Chef Showdown

Daytons Best Compete in Chef Showdown

March 8, 2019 By Lisa Grigsby

For the fourth year in a row, the Dayton Home and Outdoor Living Show will be the backdrop for the Chef Showdown. Nine local chefs will compete in 3 rounds of competition chopped style to walk away with $500 and bragging rights.

The cooking begins at 11am Saturday where the first three chefs will open a mystery basket of 3 ingredients and with use of the stocked pantry, they will have 20 minutes to whip up a dish to present to the 3 judge panel. Contestants will present their dish and the judges will then evaluate the taste, presentation and use of ingredients to chose one chef to advance to the finals Sunday at 1pm. The process will be repeated for two more rounds.

On Sunday at 1pm the three winners from each of Saturday’s rounds will meet and be faced with a similar mystery box of ingredients, but given 30 minute for the final challenge.

Pictured left chef contestants Mariah from Wheat Penny, Maria from Watermark and Tim from Dewberry 1850 in one of the preliminary rounds receiving the judges critique at the 2018 Showdown.

Previous Winners:

2016 Candace Rinke, Hawthorne Grill
2017 Maria Walusis, Watermark
2018 Crystal Coppock, Wheat Penny

Will this be the year a male claims the title?

Pictured here judges Dominic Fortin, George Sideras, winner Crystal Coppock and judge Anne Kearney.

Tickets are $5 in advance (pick them up at your local Kroger) or $10 at the door for admission to the The Dayton Home and OutDoor Living Show.

10?’s With 2018 Chef Showdown Champ Crystal Coppock

March 19, 2018 By Lisa Grigsby

The judges with Crystal.

The third times a charm for Wheat Penny Chef Crystal Coppock. On Sunday afternoon at The Dayton Home and Outdoor Living Show, before a standing room only audience, Crystal took her mystery bag of Marrow Bones, Gorgonzola Cheese, Bacon and Angel Food Cake, enhanced by her special anchovy butter and some ingredients from the Whole Food Pantry and created the winning dish, as judged by James Beard Award winning Chef Anne Kearney, former C’est Tout owner Dominique Fortin and Nestle Corporate Executive Chef George Sideras.

Crystal, a Dayton native, has been been cooking since her childhood. What started as a hobby quickly turned into the passion which paved the path to her eventual career.

Crystal’s childhood memories of the kitchen revolve around her grandma, Clarine Baldwin. She can recall standing at her grandma’s side as Clarine would cook Southern family favorites from scratch, such as chicken and dumplings or cornbread. Crystal was completely enamored by Clarine’s ability to transform things as simple as flour and eggs into healing and delicious meals which would then be celebrated by family and friends.

Qualifying round of Chef Showdown with Crystal, Rae Rosbough and Jon Mezera on Sat, March 17th

Crystal would later go on to pursue Culinary Arts at the Miami Valley Career Technology Center in Clayton, Ohio, graduating in 2008. She worked in several kitchens, both corporate and local before eventually finding her place as Sous Chef at Wheat Penny Oven and Bar. The passion for food and people displayed at Wheat Penny by its owners Elizabeth Wiley, Elizabeth Valenti, and Dave Rawson resonated with Crystal. The message is simple and powerful: Cook great food for great people.

After entering the showdown in 2016, making it the finals in 2017, in 2018 Crystal walked away with the $500 grand prize and bragging rights. Right after her win, we asked her to answer our Chef 10 Questions and here are her answers:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

2017 Chef Showdown Finals

I’m a huge fan of fish. It’s so versatile, but also requires some technique to execute properly. Additionally, I really enjoy using vinegars, they can breathe a new life into some pretty dull things.

What ingredient do you dread?

Oh man, I truly don’t know. I don’t care for chicken breast, but I can’t say I dread it.

What’s your favorite dish to make?

I love making fresh pasta, equally I love sauce making. I care a lot about texture and depth of flavor.

What’s your favorite pig out food?

Cooking at Wheat Penny

Dips of all kinds. I’m a sucker for a good guacamole.

What restaurant, other than your own, do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

Corner Kitchen, without a doubt.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?
Challenge yourself and accept that you’re going to mess some things up. Cooking should be fun, and you should explore it.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?
Hmmm… I don’t have a good answer for that. I really enjoy sharing food with people, that’s why I do this work. So really, anyone who genuinely appreciates good food.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Marysa & Crystal – photo by Megan Powell

A lot of people, but in particular Dave Rawson. He is so knowledgeable but very modest. I try to model my management style after him. He’s a really spectacular chef and mentor.

