Mike Jerrick spins Fox29’s Ya Gotta Try This food feature into a charity event

The Oct. 21 walk-around food event will benefit CORE, a nonprofit that helps the families of restaurant workers.

Mike Jerrick, cohost of Fox29's "Good Day," leads the show's food segment, known as Ya Gotta Try This.Read moreDan Balmer for Ya Gotta Try This

Published Sept. 5, 2019, 5:00 a.m. ET

It started, as so many things do, with a chat between coworkers.

Fox29′s Mike Jerrick recalls the day seven years ago when Meredith Eells, then a producer on the Good Day show, was raving about the strawberry-shortcake-stuffed French toast served at Green Eggs Cafe in South Philadelphia, capping her tout with the line “ya gotta try this!”

From there a Good Day food segment was born, and five years ago, Fox29 gathered two dozen restaurants at the Independence Visitor Center for the first Ya Gotta Try This tasting event attended by 700 people.

It’s coming back on Oct. 21 at the catering venue Vie by Cescaphe (600 N. Broad St.) as 40 chefs and restaurateurs serve food at the walk-around tasting event. This time, it’s a benefit. Recipient will be the nonprofit organization CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees). Barry Gutin, a partner at Cuba Libre and a CORE board member, is co-chair.

CORE steps in when disaster strikes. It helped the family of chef Eli Kulp, who was severely injured in the wreck of an Amtrak train in 2015, with transportation to join him during his rehabilitation in Atlanta as well as child care for his then 3-year-old son upon his return home.

Participating chefs and restaurants include Townsend Wentz of Oloroso, A Mano, and Townsend; Nick Elmi of Laurel, ITV, and Royal Boucherie; Josh Lawler of the Farm and Fisherman; Guillermo Pernot of Cuba Libre; Jose Garces of Stella; Jean-Marie Lacroix of Brûlée Catering; and Brian Duffy of Ardmore Q.

The party hours are 6:30 to 9:30 p.m.; tickets ($50, or $100 per person for early-entry VIP tickets) are available here.