Dinner series with top Indy chefs kicks off April 19

Dinner series with top Indy chefs kicks off April 19

The Culinary Crossroads 2022 Spring Dinner Series kicks off April 19 with three of Indy’s top chefs. Abbi Merriss of Bluebeard and Kan-Kan Brasserie, Carlos Salazar of Lil Dumplings Noodle Bar and Pete Schmutte of Leviathan Bakehouse will be cooking for the first night of the four-dinner series. The dinners are sponsored by Ivy Tech Community College and take place at Highland Golf & Country Club.

“We’re so excited to have chef Abbi and chef Carlos back for the second Spring Dinner Series,” said Culinary Crossroads founder Larry Dickerson. “And to add pastry chef Pete Schmutte to the team is just phenomenal. It’s going to be a fantastic dinner.”

The 2022 Spring Dinner Series has a global exploration theme, with each week featuring a different country or region. The April 19 dinner with Abbi, Carlos and Pete will be inspired by the foods of Spain and Portugal.

The week-two dinner on April 26 features an Italian-inspired menu from chef Alan Sternberg of Iozzo’s Garden of Italy, chef Brad Gates of Convivio Italian Artisan Cuisine and pastry Tanya Smith of Our Table American Bistro in Bargersville.

On May 3, chef Steve Oakley of Oakleys Bistro and chef Esteban Rosas of Milktooth, along with pastry chef Cindy Hawkins of Circle City Sweets, will create a French-inspired menu.

To wrap up the series on May 10, chef Jonathan Brooks of Beholder and Milktooth, chef Erin Kem of Scarlet Lane Gastropub and pastry chef Youssef Boudarine of Gallery Pastry Shop will create a Middle Eastern-themed menu.

Each dinner includes appetizers and a complimentary cocktail hour; the three-course dinners also include wine pairings by sommelier Ashlee Nemeth of Tinker Street. Tickets are $175 each, with a purchase of two tickets; a table of six is $1,000. Tickets are available here on Eventbrite.

A portion of the funds raised will go toward creating an Ivy Tech culinary scholarship, compensating the chefs and supporting future Culinary Crossroads initiatives — fitting with our motto of “great food, great talent and great causes.”

2022 Spring Dinner Series Tickets Now Available

2022 Spring Dinner Series Tickets Now Available

We’re so happy to announce that tickets for our second-annual Spring Dinner Series, presented by Ivy Tech Community College, are now on sale!

The 2022 Spring Dinner Series takes place April 19 – May 10 at Highland Golf & Country Club and features an incredibly talented lineup of some of the Indianapolis area’s top chefs. Each week, two chefs will work together on a multi-course menu with dessert created by one of Indy’s top pastry chefs! A portion of the proceeds from the dinners will go to create a culinary scholarship at Ivy Tech – the perfect combination “great food, great talent, great causes.”

Our 2022 dinner series will feature a Global Exploration theme, and menus will focus on Spain/Portugal, Italy, France and the Middle East. Our chef teams include:

April 19: Spain & Portugal with chefs Abbi Merriss and Carlos Salazar and pastry chef Pete Schmutte.

April 26: Italy with chefs Alan Sternberg and Brad Gate and pastry chef Tanya Smith.

May 3: France with chefs Steve Oakley and Esteban Rosas with pastry chef Cindy Hawkins.

May 10: Middle East with chefs Jonathan Brooks and Erin Kem with pastry chef Youssef Boudarine.

What a great lineup!

Last year, more than 500 guests joined us including First Lady Janet Holcomb, Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, and Ivy Tech President Sue Ellspermann who each shared kind words about the dinners and the Culinary Crossroads dinner series initiative. Nearly two dozen partners and underwriters participated and helped make our dinner series a success.

Tickets are available in pairs for $350; or you can purchase a table for six for $1,000. In addition to helping to create a culinary scholarship, portions of the revenue are used to compensate participating chefs, cover food costs and provide support for future Culinary Crossroads initiatives. And we’ve got more great dinners coming up – stay tuned!

World Food Championships Announce Details of 2020 Final Table

World Food Championships Announce Details of 2020 Final Table

Fresh off its 8th Annual Main Event and Dallas debut, World Food Championships (WFC) is busy preparing for its crowning moment by adding in new surprises for ten award-winning Food Champs and food sport fans from around the nation. Organizers of The Ultimate Food Fight announced today more details for its Final Table challenge, which will be held in May and feature a $100,000 grand prize. 

During the Main Event’s opening rounds in October, Mike McCloud, CEO and President of WFC, revealed that its 8th annual Final Table challenge will be held in Indianapolis, Indiana from May 8-10th, 2020. While more details will be released at the first of the year, McCloud did tease a few exciting elements for the much-anticipated competition.

“We are really excited to be partnering with such a great culinary destination. Indianapolis has always been a great supporter of Food Sport, and we can’t wait for our 2019 Category Champions to see what creative culinary challenges await them in this incredible city during our upcoming $100,000 Final Table.”

Mike McCloud, CEO of World Food Championships

For the first time in its history, WFC is kicking off its grand finale with a full week of programming and new events entitled “Culinary Crossroads: Food Week” which will include celebrations devoted to highlighting Indianapolis’ culinary people, places and products. The opening days of the event will also feature a Food Champ University seminar that will take an in-depth look into the world of Food Sport, including an open Q&A session about the WFC 2020 EAT-X judging process. 

Key Dates for “Final Table: Indianapolis”

May 5, 6, 7 – Culinary Crossroads: Food Week / Food Champ University

May 8, 9, 10 – Final Table Competition Days

Final Table: Indianapolis will feature three rounds of challenges inspired by the host city’s cuisine. Unlike last year’s Final Table tournament (which held three competitions in two days), the 2019 finalists will participate in one cooking challenge per day to narrow the field down from 10 Food Champs to three contestants, one of which will be crowned the next World Food Champion. More details on the seminar days and challenges (including attendance restrictions for the final day) will be revealed in the coming weeks. 

WFC’s Team Indiana Coordinator and State Relations Advisor, Larry Dickerson, made it known that there is already a flurry of activity and tremendous energy surrounding WFC bringing its Final Table challenge to Indianapolis.  

“Our phones are ringing and emails are coming in daily from individuals and organizations wanting to be involved with the preparation for placing Indianapolis and the entire state of Indiana on the national culinary stage. We are confident that attendees will walk away with a deep understanding of why Indiana is truly the Culinary Crossroads of America.” 

Larry Dickerson, Culinary Crossroads

Mark your calendars and keep up with all WFC news by following the event on Twitter (@WorldFoodChamp), Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships).