KCET GETS TO THE POINTE!

A GRAND CELEBRATION SHOWCASES THE NEW KCET STUDIOS

AT THE POINTE IN BURBANK

UNIQUE GALA BENEFIT FEATURES MENU DESIGNED BY PATINA GROUP'S FOUNDER AND CHEF JOACHIM SPLICHAL HIGHLIGHTING THE FLAVORS AND CUISINE OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Attendees can mingle with KCET's on-air personalities including Val Zavala, Roy Firestone and Suzanna Guzman and experience a live, special taping of KCET's LA Tonight with Roy Firestone and his special guests Chef Splichal and Suzanna Guzman, all while touring the new facilities, and interacting with all the latest in studio technology.

Los Angeles - June 6, 2012 - KCET, bringing Southern California great stories and unexpected adventures through a distinctive independent public media voice, will hold a grand celebration of its arrival at The Pointe in Burbank, featuring a custom menu of culturally diverse cuisine designed by award-winning Chef Joachim Splichal and his acclaimed Patina Restaurant Group. The immersive experience takes guests on a culinary adventure reflective of KCET's rich cultural programming while allowing them to see exclusive behind the scenes demonstrations of how television is produced and broadcast. 

Taking place at KCET on June 16, 2012 at 6 p.m. (2900 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank), tickets are $250, with proceeds benefitting the future of KCET program development for its 2.8 million viewers in the 11 counties it serves.

Upon arrival, a selection of elegant wines will flow freely as guests savor culinary specialties influenced by the traditional foods of our region personally crafted by Chef Splichal. Named "Best California Chef" by the James Beard Foundation, Chef Splichal will leverage his unique understanding of fine California cultural cuisine to create delectable dishes including*:

-          Nick and Stef's Steakhouse:  Grilled beef béarnaise 

-          Ray's Farm to Table:  Wood roasted chile 

-          LA Chinatown: Charred chili-rubbed beef skewers, chicken satay and mango salad

-          Fairfax Deli: Minicraft paper wrapped baguette sandwiches, Niçoise style

-          In to the Vegetable Garden: Spring vegetables with red quinoa, organic dried fruit, fennel pollen soil, morning herbs and citrus dressing

-          Malibu Melts: Grilled cheese sandwiches accompanied with brandy wine tomato bisque

-          Pico Pasta:  Garganelli pasta with cherry tomatoes, olive oil and smoked mozzarella

-          Desserts: Almond brittle, marshmallow stripes, peach and apricot cobbler, and more

In addition to an exceptional culinary experience, the special evening also includes the opportunity to view a live taping of KCET's LA Tonight with Roy Firestone with Roy's special guests Chef Splichal and Suzanna Guzman, from inside KCET's green screen virtual reality production studio.  Guests will see first-hand how a TV show unfolds as Roy interviews the chef about his life as one of the region's most celebrated culinary icons and Ms. Guzman's experience as an international opera star and Los Angeles native.  Large monitors located throughout the event will feature various vantage points into the production, including a live feed from the control room, and views of the set as the interview takes place with both the green screen background as well as the virtual 3-D backdrops.

Attendees will have a unique opportunity to tour KCET's new state of the art LEED Gold facility, featuring wall-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views of Burbank. Along the way, guests can participate in interactive demonstrations of KCET's broadcast operations alongside KCET on-air personality Val Zavala.

Another highlight of the event will be a silent auction with packages, certificates to top restaurants, and other unique must-have items such a specially designed Patina Restaurant experience; travel getaways to Antigua and St. Lucia; unique dining and fine wine packages, and more.

"This is a perfect event to celebrate our arrival at The Pointe with our community and showcase some of the facility's most cutting edge broadcast and production technology," said Al Jerome, KCET President and CEO. "We are pleased to be able to serve such a wonderful menu specially hand-crafted by the award-winning Chef Splichal to reflect the Southern California community's rich culinary traditions."

The evening's presenting sponsor is the Worthe Real Estate Group and Kristin and Jeffrey Worthe. Additional sponsors include: Union Bank, The Bubble Factory, HUB International, Loeb & Loeb, Occidental Entertainment Group Holdings, Swissotel The Bosphorus Istanbul, Turkish Airlines, Wells Fargo, CBRE, Manatt, Warner Bros., Genlser, Greenberg & Glusker and Ross Video Production technology.

Tickets to KCET CELEBRATION AT THE POINTE are $250 per person on Saturday, June 16 at 6 p.m.  For tickets and more information please call (323) 953-5357, or visit  http://www.kcet.org/about/specialevents/the-pointe-gala/

*Full menu available at www.kcet.org/specialevents by clicking on The Pointe Gala.

ABOUT KCET

On-air, online and in the community, KCET plays a vital role in the cultural and educational enrichment of Southern and Central California. KCET offers a wide range of award-winning local programming as well as the finest public television programs from around the world. KCET currently produces the Emmy®, duPont-Columbia and Peabody Award-winning SoCal Connected, a hard-hitting prime-time weekly television news program that examines the issues and people of Southern California. Throughout its 48-year history, KCET has won hundreds of major awards for its local and regional news and public affairs programming, its national drama and documentary productions, its quality educational family and children's programs, its outreach and community services and its website, kcet.org. KCET is a donor-supported community institution. For additional information about KCET productions, web-exclusive content, programming schedules and community events, please visit kcet.org.

ABOUT Patina Restaurant Group

Patina Restaurant Group (www.patinagroup.com), a bi-coastal boutique company, is a leader in the premium segment of the restaurant industry with over fifty establishments.  On the West Coast its portfolio includes the renowned Los Angeles Times' four-starred and Michelin-starred Patina Restaurant in Walt Disney Concert Hall, Nick and Stef's Steakhouse, Café Pinot at the Maguire Gardens, and their newest addition, Ray's and Stark Bar, recently honored by Esquire magazine as one of the "Best New Restaurants 2011."  Additional West Coast establishments include Naples Ristorante, Tortilla Joe's, Catal, and Uva Bar and Café located at Anaheim's Downtown Disney District®, Leatherby's Cafe Rouge at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Pinot Brasserie in Las Vegas, and catering and food service in museums and cultural centers throughout California.  On the East Coast, its portfolio features New York City's world-famous Rockefeller Center Ice Rink, The Sea Grill, The Grand Tier Restaurant at the Metropolitan Opera, La Fonda Del Sol and Lincoln Ristorante, also honored by Esquire magazine as a 2011 Best New Restaurants and named "The Best New Restaurant in America" by GQ Magazine.

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