Sacramento Chef Challenge

10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge – more event photos

sacchefchal — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 15:44:20 +0000

Event Photos- Just the Beginning

sacchefchal — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 17:25:18 +0000

I know how eager all of you are to see event photos! We are working on them as I type, but here are a few to get things rolling- more will be available ASAP!

Click to view slideshow.

Congratulations to Our Winning Vendors

sacchefchal — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 16:33:08 +0000

First of all, we would like to apologize for the delay in posting the winners of our People’s Choice Awards, but we had so many ballots to count that we needed one extra week to calculate the winners. Now without further ado, here are your 2012 results:

Best Eatery: Morgan’s Restaurant at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento

Best Winery: Bogle Vineyards

Best Brewery: Crispin Cider

The above winners were chosen on Saturday, June 23, 2012 by guests of the 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge, and will receive a six month rotating banner advertisement courtesy of Downtown Grid, the best online resource and guide to Sacramento.

We would like to thank all of the vendors who participated in the Sacramento Chef Challenge…your community support is outstanding!

Sacramento Chef Challenge this Saturday, June 23, 2012

sacchefchal — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 07:04:32 +0000

Happy Monday,

This is a reminder that the Sacramento Chef Challenge is coming up on Saturday, June 23^rd. We look forward to seeing you at our fundraising event, and have provided some important information below.

Don’t forget to print out your tickets and bring them with you for admittance into the event.
It is going to be hot on Saturday, so dress accordingly and don’t forget sunscreen.
All parking is on city streets and free.
Each ticket includes five free wine or beer tastes, and you will be able to purchase additional tickets.
There will be exciting raffle and silent auction prizes up for grabs, so swing by the ATM.
You play an important role in our event because you are a judge. Make sure to look for the voting ballot and instructions in your event program.

As a final reminder, the Sacramento Chef Challenge is an entirely volunteer driven event to raise funds for INALLIANCE, a nonprofit that supports the independence, health and safety of people with developmental disabilities. We appreciate your commitment and thank you for supporting our efforts.

See you on Saturday!

Tickets are still available for $25 in advance and $35 at the door.

Event Information

sacchefchal — Tue, 05 Jun 2012 10:32:26 +0000

Join us for the Sacramento Chef Challenge on Saturday, June 23, 2012 from 4-9pm at 6950 21st Ave.

The 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge is a fundraising extravaganza that features:

100% of proceeds benefit INALLIANCE, a nonprofit that supports the independence, health and safety of people with developmental disabilities in Northern California.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $35 at the door. Click Here to Purchase Tickets!

Guests of the Sacramento Chef Challenge are also judges, and will determine the winners of both cooking competitions!

For more information please email jbean@inallianceinc.com.

What You Can Win!

sacchefchal — Thu, 31 May 2012 10:46:29 +0000

The Chef Challengers are not the only people who will be taking home a fantastic prize at the 10^th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge. Our guests will have an opportunity to bid on five superb silent auction items and enter to win some tremendous raffle prizes!

Event organizers tell me they have some exciting prizes, but are keeping pretty tight lipped about them. “We want people to come to the event and find out what they might win.” It took a bit of prodding, but I was able to get information on a few items, and I’m going to tell you what you can expect to see on June 23^rd!

How about a trip to Lake Tahoe that includes a two night stay, two tickets to a cabaret show, wine, and a dining credit for any Harrah’s or Harvey’s Dining establishment?

Do you prefer two tickets for the “Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma,” August 25 & 26, 2012 at Infineon Race Way along with some brewed libations to wet your palette?

Does an overnight stay in beautiful Monterey along with Napa Valley wines and a scrumptious sweet treat tickle your fancy?

This is just a taste of what will be up for grabs, so make sure to swing by the ATM before hitting the Sacramento Chef Challenge.

Raffle tickets are 5 for $5 or an arms length for $20, and you won’t want to miss out on your chance to win!

Click Here to see the list of generous donors who have contributed to the Sacramento Chef Challenge Raffle and Silent Auction!

Stiring Up Competition in Sacramento Part 3

sacchefchal — Tue, 29 May 2012 11:38:17 +0000

We have had the pleasure to work with many great Chefs over the past nine events, and this year is no exception. What makes the Sacramento Chef Challenge such a success is our tremendous group of Chef Challengers who are eager to compete in a head -to-head battle- and they do it all in the name of charity! Today, we are very proud to introduce you to one of three chef challengers who will vie for culinary glory on June 23, 2012 at the Sacramento Chef Challenge, Chef Keith Erickson of Colusa Casino Resort.

Keith’s love of cooking started his culinary career at a young age. By age 15 he was cooking in small restaurants and realized he wanted to make this his life’s work. After eight years of working in Hotels and resorts in Phoenix and Las Vegas, Keith expanded his career by going to the Culinary Institute of America and Graduated in 1985. He immediately signed on for a two year apprenticeship as a Chef for Hyatt Hotels. He achieved his first Executive Chef’s position by age 30 and has worked as the Executive Chef at the Dupont Plaza Hotel in Washington D.C., Executive Chef at the Doubletree Hotel and Convention center in Portland, Director of Culinary Development for Shari’s 98 Restaurants, Corporate Chef for Gourmet Solutions, and Food and Beverage Director/ Executive Chef at Skagit Valley Casino in Bow, Washington. Keith has recently joined the Colusa Casino Culinary team as the new Executive Chef.

Keith’s wide range of culinary expertise includes a passion for ice carving, which he has won many awards for. Keith achieved his certification as an Executive Chef at the age of 35 and has experience in a variety of cuisines including kosher cooking, which he has established in two different hotel kitchens to better serve the Jewish community.

Keith has served as the First Vice President of the Chef’s de Cuisine Society, the Oregon Chapter of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) and has been an active member of ACF and NICA (the national ice carving association) for the last 15 years. He was recognized as the Oregon Chef of the Year in 2004. He spends a good portion of his time each year contributing his talent to charities such as The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, The Madeleine School Auction, Southwest Washington Medical Center Foundation, and the Metropolitan Family Services Auction.

Please join us in support of the community by attending the 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge. Tickets for the outstanding food, wine and beer event are only $25, and can be purchased here!

One More Month!

sacchefchal — Wed, 23 May 2012 11:26:09 +0000

Today we are exactly one month away from the Sacramento Chef Challenge! Are you as excited as we are? If you still haven’t purchased your tickets to our region’s top food, wine and beer event, then consider this a reminder of why you should do so…right now. If you’ve already purchased your tickets, then this is a reminder of all of the exciting activities you will experience on June 23, 2012!

10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge

Professional chefs compete head to head in a live culinary competition and you decide who wins! Challengers have three hours to prepare and serve a specialty menu based on a surprise theme. Guests will have the opportunity to sample each item and determine “whose cuisine reigns supreme!”

As chefs battle for culinary glory, guests sample from over 100 restaurants, wineries and breweries while enjoying live music, raffle and silent auction!

When & Where

Saturday, June 23, 2012 from 4pm-9pm at the INALLIANCE Sacramento Campus at 6950 21st Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95820

Tickets

$25 in advance and $35 at the door, and includes:

Click here to purchase your tickets today!

Judging

Each guest will receive one voting ballot with which they will help determine the winner of the following categories:

Chef Challenge Champion
Cake War Conqueror
Best Eatery
Best Winery
Best Brewery

More Information

Email jbean@inallianceinc.com or call 916-381-1300 x170

“Sacramento’s Premier Food Event!”

Stiring Up Competition in Sacramento Part 2

sacchefchal — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:42:15 +0000

Planning a successful event is a big task, but what makes it all worth while is our beneficiary and our chef challengers. You may not realize it, but the Sacramento Chef Challenge is a fundraising event to benefit people with developmental disabilities, and the event is entirely volunteer driven.

