And the winner is …
Last Monday evening the four finalists chosen during the Top Chef Qualifier a few weeks ago returned to the Bent Pine Golf Club to compete in the 11th annual Vero’s Top Chef Challenge Finale to benefit the Hope for Families Center.
Retired chef Jeffrey Mather, Thomas Miller of Vero Beach Foodie and Stacy Cook of Vero Vine dug into their work, savoring every bite as judges before declaring Chef Alfredo Arce of The Wave Kitchen & Bar at Costa d’Este as Vero’s Top Chef 2019.
“You have a lot of food to eat. Take it slow and enjoy,” warned Diana Grossi, HFC executive director, as she toasted guests before dinner with wine donated by Ron and Michele Wayne, owners of Varietals and More.
Arce had wowed the judges with a dish straight from the sea – pan-roasted red snapper and rock shrimp in a truffle butter sauce, resting atop a parsnip puree and topped with parsnip crisps.
Guests ultimately broke with the judges’ decision, selecting Fire and Wine’s Chef Chuck Arnold as the recipient of the 2019 People’s Choice Award, after supping on his red wine-braised beef short rib atop a smoked honey truffle-glazed butternut squash puree, accompanied by roasted Cipollini onions and baby carrots.
Chef Travis Beckett, Wild Thyme Catering, took guests on a journey to the Far East with an authentic Japanese ramen dish featuring sesame- and soy-marinated pork tenderloin and a soft-boiled egg.
Chef Eddie Hunter, Cuisine Machine, used local ingredients for his oven-roasted Crazy Hart Ranch chicken, served with coconut rice and peas, curry velouté, purple bok choy slaw and Nordic Acres Farm daikon micro greens.
Not wanting to miss a single morsel, guests willingly unsnapped a few buttons to finish off the evening with a molten-lava chocolate cake, before collecting their silent-auction items, which included dinners donated by the Top Chef finalists.
As scores were tallied, board members Sue Scully and Bruce Albro shared impressions from a recent evening spent at Hope for Families Center, where they visited with residents and their families.
“It’s hard for us to understand the sense of optimism at HFC. These are people who are coming from nowhere but have a sense that they are going somewhere,” said Albro.
“We are doing great things. Please wear your bracelets and pray that their wishes come true,” said Scully, sharing the story behind a ‘bracelet of hope’ guests were each given. “A child made a wish upon this string. They could wish for anything. When the string frays and breaks in two, the legend says their wish comes true.”
“We rely on this community to support us. We do not get federal or state dollars. We need $500,000 to keep this place open. It’s not just about the adults; it’s about the children,” said Grossi, sharing the conviction that children’s lives will become more stable when their parents become productive members of the community once more.
“Our goal is to take them from the streets, the tents and the cars,” said Dr. William Cooney, board president. “These are not panhandlers. These are people who need your help to get back to where they want to be.”
To help give HFC families a fighting chance, Cooney said guests had the opportunity to double the value of their donations through a $100,000 matching grant.
For more information, visit hopeforfamiliescenter.org.
Photos by: Kaila Jones
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