Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort announced the second annual Fish to Fork culinary weekend in collaboration with the James Beard Foundation from April 30 to May 3 benefitting the James Beard Foundation scholarship program.
Building on last year’s successful event and featuring new exciting activities, the 2015 Fish to Fork culinary weekend offers true farm to table and dock to dish specialties creating unique dining opportunities. Fish to Fork festivities challenge six chefs from around the country to join Amelia Island charter captains for a fishing excursion before turning their catch of the day into scrumptious seafood during the weekend’s main event.
Additional resort activities available Fish to Fork weekend include interactive chef-led cooking classes, exclusive spirit tastings, and the opportunity to fish alongside the chefs.
The culinary competition will culminate in a chef showdown May 2 featuring five renowned visiting chefs as well as the Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort Executive Chef Daven Wardynski.
This year’s competitors include 2015 James Beard Award semifinalist Kathleen Blake of Orlando’s The Rusty Spoon and three-time James Beard Award semifinalist Hector Santiago, the previous owner of Atlanta’s award-winning Pura Vida restaurant and current owner of El Super Pan.
Also competing are previous James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Tom Gray of Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails in Jacksonville, Florida; owner, executive chef and wine director of The Fig Tree in Charlotte, North Carolina Greg Zanitsch; and grilling guru Linkie Marais who competed on the Food Network’s “Next Food Network Star.”
The main event showcases the chefs’ skills as they compete in individual and group challenges, transforming a secret ingredient and local seafood sourced during their fishing excursions into delectable delicacies. The chefs will ultimately be tested with a live vote from guests who sample dishes throughout the event.
