Plate of Food at River Bar
Chef and Restaurant Benefit Dinners

River Bar

When
May 4, 2025
Where
River Bar 37 Main Street
Westerly, RI
Tickets/Info
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For this special 90/90 dinner, River Bar, one of Esquire magazine’s best new restaurants of 2024, will be offering a five-course plated dinner featuring the bounty of coastal New England amplified by chef James Wayman’s use of koji and umami while staying grounded in technique and simplicity.

Highlights

  • River Bar has joined the Jacques Pépin Foundation as an official host of one of Jacques’ 90th birthday celebrations in the Jacques Pépin Foundation’s 90/90 Dinner Series fundraising campaign.
  • We are beyond excited that Jacques will be joining us for this event!  For this celebratory dinner, Chef James Wayman has created a 5-course menu that highlights our local farms + providers.

Details

  • Welcome cocktail and wine pairings included in ticket price.
  • 6:00 pm cocktail reception, followed by 5-course dinner and festivities.
  • Proceeds will support the Jacques Pépin Foundation. Your ticket purchase helps transform lives through culinary education, and we deeply appreciate your generous support.

Event Host

James Wayman

James Wayman

Chef/co-owner, River Bar

James Wayman is executive chef and partner at 85th Day Group, a Mystic, Connecticut based restaurant group and catering company dedicated to building and supporting our regional food community. In addition to serving as executive chef at Oyster Club restaurant, James is also partner and consulting chef at more recent projects, Engine Room, known for global comfort food and dry aged burgers, and Grass & Bone, a casual restaurant and neighborhood butcher shop, specializing in whole animal butchery and dry aged meats.

James’ passion for nurturing the culinary community in Southeastern Connecticut has made a significant impact on the local food economy. His restaurants have contributed to a rise in demand for hyper-local, sustainable, seasonal products, and a more thoughtful approach to every day eating. James’ mission is to continue on this path and make a lasting impact on the broader food system