James Beard-Nominated Chef Jenner Tomaska Supports Virtue Restaurant and Hyde Park First Responders with Private Dinner Auction on Instagram

On Friday, April 3, James Beard-nominated Chef Jenner Tomaska will auction a private, in-home dinner via his Instagram channel (@jennertomaska) to raise funds for Virtue Restaurant’s Employee Relief Fund and first responders in the Hyde Park community. Deeply moved by Bravo Top Chef Winner Joe Flamm’s recent Instagram-based auction, where he raised tens of thousands of dollars for his former colleagues affected by COVID-19, Tomaska hopes to pay it forward to a team that has become family to him, as well as support those who continue to put their lives on the line during this time of crisis. The private, in-home dinner will include all food and service for 8-10 guests.

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Virtue’s Chef and Owner Erick Williams has been a friend and a mentor to Tomaska throughout his career. Upon leaving the renowned Next restaurant, Jenner didn’t think twice about the opportunity to assist Williams with the opening of Virtue. It quickly became a place to call home as he continued to develop his next project. To express his gratitude, Chef Jenner wants to make a difference for his Virtue family and the Hyde Park community during this time of uncertainty.

Tomaska's auction will be posted on Friday, April 3 at noon CST and will be live for 24 hours. Final bidding will take place on Instagram Live on Saturday, April 4 from 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. CST from Virtue restaurant

Here's how it works:

1. A static post will go live on Friday, April 3 at noon CST at @jennertomaska.

2. Bidding will take place in the “comments” section directly underneath the post.

3. The final 30 minutes of bidding will take place on Instagram Live (at @jennertomaska) from Virtue restaurant and will feature both chefs (maintaining a six-foot distance, of course).