Everyone’s a winner at charity ‘food fight’

“It was truly a wonderful event again this year, and a fine time was had by all,” said Donna McGowan, executive director of the Alz-heimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter.

Several chefs from five assisted living communities, including Atria Senior Living, Albion Court of Lincoln, Benchmark Senior Living, Epoch Senior Living and the Phyllis Siperstein Tamarisk Assisted Living Residence participated in the ultimate cook off to see who the top chef was. 
Members of an exciting panel of celebrity judges were: Mike Montecalvo, news anchor for WPRI TV 12; Frank Terranova, an instructor in the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson & Wales University in Providence and host of “Cooking with Class” on NBC 10; Joe Zito, known as the TV Maitre’d; Jaime Coelho, associate editor of “Rhode Island Monthly” and “The Dish;” and Nick Rabar, owner of the Avenue N Restaurant in East Providence. They evaluated the cooks, and more than 200 attendees voted to determine the winners.

The top chef overall winners were Epoch of Providence chefs Vinny Messina, Thomas Michalski, Christopher Frisby and Christopher Costa. They also won people’s choice for best display and best taste with their beggar’s purse pillows stuffed with short ribs and stuffed portabella mushrooms.

The judges’ table winners for best taste” were Benchmark Senior Living chefs David Silva and Steve Morrissette, with their lobster creole and shrimp and a scallop dish with rice. In second place, were the chefs from Epoch, and in third place for best taste were the chefs from Atria Senior Living -- Jeffry Muthersbaugh, Kevin Sutcliffe, Steven Renshaw and Glen Palmer, with their seafood mousse in mini cones and deconstructed Thanksgiving dinner raviolis.

The judges’ table winners for best display were the Epoch chefs, with their Epoch farm barn. The Epoch team recreated a real farm complete with barn, hay, wooden animals and farmers. In second place was the Tamarisk team, with a Japanese sushi bar theme that included succulent sushi boats and chefs dressed in kimonos. The Albion chefs took third place, with the farm to table theme.

Let’s not forget the wonderful entertainment that evening. Frank Castle and his group were a perfect accompaniment to an evening full of fun, food and prizes. The Alzheimer’s Association raffled off a trip to Cancun trip, with $200 spending money, and held a 50/50 raffle. Master of ceremonies Robert Elmer III did a fantastic job commanding the crowd and announcing the winners.

Many thanks to MetLife Auto & Home and Pacifica Victoria Court for supporting our culinary challenge and to photographer Larry Kent. Many thanks again to all of the chefs, marketing staff and food service support from all of the communities represented at our event. All of the proceeds will benefit free programs for persons with Alzheimer’s disease and their families.

If you would like to participate as a committee member for any events or programs at the Alzheimer’s Association, please contact me at camilla.farrell@alz.org or call (800) 272-3900.


Camilla Farrell is development director of the Alzheimer’s Association Rhode Island Chapter in Providence. She can be reached at (401) 421-0008 or camilla.farrell@alz.org.