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?
I hang out with my wonderful wife, Marysa and we like seeing movies, going to dinner, going to museums or just hanging on the couch with our dog.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

Well, who could forget about the time I forgot the sauce during the first chef showdown? I’ve learned a lot about focus since then.

3 Advance to Tomorrow’s Chef Showdown Finale

March 17, 2018 By Lisa Grigsby

For the 3rd year in a row nine of Dayton’s best upcoming Chefs competed in a chopped inspired cook-off as part of The Dayton Home and Outdoor Living Show a the Dayton Convention Center. In the Chef Showdown contestants were given a mystery bag with 4 ingredients, the use of the Whole Foods Pantry and 20 minutes to cook an appetizer to present to the judges panel. They were also given the option to bring a special ingredient of their own to add to the fun. Also on hand to assist with the event, two students from the Ponitz CareerTechnology Center Prostart Culinary Program, Chris and Jasmine, pictured here in the red shirts.

In the 11am round from left to right Chef Aaron Braun from Wheat Penny, first time competitor Chef Jansen Trotman of Lily’s Bistro and Chef Aimee Plesa from Bargo’s were faced with a mystery bag that included: Shell on White Shrimp, Cream of Mushroom, Canned Jack Fruit and Preserve Lemons.

Left to right dishes from:

Aimee Plesa
Secret Ingredient: Warped Wing Beer

Jansen Trotman- secret ingredient n/a

Aaron Braun
Secret Ingredient: Asian BBQ Sauce

Judging Round One- The Big Rabu, Steve Milano, Ann Roberts and Laura Rea who chose to advance to the finals from Round One- Aaron Braun!

In Round 2 Chef Mariah Gahagen from Wheat Penny, defending Champion Maria Walusis from Watermark and newcomer to the Showdown, Chef Timothy Skiber from the UD Marriott’s Dewberry 1850 had the challenge to create a dish with Andouille Sausage, Vanilla Wafers, Bitter melon and Maple syrup.

Pictured here left to right:

Tim Skiber’s dish using a special ingredient lent to him by Chef Maira -bourbon

Chef Maria’s taco’s
special ingredient: spicy pepper jelly

Chef Mariah’s deconstructed gumbo with her special ingredient

Judging this round, Chef Aaron Watson, the new executive chef at the convention Center and foodies Kevin Rankin and Ann Roberts. Moving forward to the finals from Round 2 – Chef Maria Walusis

In round three Chef Jon Mezera from Table 33, Chef Rae Rosbough from Trolley Stop and Chef Crystal Coppock from Wheat Penny opened their bags to find Pork Belly, Blue Berry Granola, Frozen Kale and Rose Water.

Pictured left to right:

Jon Mezera’s eggroll made with his special ingredient black garlic

Rae’s special ingredient were Indian spices

Crystal’s soup made with her special ingredient- Anchovy butter

Round 3 was judged by foodies Ann Roberts, Laura Rea and Kevin Rankin and all 3 judges felt this was the toughest round of the day, but after much deliberation they selected Chef Crystal Coppock to advance to Sunday’s finals.

Sunday’s 1pm final round includes the very same 3 chefs that competed in the finals last year, Braun, Coppock and Walusis. We can’t wait to see who will prevail and walk away with $500 cash and bragging rights for the next year. Tickets to attend the Home and Outdoor Living Show are $10, come on by and cheer on your favorite chef! The Chef Showdown is produced by Planned2Give.

Pictured below, the 2017 Chef Showdown Finals.

Chef Showdown Returns This Wekend

March 16, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

Home and Garden Show owner, Randy Phillips with Mariah, Candace and Matt at 2016 Showdown.

If you’re a fan of the FoodNetwork show Chopped, you’ll want to see this live, local version of the culinary face off where Dayton chefs face off against each other in three rounds of preliminary competitions. Given just 20 minutes to turn a surprise basket of ingredients and use of the Whole Foods Pantry into a palate pleasing appetizer, as judged by a panel of local foodies.

This Chef Showdown will take place at the Dayton Home and Garden Show at the Dayton Convention Center this Saturday. Dayton’s best chefs battle it out for $500 and bragging rights. Preliminary Competition rounds are Saturday at 11am, 1pm and 3pm and one contestant from each round will advance to the finals, which will take place on Sunday at 1pm. In the final round, the time is increased to 30 minutes, but so are the expectations, and chefs will have 4 ingredients to turn into an entree.

Meet the Chefs:

Defending her title, last year’s champion is Chef Candice Rinke, chef and owner of the seven-year-old Kettering restaurant Hawthorn Grill.

Chef Candace Rinke found herself drawn to the kitchen at a young age. Her first award was at twelve when she won a blue ribbon for a decorated cake at the county fair. Fostered by her grandmother’s love of entertaining the family and inspired by travels through Europe, her food reflects both warmth and elegance.

She competed in last years first round in the morning and despite the challenge of opening canned ingredients without a can opener, she managed to advance to the finals with her chicken appetizer on a pita triangle. In the finals she turned the five mystery ingredients that had to be used to create an entree — shrimp, asparagus, black beans, canned peaches and canned tomatoes into a fresh, flavorful dish with a beautiful presentation into an Italian-inspired bread salad.

When asked the key to her success in a Dayton Daily News article by one of the judges Alexis Larson, Rinke said “my flavors were solid. I took time to make the plates as beautiful as possible — you eat with your eyes first — and I just tried to make the best dishes I could, given the constraints of the competition.”

Chef Mariah Gahagan is an Executive Chef who’s worked at many of Dayton’s finer restaurants. She grew up in Yellow Springs and started working at the Wind’s Cafe in high school, but had always planned to pursue an art degree. Flash forward years later and Gahagan will tell you that while she never imagined becoming a chef, she now couldn’t see herself being anything else, and that her love of art (specifically color combinations) plays a substantial roll in her approach to cooking. Her other culinary ethos is a focus on seasonally-oriented cuisine, as it encourages enjoying food when it is at its best.

Chef Mariah was victorious last year in her preliminary round with a salmon dish that flowed with a perfect melody of flavor, from edge to edge with greens and avocados. This year she’s back, but a change of employment has her competing for Wheat Penny.

Chef Matthew Hayden has a reputation as an innovative, forward-thinking Chef who makes unforgettable food. He catered such flagship events as ARC Ohio’s “party of parties”, Masquerage and Antioch College’s Reunion Weekend. Chef Matthew proudly offers his talents to his native city and devotes a healthy amount of time to the community. He supports numerous non-profit services in Montgomery County as well as being an ardent patron of the local arts. After 15 years of operating successful food service businesses in the Miami Valley, Chef Matthew Hayden decided to create his dream business. Scratch Food uses his entrepreneurship and culinary creativity to provide prepared meals with a cutting edge model of nutrition that benefits cancer patients as well as reducing risk of numerous other lifestyle dependent diseases, most notably Type II Diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Also back for a second chance at the title, from Wheat Penny is Chef Crystal Coppock. Just celebrating her 3rd anniversary at Wheat Penny where’s she is the Sous Chef, Crystal has loved cooking since a young age, noting her late grandmother as her first major culinary influence. Today, Crystal still finds inspiration in her grandmother’s Southern-influenced cooking, but also thrives on continuously learning new concepts, such as making pasta by hand. It’s been a big year for Crystal, as she’s bought her first house and recently become engaged. She shared that after last year’s event she bought a copy of The Flavor Bible and has really been educating herself about culinary creativity.

Chef Aaron Braun‘s culinary interest began in his Mother’s kitchen in Kettering, but was probably inherited from his Grandfather, who immigrated and opened a small restaurant in Dayton. Appreciation for good food and gatherings around the family dinner table inspired Aaron to seek employment in local restaurants at an early age, and later to obtain Culinary and Business Degrees from Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. He further broadened his cooking horizons on Put-in-Bay and then moved on to San Diego. In California, Aaron promptly found employment at Silvergate Yacht Club, and then a 44-acre, private island resort; Paradise Point.

It was at this luxury resort that he was able to really grow, eventually becoming the Chef of their fine dining establishment. After getting married and traveling across the country, Aaron’s dedication to family and devotion to his hometown have brought him back to Dayton, where he has had the privilege of working for Wiley, as Meadowlark’s Sous Chef, for the past four years. This is also Aaron’s 2nd chance competing in the Showdown.

