On Thursday, April 15, and Friday, April 16, The Room at Cedar Grove in Lewes will welcome well-known Philadelphia chef Jeff Michaud for a special four-course meal. Paul Cullen & Friends will provide the entertainment, and guest performer Robert Randolph, a pedal steel guitarist, will join the band.
Lewes chef/musician Cullen, who owns The Room at Cedar Grove and Paul’s Cullen-ary Company, organized the event to benefit his new nonprofit, Paul Kares, which Cullen founded with Jim Rivette.
The 501(c)(3) seeks to support Delmarva-area students interested in music or culinary careers.
“I’ve built my career on blending my passions – music, food and wine,” said Cullen, who toured with the rock band Bad Company before settling in coastal Sussex County. “So, a fundraiser that celebrates all three is the perfect way to launch Paul Kares.
Michaud is one of the founding partners of Osteria in Philadelphia. In 2008, The James Beard Foundation nominated Osteria the Best New Restaurant. In 2010, he won the James Beard Award for Best Mid-Atlantic Chef.
In February 2011, Coleman Andrews, editor of the online magazine “The Daily Meal,” named Osteria one of the 101 Best Restaurants in America. The same month, “Food and Wine” magazine nominated Michaud for “Best Chef-People’s Choice” in the mid-Atlantic region. In 2012, he published the cookbook “Eating Italy.” Michaud and wife Claudia also operate La Via Gaia, which organizes culinary trips.
On April 15 and April 16, Michaud will prepare a four-course meal featuring the following:
• Beef tartare with giardiniera (Italian relish), black olive and wheat crackers
• Rigatoni with chicken liver, cipollini onion and sage
• Tomahawk pork chop with a fennel rub, salsa rossa (tomato and bell pepper) and jus
• Nutella torta with hazelnut crème anglaise and candied orange.
New Jersey native Robert Randolph has performed with Eric Clapton, Carlos Santana and Derek Trucks. The founder of the Family Band has been nominated for a Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. Randolph is on “Rolling Stone” magazine’s list of the top 100 guitarists of all time. His new album with the band is “Brighter Days.”
“Having two masters of their craft in one room is going to be incredible,” Cullen said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
Tickets are $145 each and seating is limited. Visit paulcullen.rocks to purchase.
To view a complete schedule of upcoming events, visit paulcullen.rocks. For additional information, call 302-228-9775 or email ciao@paulcullen.rocks.
