Best Chef Competition Winners Announced

Beverly Bootstraps is sending huge thank-you to participating restaurants, guests and sponsors who helped the organization raise over $35,000 to support community programs at the recent Best Chef Competition.

Area chefs Paul Callahan from No. 8 Kitchen & Spirits in Amesbury, Joel Silverstein from Sodexo in Beverly, Patrick Burke from Tradewinds Restaurant in Danvers, and Patrick Shea from CK Pearl in Essex took part in the recent Best Chef Competition held at the Danversport Yacht Club, The chefs were tasked with cooking a winning dish on stage using ingredients from Beverly Bootstraps Food Pantry.

Chef Callahan took the Best Chef title in this year’s competition. The chefs were given 45 minutes to create their most original dish.

• Chef Callahan from No 8 Kitchen prepared coffee-smoked duck breast with a granola crust, oyster cracker puree, taco-seasoned canned ham and black bean hash with pickled raisins and potato with a pear and vanilla milk sabayon.
• Chef Silverstein from Sodexo made chili-braised chicken thighs with spanish rice, black bean tamale with pumpkin chocolate mole and empanadas and cilantro slaw.
• Chef Burke from Tradewinds created garlic and herb-rubbed chicken over warm root vegetable salad and topped with an infused sauce of coriander, thyme, sage and lemon.
• Chef Shea from CK Pearl whipped up a smoked brisket ramen with spam rangoon and soft-boiled egg, over egg noodles in a beef stew broth.

The winner in the Savory category was Fibber McGee’s in Beverly for their marinated steak tips, and the winner in the Sweet category was Topsfield Bakeshop for their whoopie pies.

Guests sampled and voted for the winners.

• Blue Vase Marketing
• Northeast Regional Ambulance Service
• Beverly Bank
• Beverly Rotary Club
• Folly Hill Meadows
• Coldwell Banker
• Seaboard Products Company
• Salem Five Charitable Foundation.

A key goal of Beverly Bootstraps is to address hunger in the community. Since 1992, Beverly Bootstraps has been providing healthy food to hungry individuals and families through the Food Pantry.

Photo Credit: Beverly Bootstraps