New to the Showdown Competition This Year:

Chef Maria Walusis is the chef and owner of Miamisburg’s Nibbles restaurant, which just announced an upcoming move and expansion for the 2 year old eatery. Before that she owned and operated Nibbles Catering for about 5 years, She received most of her training by a combination of apprenticeships with Dayton and Cincinnati top chefs, and by studying culinary textbooks from the Culinary Institute of America. This is her second career and it took a lot of time, focus, passion and drive to become chef /owner of a fine dining restaurant in a fairly short time frame. In her free time she likes to study and read constantly to continue to learn and grow as a chef and keep up with the industry and trends.
Another newcomer to the competition, Chef Amy Finch is the Chef de Cuisine at Lily’s Bistro, an independent restaurant in Dayton’s historic Oregon District. Lily’s features eclectic American comfort food + drinks in a “nice dining” atmosphere. Chef Finch knew she wanted to be a chef when she was 7 years old and learned how to make scrambled eggs. She began to pursue her culinary arts degree in 1994 right after high school–“just long enough until life got in the way,” she says.

After one year of school she took an unintentional 18-year break, and not only worked for her family’s event rental business, but cooked at various regional restaurants like The Peasant Stock, Sidebar, Neil’s Heritage House, and Kohler Catering. She has been with Lily’s since they opened in spring of 2013, finished her culinary arts degree from Sinclair in 2015, and took the reigns as CDC at Lily’s in fall of 2016, bringing to the restaurant her love of food that is “just plain good,” especially comfort food of the mid-west and south that she grew up on and loves to cook.

Competing in the Showdown for the first time, Chef Rae Rosbough went to the MVCTC in Clayton, Ohio for Restaurant Management. She then attended Johnson & Wales University in Providence, RI where she received her Associates and Bachelor’s Degrees in Culinary Arts. She studied abroad in Chester, England during her Senior year and was then inducted into the Management Development Program at JWU; where she worked as an instructor in exchange for my Master’s Degree in Teaching Culinary Arts.

She came back to Dayton in 2002 and started her career here at Mediterra. Throughout the years she moved up to become the Executive Chef at five independent restaurants. Cafe Boulevard, Cena, Boulevard Haus, Crazy Mango and finally Trolley Stop. She love the Dayton community, especially her home, the Oregon District.

Chef Aimee Please has no formal culinary education outside of a online class about catering. However, she does have 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry that will be put to the test this Saturday. We first met Aimee at our 2005 Sweet Treats Festival, where she was serving up tasty desserts. She is currently the owner of Thyme After Thyme Gourmet and the kitchen manager at Bargos. Past positions held include kitchen manager at Whiskey Barrel, sous chef at Else Cake Company Wine Bar and Bistro as well as Waynesville’s Cobblestone Cafe and executive chef at Ollie’s Place. She has dubbed herself the underdog in this competition, but we sure don’t, we’ve seen her tenacity and certainly expect her to bring it for this weekend.

10 ?’s with Chef Aaron Braun

March 7, 2017 By Lisa Grigsby

Chef Aaron Braun’s culinary interest began in his Mother’s kitchen in Kettering, but was probably inherited from his Grandfather, who immigrated and opened a small restaurant in Dayton. Appreciation for good food and gatherings around the family dinner table inspired Aaron to seek employment in local restaurants at an early age, and later to obtain Culinary and Business Degrees from Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio.

He further broadened his cooking horizons on Put-in-Bay and then moved on to San Diego. In California, Aaron promptly found employment at Silvergate Yacht Club, and then a 44-acre, private island resort; Paradise Point. It was at this luxury resort that he was able to really grow, eventually becoming the Chef of their fine dining establishment. After getting married and traveling across the country, Aaron’s dedication to family and devotion to his hometown have brought him back to Dayton, where he has had the privilege of working for Wiley, as Meadowlark’s Sous Chef, for the past four years.

Aaron will be competing in the 2nd Annual Chef Showdown at the Dayton Home and Garden Show on Sat, March 18th in the first round at 11am. This Chopped inspired competition features 9 local Chefs challenged to prepare an appetizer from a mystery basket of ingredients in 20 minutes. One chef from each of the 3 preliminary rounds moves on to the finals Sunday at 1pm where they’ll create an entree in 30 minutes. Winner gets $500 and bragging rights for the year!

Before the big competition we asked Aaron to take on our 10 question interview:

What is your favorite ingredient to cook with?

