Guests at a special wine-tasting dinner at The Tides last Wednesday evening ran out of superlatives as they spoke about the exceptional dining experience presented to them by Chef Leanne Kelleher and her staff.

For good reason, The Tides is consistently ranked as one of Vero’s finest restaurants. So the accolades were not simply about the superb, six-course gourmet meal, each outstanding dish perfectly paired with an equally excellent French wine, or the always impressive competence of the staff, or even the unique menus, personalized with each guest’s name.

What made it most extraordinary was that Kelleher sponsored the entire evening, donating 100 percent of proceeds to the Hibiscus Children’s Center, which assists abused, abandoned and neglected children and teens. Additionally, every staff member donated their time to the cause.

“She paid for every nickel of everything,” said Armund Ek, who with wife Marie regularly dines at the restaurant. “All those employees were volunteers; they were happy to give the night for the benefit of Hibiscus. I think it’s marvelous; every nickel went to Hibiscus. You couldn’t ask for nicer people.”

Explaining how it came about, Marie Ek said, “We’ve just become good friends with Leanne and Claudia [partner Claudia Arens]. They joined us on a vacation in San Francisco and she said, ‘What can I do for Hibiscus? What if I do a dinner?’”

Kelleher has taken some of the teens living at Vero’s Hibiscus Village under her wing through an internship program, including two young men who were excited to be working in the kitchen that evening.

“I’m trying to mentor them; give them some skills to use so that they can always work. Basic cooking skills can really open a lot of doors,” said Kelleher. “There’s a lot to being a chef besides cooking. You learn a lot of character, a lot of hard work ethic and how to use your judgment. There’s all sorts of skill sets chefs tap into on a daily basis that these kids can learn just by being in this environment; sort of osmosis.”

Four of the men on her staff are fathers of sons and have enjoyed working with the teens, but she said the program isn’t limited to boys. “What’s interesting is I’ve got five women chefs in the kitchen on a regular basis and that’s really unusual for Vero Beach; for anywhere actually. And I’m really proud of that fact.”

As for the amazing feast, “Chef Leanne has made a great, great dinner menu as you can see, that will pair superbly with our wines,” said Antoine Collet, Southeast French portfolio Manager at Kobrand, who spoke to diners about each of the wines.

This description barely does the affair justice, but courses featured a smoked salmon and cured salmon ‘pastrami’ amuse bouche, a rich scallop bisque, savory roasted Brussel sprout salade, crispy duck breast with confit and fois gras, an icy lemon sorbet intermede, sumptuous veal tenderloin with crispy schnitzel and, for dessert, a lush buttercream opera cake.

“This is my first big charity event, my inaugural outing,” said Kelleher, who plans to host another next year. “I think the biggest investment we can make is with our children. They need mentorship, they need guidance. They’re part of my team now so I’m going to support them.”

There is no doubt her diners will be right there to support them as well.

For more information, visit hibiscuschildrenscenter.org or tidesofvero.com.