If ever there were a reason to indulge, Chef Fest would be it. It’s the perfect time to enjoy delicious local food and support the city you call home. Presented by the Woodbury Community Foundation (WCF) and the American Culinary Federation, Chef Fest features local chefs including Angelo Montes of Sole Mio Ristorante, John Schiltz of the Lake Elmo Inn, Joe Nagel from Envision Event Center and John Byrne, known as the Gaelic Gourmet.
Attendees can expect a night of food, activities and opportunity to appreciate and give back to the city. “All of the proceeds go back into the community in a variety of areas,” says Jodi Ritacca, a member of the WCF board of directors.
Woodbury residents should recognize some of the programs supported by this popular event. One such recipient is the City of Woodbury Public Safety Fund, which supports the K9 program in Woodbury. “Last year’s funds provided an extra canine who is now trained, and he even was instrumental in saving a woman’s life this past year,” Ritacca says. Proceeds also benefit the Christian Cupboard Emergency Food Shelf and Woodbury Thrives, a grassroots organization working to make the city a healthier and happier place.
Guests get the chance to explore several chef stations, sampling foods of all sorts, from mouth-watering pork chops to decadent desserts. As bids from auction items are received, progress toward the night’s target goal will appear on-screen.
Lori Nelson, new executive director of WCF, is excited for her first Chef Fest. “I love that the event gets to highlight the good works that we’re doing and introduce that to people who may not really be familiar with what we do,” she says.
Chef Fest
November 19 at 5:30 p.m., Envision Event Center,
For tickets, call 651.788.6586 or visit the website here. Tickets are $60 per person, $75 at the door.
