Master of Ceremonies: Joe Gatto
Chopped for Charity 2023
Open Table’s annual fundraising event, Chopped for Charity, is back in 2023. Watch three professional chefs battle in a culinary competition. Television and radio personality Chef Joe Gatto will serve as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies. Chopped will also feature a cocktail hour for VIP ticket holders, as well as food, beverages, raffle baskets, and silent and live auctions for all guests. The event will honor Jill Block and Wade Rubinstein and, in memoriam, Debra Stark of Debra’s Natural Gourmet.
Friday, April 28th at Nashawtuc Country Club in Concord
VIP Reception – 5:30pm-6:30pm
General Admission – 6:30pm
The event starts in:
In-person tickets are SOLD OUT, but you can still join the fun with a ticket to our livestream event!
See the excitement of last year’s Chopped for Charity 2022 event HERE.
Want to be a part of the program? Consider becoming a sponsor or placing an advertisement in the event Program Book!
Judge Andy Husbands will offer a behind-the-scenes look at his time competing on Food Network’s Season Four of Chopped: Grill Masters.
Purchase VIP tickets and upgrade your night! Meet the chefs, peek behind the scenes, and experience a special tasting.
VIPs will enjoy:
- A private cocktail reception with this year’s AND last year’s competitors (reception starts at 5:30pm)
- High-end spirit tasting featuring Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Whiskey generously provided by West Concord Wine & Spirits
- Free cocktail
- Preferred seating at the main event
Your VIP ticket purchase will also provide additional support for Open Table’s food programs and help spread even More Love, Less Hunger.
VIPS will enjoy an exclusive tasting of the rare and and special Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Whiskey
Acclaimed local chefs Ben Elliott, Kelcy Scolnick, and Matt Kenah will take center kitchen as competitors at this year’s Chopped for Charity gala. They will compete in a fast-paced cooking challenge before an expert panel of judges and YOU, the audience. How will they use the secret ingredients and how will they handle the pressure? Can’t wait to find out!
Chef Ben Elliott
Chef/Owner
Saltbox Kitchen
As the Chef/Owner of Catering by Saltbox, Saltbox Kitchen, & Saltbox Brewery, Concord resident Ben Elliott has created a collection of true farm to table (and glass!) experiences that all begin at Saltbox Farm, his 10 acre farm in Concord, Massachusetts which was built by his grandparents in the 1940s and restored by Ben over a decade ago.
Ben began his career with time spent at La Folie and the Fifth Floor under Chef Laurant Gras in San Francisco and Locke-Ober in Boston. For several years he worked with chef Barbara Lynch in Boston as Chef de Cuisine at No.9 Park, opening Lynch’s demonstration kitchen Stir, and launching Lynch’s catering company 9 at Home as Chef de Cuisine.
A native of Wayland, MA, Ben has called Saltbox Farm and Concord home since 2004. Before moving to the farm, Ben spent summers tending to it alongside his grandparents. Ben attended Hartwick College in New York where he met his wife Julia. He and Julia have 2 children, Sam and Maggie.
Chef Kelcy Scolnick
Chef
Wright-Locke Farm
Chef Kelcy is a Lowell-based Chef and Educator focusing on eating with the seasons and supporting her local community through private cooking classes and dinner parties. She is also the Farm Chef at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, MA, where she runs a variety of educational programming for people of all ages and creates delicious farm-to-table food experiences.
Learn more about Chef Kelcy at her website: https://www.chefkelcy.com/
Chef Matt Kenah
Director of Culinary
WECO Hospitality
Three food experts will be seated at the judges table – and you can join them! One lucky auction winner will get to taste the Chefs’ creations and cast their vote. And all audience members can vote (with their dollars) for their favorite.
Jill Block and Wade Rubinstein
Jill Block, former President of Open Table, is a public health consultant who has spent much of her 30 plus year career working on issues such as reproductive health, substance misuse, health education, and community health. Wade Rubinstein may be best known in Concord as the founder and former owner of Reasons to Be Cheerful. But both Jill and Wade have done and meant so much more in our community – and we’ll provide more information on the couple’s accomplishments here soon!
Debra Stark
PLATINUM
The Gross Family
SILVER
BRONZE
Anonymous
Gloria and Charles Clough
Open Table Board of Directors
SUSTAINER
Eric and Laurie Van Loon
Concord Lions Club
Join the fun and become a sponsor! Or give a shout out to a chef, judge, or friend or promote your business with an advertisement in the event program. Learn more on the sponsorship page HERE, place an advertisement HERE, or contact Jonathan at jmagasanik@opentable.org
The amazing chefs from Chopped for Charity 2022 are back – and they are graciously putting their time and talent on the auction block. During the evening’s Live Auction, you can bid to win a hands-on cooking or private dining experience with one of these food experts.
Chef Lucmann Pierre, a native of Haiti, is a James Beard award recipient and Cookbook author who has earned a reputation for delectable cuisine and unprecedented service. He was named President of the National Association for Catering Events (NACE) of New Jersey and has been featured on the TODAY Show on NBC and several other media outlets. Before moving to Massachusetts his Le Pierre Caterers, served clients throughout New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania.
Chef Lucmann Pierre
Executive Chef and Owner
Le Pierre Caterers
In-Home Hands on Cooking Experience for 8 People or
In-Home Private Dining Experience for 6 People
With wine provided by Ruby Wines
Born in Turkey, Chef Didem traveled to the U.S. with a passion for cooking & convinced Chef Ana Sortun of Oleana to take a chance on a determined home cook. Later, Didem received her Culinary degree from Cambridge Culinary & became the Chef to the Turkish Consulate of Boston. In 2020, Tasteful Sini was born, creating countless memorable food experiences.
Learn more at:
https://tastefulsini.com
https://www.facebook.com/tastefulsini
https://www.instagram.com/tastefulsini
Chef Didem Hosgel
Chef and Owner
Tasteful Sini
In-Home Hands on Cooking Experience for 8 People or
In-Home Private Dining Experience for 6 People
With wine provided by Ruby Wines
Jordan Mackey is the Chef-Owner of Nan’s Rustic Kitchen and Market in Stow and Sobre Mesa Tequila Bar in Sudbury. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute, Mackey has had stages with Roy Yamaguchi of Roy’s restaurants and Austrian Master Chef Wilhelm Gahabka. He credits his mentoring and inspiration to French Master Chef Michel Leborgne, Union Square Café’s Danny Meyer, and fresh vegetables. Jordan believes in a “complete experience” for his diners.
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Chef Jordan Mackey
Chef and Owner
Sobre Mesa Kitchen & Bar
Chef’s Tasting Dinner at Sobre Mesa Kitchen & Bar in Sudbury for 6-8 People
There will be other opportunities to win prizes throughout the evening. Don’t miss the silent auction. And be sure to purchase tickets (cash or credit card accepted) to drop in the raffle buckets for several baskets of wonderful treats, products, and gift cards. Here are some of the donors providing the items you can win.