Eggs, they are so versatile and delicious, a key ingredient in some of my favorite things: fresh pasta dough, custards, cakes, breaded anything and of course on their own, in a breakfast burrito or a fried egg sandwich.

What ingredient do you dread?

Artichokes, I worked at a place that had a tuna dish that required two 20lb. cases of artichokes a week. By the time you get done peeling and trimming them there isn’t much yield and inevitably you end up with a thousand little cuts all over your hands.

What’s your favorite dish to make?
Hungarian greasy bread, so bear with me here, you take a good rye bread (I always use DLM) and slice it thick. Take jaw bacon and make deep cross cuts into the fat and skewer it. Chop up yellow onion, green pepper and the best tomato from the garden, and get some Hungarian paprika. Now you’ll need a fire in the backyard, (on what will be the hottest day of the year). Take your bread put the peppers, onion and tomato on the the slice of rye bread (we usually build a few of them and set them on plates around the fire). Next hold the skewered jaw bacon above the fire and wait. Once the fat starts slowly rendering, drip it on your sandwich, shake a fair amount of paprika on and enjoy. Best served surrounded by family telling stories.

Anything that requires building a fire in the backyard and inviting the whole family over is good with me.

What’s your favorite pig out food?
Italian Hoagie: crisp-on-the-outside soft-in-the-middle bread, best quality Italian cold cuts and provolone, shredded lettuce, thin sliced tomatoes and onion, topped with spicy cherry peppers, sprinkled with oregano and doused in vinegar and oil.

What restaurant, other than your own do you like to dine at in the Miami Valley?

Kabuki, we split a DoLsot Bimbob for an appetizer; rice, beef, veggies and a sunny side up egg. They serve it with a Korean spicy sauce that is amazing. The dish is served in a hot stone bowl, as it sits the rice on the bottom becomes crispy- so good. Then we have our favorite house sushi rolls- great food and service.

What’s your best advice for home chefs?

Mise en place, okay deep breath, it’s a French culinary term meaning everything “in its place”. So before you start cooking, measure out your ingredients, chop your vegetables and herbs, open your cans, get your pots and skillets out. Once you have everything out and measured, it will make for less stressful cooking.

If you could invite any 4 guests to a dinner party who would they be and why?

Phil Lesh, Bob Weir and Jerry Garcia, I’ve been inspired for decades by their creativity, improvisation and the ability to consistently blow their audiences’ minds. The last person would be my wife Candice, because if I was hanging out with the boys and cooking and didn’t invite her there would be many quiet mornings around the coffee pot.

Who do you look up to in the industry and why?

Wiley, the owner of Meadowlark, I have had the pleasure of working for Wiley for a few years now. She has inspired me with her generosity and love for food and people. The wealth of culinary experiences she brings to the table inspires me to continue to seek out my own and share them through cooking. I don’t know if I will ever be able to repay her for everything she has taught me. Thank You!

What do you do in the Miami Valley on a day off?

Starting the day off at the thrift store, we stop back at the house to pick up our dog Pancho and drive through Tudor’s Biscuit World (in Xenia). We head over to Scout Dog Park for a few hours of live entertainment. Then we go back to the house to garden for a bit and enjoy sunset around the pool and grill with friends and family.

Share a kitchen disaster, lucky break or other interesting story:

I had just moved to San Diego, I was working in a fine dining restaurant on a 44-acre island. I had been roped into joining the Safety Committee for the resort; attending weekly meetings, inspections of other departments and this kind of fun stuff. Anyway, we had just finished an Easter brunch, we had a few tables finishing up, the general manager had asked me to go out and talk to a table that was from Ohio (so being a proud Ohio guy I obliged). Within a matter of a minute or two the restaurant was shaking, chandelier swaying, glassware tinging, and panic noise coming from the kitchen. My thought process was- What is happening? Earthquake! Being from Ohio, I had never been in an earthquake nor had the guest I was talking with. I remembered from a safety meeting the location to take everyone in case of an emergency, calmly got the guests up from the tables, started to lead them to the safety point and sent a bus boy back to get my kitchen staff. Before the ground had stopped shaking we had everyone out of the building and I had my (future) wife on the phone to make sure she was alright. She said that it must have been a big one, her Mom on the other line had felt it in Arizona! That was my first earthquake, safety pays, no injuries reported.

