Benefit Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and Battle for a Cure on Thursday, October 10

Thursday night means it's basically the weekend, right? Since we're in agreement on this and you need a fun and delicious activity now, head down to the historic Georgia Freight Depot for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Next Generation Celebration: Battle for a Cure restaurant competition on October 10. From 7-10 p.m. there's going to be a culinary showdown between JCT. Kitchen & Bar, King + Duke, No. 246, The Optimist, RA Sushi Bar Restaurant and more with the hopes of being named the champion that evening. Along with eating your way through all of the action and silent auction bidding, guests will experience an all-inclusive tasting with beer and wine for $75 ($36 tax deductible). All proceeds from ticket sales and the silent auction go back to Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, so you'll be happy to know all that eating is for a great cause! Buy tickets online and prepare for the battle. More on Facebook.

This Thursday Indulge in Chocolate! Without Feeling Guilty About It

On Thursday, June 23 from 6 – 10 p.m. at Opera in Midtown, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF) will host their annual fundraiser, Chocolate! 2011. This event features chocolate tastings from many of Atlanta’s pastry chefs and restaurants. Woodfire Grill and Briza will join other bakers, vintners and caterers to bring you everything chocolate, including tapas, a chocolate lager tasting and a chocolate cappuccino tasting – because isn’t everything better in chocolate?!? Musical entertainment will be provided by DJay McCracken featuring American Idol’s Paris Bennett and a silent auction will also be taking place! With all you can eat chocolately goodness that supports a great cause, this is one event you don’t want to miss! Tickets are $75 in advance, $85 at the door and $125 for the VIP experience.

Opera Nightclub is located at 1150 Crescent Avenue, NE at Peachtree Street.

What Girl (or Guy) Doesn't Love Chocolate!

Are you ready for chocolate pastries, lager and other delicious treats? Chocolate! 2011 will be celebrating it's tenth annual event on Thursday, June 23 from 6:00- 10:00 p.m. at Opera. Sponsored by SparkQuest, the event gets extra sweet by having the proceeds go to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (CFF). All past events have brought in a total of over $600,000 for CFF.

Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get from chefs from Briza and Woodfire Grill! Along with all of the tastings of delectable chocolate, guests will also get to experience a silent auction, performance by American Idol's Paris Bennett and music by DJ McCracken. Come see for yourself and get an all you can eat treat at Chocolate! Tickets are $75 in advance, $85 at the door and an exclusive VIP experience is available for $125.

Opera Nightclub: 1150 Crescent Avenue at Peachtree Street.

Ditch the Diet at Chocolate! 2009

On a summer diet? Well forget all about it tomorrow night at the 9th Annual Chocolate! 2009 event, benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This is the one event where it's perfectly acceptable to eat as much chocolate as humanly possible! Funds raised at this annual indulgence will go straight to cystic fibrosis research and treatment. More than 1,000 chocoholics are expected to attend the event at Villa Christina, which also features a full dinner buffet, two live bands and a silent auction. Chefs from Aqua blue, Bold American Events & Catering, Kozmo Gastro Pub and Pacci Ristorante, plus other top bakers, chefs, vintners and caterers will whip up a plethora of chocolate delicacies. Tickets for the 6 - 10 p.m. event are $65 in advance and $75 at the door and may be purchased online or by calling 404-325-6973.

Chocolate! 2009 hopes to raise $100,000 net profit for cystic fibrosis research. Since its start in 1955, the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation has worked to find a cure for the aggressive disease and to improve quality of life for those with CF. As a result, the median survival age for people with CF has doubled from 18 years to the early 30s.

Mmmmmm Chocolate! 2009

In less than a month, Atlanta’s top bakers, chefs, vintners and caterers will come together and create chocolate delights for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's ninth annual fundraiser.The sinful event will take place on Thursday, June 18 at Villa Christina.

Contributing restaurants this year include:

Aqua Blue

Bold American Events & Catering

Canoe

City Grill

Dailey’s

Dantanna’s

JD Rothschild & Co.

Jim ‘N Nick’s BBQ

Kheesekakes by Kelli

Kozmo Gastro Pub

Max Lager’s Wood-Fired Grille & Brewery

Pacci Ristorante

Rathbun’s

Silk Restaurant

The Capital Grille

The Dining Room at the Ritz Carlton-Buckhead

The Land of 1,000 Hills Coffee

The Melting Pot

Veni Vidi Vici

Villa Christina

Wildfire

The team at Melissa Libby and Associates is proud to support and attend this annual event. The exclusive evening features two live bands, a chocolate martini bar, a chocolate lager and a chocolate cappuccino tasting, full dinner buffet, silent auction and, of course, all-you-can-eat chocolate treats. To purchase tickets, visit http://www.chocolateforcf.org/.

Mark Your Calendar for Chocolate! 2009

The team at Melissa Libby and Associates is proud to take part in Chocolate! 2009 for another year! The ninth annual fundraiser for The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's Georgia chapter will take place on Thursday, June 18th from 5 pm-10 pm. They are back for another year of pure indulgence at Villa Christina restaurant. Chocolate tastings from Atlanta’s premier pastry chefs take the main stage. Come enjoy martini tastings, a full dinner buffet, chocolate beer and chocolate espresso. Live entertainment, a silent auction, a cash bar and FREE valet parking promise to make this special evening one to celebrate in style!
To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit www.chocolateforcf.org .

Caryn and I got up early this morning for some behind-the-scenes action in the FOX 5 TV newsroom. Chef Richard Blais was cooking up a tasty Oreo cookie confection that he will be serving tomorrow night at the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation's annual Chocolate! event. Leave it up to Blais to take an old favorite and add a little liquid nitrogen to it! To see Blais and other top Atlanta chefs, join us tomorrow night at Villa Christina from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event features a full dinner buffet, martini bar, silent auction, two bands, and, of course, all-you-can-eat-chocolate treats! Tickets are $65 in advance, $75 at the door.

Hmmm...Chocolate!

The official countdown is on!! One week to go. That’s right, only seven days left before the one night a year I give myself permission to overindulge in the most decadent event that Atlanta has to offer… and tell myself “it’s for a good cause.” Chocolate! 2008, a fundraiser for Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, is Thursday, June 19, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. I have been spending a little extra time on the treadmill lately, since I know this event will send me home a few lbs heavier than when I arrived (and not just because of the silent auction winnings I’ll be carrying). Here is a pic of me at a previous Chocolate! event with Wynn, who I affectionately refer to as “Gerber Daisy Guy” (I’m sure it’s obvious why).

The evening, which will be sponsored by glaceau smartwater®, will include a chocolate martini bar, a chocolate lager and a chocolate cappuccino tasting, full dinner buffet, silent auction and, of course, enchanting creations from 20 of Atlanta’s best pastry chefs. Participants include Fifth Group Restaurants®, Home, Morton’s The Steakhouse, Rathbun’s, Villa Christina, the evening’s gracious host, and more.

Here is a pic from a party I recently attended for the host committee, co-chaired by Wes Moss, from The Apprentice, and his cohort, Charles Hodges, at Morton’s The Steakhouse in Buckhead. (Gerber Daisy Guy and me, again!) He promised me a dance at the event. Wynn, I’m holding you to that!!!

Come out and join us. Tickets are only $65 in advance and $75 at the door. Click here to purchase tickets online.

For more information, contact CFF at 404-325-6973, or visit their website.

Villa Christina is located at 4000 Summit Boulevard; 678-686-4272.