Cheryl Kilmer, CEO and founder of Training, Education, and Resource Institute (TERI), has dedicated her life to improving the lives of those with developmental disabilities, a commitment that began at age 17.
Established in her garage in 1980, TERI has flourished under Cheryl’s leadership. Her aim was to enhance the quality of life and support for individuals with significant disabilities, a goal she’s achieved, with TERI recognized as a model program in California.
Cheryl’s impact has been notable, earning her two nominations for Maria Shriver’s Minerva Awards, which honor women who contribute significantly to their communities.
The TERI Campus of Life celebrated a significant achievement this month with the opening of the Walter J. & Betty C. Zable Foundation Performing Arts & Fine Arts Center, which includes the Bornemann Theatre. Frank and I attended the grand opening on May 4, and we were truly impressed by the state-of-the-art, 197-seat venue, boasting comfortable seating and exceptional acoustics.
The inaugural performance by American Idol’s Adin Boyer was outstanding. His vocal and keyboard skills were phenomenal. Adin, who is autistic, shared during the show that he had just reached 90K streams on Spotify. His ability to connect with the audience was remarkable, touching souls with his passion and love for music. Undoubtedly, Adin is an up-and-coming artist in the music world.
The Heartland Rock Revue Band featuring Jesse Ray Smith brought down the house, covering hits by the Eagles, Neil Young, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Stapleton, Bob Seger, John Cougar Mellencamp, Tom Petty, Jackson Browne, Van Morrison and more. Smith showcased remarkable talent, impressing the audience with his vocals, guitar and simultaneous harmonica playing.
Ash Easton joined the band for a few standout songs along with five other musicians, including two on electric guitar and one each on bass guitar, keyboard, and drums. Her rendition of Melissa Etheridge’s “I’m the Only One” was my favorite song of the evening.
Brian Ross, director of business strategy, and Luke Harmon, performing arts artistic & managing director, were beaming with ear-to-ear smiles throughout the show.
However, what made the evening even more phenomenal — let’s say perfect — was the four-course J. Lohr wine dinner orchestrated by Peter Moceri, executive chef/director of food & beverage. Lisa Reedy, Lohr’s area sales manager, narrated the evening and shared Lohr’s family-owned history. Kilmer kicked off dinner with opening remarks.
The first course was hamachi crudo alongside cantaloupe, radish, cucumber, lemon, basil and onion in a serrano and cantaloupe gazpacho. The crudo dish was paired with 2022 Bay Mist White Riesling sourced from Arroyo Seco in Monterey. This unoaked riesling was both off-dry and slightly sweet. The aromas of honeysuckle, pear and Meyer lemon, with a palate of ripe apple and pear, matched well with the crudo.
Between the first and second courses, Reedy shared that Jerry Lohr, founder of J. Lohr, planted the first chardonnay grapes in the winery’s Arroyo Seco vineyard in 1972. Lohr joined Paso Robles wineries when only 17 existed; now, there are over 200. Three of Jerry’s children, Steve, president & CEO; Cynthia, chief brand officer; and Lawrence, president & chief operating officer, have brought the family business full circle.
The second course featured an out-of-this-world lobster ricotta ravioli with perfectly cooked al dente fresh dough and a surprise egg inside. Black truffle oil/garlic butter and caviar garnish enhanced the flavors. Paired with a 2022 October Night Chardonnay from Arroyo Seco, the wine’s creaminess beautifully complemented the lobster ricotta filling.
The third course was wagyu filet, charred endive, and fermented cabbage garnished with a beet dill reduction and wasabi root gel. The filet was perfectly cooked, and the beet dill reduction, cabbage and wasabi transformed the wagyu.
This was served with a 2021 Pure Paso Red blend: 64% cabernet sauvignon, 31% petite sirah, and splashes of merlot, Saint-Macaire and malbec. The savory characters and overt blackberry notes combined well with the course. Initially, Pure Paso was a 40th-anniversary blend only available to key customers. Today, you can find this delicious, affordable blend in local supermarkets.
Chef Moceri ended the evening with a chocolate raspberry mille-feuille, with vanilla and salted plum buttercream between flaky puff pastry layers. This decadent dessert was topped with cocoa espresso powder and a chocolate drizzle. Paired with the 2021 Tower Road Petite Sirah, which had dark fruit, rich tannins and complex spice and was aged for 18 months, it was a dynamic duo and a delightful finale before the Bornemann grand opening performances. More information is at terrinc.org.
Be sure to check out concerts.cafe for future TERI events. The next show is Myron McKinley, Earth, Wind & Fire’s music director, who performs his “Rebirth of the Cool” show on May 18 at 8 p.m. Have dinner at the TERI Common Grounds café before the show.
— Story by Rico Cassoni
Wine Bytes
• The Butcher Shop in San Diego’s Kearny Villa area hosts an Antinori wine dinner on Thursday, May 23, at 6 p.m. The Butcher Shop’s executive chef, Brian Gist, will prepare a five-course dinner featuring braciole, creamy polenta, and broccolini paired with Antinori’s Flagship Tignanello Super Tuscan blend for the main course. The cost is $135 per person and includes tax/gratuity. RSVP at bit.ly/bs-antinori.
• Vittorios Italian Trattoria is hosting a Copper Cane wine dinner on Thursday, May 30, at 6 p.m. Executive Chef Angelo Gijon’s four-course dinner features braised short ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus with béarnaise sauce paired with 2021 Quilt Cabernet Sauvignon as the main course. The cost is $75 per person plus tax and gratuity. RSVP at 858.538.5884.
Rico Cassoni is executive producer for Taste of Wine and Food. He and founder/advisor Frank Mangio, a renowned wine connoisseur certified by Wine Spectator, are two of the leading reviewers on the web. Reach them at [email protected].
