From the dramatic collations of 16th-century France to the multi-million-dollar theme restaurants produced by Joe Baum in the 20th century, theater and dining have been forever intertwined. The simple perform-ance of eating and the public display of dining are by their very nature theatrical, and the social setting of the dinner table is a hotbed for drama and intrigue. This correlation may never be stronger than at our New York City Dinner of the Decade, for which The James Beard Foundation is partnering with the Roundabout Theatre Company in a fund-raising dinner coordinated by chef Daniel Boulud. The proceeds will be divided by the Found-ation and the Roundabout, which is raising money for the restoration of its new home.

With 45,000 subscribers, the Roundabout is the nation's second largest nonprofit theater company (after Lincoln Center). Its repertoire features classic works from playwrights like Molière, Shaw, and Miller. Recent acclaimed productions include the Tony Award-winning revivals of Cabaret, A View from the Bridge, and 1776. Since being ousted from its Times Square home last year, the company has been staging productions in Broadway and off-Broadway theaters. Our Dinner of the Decade is the gala opening of the Roundabout's new permanent home, the former Selwyn Theater on 42nd Street. It's a grand new space for a company that back in 1965 first performed in the basement of a Chelsea supermarket. Built in 1918, the theater has a rich Italian neo-Renaissance interior that has undergone a complete $22 million restoration. The Roundabout will stage its first theatrical production, Chekhov's Uncle Vanya, starring Sir Derek Jacobi, later in the month.

But for its first gastronomic production, the Beard House will direct. Although the stars for this show don't have any Tonys to their names, they all have a James Beard Foundation Award or two (which, after all, Time did call the "Oscars of the food world"). Coordinating chef Daniel Boulud has two restaurants, two books, and an international fan club, in addition to an Outstanding Chef Award (1994) in his Playbill notes. He and his friends cooked for our Holiday Auction last November, and whether it's his generosity or his sheer culinary genius, there's never an empty seat in the house when Boulud performs.

James Beard himself gave Larry Forgione the American name for his An American Place. Forgione now has three restaurants (Rose Hill and The Coach House are new to the fold), and all, according to Jonathan Gold in a recent Gourmet review, demonstrate an outstanding repertoire. That's the same word on the award that Forgione shared in 1993 with Jean-Louis Palladin (when they tied for our Outstanding Chef Award). If French chefs were knighted like English actors, Palladin, who now cooks at Napa in Las Vegas and Palladin in New York, would be first in line. A chef's chef who has given a big break to so many understudies in the field, Palladin himself still has something to teach us about food. For example, New York Times restaurant critic William Grimes recently wrote that Palladin's oxtail crépinette was an education in the genre.

Charlie Trotter's name will also be on the marquee. Last year Trotter received our Outstanding Chef Award, bringing his total to two. Trotter was recently profiled in Fast Company, where his ideas about excellence, his innovative approach to customer satisfaction, and his personal drive were in line with the new media moguls regularly featured in that cyber-speed magazine. On moguls and empires, Outstanding Chef (1998) Jean-Georges Vongerichten has something to contribute. His restaurants in New York and abroad maintain a level of innovation and quality that earn him standing ovations. Jean Georges remains one of the best restaurants in the country, and Vongs in New York, London, and Hong Kong have taken Thai fusion cooking around the world.

Shouts of "Encore! Encore!" often follow pastry chef Stephen Durfee's sweet conclusions. Winner of our 1998 Outstanding Pastry Chef Award, Durfee began his career (and his stint at The French Laundry) in the savory part of the kitchen, but switched to pastry, where he "felt I could do a better job." By all accounts, he made a good decision. His appearance at the Dinner of the Decade will come as he returns to the United States after a sabbatical in France rigorously researching the local pâtisseries. Tough job, but somebody's got to do it.

These chefs will be joined by Foundation Angel Award recipient Michael Ginor, whose generous fund-raising efforts and donations total close to $500,000, and have made him a true patron of the arts. President of Hudson Valley Foie Gras and co-author of Foie Gras...A Passion (Wiley), Ginor is also an accomplished chef, a frequent lecturer, and an all-around angel.

The Dinner of the Decade will begin with a cocktail reception in the new Roundabout Theatre. Guests will then move to the Hudson Theater at the Millennium Broadway, where the tables will be set. Liam Neeson and Natasha Richardson are the honorary chairs for the capital campaign, and we expect Neeson to attend the dinner. During the evening an auction of items like a trip to London to see the newest shows and tickets to the Tony Awards with dinner, hotel, and an invitation to the after-party included, will be on the block. Connoisseur ticket holders ($2,000) will be entitled to premier seating, a subscription to the Roundabout's Inaugural Season with Priority Seating, special gifts, and a listing in the benefit program.

All in all this dinner promises to be one of the hottest tickets in town. Book early. There's no service charge for telephone orders. There's no waiting on line at TKTS. Seating is limited. And there's no chance that the show will be held over.