Hungry For Hope

The second annual Taste of Recovery Culinary Festival – hosted by Louie Bossi, executive chef and partner at Big Time Restaurant Group's Louie Bossi's Ristorante, Bar & Pizzeria – is scheduled for June 2 at Old School Square Pavilion in Delray Beach. 

The event will benefit The Crossroads Club, a Delray Beach nonprofit that provides free meeting space for 12-Step recovery groups. Thousands of people in recovery in South Florida and throughout the nation have achieved their sobriety at The Crossroads Club, which was founded 36 years ago. 

The inaugural festival attracted more than 1,000 guests and 20 restaurants and featured live music and chef prizes for best bites. The event raised nearly $100,000 to benefit The Crossroads Club. At the second annual event, guests will enjoy savory dishes from a variety of area restaurants as well as live entertainment and desserts.

"The addiction epidemic is one of the greatest tragedies facing our nation," says Tony Allerton, co-founder of The Crossroads Club. "The Crossroads Club offers a solution to the cycle of addiction free of charge, and the club has literally saved the lives of thousands of individuals and continues to do so each day."

Adds Bossi: "The restaurant industry and my fellow South Florida chefs have rallied around this cause. This event is a tribute to all who have lost their lives and to those in recovery. The restaurant industry in particular has large numbers of employees in recovery." O  

For more information, visit tasteofrecovery.com.