Restaurants have done organic. They've done local. Now, the next restaurant innovation just might be how they give their money away.
Bay Area chefs have always been generous donating their time and resources to charity, raising money via galas and public tastings. But some chefs are taking charitable work in new directions, partnering with local organizations on multiple levels and building philanthropy into day-to-day restaurant operations.
Perhaps the most ambitious new approach is from Daniel Patterson, chef-owner of the four-star Coi in San Francisco's North Beach, Il Cane Rosso in the Ferry Building and Plum in Oakland. He is dedicating 2011 to Larkin Street Youth Clinic, which provides services for homeless youth in San Francisco. Throughout the year and possibly beyond, he'll do everything from hosting fundraisers and hiring interns to teaching cooking skills and illuminating the value of good food.
"I feel like I wanted to do more," said Patterson. "I wanted to find small organizations that are doing great work, but aren't as well supported as the bigger ones. With government funding cut and the private sector diminished, the need has grown."
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