The Saint Martin’s University Gala will celebrate its 20th anniversary with host Celebrity Chef Rick Bayless this year on Saturday, November 1. Over the past two decades, the Gala has raised more than $21 million in support of student scholarships, transforming the lives of hundreds of Saints by making their educational dreams a reality. Rooted in the Catholic Benedictine value of hospitality, the Gala brings together alumni, benefactors and friends for a night of generosity, great food and celebration—all in support of Saint Martin’s students.
According to Chef Bayless, “It was an easy decision to say yes to Chef Batali when he asked me. I just looked at all the chefs who have done it before me and I knew it was a well-run event.”
Chef Bayless is an award-winning restaurateur, cookbook author, television personality, and philanthropist who gained national recognition as the winner of the inaugural season of Top Chef Masters. His acclaimed public television series, Mexico—One Plate at a Time, aired for twelve seasons and earned multiple Daytime Emmy nominations for Best Culinary Host.
Bayless has shaped the American culinary landscape with his Chicago-based restaurants, including the James Beard Award-winning Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, which has held a Michelin star for over a decade. He has also expanded into quick-service dining with Tortas Frontera and Tortazo, revolutionizing airport and urban dining experiences in Chicago and New York.
“When you are preparing a meal for hundreds of people, you approach it very differently. The components are separate from each other and then must be ready at the same time. You must take special precautions to make sure it doesn’t feel disjointed,” Bayless said. Plus, Bayless has the added pressure of creating a five-course meal for Gala attendees. “It’s the exact same complication but multiplied by five. I just have to think through the dishes from beginning to end.”
While the menu wasn’t completely planned out at the time of this writing, Chef Bayless does plan to use his signature dish, Black Mole, which took him 10 years to master the perfect recipe. “I hope when people leave this dinner, they realize that a whole new world of true Mexican food has been opened to them,” said Bayless.
For more information about the Gala, visit stmartin.edu/events/saint-martins-gala