2013 Participating Chefs:

Jessi Allen, A Sweet Destination - Claymont, DE
Kirk Avondoglio, Perona Farms - Andover Farms, NJ
Host Chef Dave Banks, Chef/Partner of Harry's Hospitality Group - Wilmington, DE
Michael T. Barbas, Fieldstone Golf Club - Greenville, DE
Jeff Buben, Vidalia - Washington, DC
Andy Feeley, Eden Restaurant - Rehoboth Beach, DE
Bill Hoffman, The House of William and Merry - Hockessin, DE
Andy Husbands, Tremont647 - Boston, MA
Nathan Rich, Lake Placid Lodge - Lake Placid, NY
Elise Wiggins, Panzano - Denver, CO

Please contact Meg Morgan at 302-475-3000 for ticket or silent auction information for the event. If you cannot attend this years event, please considering donating to help make no kid hungry a reality. Choose Taste of the Nation Wilmington as the event city.

Jessi Allen, A Sweet Destination - Claymont, DE

Jessi grew up with a passion for cooking and baking and after attending Penn State University, she enrolled in culinary school at The Restaurant School at Walnut Hill College, in Philadelphia, PA where she obtained a degree in Pastry Arts.  Jessi started her career working in Philadelphia for Stephen Starr Restaurants including Jones, Washington Square and Continental Olde City, eventually moving to The WaterWorks Restaurant where she helped create menus and execute private parties.   After four years of working on the Philadelphia restaurant scene, Jessi became assistant pastry chef for Desserts International, LLC, a large wholesale bakery where she helped manage a large staff that created desserts for hotels and Lufthansa Airlines.  After moving to Delaware following her marriage in 2009, Jessi became the Pastry Chef at Harry's Savoy Grill and Ballroom. While working in restaurants is a passion in Jessi's life, new opportunities brought her to Whole Foods Market as Assistant Team Leader in the Bakery.  Jessi is also running her own small business, A Sweet Destination, LLC where she creates custom cakes and cupcakes.

Kirk Avondoglio, Perona Farms - Andover Farms, NJ

Executive Chef Kirk Avondoglio is an exciting contemporary chef who is sought after from his home state's Drumthwacket, the official home of the New Jersey Governor in Princeton, to California, the Far East and Brazil. He participated in the First Festival of Master Chefs, held at the International Hotel in Mexico City and has given several seminars at Columbus Isle in The Bahamas for Club Med Resorts.

 He has been recognized by Art Culinare, the James Beard Society, The New York Times, New York Newsday, Asbury Park Press and the Chicago Tribune as one of America's top contemporary chefs.

 Kirk has hosted James Beard Dinners, cooked at The James Beard House on many occasions, and worked as a featured chef at several James Beard Award dinners. Additionally, Kirk has appeared on a number of television programs including "Ready, Set, Cook," "Dining Around," "Extreme Cuisine," and "Dinner: Impossible" on TV's Food Network, Live with Regis and Kathie Lee, NBC's Today New York, and News 12 New Jersey.

 In 1992, Kirk established Perona Farms Food Specialties, featuring his salmon products after trying his hand at smoking salmon in his great-grandfather's smokehouse. Cook's Illustrated Magazine has rated his smoked salmon the number one smoked salmon in the world and it has been shipped worldwide to finer hotels, restaurants, and discerning chefs. Kirk and his family sold the food specialties division in 2008 to concentrate on the weddings and special events portion of the business.

 Kirk, his wife, Mary, and son Kirk, Jr. reside next door to Perona Farms in Andover, New Jersey. Perona Farms, a Northern New Jersey landmark, is a picturesque country estate established by his great-grandparents in 1917.

Andy Husbands, Tremont647 - Boston, MA

Andy Husbands, the award-winning Chef/Owner of Tremont 647, has been enticing patrons with his adventurous American cuisine at the South End neighborhood hang-out for over fifteen years. Husbands has been praised both locally and nationally for his bold flavors, commitment to using the best, fresh ingredients and seasonality, receiving nods from countless publications, from the Boston Globe and Boston Magazine to Wine Spectator and Star Chefs. Husbands also competed in the 6^th season of Fox Television Network’s “Hells Kitchen” hosted by Gordon Ramsay.  Recently he published his second cookbook Wicked Good Barbeque with co-authors Chris Hart of the IQUE BBQ team and Andrea Pyenson of the Boston Globe, which has received high accolades from both the food and entertainment industries and has recently received National Barbecue News’ “2012 Best Book of the Year” award.  This is the follow-up to his widely successful first cookbook The Fearless Chef, now in its second printing. Andy is currently working on his third cookbook, Wicked Good Burgers, which is scheduled to be released in the Spring of 2013.

Devoted to helping his community, Husbands has been working to eliminate childhood hunger for the past 20 years. As an active member of Share Our Strength, the nation’s leading hunger relief organization, Husbands has donated over $120,000 and countless hours to the cause. Husbands has also hosted the organization’s annual Cooking Matters dinner at Tremont 647 for the past 15 years and co-chairs the Boston Taste of the Nation annual fundraiser. He is in his third year as an active member of the restaurant committee for the Rodman Ride for Kids, an umbrella matching gift charity raising funds for youth-focused social service agencies that support at-risk kids in Massachusetts.

