Haute Cuisine: High School Students Mentored by Arizona Top Chefs
It was the task of hundreds of guests to award 3 tickets to their top 3 favorite cuisine makers. Thunderbird High School received the most votes with their seared scallop.
My top vote went to Independence High School. My first bite of their grilled bratwurst / tender belly pork belly and I was in love! If they had a restaurant, I’d go and I’d bring all my friends! Here they are on video sharing the ingredients of their dish and singing the school fight song!
If the dozens of high schools’ students weren’t standing there preparing and plating everything, I would have easily believed I was in front of Arizona’s top restaurant and resort chefs.
There is a very good reason for that. Arizona’s top chefs are mentoring them through the C-CAP Careers through Culinary Arts Program!
CHEF MENTORS:
Todd Allison, T.Cooks at Royal Palms Resort & Spa
Brian Archibald, St Francis
Amy Binkley, Binkley’s , Café Bink, Bink’s Midtown, Bink’s Scottsdale
Jessica Rose Boutwell, Ruze Cake House
Frank Caputo, Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Ryan Clark, Agustin Kitchen
Joshua Curtis, The Art Institute of Phoenix
Robert DeSantis, Elite Associates
Tracy Dempsey, Tracy Dempsey Originals
Brian Dragos, Nestle Professional
Matt Fenton, Tarbell’s
Rita French, Engrained Cafe
Rich Hinojosa, The Wigwam
Sean Kavanaugh, Rojo Hospitality
Laura McMillin, The Art Institute of Phoenix
Luis Nido, Sodexo
Howard Pierceall, Sysco
Butch Raphael, AZ Pops
Sergio Rocha, Tanque Verde Guest Ranch
Lenard Rubin, DC Ranch Country Club
Marcos Seville, Omni Resort & Spa at Montelucia
Tim Stutz, Dawn Foods
Eugenia Theodosoupolos, Essence Bakery Café
Rebecca Tillman, Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak
Ray Trom, Renaissance Glendale Hotel & Spa
Brett Vibber, Cartwright’s Sonoran Ranch House
Alan Zeman, Rational USA
Emcees for the 2nd Annual Harvest Moon were renowned Food Network celebrity chef and Sanctuary Resort on Camelback Mountain Executive Chef Beau MacMillan and Iron Chef winning competitor and Tarbell’s and The Tavern Owner – Chef Mark Tarbell.*
The Harvest Moon Dinner took place adjacent to the 69 acre organic farm of presenting sponsor Cancer Treatment Centers of America on the west side of Phoenix in Goodyear. If they keep it there next year, bring music and good company in the car and leave with plenty of time to help you not notice rush hour traffic. As I advise people I introduce who are everything the other is looking for except they live in opposite ends of town, it is #WWTD Well Worth The Drive! And if the couples go the distance, and they often do, they end up waking up in the same place. 😉
If you love delicious cuisine they serve at high end restaurants and you’re in one of the 7 cities C-CAP is in, you want to go to their tastings! There are C-CAPs in Chicago, Hampton Roads, VA, Los Angeles, New York and the Philadelphia and Washington DC regions.
Congratulations to celebrity judge Debbie Gaby of Sleep America and Debbie Gaby Charities who was presented C-CAP’s highest Award.
The event nearly doubled in size this year thanks to Joanna Holland, President of Women of Scottsdale and Central Phoenix Women, who partnered with C-CAP to put the event on. She is aiming to double it again next year! Which means you’re going to have to run a marathon before you go, or after! It took a serious effort this year to sample everything. Such a sacrifice.
SCHOOLS/CHEFS/TASTES: (click to enlarge)
Congratulations to all of the student chefs, teachers and mentors on your amazing accomplishment presenting exquisite cuisine and interacting with your future customers with ease. We salute you!
Check back for the 2016 C-CAP Harvest Moon date!
Be sure and thank the chef mentors who are helping these students get a jump on careers in the culinary arts.
