Reservations are now available for the 20th Anniversary season of Our House's benefit dinners, which kick off next week with a (sold-out) pizza-themed meal with Bruce Carey and Via Tribunali. Our House is a longtime Portland nonprofit providing healthcare, housing, and other services to low-income people living with HIV/AIDS, and every Fall through Spring they ask chefs around town to host small parties, often in the host's kitchen or even home, for their cause. This year's lineup of restauranteur support is as impressive as ever, boasting themed parties from the likes of Genoa's David Anderson, Biwa's Gabe Rosen, The Woodsman Tavern's Jason Barwikowski, and many, many more.

Tickets aren't cheap, ranging from $50 to $150, but these are one-of-a-kind little get-togethers where the chefs of your favorite restaurants can cut loose a little and celebrate a common interest with a relatively small crowd (most events aren't allowing more than 25 reservations, and some are as small as 12). Several of the dinners have already sold out, but most are still open for reservations for you and your favorite charitable gastrophiles. 100% of proceeds from the dinner series go directly to Our House (time and edible materials are all donated by participating businesses). I spoke to Margaret Gunther, who started as a volunteer for the organization in 2005 and now serves as Open House's development manager, and she described it as "an intimate way to enjoy the food of amazing chefs. [Guests] enjoy it so much they come back year after year. It's a nurturing experience for everyone involved... We raise about $150,000 a year for our programs." It's a great idea for a benefit, and judging by it's seniority, it has been a successful one. Check out the schedule of dinners and make your reservations here to help Our House on its way to another 20 great years.