💙💛 October is National Down Syndrome Awareness month, and Sweet Republic has brought back its Blueberry Lemon Custard Pie ice cream at all three of its Valley shops.
The artisan ice cream shop is donating 25% of pint sales of the flavor this month to GiGi’s Playhouse, a non-profit that provides free therapeutic and educational programs to individuals with Down syndrome.
🔪 Tempe bakery Tracy Dempsey Originals needs your unwanted kitchen gadgets for a Nov. 11 culinary rummage sale to benefit Blue Watermelon Project.
Blue Watermelon Project is a group of chefs, restaurateurs, and community food advocates who work with students, parents, educators, and the community to assist schools in rethinking relationships with food.
TDO is accepting gently used utensils, kitchenwares, cookbooks, dishes, and baking items – from vintage to modern. Items should be clean and in good working condition.
Items may be dropped off at TDO, which is located on the southeast corner of Priest and University, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays through Nov. 4.
❤️ Six Valley chefs will compete in a Burger Battle Throwdown from 6-9 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, at Handlebar Diner in southeast Mesa to raise money for a local event planner’s fight against cancer.
Lauren Wyckoff, owner of Lauren Allen Culinary Events, has been diagnosed with stage 4 lymphoma.
Throwdown attendees will get a sample of each chef’s burger along with a beer pairing before voting on the event’s winner. There also will be DJ music and raffles.
Participating chefs are:
Tickets are $50.
🍕 In honor of Hunger Awareness Month, Grimaldi’s Pizzeria is raising funds for No Kid Hungry, a Christian non-profit organization fighting to stop food waste and eliminate child hunger.
Throughout September, diners at any of Grimaldi’s seven locations in the Valley can donate to No Kid Hungry.
For every $5 donated, up to a total of $25 per visit, guests will receive a bounce-back card matching the donated amount to use on their next visit.
🔥 Several Valley restaurants are helping to raise money this month for the victims of Maui’s wildfires:
Streets of New York: Donating a portion of the sales from Hawaiian pizzas with Canadian bacon and pineapple, along with a $2,000 pledge.
Koibito Poke: Donating a portion of sales from the restaurant’s signature bowls.
Chula Seafood: Hosting a raffle for a $500 gift card. The raffle will start Monday.
Crujente Tacos: Donating 100% of the proceeds from its Pork Belly Tacos (pictured) from noon-4 p.m. Sunday at its walk-up window.
Rusconi’s American Kitchen: Donating a portion of the proceeds from its Pork Tenderloin entrée from Aug. 22-25.
Kaizen: Raffling a $500 gift card. Look for details on its website after Monday.
Original Breakfast House: Will host a fundraiser Aug. 26-27 with food specials, live music, and a raffle.
Vecina: Donating 100% of proceeds from a short rib barbacoa taco special Thursday through Sunday.
Badass Coffee of Hawaii: Donating 100% of sales of all Maui coffees.
👨🍳 An update on Romeo Taus, the owner and chef of Romeo’s Euro Cafe in downtown Gilbert. Taus underwent brain surgery Monday to remove two tumors (see previous post).
What happened: According to friends and co-workers of Taus, doctors were able to remove a large portion of the bigger tumor, but were unable to remove the smaller one. A third tumor on his spine previously was deemed inoperable.
Some good news: The 68-year-old was awake and joking around with family following the surgery. He is expected to go home this week. No word yet on his long-term prognosis.
How you can help: A longtime co-worker has launched a GoFundMe campaign for Taus and his wife, Janice. So far it’s raised more than $6,000. You can donate here.
Romeo Taus – the owner and self-taught chef of Romeo’s Euro Cafe, an East Valley fixture for 32 years – is hospitalized in intensive care awaiting surgery at St Joseph’s Hospital in Phoenix after doctors discovered two tumors in his brain and another on his spine.
The background: The Romania-born Taus immigrated to the U.S. in 1973 and studied engineering at Wayne State University in Detroit.
His own restaurant: Taus opened his own Mediterranean restaurant, Romeo’s Euro Cafe, in 1991 at Southern and Longmore in Mesa.
Moving to Gilbert: Impressed by Joe Johnston’s Joe’s Real BBQ, Taus moved his restaurant to a nearby 1,800-square-foot space in historic Heritage Court in downtown Gilbert in 2004.
How you can help: A longtime employee has launched a GoFundMe campaign for Taus, who just celebrated his 68th birthday, and his wife, Janice. You can donate here.
⚾️ Family-owned Babbo Italian Eatery is donating 100% of profits Thursday at all eight of its Valley restaurants – plus raffling off some rare baseball memorabilia – to help the Seena Magowitz Foundation fight pancreatic cancer.
Why: Dubbed ‘‘Baseball for Babbo,’’ the day is a tribute to Babbo founder Ken Pollack, who lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in late 2022.
The quote: “‘If you give you will get, and if you get you should give,’ was my Dad’s quote. This event is the perfect way for us to honor his legacy and live by his motto,” says Taylor Schultz, marketing director for Babbo.
Babbo locations: Glendale, Queen Creek, Cave Creek, Scottsdale, Mesa, Surprise, Phoenix, and Goodyear.
Did you know: Pancreatic cancer is the third-leading cause of cancer deaths.
Four Peaks Brewing in Tempe has kicked off its 13th annual Four Peaks for Teachers program, which includes:
Four Peaks also will bring back its Afterschool Snack, a peanut-butter-and-jelly infused version of its flagship Kilt Lifter, in July.
