NH Food Bank Steel Chef Event 2020

This was the last event I attended prior to the state being shut down due to COVID 19. This event has become hands down my favorite event of the year. You may remember last year I wrote about the event that was hosted by Alex Guarnaschelli, Jim and I had an amazing time. This year Jim was unable to go but my friend Ann was happy to take his spot along with our friends Michele and Rich. Now don’t get me wrong we loved seeing and meeting Chef Alex BUT Micheal Symon was the host of this year’s event and let me just say Chef Symon is my all-time, hands-down favorite chef on the planet. I could not wait for this event on March 9, 2020, at the Doubletree Hilton in Manchester NH.

If you have not heard of the NH Food Bank’s Steel Chef Challenge,, it is the biggest fundraiser of the year for the food bank. This event brings in four well-respected chefs throughout the state who get a basket of ingredients, a couple of which are selected by the audience and the chefs then have 20 minutes to create the best dish they can. Those dishes are then tasted and judged by three judges. There 8s only one winner so these chefs work hard for that title of champion!

If you buy the VIP ticket to the event you are able to attend the event early and dine on appetizer portions from restaurants throughout the state along with drinks. My favorite part of the night the “Meet and Greet” where you have a few minutes to have your picture taken with the famous chef and also have a small conversation with him! Let’s just say I was beyond happy to meet chef Symon.

Once the VIP portion of the night was over we made our way to the main ballroom where we found our seats and looked at some of the items up for auction. Everyone who attends receives a goody bag from various companies that sponsor the event, along with a signed cookbook from Chef Symon.

While the chefs are cooking and competing we are all fed dinner that was created by Chef Symon with of course inspiration from our local ingredients and seasonal items. I should mention all of the bread and rolls at the table we’re all made fresh by the Nashua High School Culinary program.

Although the salad was very good, the beef short ribs were fall-off-the-bone delicious and that dessert with the cinnamon whiskey mousse was fantastic. This event is filled with fun, excitement, and delicious food! Little did we know how important this year’s event would be with COVID-19 knocking on our door and the state about to shut down. This event helped feed many, many families that typically do not get assistance but due to the circumstances the need for food this year haD been greater. The biggest auction item for this year was generously donated by Micheal Symon himself. He donated a dinner for 8 guests that he would be cooking at his East Hampton NY home. That auction item alone went for almost 16,000.00 dollars. That will feed a lot of families!

A huge congratulations go out to Chef Brendan Vesey the chef-owner of Botanica Restaurant and Gin Bar.

I am looking forward to next year’s event with Jim, Ann, Michele, and Rich!