy to participate in. All donors have to do is eat at one of the participating restaurants on Thursday, Dec. 4, and that restaurant will donate either 25 or 50 percent of the bill to Food For Thought. Reservations are recommended, and Food For Thought asks diners to let restaurants know they are coming for Dining Out for Life when making their reservations. There are opportunities to participate all day.

“You can have breakfast with friends, a business lunch, and dinner with your partner,” Ron Karp explains. “We have restaurants participating at all three meals.”

Additionally, diners have the opportunity to win marvelous prizes ­– including two Virgin America Airline tickets – by entering the drawing that is being held in all of the participating restaurants.

Dining Out for Life began 19 years ago in Philadelphia as a way of raising funds for and AIDS service organization while honoring the many people who worked in the food and beverage industry that died of AIDS early in the epidemic. The program has grown and is successful in 53 other cities in the United States and Canada. Dining Out For Life raises more than $3 million a year for HIV/AIDS charities.

Major sponsors of this year’s Sonoma County event are California Food Connections, Exchange Bank, KRSH radio, Sonoma Index Tribune, Sonoma West Times & News, Healdsburg Tribune, and Windsor Times and Virgin America. Subaru is the event’s North American sponsor.

Founded in 1988, Food For Thought – Sonoma County AIDS Food Bank, is located in downtown Forestville. Food For Thought distributes groceries, fresh produce, household necessities, vitamins and supplements to people with HIV/AIDS living in Sonoma County. All services, including countywide delivery for clients who are homebound or lack transportation, are provided free of charge.

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Participating Restaurants

The restaurants donating a percentage of both alcohol and food are marked with an (*). The two restaurants donating 50% are indicated, and the letters following the phone number indicate the meals during which the restaurant is participating.

BODEGA BAY
*Bay View Restaurant & Lounge, 875-2751 D

FORESTVILLE
Farmhouse Inn & Restaurant, 887-3300 D
*Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge, 887-7503 L D

GEYSERVILLE
Santi Restaurant, 857-1790 L D

GRATON
Underwood Bar and Bistro, 823-7023 D
Willow Wood Market Café, 823-0233 D

GUERNEVILLE

Applewood Inn & Restaurant, 869-9093
50% *Russian River Resort, 869-0691 D

HEALDSBURG
Barndiva Restaurant & Lounge, 431-0100 L D
50% Bistro Ralph, 433-1380 L D
Café Gratitude, 723-4462 B L D
Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, 431-0330 D
Manzanita Restaurant, 433-8111 L D
Pizza Gourmet, 473-0108 L D
Ravenous Café & Lounge, 431-1302 L D
Willi’s Seafood & Raw Bar, 433-9191 L D

KENWOOD
Vineyards Inn Bar & Grill, 833-4500 L D

MONTE RIO
Village Inn & Restaurant, 865-2304 D

OCCIDENTAL
*Bistro Des Copains, 874-2436 D
Howard Station Café, 874-2838 B L

PETALUMA
*Café Zazzle, 762-1700 L D
Cucina Paradiso Ristorante Italiano, 782-1130 L D
Risibisi Rustic Italian Cuisine, 766-7600 L D

ROHNERT PARK
Hana Restaurant, 586-0270 L D

SANTA ROSA
Annapurna Restaurant, 579-8471 L D
Bistro 29, 546-2929 L D
*California Thai Restaurant, 573-1441 L D
Carmen’s Burger Bar, 579-3663 L D
*Checkers Bistro & Wine Bar, 578-4000 L D
John Ash & Co., 527-7687 D
Mac’s Kosher Style Deli, 545-3785 B L
Mombo’s Pizza , 528-3278 L D
Monti’s Rotisserie & Bar, 568-4404 L D
Nectar Restaurant, 569-5525 B L D
Pamposh Restaurant, 538-3367 L D
Pizza Gourmet, 575-1677 L D
Russian River Brewing Co., 545-2337 L D
Sassafras Restaurant & Bar, 578-7600 L D
Sea Thai Bistro, 528-8333 L D
Stark’s Steakhouse, 546-5100 L D
Syrah Restaurant, 568-4002 L D
Willi’s Wine Bar, 526-3096 L D

SEBASTOPOL
Café Saint Rose, 829-5898 D
French Garden, 824-2030 D
*GTO’s Seafood House, 824-9922 D
K & L Bistro, 823-6614 L D
Martha’s Old Mexico Restaurant, 823-4458 L D
*Mombo’s Pizza, 823-7492 L D
Pasta Bella Saute and Grill, 824-8191 L D
*Peter Lowell’s, 829-1077 B L D
*Restaurant Eloise, 823-6300 L D
Slice of Life, 829-6627 B L D
*Sushi Hana, 823-3778 L D
*Sushi Tozai, 824-9886 L D

SONOMA
Maya Restaurant, 935-3500 L D
*Saddles Steakhouse at MacArthur Place, 933-3191 B L D

VALLEY FORD
Rocker Oysterfeller’s Kitchen & Saloon, 876-1983 D

WINDSOR
Odyssey Restaurant, 836-7600 D
Restaurant Mirepoix, 838-0162 L D