Dine Out in San Diego and Raise Money for Hungry Children

Do you live in San Diego? Will you be visiting San Diego anytime in August?

Then do yourself and hungry San Diego schoolchildren a favor: Dine at any of the delicious restaurants below, order the listed dish, and a dollar will be donated to the Food 4 Kids Backpack program.

That's right. You eat a great meal and help feed hungry children!

Bon appetit!

Restaurants -- Dollar-a-Dish Entree

Alchemy -- Sea Bass Ceviche

Bencotto -- Pollo alla Pizzaiola

Café Chloe -- Steak Frites

Casa de Bandini -- Fish tacos

Casa Guadalajara -- Fish tacos

Casa de Pico -- Fish tacos

Cosmopolitan Restaurant -- Watermelon Salad

Cowboy Star -- Meyer Natural Certified Humane Filet

Croce's Restaurant and Bar -- 3 Desserts: Fondant Au Chocolat, Vanilla Lavender Honey Crème Brulee, and House-made White Chocolate Macadamia Coconut Ice Cream
Cucina Urbana-- Pizza ordered at lunch

Dining Details -- Catering company
Flippin Pizza -- Tomato Basil Pie available at all 4 locations and truck
Gaglione Brothers -- “Father Joe” Meatball Sandwich

George's at the Cove -- Date Salad with Arugula, Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Pomegranate Vinaigrette

JRDN -- Lamb Lollipop

Jsix -- Monthly Sustainable Seafood

Kensington Grill -- Hog Bar

Lotsa Pasta -- Timpano

Nine-Ten -- Hamichi Sashimi with Marinated Baby Shiitake Mushrooms and Scallion Vinaigrette

O'Brothers -- Big O Burger

Pizza Fusion -- Farmers Market Pizza

Playa Grill -- Carnitas Plate

Rimel's -- Hot Rock at Zenbu

Ritual Tavern -- Niman Ranch Skirt Steak Served with Roasted Market Vegetables, Blue Cheese Mashed Potatoes, & Sherry Demi Glace


Roseville -- Pan Roasted Local Halibut, White Truffle Corn Puree, English Pea, Corn, Radish, and Pea Vine Salad

Royal India -- Chicken Tikka Masala

Sessions Public -- Ribeye Fries

Soleluna Café -- Pasta of the Day

SoNo Trading Company -- Cuban Sandwich

Starlite -- Jidori Chicken

Stingaree -- Minage a Trois: Fried Point Vincente Calamari/Mexican White Shrimp/Bay Scallops/Sherry Chili Aioli/Lemon

Terra- Sea Bass

The Red Door -- Meat Loaf 

Urban Solace -- Duckaroni: Mac n’ Cheese with Blue Cheese, Duck Confit, Roasted Garlic, Arugula, Scallion and New York White Cheddar Mac n’ Cheese, Caramelized Bacon, Charred Tomatoes

Wine Steals -- Full Size Pizzas at all 4 locations  

Please help us spread the word!

Twitter: #Food4KidsSD

Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/food4kids. Take a moment to “like” us.
For more information about Food 4 Kids and how you can help, please read this post.

Let's Feed the Kids with San Diego's 2nd Annual Food 4 Kids Backpack Program Fundraiser

If you’re reading this blog, then you’re probably like me. You’ve eaten a good breakfast this morning. You have a fridge full of food. You worry about over-eating. You never worry about going hungry.

For many of San Diego’s schoolchildren, going hungry is a stark reality. That’s why in 2007 the San Diego Food Bank created the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program which provides chronically hungry elementary school students with food-filled backpacks for the weekend.

Today, I’m asking you to help the San Diego Food Bank and their Food 4 Kids Backpack Program.

Here’s how the program works: Although qualifying children receive free or reduced-cost school lunches, many of them don’t have enough food to eat over weekends and school holidays. So every Friday, these students are given a backpack filled with non-perishable child-friendly foods.

During the 2008-2009 school year, the program served just 200 children in eight schools throughout San Diego County. They are now serving 550 children in 19 schools and are looking to expand that to 850 children this year.

Last year, San Diego food writer, Caron Golden (San Diego Food Stuff), and food blogger, Alice Robertson (Alice Q. Foodie), launched a fundraiser for the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program. They collected over $6,000 and 1,200 pounds of food, plus scores of backpacks.

It's time for the second fundraiser, and I’m happy to be on this year's committee. We’re holding the fundraiser over the summer (August 21st) so that the money, food, and backpacks we collect can help enroll more students and schools at the beginning of the school year.

In addition to Caron, Alice, and me, our wonderful committee includes local chefs Diane Stopford and Amiko Gubbins, PR maven Peyton Robertson of Bay Bird PR, and NBC San Diego anchor/reporter Catherine Garcia.

The fundraiser has three parts and three ways you can help:


1. Monetary donations: We've set up a fundraising page at www.firstgiving.com/food4kids. You can make donations here, add comments, and keep track of our progress. This page runs through the end of August. And, thanks to NBC San Diego for contributing the 7 percent cut firstgiving.com takes of the total raised on the site so we don't lose any money you give!

2. Backpack and food donations: We are encouraging people to collect neutral backpacks (preferably logo-free, black or red one since those are the kids’ favorite colors) and kid-friendly non-perishable foods such as applesauce, cereal, fruit and pudding cups, juice boxes, soup, and macaroni and cheese. The collection for this food and backpack drive will be at the Little Italy Mercato on Saturday, August 21.

3. Dining out donations: A “dollar-a-dish” event throughout the month of August. Over 40 San Diego restaurants will select one of their best selling dishes and for the month of August will contribute $1 for every dish sold.

As an added incentive, those who contribute to the firstgiving.com page and food/backpacks at the Little Italy Mercato collection event will be entered into a drawing for raffle prizes. Winners will be announced at the Mercato on August 21.

Dine at these San Diego eateries during the month of August, and support the Food 4 Kids Backpack Program. Here's the current list of participating restaurants. I’ll tell you more about them next week and include any newcomers.

Alchemy

Bencotto

Cafe Chloe

Case de Bandini

Casa de Pico

Casa Guadalajara

Cosmopolitan Restaurants

Cowboy Star

Croce's 

Cucina Urbana

Dining Details (caterer)

Flippin Pizza

Gaglione Brothers

George's at the Cove

JRDN

Jsix

Kensington Grill

Lotsa Pasta

Nine-Ten

O'Brother's 

Pizza Fusion

Playa Grill

Ritual Tavern

Roseville

Royal India

Sessions Public

Soleluna Cafe

So No Trading Company

Starlite

Stingaree

Terra 

The Red Door

Urban Solace

Wine Steals

Zenbu

Please help us spread the word!

Twitter: #Food4KidsSD

Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/food4kids. Take a moment to “like” us.