Dayton’s Chef Showdown Champ Named

March 20, 2016 By Dayton937 Leave a Comment

There was sizzle, drizzle, sear and even a little bit of fire when nine of Dayton’s premiere Chef’s went head to head in a Chopped inspired “Chef Showdown” Saturday. With three qualifying rounds on Saturday, chefs had 20 minutes to turn a mystery basket with 4 ingredients into a winning dish at the Dayton Home and Garden Show at the Dayton Convention Center.

On the Kroger stage, event emcee Jim Bucher helped introduce the mystery baskets, created by event producer Lisa Grigsby, of Dayton Most Metro. Basket one included Lychee Nuts, Chicken, canned spinach and cranberry cinnamon goat cheese. Chefs were able to supplement their appeizer with ingredients from the Kroger pantry.

The contest judges, brought in from Dayton Most Metro included: Kevin Rankin, Laura Rea, Duane Myers, Ann Roberts and Steve “Big Ragu” Milano

Local culinary fans packed the room where the competition took place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm respectively, and the results are in….

ROUND 1 WRAP UP:

Chef Candace Rinke, from Hawthorn Grill won round one with her chicken appetizer on a pita triangle. She barely edged out 2 other delicious chicken creations. One from Chef David Glynn, of Dayton Country Club, who incorporated numerous ingredients into a large chicken dish, and Chef Aaron Braun of Meadowlark who wowed the judges with his bacon wrapped chicken and goat cheese.

Chef Rinke’s Winning Chicken on Pita Appetizer

ROUND 2 WRAP UP:

Chef Mariah Gahagan, from Lily’s Bistro was victorious in round 2 with a salmon dish that flowed with a perfect melody of flavor, from edge to edge with greens and avocados. Close behind was Chef Richard Roberts, of De’Lish Cafe, who made a salmon pita appetizer with swiss cheese, and used a blow torch for a carmelized smoky flavor. Chef Crystal Coppock, from Wheat Penny also made it a tight race, with her salmon seared on spinach, with bamboo shoots, but as timer buzzed she realized her Tamarind sauce (one of the required ingredients), which was absolutely killer- according to the judges, didn’t make her plates.

ROUND 3 WRAP UP:

Scratch Catering owner Chef Matt Hayden took the winning honors in the final round in an epic battle that included a temporary flare up of flames. Using scallops, Matt concocted a deep fried fritter (Indian Pakora) with an amazing Indian influenced Tandoori sauce. Following close behind was Chef LeeAnne House, from HouseMade Sauces. LeeAnne’s appetizer was a colorful combo of sauteed greens, peppers and veggies with scallops on bruschetta. Also keeping the contest close was Chef Nathan Vance from Salar Restaurant, who

Round 2 of the Chef Showdown: Chef Gahagan, Chef Coppock and Chef Roberts

wowed the crowd with his unshakable concentration during the hectic round. Nathan’s creation included placing the scallops over greens, with some sauteed veggie and a delicious sauce drizzle.

SUNDAY’S CHEF SHOWDOWN FINALS:

At 1pm today at the DAYTON HOME AND GARDEN SHOW at the Convention Center, the three advancing chefs met up for a final round of competition. This time around they had 25 minutes to turn 5 mystery ingredients into an entree. As the clock started, it was revealed that shrimp, black beans, asparagus, canned peaches and canned tomatoes were the base for the meal.

Just a few minutes into cooking Chef Mariah’s burner malfunctioned and Chef Matt left his station to assist here, and Chef Candice reached over to pull Chef Matt’s saute pan off the fire, so his food didn’t burn. This sense of teamwork, even in the middle of a competition, just exemplifies the character of our local culinary community.

Judges Ann Roberts, a local foodie, Alexis Larsen of the DAI and writer for Dayton Daily News and Executive Chef Don Warfe of Christopher’s spent a good 10 minutes, tasting and deliberating and commenting on the expertise of the entrees from all the chefs. Warfe, who spent time on tv for Gordon Ramsey’s” Kitchen Nightmares” questioned the chefs about the use of ingredients and complimented the flavors of the food. Larsen shared she “was impressed with the ability of the trio to turn canned ingredients we often have in our pantry to fresh tasting, flavorful meals.” Ann Roberts had the honor of announcing that the “bread salad” created by Hawthorn Grill Chef/Owner Candace Rinke won her the title of Chef Showdown Championship and $500 cash from the Dayton Home & Garden Show.