What better way to raise money for an important cause than to round up a cadre of top chefs and engage them in culinary combat, Iron Chef style?

San Diego’s largest and first-ever public cooking battle will take place from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 6, in Balboa Park’s Casa del Prado courtyard. The event, titled Chef Showdown 2005: Taking a Stand Against Domestic Violence, will benefit the Center for Community Solutions (CCS), which assists more than 15,000 men, women and children throughout San Diego County affected each year by sexual assault and domestic violence.

Eight leading chefs from area restaurants will be divided into two teams for the cooking challenge set on a large stage replete with industrial kitchen appliances and concert-size screens for easy viewing. And like the Food Network’s wildly celebrated “Iron Chef” show, the teams will be given selected ingredients from which they must create five meal courses (including a dessert) in a one-hour period.

Attendees will get to sample the creations, as will a panel of judges from the food media who will use a point-rating system to determine the winning team. Judges include the Gay & Lesbian Times’ restaurant critic, Frank Sabatini, Jr., and Union-Tribune restaurant critic Maria Hunt. Local celebrity chef Sam the Cooking Guy and Chef Bernard Guillas of the Marine Room will emcee the competition.

“Domestic violence is a hard issue to raise awareness over,” says Isabel Cruz, owner of Cantina restaurant and a CCS board member. “This is a food event in the form of entertainment, and we thought it would be a great way to raise money toward the issue. Based on the tremendous response we’ve received so far, we’re hoping to make this an annual event.”

The dishes will be judged on presentation, taste and teamwork. Each team will be outfitted in different colored chef jackets designed by Chef Works of San Diego. Participating chefs include Gavin Kaysen of El Bizcocho, Matthew Zappoli of Fresh Seafood Restaurant and Bar, Tony DiSalvo of Jack’s La Jolla, Jesse A. Paul of Star of the Sea, Amy Dibiase of Laurel and more.

The event will also feature a main, no-host bar for martinis, wine and beer, plus live jazz and DJ music by Christian Behl of San Diego Choice Entertainment. Cruz adds that the audience will get to mingle with the participating chefs after the cooking challenge.

“It’s impressive that all these chefs have come to the table to offer their hard work in helping us get the message out on domestic violence as well as National Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October,” says Verna Griffin-Tabor, executive director of CCS. “This is going to be a very exciting evening. And it will help us raise money to reach more survivors of domestic violence in the community.”

CCS was founded in 1969 and operates the only rape crisis center in metro San Diego. They also offer a 24-hour bilingual crisis helpline, emergency shelters and transitional housing programs for victims of domestic violence and their children.

Sponsors of the Chef Showdown include Viejas Enterprises, Dacor, Standards of Excellence and Kelly Capital. Tickets are $75 per person, and can be obtained on the CCS Web site, www.ccssd.org, or by calling (858) 272-5777 ext. 120. Tickets will also be available at the entrance of the Casa del Prado if the event doesn’t sell out in advance.