When he is not in the kitchen and working with his favorite charities, Husbands is competing with his internationally recognized BBQ team: IQUE BBQ. IQUE became world champions of BBQ by winning the Jack Daniels World Championships in Lynchberg, TN and also took home 1^st place, out of 510 teams, in the brisket category at the Kansas City Royal.

James Beard Semi Finalist “Best Chef” – Wine Spectators “Award of Excellence” –

“Best of Boston” from Boston Magazine – “One of Boston nightlife’s most influential

people” Stuff Magazine – “Celebrated Chefs” National Pork Council

Nathan Rich, Lake Placid Lodge - Lake Placid, NY

Executive Chef Nathan Rich started working at the Lake Placid Lodge in 2010.  Prior to joining the Lodge, Rich was the Chef de Cuisine for the esteemed Asana Restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental in Boston.  Rich is a native of Farmington, NH and completed his apprenticeship and received formal training at the Balsams Grand Resort Hotel.  Since arriving at the Lodge, Rich has received the 2012 Relais and Chateaux Rising Chef Award, increased relationships with local farmers and helped start the Lodge’s first seasonal garden and teaching kitchen.

Chef Rich believes in cooking good quality foods that have been naturally grown or raised. “I try to use the most natural ingredients because they have the most flavors. I am in a great area in upstate New York with all the local farmers that supply the area with quality foods.” Rich adds, “I enjoy the ability to be creative on a daily basis. There are always new products to use and wonderful new dishes to create for our guests to experience.”

Elise Wiggins, Panzano - Denver, CO

Elise Wiggins has a plan.  A career plan, that is.

From her beginnings in Louisiana to Texas, through Colorado, Puerto Rico, Tennessee and now back to Colorado, Wiggins has purposely and progressively moved up through the ranks - all the time honing her kitchen skills, tasting new flavors, managing more people and developing the talents that have won fine dining awards and accolades.

 Growing up in the South, Elise’s first memories are of family and food. Weekly gatherings of cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents were alive with conversation and camaraderie. But all bets were off when it came to the food.  Whose gumbo was best? Who boiled the best crawfish? The competition was friendly and fierce but Elise learned to equate great food with fun, happiness and best of all - pats on the back. But the menu wasn’t all gumbo and crawdads. Elise’s mom grew up in New York and spent her teenage summers in Northern Italy. She would prepare regional dishes she had seen at Lake Como for the kids and include a geography lesson on Northern Italy with the meal.  Her family was Elise’s inspiration- a great start for a chef.

 Elise began her career in the restaurant business in the front of the house as a floor manager in a Dallas restaurant, The Grotto.  It wasn’t long, however, until she realized her heart and skills were best put to use in the kitchen.

 After a nationwide investigation of culinary schools, Elise came to the Colorado Institute of Art’s school in Denver and graduated with honors.  Several kitchen jobs in Denver included a stint as the chef of Bella Ristorante, a busy Southern Italian restaurant in Lower Downtown.

 At this point, the career plan was hatched.  Learn more about cuisines other than Italian, work internationally, move into resorts or hotels. Get some experience opening a new restaurant. Move up the chef ladder.

 A five month trip through Central America followed her departure from Denver. From Mexico to Panama, Elise took classes, visited markets, sampled street food to haute cuisine and enjoyed being completely away from American food and sensibilities.

Meanwhile, it was time to get back to work and an offer from the Westin Rio Mar Resort in San Juan, Puerto Rico seemed the perfect fit. The Palio restaurant at this 5 Diamond resort. Island reviewers raved about Chef de Cuisine Elise’s food at Palio, going so far as to say that Wiggins, “brings Italy to a little corner of Puerto Rico.” The restaurant earned a Mobil 4 Diamond rating during Elise’s watch.

 But bigger and better things awaited Elise and “the plan” had yet to be fulfilled.

 The opening chef position for the Capriccio Restaurant in the Peabody Hotel in Memphis was the next stop for Elise. This world famous hotel was completely revamping their foodservice operations and looking for a chef who could create and execute the quality and consistent Northern Italian food that they envisioned for their new restaurant.  Fully responsible for menu development, training, costing, implementation and profitability of the Capriccio Restaurant, Cafe and Lounge, Elise managed a staff of 30.

 “But I never wanted to leave Colorado,” said Wiggins. “When I heard about the Panzano job, I knew it was the job I really wanted and a way to get back to Denver.”

Since making her way back to the Mile High City and Panzano, Elise has caused quite a stir. Chosen for 4 Diamond status for 2010-2012 by the American Automobile Association, Panzano has also been named Best Italian restaurant in Denver by Westword for 2011 and 2012, “To Die For” by the Gabby Gourmet Restaurant Guide and included in the Top Restaurants in Denver by 5280 magazine and Zagat Guides. 5280 magazine recognized Panzano’s gluten free program as “Top of the Town.” The American Culinary Federation named Elise 2005 Colorado Chef the Year and the Colorado Restaurant Association bestowed its Outstanding Professional award on Elise in 2012.