Renowned Southern Chefs Hit RVA to Celebrate Virginia Food and Drink

Photo: Christopher Shane

If you haven't heard about this amazing experience (and I mean experience, not just dinner) happening at Pasture on June 2, you just might be living under a rock, a house, or perhaps a small mountain. Dubbed Off-Broad Appétit, as it is serving as a kick-off party of sorts for Richmond's annual block-off-the-streets-and-eat-yourself-silly-all-day festival Broad Appétit, this is going to be one very special evening.

Hosted by Richmond's own Chef Jason Alley, a.k.a. Star Chef Rising Star, a.k.a. Bon Appetit cover boy (his fried chicken and pot likker noodles, anyway) a.k.a. general lover of slaw dogs, Orange Julius and steamed Virginia blue crabs...

 

...this night of noshing and sipping is about celebrating what makes Virginia such an amazing dining destination. To assist in this endeavor, Alley has assembled a few of his closest friends, who just also happen to be some of the most groundbreaking and respected chefs in the industry, as in an Iron Chef contender who dares to go up against Bobby Flay to tackle chum salmon (Note: she didn't win, and I personally blame this on Mr. Cranky Pants food critic, Jeffrey Steingarten, but that's another story), a James Beard Award winner (Best Chef Southeast) as well as fiesty Top Chef All-Star competitors, a Top Chef finalist, and a 2012 Best New Pastry Chef according to Food and Wine magazine.

So, what happens when each of these chefs creates their own special dish featuring locally sourced Virginia ingredients such as Rappahannock River Oysters, Border Springs Farm lamb, Leaping Water Farm chicken, Autumn Olives Farm pork, and Bearer Farms honey? Freaking magic, that's what. Toss in glasses of Barboursville wine, plenty of local brews, ciders and Cirrus vodka, and you've got yourself one heck of a party with the icing on the cake being that this entire hoo-ha benefits FeedMore Richmond, an umbrella organization made up of the Central Virginia Food Bank, Meals on Wheels and The Community Kitchen.

Not only will attendees have the opportunity to get up close and personal with certain chefs whose restaurants often book out a month or more in advance, but guests can walk away full and happy knowing that their hard-earned dollars (tickets are $150 per person all-inclusive) are helping support Virginia's local farms, producers, wineries, breweries as well as an organization dedicated to eliminating hunger in our area.

Here's the official line-up and where to purchase. FYI, last I heard there were less than 20 tickets left and time is running out to buy, so I suggest you move quickly. Buy your tickets here.

Saturday June 2 at 6:30 p.m. at Pasture

416 E Grace St
Richmond, VA 23219

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