🐟 Seafood from the Sound: Fundraiser Dinner
Saturday, October 4, 2025 | 5:30–8:30 p.m.
Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center | Stamford, CT
We are thrilled to announce Seafood from the Sound, a one-night-only dinner on Saturday, October 4, 2025, from 5:30–8:30 p.m. at the Cohen SoundWaters Harbor Center in Stamford, CT. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Long Island Sound, this extraordinary evening will celebrate the bounty of the Sound and surrounding waters, spotlighting both beloved staples and overlooked treasures that deserve a place on our plates.
To bring this vision to life, we’ve partnered with an exceptional group of Connecticut chefs whose passion is rooted in “eating with the ecosystem.” Together, they will craft a special culinary experience featuring a three-course plated meal that highlights Long Island Sound’s overlooked seafood while celebrating its incredible diversity — both beloved staples and forgotten treasures. In addition to the food and wine, guests will have the chance to meet and mingle with local oyster farmers, fishermen, and seafood businesses, who will be present throughout the evening.
The night begins with a cocktail hour accompanied by a local raw bar and passed appetizers — including seafood creations prepared by the featured chefs and empanadas from Marta Garcia Barrios of Empanadictas. Guests will then be seated for a three-course plated dinner with wine pairings from Channing Daughters, prepared by three of Connecticut’s most celebrated chefs: Geoff Lazlo (Geoff Lazlo Food and The Country Table), Brian Lewis (OKO and The Cottage), and Renee Touponce (Oyster Club and The Port of Call). To close the evening, chef Raquel Rivera of A Pinch of Salt will prepare a sweet treat to wrap up the night.
Seafood from the Sound will benefit SoundWaters, Eating with the Ecosystem, and Foodshed Forum Fairfield County — regional neighbors within the New England food justice movement working toward resiliency within the food system. The evening will educate, celebrate, and connect around Long Island Sound as a sustainable food source with a lasting history of providing sustenance along our coastline.
Seats for this dinner are limited, and tickets are expected to sell quickly. We invite you to join us for an unforgettable evening of flavor, conversation, and community on the Stamford waterfront.
Chef Brian Lewis — The Cottage & OKO
Chef Brian Lewis, founder of Full House Hospitality Group, is one of the Northeast’s most celebrated chefs, known for his devotion to seasonality, innovation, and culinary artistry. A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America and Johnson & Wales University, he trained with legendary chefs including Jean Louis Palladin, Marco Pierre White, and Eric Ripert before going on to lead acclaimed kitchens such as Richard Gere’s Bedford Post Inn. His restaurants—The Cottage in Westport and Greenwich, and OKO in Westport and Rye—have earned widespread praise, from excellent reviews in The New York Times to inclusion in the MICHELIN Guide.
A three-time James Beard Award semifinalist and 2025 nominee for Best Chef: Northeast, Lewis continues to push boundaries while staying grounded in tradition. Drawing inspiration from local farms and fisheries as well as his travels around the world, his cooking is a reflection of both place and season. Whether through refined New American cuisine at The Cottage or his inventive take on Japanese flavors at OKO, Chef Lewis is dedicated to creating memorable dining experiences that celebrate community, ingredients, and the joy of food.
Chef Geoff Lazlo — Country Table & Geoff Lazlo Food
Chef Geoff Lazlo’s culinary philosophy is rooted in seasonality, sustainability, and community connection. He first discovered this approach while cooking at Chez Panisse, where he saw how sourcing directly from local farmers and fishermen not only created the most flavorful dishes but also built awareness and support for regional food producers. Today, through his work at Geoff Lazlo Food and The Country Table in Greenwich, he continues to champion local ingredients from both land and sea.
A graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, Lazlo has worked alongside some of the most influential figures in food, including Alice Waters, Dan Barber, Michael Anthony, and Charlie Palmer, and was deeply influenced by Danny Meyer’s philosophy of Enlightened Hospitality. Recognized by outlets such as The New York Times and Food & Wine, he is celebrated for creating food that is at once artful and rooted in place—connecting diners to the ecosystems, producers, and coastal traditions that sustain their meals.
Chef René Touponce — Oyster Club & The Port of Call
Chef René Touponce is celebrated for her innovative, place-based approach to New England cuisine, with a particular passion for the region’s seafood. At the helm of Mystic’s Oyster Club and The Port of Call, she highlights local catch through techniques like curing, dry-aging, and whole-animal (and whole-fish) cooking, transforming byproducts and overlooked species into inspired dishes. Drawing on her Italian and Puerto Rican heritage, Touponce combines global flavors with the bounty of New England’s coast, creating menus that are both imaginative and deeply rooted in place.
Recognized as a finalist for Best Chef: Northeast (2023) and Outstanding Chef (2024) by the James Beard Foundation, and named Chef of the Year by the Connecticut Restaurant Association in 2022, Touponce is one of the region’s leading culinary voices. She is known not only for her artistry with seafood but also for building inclusive, equitable kitchens that foster collaboration and creativity. Her work connects diners to the ocean and the community around it, showcasing how sustainability and deliciousness can go hand in hand.