West Chester Dish

SWEET CHARITY:
A UNIQUE BLEND OF AROMAS, TASTING, and GIVING

Exton – (April 1):   Imagine eleven of the finest dessert chefs and
chocolatiers, all in the same place, tempting you with their most
beautiful and imaginative creations.  No, this isn’t heaven – this is
Sweet Charity at Waterloo Gardens.  The Chester County Community
Foundation’s signature fundraiser, Sweet Charity, was held Tuesday,
April 1.  Zelinda LeBoutillier, President and CEO of Waterloo Gardens,
generously hosted the event at Waterloo’s Exton location.  There,
eleven restaurants showcased their most innovative desserts, going
head-to-head to claim the title of “Best Dessert.”

Amidst the colorful array of Waterloo’s spring blooms, the smell of
chocolate mingled with jasmine flowers. Over 350 guests came out to
support the Foundation in the fourth year of this Chester County
“must-attend” event.  A savory menu was provided by Gourmet Buffets by
Anthony Aquilante with wine from Chaddsford winery.   All proceeds
benefit the Chester County Community Foundation outreach programs,
which include youth philanthropy and developing the next generation of
philanthropists.

The success of the event was largely thanks to the innovative
participation of the following restaurants:
Butterfish ~ Dark Chocolate Roulade with Pistachio and Orange Crème Anglaise
Carlino’s Market ~ Berrimisu:  Classic Tiramisu with a Twist
Cosimo Restaurant ~ Berry Sampler
Cupcakes Gourmet ~ Cupcake Gourmet Mini-Sampler:  Dark Chocolate Mint,
Café Mocha, Lovely Lemon, Classic Vanilla
Dilworthtown Inn ~ Warm Ginger-Spiced Carrot Cake
Drafting Room ~ Pecan Blondie with Peach Bourbon Sauce
Inn at St. Peter’s Village ~ Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake
Marshalton Inn ~ Almond Praline Cheesecake with Sour Cherries
Pace One Restaurant & Country Inn ~ White Chocolate Bread Pudding in a
Chocolate Covered Tuile Cup with Whiskey Glaze
Sweet Jazmine’s Pastry Shop ~ Key Lime Frochoche
Wegman’s ~ Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

The elite panel of professional judges were:  Chris Curtin of Eclat
Chocolate; Amanda Karwic of Food Solutions; Albert Lauber of Neuchatel
Chocolates; Chef Liz Marden, Delaware Chef of the Year; and Dee
Rogevich of the PA Restaurant Association.

By popular vote, Best Dessert was awarded to Pace One Restaurant &
Country Inn for its White Chocolate Bread Pudding. The professional
judges reached their own conclusions, awarding Best Desert to Cosimo
Restaurant for its Berry Sample, which they noted as, “original and
delicious.”  The professional judges also awarded Most Creative
Dessert to Carlino’s Market for its Berrimisu: Classic Terrimisu with
A Twist. Win or lose, everyone agreed on one thing:  each entry was
exquisite.

This is the fourth year that Zelinda LeBoutellier has hosted Sweet
Charity.  LeBoutellier became interested in hosting the Community
Foundation’s event because, “I like being around generous people who
push the philanthropy envelope, and who devote themselves to
charitable community causes for the long haul.  The Community
Foundation is about long-term, legacy giving, and that kind of
dedication is quite special to me.”

The Community Foundation commends all its Sweet Charity guests and
volunteers for their collective dedication to philanthropy.  Events
such as Sweet Charity make it possible for the Community Foundation to
continue to serve Chester County in its mission to inspire
philanthropy and to make Chester County an even better place to live,
work and play.

Pastry Chef Andrea Schwob of Cosimo Restaurant standing before her winning dessert titled “Berry Sampler”. Photo credit:  Scott Rowan.

Executive Chef Alex Perez and Executive Pastry Chef Jessica Pachorkowsky-Perez of Carlino’s Market in West Chester, whose dessert “Berrimisu:  Classic Tiramisu with a Twist” won First Place in the Most Creative Professional Judge’s Vote, serve the winning dessert to John Celii Jr. and Patricia Celii of the Celii Medical Research Fund, and J. Stoddard “Tod” Hayes, Jr., Esq. of Gawthrop Greenwood, Board Member of the Community Foundation and Event Committee Member.  Photo credit:  Scott Rowan.