Knives chopped, pans tossed and orders were shouted — it was an Iron Chef of sorts in the quaint kitchen of the Shady Lady. But instead of competing, a conglomeration of chefs came together to feed those who knew and loved Adam Gregory Rains, who passed away on April 17, 2009.

Rains was the victim of a car accident that left three people dead in St. Helena around 1 a.m. Friday morning.

His culinary career in Sacramento included working at Kru Restaurant, helping to open Tuli Bistro, and catering with Mulvaney's B&L. Rains had also begun attending the Culinary Institute of America this year.

One of Rains's coworkers from Kru said of him, "It didn’t matter how intense it got, he always made it a point to make everyone smile." She added that his famous laugh-inducing lines were “I love your face” and “I love your show.”

Jason Boggs, one of the owners of Shady Lady was happy to offer his bar to host the reception. Boggs said Rains had a “passion for life and for everything he did. He was an inspiration. He has a true chef’s soul and that’s what we’re trying to emulate here [today]."

Patrons of Mulvaney's B&L, Tuli Bistro and Kru Restaurant on Tuesday afternoon would find the chefs of these downtown restaurants missing from their kitchens.

That's because Patrick Mulvaney of Mulvaney's B&L, Adam Pechal from Tuli Bistro, and Billy Ngo, owner of Kru Restaurant, all showed up at Shady Lady to support one of the vibrant members of the chef community in Sacramento.

Well over 50 people filled the cozy booths and bar seats of the Shady Lady. Pechal, who worked closely with Rains to open Tuli Bistro, said, "If I get a quarter of this turnout at my funeral, I'll be happy."

The kitchen buzzed with activity as the chefs whipped up pastrami and Reuben sandwiches, sushi, pulled pork sliders, orecchiette pasta with peas and artichoke hearts and petit fours.

Blown-up photos, collages and bouquets decorated the interior of the Shady Lady. Both tears and smiles could be seen on the faces of those in attendance.

Mugs clinked together, and camaraderie filled the air as people huddled around the bar and embraced.

Kevin Ritchie of the Shady Lady and Robb Venditti from Mulvaney's B&L said of Rains, he was a "beautiful guy," "a great kid" with "good energy." Ritchie and Venditti added, "he's part of our community, the chef community — a brother in arms."

Here is a link to the obituary for Adam Gregory Rains.

Photographs taken by Jonathan Mendick.