Rise & Dine LA brings city back to the table to support post-wildfire recovery

One year after deadly wildfires reshaped the region and tested the resilience of entire communities, Los Angeles gathered not in mourning, but in unity.

More than 300 guests — including entertainers Dr. Dre, Macy Gray and Sheila E — came together for a one-night-only culinary experience led by world-renowned chefs Gordon Ramsay, Dominique Crenn, Nancy Silverton and Michael Cimarusti.

Rise & Dine LA also featured dishes from six chefs who helped define Los Angeles cuisine: Neal Fraser, Josiah Citrin, Kevin Meehan, Ludo Lefebvre, Raphael Lunetta, and Suzanne Goin.

Hosted by actor and longtime Los Angeles resident Steve Guttenberg, the event spotlighted the city’s resilience through food, culture and community, making it one of the most significant philanthropic culinary events in Los Angeles this year.

On Saturday, the Riviera Country Club was home to the one-night culinary experience featuring two dozen Michelin chefs hosted by HexClad in partnership with Riviera Country Club benefiting Steadfast LA and ongoing wildfire recovery efforts. The fundraising dinner in Pacific Palisades marked the one-year anniversary of the Eaton and Palisades wildfires, which destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and killed at least 31 people.

The evening brought together chefs, civic leaders, business innovators, artists and community advocates to honor renewal, rebuild momentum and remind Angelenos what makes the city extraordinary.

The event was hosted by actor Steve Guttenberg. Leadership on site included Megan Watanabe, CEO of Riviera Country Club; Danny Winer, CEO and co-founder of HexClad; Cole Mecray, HexClad co-founder; Pacific Palisades Councilwoman Traci Park, and Nick Geller, managing director of Steadfast LA.

For Winer, the night was deeply personal.

“As a Los Angeles based company, this hit home,” Winer said. “We had employees who lost homes or were displaced. When the fires happened, I was on the East Coast and immediately said, I have to get back to L.A. I needed to be here with my team.”

Winer shared that the idea for Rise & Dine LA was born over dinner with celebrity chef Ramsay nearly a year ago. Together they made the intentional decision not to rush the moment, but to create something lasting.

“A lot of people respond right away, which is important,” Winer said. “But recovery doesn’t end after the headlines fade. This is a generational event. It’s going to take years, even decades, to rebuild. We wanted to show up for the long haul.”

HexClad has already contributed directly to recovery efforts, donating cookware to families who lost their homes and helping provide tens of thousands of meals through community partnerships. For Winer, staying rooted in California remains core to the company’s identity.

“We started HexClad in our backyard in West Hollywood in 2016,” he said. “People tell companies to leave California all the time. But we were born here. This city believes in dreamers. That matters.”

For Ramsay, who was personally impacted by the fires, the night carried emotional weight.

“This time last year, we were evacuated past midnight with our kids,” Ramsay said. “We were lucky. Many families had nowhere to return to. Now it’s time to dig deep and keep throwing resources toward helping people rebuild their routines. That’s what kids need most. Routine. Stability. Tonight is about making their situation a little less stressful.”

Ramsay also spoke candidly about the restaurant industry’s ongoing recovery.

“We need energy back in our neighborhoods,” he said. “We need people coming through the doors again. Support from landlords, fair rent structures, and customers showing up. Tonight is a kitchen dream. Not a nightmare.”

Beyond fundraising, chefs emphasized that recovery depends on sustained community participation.

Ludo Lefebvre echoed the urgency, pointing to the painfully deliberate pace of the recovery. “It’s a long haul,” he said. “A lot of places burned down and it takes time to come back. We need the insurance companies to step up and take care of people. But we also need everyone to keep supporting local businesses and showing up for their neighborhoods.”

Lefebvre  added: “I was fortunate not to lose my home. But many of my customers and friends did. It hurt the business and I don’t see big changes yet. This is a long haul. We show up because it matters. We do what we can.”

Chef Raphael Lunetta emphasized the collaborative spirit of the night.

“To have this group of chefs working together, the friendships, the shared purpose, it’s special,” Lunetta said. “Chefs always come together in moments like this. That’s what you’re seeing tonight.”

Suzanne Goin, a lifelong Angeleno, reflected on the emotional toll that continues long after the flames are gone.

“A year later, people start to forget,” Goin said. “But there is still so much to be done. I have friends who lost homes. Teachers at my kids’ school who were impacted. It was overwhelming in the moment, but for many families it’s still ongoing. Nights like this remind people to stay engaged.”

At the center of the recovery effort stood Steadfast LA, which continues to focus on stabilizing communities and accelerating rebuilding.

Nick Geller, managing director of Steadfast LA, highlighted the organization’s emphasis on protecting critical community infrastructure.

“In disasters, there’s a concept called critical assets,” Geller said. “Schools, places of worship, senior centers. These spaces anchor communities. We can’t control everything, but we can prioritize rebuilding the places that allow neighborhoods to function again.”

Geller shared a recent milestone, delivering a newly rebuilt home to a 73-year-old woman who lost her house in the fires.

“Eight hours after the fire, the foundation was already being prepared,” he said. “She thought she was going to have to sell her property. Instead, she’s back home. That’s the impact of public and private sectors working together.”

As the night unfolded, the atmosphere shifted from elegant to electric.

Grammy winning artist Macy Gray took the stage and performed three songs, including Radiohead’s “Creep” and her iconic hit “I Try.” Gordon Ramsay joined in singing along, and by the final chorus, nearly the entire room was on its feet. What began as a performance became a collective release. Voices lifted. Strangers sang together. For a few minutes, the weight of the last year gave way to connection.

In a city defined by reinvention, the chefs who feed L.A. also help lead it forward.