The gauntlet has been thrown down! Seven chefs gave it their all at the ninth annual Vero’s Top Chef Qualifying Event last Monday evening, the first of a two-part fundraising competition to benefit the Hope for Families Center.
More than 150 gourmands tasted their way through tapas-style dishes at chef’s stations set up at the Bent Pine Golf Club before casting their votes in chefs’ hats to select their favorites of the night. Most made more than one pass at the dishes as they attempted to pick their favorite and there wasn’t a bad choice among them. Chefs brought their “A” game, pulling tricks out of their hats as a magician would and tempting taste buds with hints of lemongrass, ponzu, jerk and mojo.
Four of the seven chefs will now advance to the Vero’s Top Chef Challenge Finale on April 3, also at Bent Pine Golf Club, vying for the title of Vero’s Top Chef 2017. The four finalists are Chef Cassandra Lynne of A FraÎche Note, Bent Pine’s own Chef Sarah Wills, Chef Chris Bireley of Osceola Bistro, and Vero Beach Yacht Club’s Chef Bill Narhi. Chefs from the Cuisine Machine, Costa d’Este and 121 Tapas on The Water also competed.
Lynne lured with her Thai beef tenderloin atop coconut jasmine rice and spring vegetables, served with a palate cleansing coconut, lemongrass, ginger sorbet. Wills impressed with a flat-iron roulade enhanced by pesto, Manchego cheese and tomato jam, with purple Peruvian scalloped potatoes and a truffle Mornay sauce. Bireley served up his signature Southern-style shrimp and grits, with fontina and parmesan cheese grits, sautéed Florida gulf shrimp and spicy sausage crumbles. Narhi tempted taste buds with a tuna and avocado tartare with lime ponzu, fried wonton, Sriracha and cilantro sour cream.
“It was a wonderful evening with talented chefs and the community coming together to support the Hope for Families Center,” said Diana Grossi, executive director. “All proceeds from this event will go toward our operations.”
The largest of its kind on the Treasure Coast, the center has 21 rooms providing a clean, safe place for homeless families.
“With the community’s help and support through donations and attending our events, we are able to keep the shelter available for all those families in their time of most need,” said Grossi, noting that each room requires $2,000 per month to operate.
Bireley, who has participated in Top Chef since opening Osceola Bistro six years ago, said, “We made it to the finals the first two or three years, and we’ve taken second, but we’ve never brought home the gold. It’s really about the shelter. We see what an impact it has in the community.”
Dale Jacobs, vice president of philanthropy for Grand Harbor Community Outreach, said homelessness is one of the social issues they have supported over the years.
“We are pleased with the direction the Hope for Families board is taking,” said Jacobs. “It’s such an important organization in Indian River County. We have very few facilities for homeless families and their facility provides an important service we all need to support in a big way. They’ve gone through some transition, and they’ve made some very important changes.”
Tickets are still available for the five-course meal at the Top Chef Challenge on April 3. Additionally, a new Flavors of Indian River event will make its debut at the Indian River Fairgrounds April 29 and 30. A celebration of food, wine and music, the event will showcase local chefs as well as a food truck zone.
For more information, visit HopeForFamiliesCenter.org or TheFlavorsOfIndianRiver.com.