Brian Huskey of the Jetty, Karlo Evaristo of 61 Hundred Bread, White Rooster’s Michael Campbell and a contingent of Orange County chefs will gather at Pendry Newport Beach on Friday, Nov. 13, for Chefsgiving, the tony hotel’s annual Thanksgiving benefit.
Now in its fourth year, the event will fill the hotel’s Grand Ballroom with chefs serving their interpretations of the holiday feast. All ticket proceeds will benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County. Wine and live entertainment will be included in the evening.
The visiting culinary roster leans heavily toward the county’s resort kitchens. Michael Treanor and Steve Wan of the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, will join Zack Kasmar of the Resort at Pelican Hill, Riley Huddleston of Lido House and Diego Bernal of Balboa Bay Resort.
ALSO READ: 2 Orange County eateries among OpenTable’s Top 100 restaurants
Also participating are David Serus of Specialty Restaurants, the company behind Orange Hill Restaurant, and Rodrigo Ceja of Eat Chow.
Huskey, a “Top Chef” alum, joins the group from the Jetty in Corona del Mar. Meanwhile, Evaristo is the baker behind Santa Ana’s 61 Hundred Bread, which began as a cottage operation in 2019 before opening a storefront in 2024. The bakery takes its name from his hometown of Bacolod City in the Philippines. His bakes include a blue corn masa sourdough, laminated pastries and Filipino staples like pandesal and ube-filled cruffins. Campbell, also on the roster, recently opened shave-ice spot The Shore, with locations in San Juan Capistrano and Dana Point, and White Rooster, found in Corona del Mar and Dana Point.
ALSO READ: 7 Thanksgiving feasts in Orange County worth the splurge
The Pendry property itself will field a sizable contingent of its own, led by culinary director Benjamin Martinek, who previously served as chef de cuisine at Studio at Montage Laguna Beach. He will be joined by pastry chef Theresa Ebilane and Krista Martinez of Viamara at the Elwood Club, the hotel’s private members club. Jose Sanchez and Juan Carlos Hernandez of Tree Shack Pool Bar & Grill will also participate, along with Jojo Ruiz of Set Steak and Sushi.
As for the event, guests will get to move among cooking stations where chefs will be on hand with small plates built around Thanksgiving flavors, with the chance to talk to chefs in between bites.
Second Harvest distributes food through a network serving more than 300 locations, including senior centers, school pantries and shelters.
Chefsgiving runs from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Tickets cost $150 per person, before tax and service charges. Reservations, which can be made through Pendry’s website, are required.
Find it: Pendry Newport Beach, 690 Newport Center Drive, Newport Beach; 949-688-8002, pendry.com