Food Fight For a Good Cause
Culinary competitions are a dime-a-dozen these days, from televised challenges to indie events. Although rooted in competition, cooking smackdowns are a lot more uplifting when the focus is all about a good cause. You know, instead of purely for cash prizes and TV fame. This is where Food Fight for Scleroderma comes into play. Going into its eighth annual event this April, the event unites a trio of Chicago's top chefs (not an intentional dig towards a certain reality show that refuses to die) for a little friendly culinary competition, all for the altruistic incentive of amassing funds to help combat Scleroderma through the wonderful Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago. Let the games begin!
Here's what you need to know:
The 8th Annual Food Fight for Scleroderma takes place April 10 at the James Hotel. This year's culinary roster includes Jason Paskewitz of The Blanchard, Lamar Moore of Hotel Chicago, and Nathan Sears of The Radler. The chefs will face off against one another for a good cause, with proceeds from the cook-off going to the Scleroderma Foundation of Greater Chicago. The chefs will be tasked with presenting dishes to attendees and a panel of judges. The audience gets to vote for their favorite dish of the night, while the judges convene to rate dishes based on taste, creativity, and presentation. At the end of the night, points from both groups are added up to declare a winner. The panel this year includes Ji Suk Yi of Windy City Live, Sarah Grueneberg of Monteverde, and Chris Pandel of The Bristol and Swift & Sons. Amanda Puck will once again serve as emcee of the event.
The event kicks off with a cocktail reception from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m., followed by the competition running from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. There's also a VIP portion that runs from 4:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and provides more food and an opportunity to mingle with the chefs. The cost for general admission is $95, while VIP tickets go for $145.
Snag your tickets here.
- Matt Kirouac