Recapping Emeril Lagasse's 2011 Carnivale du Vin

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• The man himself.
• Washboard Chaz and friends.
• Signed jerseys from Roman Harper and Darren Sharper, auctioned off together as part of the silent auction.
• Artist Alex Beard's original painting for Boudin & Beer in the background.

This weekend, Emeril Lagasse and his Foundation were busy with a pair of fundraisers: Boudin & Beer on Friday and the black tie gala Carnivale du Vin on Saturday. Boudin & Beer was more down home?the $75 ticket price made it more accessible, and though that's definitely out of the price range for many people, they still sold out at 1500 tickets. Music was lively and a whole buncha chefs cooked up different variations on boudin.

Carnivale du Vin, meanwhile, that was a whole 'nother beast, considering the $1000 ticket price.

It started with champagne and what were possibly the best grilled cheese sandwiches ever, served up by students in the NOCCA Culinary Arts programs. (The sandwiches, not the champagne.) And a silent auction was held, where they offered off a number of cool New Orleans-y items like jazz brunch at Arnaud's, Randy Fertel's new book plus a tour of the city given by Fertel himself and more. But then there were items like a trip to Cabo to party with Emeril and Sammy Hagar, signed guitars by bands including the Eagles and Journey, and a dinner for four at the James Beard House. In other words, all stuff oriented towards the Baby Boomer-1 Percenters who buy $1000 tickets to events like this. Oh, and the Roots of Music Honor Band showed up between the silent auction/reception and the dinner, which was a huge surprise for everyone.

Final numbers on what was raised through ticket sales and the auctions are still to come, but all money raised goes to Emeril's Foundation, going to NOCCA and Second Harvest Food Bank, among others.

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