With Thanksgiving being celebrated this week, all of us at Benchmarc have been thinking about how grateful we are to have made it through Hurricane Sandy with little damage and minimal disruption to our businesses. We know, though, that it's going to be a long road back for many New Yorkers, and we wanted to make sure that as a company we didn't let the day go by without recognizing the hardships being felt by so many.

To that end, we have decided to donate $5 from EVERY check at each of our restaurants that are open on Thanksgiving Day (Landmarc Tribeca, Landmarc at the Time Warner Center and Ditch Plains Upper West Side) to City Harvest and their efforts to support those affected by Hurricane Sandy, as well as continuing their regular food rescue work in all five of New York City's boroughs. So if you don't have plans, please make a reservation now (click here to see our special Thanksgiving menus and keep in mind that we will be serving our regular menus all day as well), or if you do have plans, come in for a drink or a snack before or after your meal and help us raise money for this important cause that has had such a huge impact on our city.

And in case you can't make it into one of our shops on Thanksgiving Day, please feel free to make a donation directly to City Harvest by clicking here.

It's officially fall in New York and nothing is more exciting at this time of year than the amazing fall /winter menu items our incredible chefs have come up with at Landmarc and Ditch Plains!

Visit either Landmarc location (Tribeca or the Time Warner Center) to welcome back delicious classics like our infamous braised lamb shank and our much written about grilled pork chop, and say hello to fantastic new items such as boeuf bourguignon, chicken liver mousse and mushroom & truffled pecorino flatbread, just to name a few.

And at Ditch Plains we have some really exciting brand new dishes on the menu as well, including beef short rib with horseradish potatoes + pickled grilled onions and roasted branzino with salsa verde + zucchini. And On Saturdays + Sundays ONLY, we are still serving up delicious RED VELVET PANCAKES in addition to our regular yogurt pancakes. Breakfast never tasted so good!

New York may be the best city in the world, but sometimes entertaining at home can be a challenge, especially if you have to use your oven for extra shoe storage. But don't let a lack of kitchen space stop you from hosting an outstanding dinner party for your friends. Join us in the private dining room at Ditch Plains (UWS) and choose one of our amazing large format dinners. Lobster Bakes, Whole Roasted Suckling Pig, Crab Boils, Thanksgiving All Year or Salt Crusted Whole Fish dinners are available 7 days a week for 10-14 people with only 48 hours notice! For questions or more information, please call our events department at 212.625.8270 or email us at events@benchmarc-events.com 

* The Wall Street Journal recently covered some of Marc's delicious and creative ideas for Thanksgiving leftovers, including the Brussels Sprouts, Bacon and Truffled Cheese Torta included in this newsletter.

* Earlier this month, Marc appeared on The Rachael Ray Show along with fellow chef Josh Capon, to showcase six stuffing recipes in a stuffing showdown. Marc's included Chestnut Stuffing and Creamed Spinach Oyster Stuffing.

* In October, Marc was featured on Serious Eats, in the We Chat With column to discuss his love of NYC and his experiences that brought him here.

* Viewpoint with Eliot Spitzer: Marc spoke about his work with Share Our Strength and childhood hunger and what our country can be doing to help fight this issue.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Monday, November 26: The 13^th Annual Winter's Eve at Lincoln Center is the Lincoln Square Business Improvement District's marquee event. Join Landmarc outside as we serve up hearty bowls of our Thursday night pasta special; orrechiette alla norcina. With a tree lighting ceremony and entertainment, this is a can't miss holiday festival.

Tuesday, November 27:  The UNICEF Snowflake Ball celebrates the lighting of the UNICEF Snowflakes and honors those whose philanthropic commitments support its mission to save children's lives. Marc has joined fellow chefs Marcus Samuelsson and Michael Anthony to create the night's menu.

December 7-11, gearing up for its sixth year, the Palm Beach Food & Wine Festival brings together legendary culinary icons from around the country, creating a one of a kind event in Palm Beach, Florida. Marc is extremely excited to be a part of this great event for the first time and is looking forward to participating in a number of events including:

* Saturday, December 8, 11 AM: Bullfrog + Baum Panel discussion.

* Saturday, December 8, 7 PM, An evening with Le Cirque, A Tribute to Sirio

Marc is thrilled to be joining his fellow Le Cirque alum, Daniel Boulud and chefs David Burke and Jacques Torres, for a tribute dinner to one of the most famous restaurants in the world, Le Cirque of New York City.

* Sunday, December 9, 6:30 PM, SUSTAIN Dinner

Taking place at the new PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar in Palm Beach, the SUSTAIN dinner will highlight a sustainable menu that focuses on local seafood. Marc will be the evening's featured chef working alongside our wine + beverage director, David Lombardo who will create the wine pairings, and PB Catch's own chef Aaron Black to design a magical, fresh and thoughtful menu.

For the past several years, Marc has been honored to support City Harvest through his work as a member of its Food Council and most recently as a Board Member. This extraordinary organization is the world's first food rescue organization. City Harvest has been rescuing excess food and delivering it to emergency food programs throughout the five boroughs for 30 years. This year, City Harvest is on schedule to collect more than 42 million pounds of excess food from all segments of the food industry, including restaurants, grocers, corporate cafeterias, manufacturers, and farms - an all-time high for the organization!

Each year City Harvest hosts events to support its mission and on April 16, 2013, we are looking forward to the annual gala, An Evening of Practical Magic. That night, the organization will recognize Marc's continued dedication and support.

An Evening of Practical Magic is held at Cipriani 42^nd Street and is a special night of recognition, including cocktails and a silent auction at 6:30 p.m., followed by a dinner, awards ceremony and live auction at 7:30 p.m. 

At a time when many families continue to struggle to put food on the table, the "practical magic" City Harvest provides day in and day out is even more important. If you are interested in attending the event, or making a donation, please contact  Naomi Giges Downey, City Harvest Director of Special Events, at 917-351-8778 or email her at ndowney@cityharvest.org