Chefs are cooking up a benefit for the family of Jim Burke, who died this week
Chefs are asked to designate net proceeds from a dish — their own creation or one of Burke's — to a GoFundMe drive helping the family.
Friends of chef Jim Burke and his family are planning a fund-raiser in his honor. Restaurants and bars are being invited to put on one of his favorite dishes and/or cocktails as a special for the month of September.
Net proceeds from the dishes would then be donated to the GoFundMe drive that Burke’s family has set up to defray medical bills and childcare.
The chef, last with Method Co., which operates Wm. Mulherin’s Sons, died Aug. 8 at age 49 of lung cancer. He is survived by his wife, Kristina, and children Daniel and Sadie.
Chefs are asked to either send the month’s take from one of their own dishes or to re-create one of Burke’s dishes from James, the upscale American restaurant he and his wife owned from 2006-2011. These include olive oil-poached halibut, hearts of palm barigoule, and roasted citrus sauce; or foie gras torchon, salt-roasted pear, brioche, and honey duck jus; or duck with pappardelle or tagliatelle, orange and shaved chocolate; or dry-aged veal with glazed carrots, fava beans, savoy-shallot purée, and veal sauce.
Among the drinks suggested by the organizers — Madison Alpern, Nick Elmi, Josh Evans, Gia Vecchio, and Daniel DiMartino — are glasses of Champagne, a Negroni, or a Hendricks and honeydew.
Chefs and restaurants that want to participate are asked to complete this form no later than Aug. 29. Proceeds should be sent to the GoFundMe by Oct. 7. Alpern is handling questions.
Funeral services for Burke have not been announced.