As summer approaches and the weather gets warmer, different food events will be taking over New York City and the outer boroughs seemingly every weekend. But before you begin gorging just for the sake of, it might be time to consider a food and tasting event in support of a great cause. On Tuesday, May 15th, some of the City’s finest restaurants will embark upon the Prince George Ballroom on 27th Street for a three hour tasting event creatively titled “W!se Chef’s Night,” an evening to benefit w!se (Working in Support of Education), a nonprofit organization seeking to provide support and financial literacy to underprepared and often underprivileged students.

With a reach of upwards of some 55,000 students annually, the group simply cannot fund itself and with the help of the 2nd annual W!se Chef’s Night, corporate sponsors like Wells Fargo, Legg Mason, Deloitte & Touche are doing their part to help raise funds and awareness for w!se and bring light to the event itself. Not to mention the tremendous value ticketholders can expect from the evening itself. Already signed up to be serving are Mercadito, Sofia Wine Bar, Brooklyn’s Palo Santo, and Midtown’s Il Tinello, steakhouses like Benjamin, Bobby Van’s, Empire, and AJ Maxwell’s, and even liquor pours from Brooklyn Brewery and Winebow, to name a few of the more familiar purveyors.

With some casino games and a live auction, music and more, the second annual W!se Chef’s Night is shaping up to be a charitable food tasting event to rival any in recent memory. And with 100% of the proceeds going to fund their program, you can feel good knowing your entry ticket is a donation that’s doing some good. For more information on w!se, make sure to check out w!se-ny.com and for ticket information for Tuesday’s event, visit wisechefsnight.org.

- Jane Van Arsdale