(Video courtesy of Andy Ramirez & Eventos VIP Pass.)

Washington, DC —March 30, 2011 —In honor of Uruguay’s bicentennial, on Saturday, April 2, 2011 from 5:00 PM – 10:00 PM Mio Restaurant (1110 Vermont Avenue NW) will welcome Chef For A Day™ Sergio Jellinek (former CNN journalist and External Affairs Manager for a global development organization).  Also in attendance, special guest His Excellency Carlos Gianelli Derois, Ambassador of Uruguay to the U.S. This year marks the 200^th anniversary of José Gervasio Artigas’ successful 1811 revolt against Spain, defeating Spanish forces on May 18, in The Battle of Las Piedras.

Uruguay’s cuisine goes well beyond grilled meats and sausages (parrillada).  As a nation of immigrants, it embraces and reinterprets the culinary traditions of countries such as Spain, Italy and France, imbuing it with a unique South American flair.  This event will raise funds for Reaching U, a U.S.-based non-profit organization that assists underprivileged mothers, children and teenagers in Uruguay.

Mio Restaurant
Chef For A Day Prix Fixe Menu
Saturday, April 2, 2011

Appetizers (Choice of)
Mejillones a la Provenzal
Provencal Style Mussels, White Wine, Garlic, Parsley

Tomates Rellenos
Stuffed Tomatoes, Tuna, Aioli, Hard Boiled Eggs, Herbs

Buseca
Bean & Tripe Soup

Entrees (Choice of)
Cazuela de Pescado Punta del Diablo
Fish & Seafood Stew

Milanesa con Pure de Papas
Breaded Fried Steak, Potato Puree

Canelones de Verdura a la Rosini
Vegetable Cannelloni, Tomato Cream Sauce

Desserts (Choice of)
Panqueques con Dulce de Leche
Crepes with Dulce de Leche

Martin Fierro
Manchego Cheese & Quince Paste

The cost for the three-course prix fixe menu is $55.00 per person (tax and gratuity additional). Ten dollars ($10.00) from the sale of each prix fixe menu will be donated to Reaching U.  Additional donations welcome.

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About Mio Restaurant
Founded in 2007, Mio Restaurant showcases Urban Latin American Cuisine — the food of the major urban centers of Latin America and the Spanish-speaking Caribbean (i.e., Mexico City, Lima, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Santo Domingo, San Juan, etc.).  The restaurant has been profiled in several publications including Washingtonian Magazine, The Washington Post and The Hill.  Located at 1110 Vermont Avenue NW (at L Street) in downtown Washington, DC Mio, Spanish for mine (as in my), is centrally located to the major sites, hotels and public transportation.  Reservations can be made by calling (202) 955-0075, or via www.miorestaurant.com.

About Chef For A Day
Since 2009 the Chef For A Day™ Series, has brought prominent Latin Americans into Mio Restaurant’s kitchen to showcase their native cuisine, all for the benefit of charity (MicroPhilanthropy).  For more information on the Chef For A Day Series call Mio at (202) 955-0075.  Chef For A Day is a trademark of Mio Restaurant.

About Reaching U
Reaching U is a non-profit organization based in the United States whose mission is to improve the lives of underprivileged mothers, children and teenagers in Uruguay.  During the last 10 years, Reaching U has raised more than US $750,000 contributing to various carefully selected projects and has distinguished itself through its professional management, transparency, and the support and hard work of dozens of volunteers.  For more information visit www.reachingu.org.

Our March 12 Chef For A Day event was a resounding success (see the video montage above). Thanks to your support we were able to raise over $2,500 for The Manuel Candamo Memorial Scholarship Fund! A special thanks to our Chef For A Day Leonardo San Román. Lastly, I would like to thank Verdanza Hotel for donating a stay in their residence on the island of Puerto Rico.

On behalf of the entire Mio family, we want to convey our appreciation. Not only your support of the restaurant, but more importantly the philanthropic causes that benefit our communities.

Warm regards,

Manuel & Karla Iguina
Proprietors
Mio Restaurant

(Video courtesy of Andy Ramirez & Eventos VIP Pass)

P.S. Mark your calendars. On April 2 The Chef For A Day Series continues with the cuisine of Uruguay (and a very special guest) and on April 30, an event featuring Latin-Jewish cuisine!

Reservations are required and can be made by calling (202) 955-0075 or visit www.OpenTable.com.

View the special prix fixe menu here. Have a late dinner reservation? Continue the celebration at Mio with dancing after 10:00 PM.

Cost: $55.00 Per Person – Prix-fixe Three Course Dinner Menu (Tax & Gratuity are Additional)
Note: $10.00 from each prix-fixe menu will be donated to the Manuel Candamo Memorial Scholarship Fund.

For more information on the “Chef For A Day” Series call Mio at (202) 955-0075.

Following is a a video montage of our Saturday, February 26, 2011 Chef For A Day™ event showcasing the cuisine of the Dominican Republic.

Guest Chefs: Mildred Otero, Annie E. Minguez & Carolina Espinal.
Proceeds from this event benefited Partners in Health/Haiti Reflief

(Video courtesy of Andy Ramirez & Eventos VIP Pass.)

our First official “Chef for a Day” series event of 2011,

MIO welcomes:

Ivette Dominguez – Chef for a Day &

Isabel Milan – Sous Chef

January 22^nd, 2011

San Sebastian Street Festival is a lively and energetic event that sets Old San Juan on fire. It is a magnificent blend of art, rhythm, entertainment and enjoyment that starts when the sun rises, and gains more momentum when it sets. The festival has become one of the vital tourist attractions in Puerto Rico, a time for dance and laughter. We will have our own kind of celebration at the Nation’s  Capital with our Guest Chefs.

A top-notch 401(k) executive by day and Chef extraordinaire by night, Ivette is a master at transforming dinner time into a culinary extravaganza. Her passion for cooking and entertaining has already been passed on to her 7-year-old son, Ryan, who serves as Sous Chef in Ivette’s home kitchen in Potomac, MD. Ivette’s journey into gastronomy began in her native Puerto Rico, was enriched by her trips to European and Latin American destinations, and has come full circle in the mainland, where Ivette regularly brings together friends and family around the dinner table. From her signature Thanksgiving turkey stuffed with yuca, to her famous tomato, basil and bacon mini-muffins, Ivette & Sous Chef for this event Isabel Milan’s cooking is fun, versatile, and a testament to their love of good food and good company.

MIO is also proud to announce that a portion of the evening’s proceeds will be donated to Save-A-Limb Fund.

The Save-A-Limb Fund ( www.savealimbfund.org ) was established in 2001 to provide funding for limb lengthening surgery children from around the world who suffer from congenital or developmental limb deformities. The Fund seeks to provide assistance with not only the cost of surgery and hospitalization but with other costs associated with the procedure, such as travel expenses. In addition, the Fund will help our Institute with two important new initiatives: a new pediatric wing for our patients and the purchase of digital radiography, which will allow us to minimize our patients’ exposure to radiation.

$55.00 Three Course Dinner Menu

Limited seating, RSVP 202 955 0075 or Open Table