Chef’s Table

Friendship Dinner

Join us!
May 3rd, 2025 at 5:00pm
Tanaka Farms in Irvine


MaxLove Project’s Chef’s Table Friendship Dinner is not a gala dinner; it’s a transformative experience—a multi-course friendship feast crafted by our Culinary Team Leader, Chef Cathy McKnight, and her extraordinary group of culinary champions. Set against the stunning backdrop of Tanaka Farms, this event showcases the highest quality ingredients, expertly prepared over open flames and served family-style in a breathtaking hilltop setting.


Join us for an evening that transcends dining. The Chef’s Table Friendship Dinner is a unique opportunity to be inspired, give back, and connect with a community of passionate change-makers dedicated to enhancing the health and wellbeing of children battling cancer and rare diseases.

🍷 Exceptional Wine Pairings 🍷

  • Bella Union Winery

    Crafting exceptional Napa Valley wines with a heritage of meticulous winemaking and vineyard-driven quality.

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  • Bob Cabral Winery

    Created by legendary winemaker Bob Cabral, whose pinot noirs have earned perfect 100-point scores and worldwide acclaim.

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  • Booker Vineyard

    Booker Vineyard stands out as a premier Paso Robles winery committed to sustainable, organic farming practices. Their estate vineyard, nestled in the region's ideal climate, produces limited-quantity, handcrafted wines that beautifully express the unique terroir. Known for their exceptional Rhône-style blends and powerful yet elegant reds, Booker's award-winning wines have earned them a dedicated following among wine enthusiasts and critics alike.

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  • Native Hands Wines

    Native Hands Wine pays homage to each Mission Tribe by offering a line of classically hand-crafted wines, each with a unique story that reflects a time, place, or ceremony honoring our ancestors and celebrating the rich traditions of the first winemakers in Alta California.

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  • Rombauer Vineyards

    A longtime generous partner of MaxLove Project, known for their award-winning Chardonnay and commitment to family winemaking excellence. ith vineyards in the cool Carneros region and the prestigious St. Helena and Stags Leap districts, Rombauer crafts wines that perfectly balance richness and elegance, making them ideal companions for our carefully curated menu.

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  • Postino WineCafé

    Postino WineCafé is a restaurant with a chill atmosphere, focusing on shareable food, high-quality wines, and a welcoming, community-focused environment. Postino will be offering our guest an extensive wine tasting during our cocktail hour. Postino’s activation within our farm dinner is always a huge hit with our guests!

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Meet Our Culinary Team

GET TICKETS

Invest in hope.            

At MaxLove Project, we believe in the power of hope and community to drive meaningful change for families facing the challenges of childhood cancer and rare diseases. Our Chef’s Table Friendship Dinner embodies this spirit of transformation, wellness, and resilience. It is fueled by the therapeutic energy of Tanaka Farms, a place where nature and nourishment come together.

Partner with us.    

Thanks to the unwavering commitment of our friends, Farmer Tanaka and Chef Cathy McKnight with Team Green, along with our valued supporters and sponsors, this event is more than just a dinner—it’s a catalyst for real change. Together, we can create a brighter future for the families we serve. Join us in this inspiring journey and be part of something truly special.

About the dinner

  • THE MENU:
    Our menu is seasonal & sustainably-sourced from our favorite farmers, ranchers & fishermen! Our wine pairings come from some of the most notable and highly acclaimed winemakers in California, many of whom will be in attendance!

