Dinner at Laurel remembers 'Bear' Perrier

Been a tough couple of years for Georges Perrier, what with the deaths of his mother, his brother and a close friend, a divorce, and the closings of Le Bec-Fin and Georges'.

Lately, his "guys" -  like Kevin Sbraga, Alex Capasso, Al Paris - have been bringing him into their restaurants to cook, teach the line cooks a few things, and smoke cigars outside. At 70, he still has it.

Monday and Tuesday (Aug, 18-19), Top Chef Nicholas Elmi will host Perrier and his daughter, Genevieve, for a dinner at Laurel (1617 E. Passyunk Ave.) in remembrance of Bernard "Bear" Perrier, his brother, who died unexpectedly a year ago.

There will be one seating each night at 7 - a seven-course tasting menu ($175 a head) featuring the dishes that Bernard loved the most. Space is limited; only accept 44 reservations can be booked over the two days.

Elmi says all profits will go to the Oliver-Perrier Scholarship Fund set up by Bernard and his wife Linda, who will, along with her family, be in attendance Monday.

In an email, Elmi described Bernard as an "eeccentric conversationalist, wine expert and a sharp contrast to Georges - calm, collected and eloquent."

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