Project by Project Benefit

Checked out & helped out this year's Project by Project 10th annual Food & Wine Benefit. PBP is a non-profit volunteer based national organization composed of social entrepreneurs who partner up with and assist under-served non-profits, help them with fundraising, public awareness, marketing, and other aspects of their organization to help them get the proper infrastructure in order to enable them to become independent and self-sufficient organizations.

I had heard about it from someone I met a short while ago, and last year's event was a site of a Top Chef challenge. It piqued my curiosity, and I love food and wine so I figured it would be a good opportunity to learn more about the organization and get some good eats. Various restaurants donated their food and time to showcase some of their delicacies. Among those representin' were Wilshire restaurant, recently recognized by Santa Monica and awarded the Sustainable Quality Award for their sustainable practices (using a variety of organic produce, seasonal ingredients, & Farmer's market produce & goods). I didn't get to eat too much food, but I had to try their dessert, which was a mango sorbet with fresh peaches and poppyseed cake. It was good. I haven't been to the restaurant yet but it is definitely on my 'must go to eat' list.

A side note, Eco Limo was also awarded a Sustainable Quality Award this year. I called them once to see how much it would cost for a trip to the airport. Granted, they use hybrids and various vehicles which are either electric or bio-diesel fueled and what not and are a member of TerraPass, but from West LA to LAX would have cost me around $80+, whereas a regular airport shuttle would've cost me only $20. I think if the price differential hadn't been so significant I would've considered eco limo, but I think a $60 difference is a bit....much. I don't know how many people will be willing to pay that sort of money where other cheaper alternatives are readily available. Also, if I'm carpooling with 5 other people going to the airport in a traditional shuttle service, what's the difference in impact if I'm being shuttled alone in a car that's a hybrid? I'm not sure but I almost want to say its more efficient & almost better (gasp!) to go the carpooling/shuttle route. I admire their business model though.

Going back to the event. Part of my humbling job included throwing away plates & food that had accumulated on tables after patrons had finished, throwing out the trash, stuff like that. Since the portions were quite small you would imagine that people would finish what they had, but the entire night I was throwing away plates and plates of food that people had taken one little nibble of, and then promptly thrown away. I was a little saddened, if not disgusted, at how people waste so much food without taking into account how hard some of those chefs had worked. It also makes me look at myself and my own practices, which I do admit, have not been perfect.