The staff and volunteers at INALLIANCE tend to take a backseat when it comes to recognition. They want the wonderful people they serve to be recognized for their accomplishments. But, day in and day out they are working hard to make sure that people with developmental disabilities are allowed to be fully participating members of the community through employment, community involvement and independent living.

The chef challengers understand the importance of INALLIANCE to our community and are donating a bit of their time to help us raise money and awareness for this noble cause. We are very proud to introduce you to one of those chefs right now. Chef Phillipe Caillot of the Institute of Technology Culinary Arts Program will vie for culinary glory on June 23, 2012 at the Sacramento Chef Challenge.

Chef Phillipe Caillot has been in the culinary industry for 26 years, beginning with his education at the Ecole Hoteliere de Chamonix in France. Currently, Chef Caillot is a culinary instructor at the Institute of Technology’s Culinary Arts Program in Citrus Heights.

Chef Caillot is an American Culinary Federation (ACF) Certified Executive Chef, a member of the California Capitol Chefs Association (CCCA) a chapter of the ACF, and an Approved Certification Evaluator for the Federation.

In 2007, Chef Caillot was honored with the CCCA Presidential Medallion, which is awarded to “members who exemplify culinary excellence and leadership and who have contributed their knowledge, skills and expertise to the advancement of the culinary profession.” The following year, Chef Caillot was named the CCCA Chef of the Year for demonstrating the “highest standard of culinary skills, advanced the cuisine of America and given back to the profession through the development of students and apprentices.”

Prior to teaching for the Institute of Technology’s Culinary Arts Program, Chef Caillot acted as Chef de Cuisine at Le Charm Restaurant in San Francisco, Chef Tournant at Café Terra Cotta in Arizona, and Executive Chef of Café Beaujolais in Arizona.

Please join us in support of the community by attending the 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge. Tickets for the outstanding food, wine and beer event are only $25, and can be purchased here!

Stiring Up Competition in Sacramento Part 1

sacchefchal — Mon, 21 May 2012 11:30:40 +0000

For the past nine years, INALLIANCE has hosted the Sacramento Chef Challenge as a benefit for people with developmental disabilities. Not many people know about INALLIANCE, but it is a nonprofit organization that provides programs that support the independence, health and safety of people with developmental disabilities throughout the community. The Sacramento Chef Challenge is a way for INALLIANCE to raise needed funds and connect with the community to spread the mission to “Build a more livable workable world.” None of this would be possible, without the support of the Chef Challengers who battle to support a worthy cause. With that, we are very proud to introduce you to one of three chef challengers who will vie for culinary glory on June 23, 2012 at the Sacramento Chef Challenge:

Chef Kristela Nazario-Mendoza grew up in Metro Manila in the Philippines where her family owned the Midtown Inn, a local bed and breakfast. Although she was never allowed in the kitchen, as this was a sacred place, she was exposed to delicious, inspired cooking at a young age.

After graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco, Chef Mendoza trained under Olympic Chef Ray Henry in Rockefeller’s Caneel Bay in the Caribbean. She then moved back to the states and began managing kitchens for a variety of high end restaurants in Southern California.

Chef Mendoza is experienced in a variety of cooking styles including Thai and Japanese, but her current role as Executive Chef at Pyramid Brewery, Alehouse & Restaurant has provided the most unique challenge – cooking with beer! In addition to overseeing the daily, hand-crafted brewhouse menu, she lets her imagination loose with her monthly 3-course Brewer’s Dinners which involve unique, themed menus with house brew pairings.

Chef Mendoza earned the title of the Bay Area’s Iron Chef in 2010 and was a Kulinarya finalist in addition to a handful of other honors. The most important award, however, is her mom’s culinary approval.

Please join us in support of the community by attending the 10th Annual Sacramento Chef Challenge. Tickets for the outstanding food, wine and beer event are only $25, and can be purchased here!