Benefit for Conductive Learning: Eat, Drink and Be Merry


even though i haven't spent more than half an hour of my life with this little girl, she means a lot to me.  her name is archer, and she is the sweet daughter of liz and chad from tartine.

over the past year, liz and chad have shown me immeasurable generosity, allowing a near stranger to come into their bakery and take the place over for the tartine afterhours dinners i'm so pleased to cook each month.  they've doled out advice and money, bought us glasses and heath platters for us to serve with, and made special breads, desserts, and cocktails to make each dinner better than the last.  they've made a home for me in the fantastic bakery that they've spent over twenty years working toward and running, and for that i am greatly indebted to them.

being pretty lovable and loving, they've also become my friends.

and so, it's with that undercurrent of love and gratitude that i wanted to mention the fundraiser that they are hosting on monday night at bar tartine.  you see, besides running an insanely popular bakery and restaurant, with another bakery on the way, they've decided to open a special school, called a conductive learning center, in san francisco.  conductive learning is a type of physical education for people, mostly children, with motor disorders such as cerebral palsy, which archer suffers from.  though conductive learning has proven to be effective, the approach was developed in eastern europe and isn't widely recognized in the us as a preferable method of treatment yet.  there's just one other conductive learning center in the states, in michigan.

over the past couple of years, liz and archer have spent more time on the road at trainings and far-flung conductive learning centers than at home.  having seen the positive effects on archer, liz and chad decided to start a school here.  it's a huge undertaking, and they'll need a lot of help to make it happen.  so the first fundraiser is a special hungarian-style feast at bar tartine, cooked by chef nick balla.

if you're not busy and have a little dough to spare, please come.  it'll be fantastic!

there's also an online auction with all sorts of incredible food experiences and other great items to bid on.

if this is strictly out of your budget, then stay tuned--there will be more (and more affordable) ways to support the school in the coming weeks.

at the very least, please spread the word!

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