    Passed Appetizers:

    • Fierce Foods Cookbook beet poké on watermelon radish crisp

      • Paired with: Bella Union Sauvignon Blanc

    • Beef tenderloin tartare on artisan baguette 

      • Paired with: Native Hands Rose

    • Grilled oysters with chili butter

      • Paired with: Rombauer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

    • Raw oysters with cherimoya & shallot mignonette and smoked trout roe

      • Paired with: Rombauer Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc

    • Varied wine tastings provided by Postino WineCafé

    • Craft cocktails provided by St. George Spirits and Slow & Low by Cooper Spirits

    • Thompson & Scott non-alcoholic prosecco

    • ISM Brewing craft beer, Long Beach

    All courses served family-style with sides of seasonal vegetables (vegan or vegetarian on request): 

    Charcuterie Course:

    • Wine pairing: Rombauer Chardonnay

    • Charcuterie & Cheese 

      • Pot of Farmhouse at Roger’s Garden Chicken Liver Mousse

      • Handmade charcuterie by Chef Paul Buchanan

      • Handmade feta cheese by Chef Andrew Johnson

      • Chef Tony’s Sweet Onion & Herb Jam and Bread Artisan Bakery Baguette

    • The grazing boards are handmade by Chef Coby Laird and will be available for auction.

    Course One: Farm

    • Wine pairing: Booker Vineyard ‘23 My Favorite Neighbor Rosé

    • Curated by Chefs Andrew Johnson, Doug Settle & Abby King and Whitney Aronoff

    • Spring Salad mixed with seasonal farm abundance

    • Rebel Mountain Farm lettuce, spring peas, baby fennel, snap peas, radish, pickled strawberries

    • Hearth & Harvest roasted strawberry vinaigrette, bloomy goats cheese crottin

    Course Two: Sea

    • Wine pairing: Bob Cabral Pinot Noir & Booker Vineyard  ‘23 Rhone Inspired White Blend 

    • Curated by Chefs Richard Mead, Paul Buchanan & Paddy Glennon

    • Plancha seared local halibut with strawberry black pepper salsa

    • Tehachapi Grain Project Sonoran wheat with coconut braised Gai Lan, red chard & garlic scapes

    Course Three: Ranch

    • Wine pairings: Booker Vineyard ‘21 Fracture

    • Curated by Chefs Michael Puglisi, Tony Thomason and Claudia Gonzalez

    • Herd & Grace prime beef tenderloin with fire-kissed spring mushroom confit & herbed hotel butter

    • Grilled spring asparagus with roasted pepper relish

    • Crispy Weiser Farm Magic Myrna potatoes, rosemary and a sprinkle of Starseed Kitchen spices

    Course Four: Sweet Endings Cake Walk Auction

    • From Viktor Benes Bakery:

      • Coconut cake, carrot cake, Boston cream pie, marble cake with chocolate ganache

    • From Chef Cathy:

      • Fierce Foods Cookbook Chavacado Pudding

      • GF chocolate layer cake

    • OCSA culinary team Dessert TBA

    • Fresh Berry Galette with Vanilla Creme (3)

  • May 3rd, 2025 at 5:00pm
    Tanaka Farms in Irvine

    • Guests arrive at Tanaka Farms at 5:00pm

    • Parking is free onsite

    • Upon check-in guests will be escorted up the hill to the main venue on a tractor-pulled wagon

    • The event will begin with appetizers, cocktails and live music

    • Dinner will be a seated, multi-course, family-style meal all cooked over fire on the farm by our extraordinary chefs, known collectively as Team Green

    • The informational and fundraising portions of the event will be tied into the dinner program

    • The event will conclude around 9pm

    • Attire is “farm chic” meaning farm-friendly footwear with gala/party clothing

  • We’re offering two types of tickets only this year:

    • Single seats at our community table - $450 (early-bird), $500 (regular price)

    • Table of ten seats - $4500 (early-bird), $5000 (regular price)

    • All seats are VIP. This event will be more intimate than in years past.

  • MaxLove Project is dedicated to improving the quality of life of families facing childhood cancers, pediatric rare diseases, and chronic hospitalizations with evidence-based culinary medicine, emotional health support, expert-driven health education, and therapeutic community.

    It’s our goal to raise $250,000 to support our programming and transformation in 2025. Programmatic funding will support our Ohana Day events, mental health therapy for families, nutrition care/nutrigenomics and online resources.

We love our sponsors!

We love our sponsors!