Refinery Rooftop's End Of Movember Ball Raises Thousands Of Dollars For Charity

Last week the Refinery Rooftop hosted its first End of Movember Ball in partnership with the Meatball Shop. The fundraiser raised thousands of dollars for The Movember Foundation, a non-profit whose high-profile awareness campaign has men grow moustaches through the month of November to raise awareness of men's health issues, including prostate and testicular cancer. When it came time to fete the end of the month, it wasn't (just) with a trip to the barber. It was with an all-you-can-taste meatball competition with Jameson cocktails.

The "Best Balls" competition pitted top chefs from meat-centric restaurants against each other. The competitors were Adrienne Guttieri of Trademark, Edi Frauneder of Freud, Harold Moore of Harold's Meat + Three, Jeff Haskell of Refinery Rooftop, and Tim Cushman of Covina.

Each chef channeled their creativity in making the most flavorful meatballs possible, and the results were fabulous. Haskell offered the butcher's meatballs with three cheeses; Cushman featured balls of pork, veal, beef, San Marzano sugo, and parmesan; Frauneder whipped up heritage pig mini meatballs, paprika goulasch, and spaetzle; Moore made unique taco meatballs with lettuce, cheddar, and sour cream; and Guttieri offered Channiballs (beef, veal, pork and fennel sausage) with ricotta. Although judging (and not competing), The Meatball Shop's Daniel Holzman treated guests to the famed meatballs anyway.

In the end, judges Holzman, Ali Rosen of Potluck Video, and celebrity judge Dominic Chianese of The Sopranos awarded Cushman the mustached meatball trophy of best balls. The Audience Favorite award went to Guttieri and her multi-meat balls.

It was a lighthearted evening dedicated to bringing attention to a much larger issue. To that end, everyone walked away a winner.

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