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THE BUSINESS OF EATING

Chefs and breweries go ‘off menu’ for charity!

April 16, 2016

 

For many years, the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York was the epicenter of high society dining. In 1936, a group of epicures, many of them former pupils of French chef, educator and food writer Auguste Escoffier, gathered at that venerable hotel to discuss the formation of what would become the nation's foremost fraternity of dedicated gastronomes, Les Amis d'Escoffier Society. Membership was strictly limited to professional chefs, hotel executives, restaurateurs and business executives.

Fast-forward to Rehoboth Beach, circa 1997-2013. Those of you who remember the delightfully eclectic Thunderbird Shop in Rehoboth Avenue will surely remember its proprietor, John Wolfle. An art, food and wine connoisseur in his own right, John was a member of the Epicurean Club of Washington, D.C. Created in the late ‘40s, the organization paid homage to Auguste Escoffier with lavish, men-only, black tie dinners. Wolfle attended one of those dinners in 1987 at the Vista Hotel in Washington, D.C., where the participating chefs were under strict instructions to create dishes that they had never before made or served in public. Strict rules also applied to the presentation of the various courses, i.e., domed dishes were delivered to the table all at the same time, to be simultaneously uncovered to reveal the chefs’ creation designed to WOW the guests. One chair at the U-shaped table was always left empty -though it was also served - in honor of Escoffier himself.

The Thunderbird Shop is no more, but John Wolfle is still very active as the current president of the governing board for our local Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth. Given the close relationship that Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth has with SoDel Concepts (meals for our local homebound neighbors are prepared daily at Fish On in Lewes), John thought it might be fun to share his hoity-toity epicurean experiences with us beach folk here in the Cape Region.

To that end, Meals on Wheels Lewes-Rehoboth has teamed up with SoDel Concepts’ Corporate Chef Doug Ruley, Cape Gazette, RehobothFoodie.com and Olivia Stone Design Group to present what John calls an Escoffier-ish dinner. Women are cordially invited, and black ties are neither required nor permitted. And unless we can find an army of 75 servers for the synchronized entrée reveal, some of the serving rules may have to be relaxed. The one rule that will be strictly enforced is that the professional chefs who generously donate their efforts may not serve anything they have ever done before. And these one-off creations will not only have to WOW the ticketholders, but also pair perfectly with the best brews from five of our local breweries.

Sound scary? Well, wait ‘til you see the list of esteemed toques who will be dishin’ up food for the event! Under the watchful eye of host (and SoDel Concepts’ Corporate Chef) Doug Ruley, courses will be prepared and served by James Beard multi-nominated modernist Chef Hari Cameron from a(MUSE.) and Grandpa MAC; award-winning Fish On kitchen boss Maurice Catlett (soon to head up the new Matt’s Fish Camp in Lewes); 2015 Top Chef of the Culinary Coast winner Mike Clampitt (Po’Boys Creole & Fresh Catch in Milton); 2014 Top Chef of the Culinary Coast winner Matt Kern from Rehoboth’s Salt Air, and the celebrated pastry savant himself, Dru Tevis from Nage.

And the generosity doesn’t end there. Five of our local breweries jumped at the chance to showcase their best suds at this one-of-a-kind feast. Surprise pairings will include Georgetown’s 16 Mile, Fins’ Big Oyster Brewery in Rehoboth, Crooked Hammock Brewery in Lewes, Dewey Beer Company in Dewey Beach, and Mispillion River Brewing in Milford.

Tickets are selling like … well, hotcakes (assuming you have never made them before); so reserve your seat by calling Stefana at 302-645-9790, or emailing Stefana@SoDelConcepts.com. We know what these guys can do when they have a menu: But what happens when they have to create on the fly? Join us at 6 p.m., Thursday, April 28 at Fish On to find out.


Bob Yesbek is a serial foodie and can be reached at byesbek@CapeGazette.com.

 

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