OBX chefs shop the food pantry, dream up divine dinners - Virginian-Pilot

OBX chefs shop the food pantry, dream up divine dinners - Virginian-Pilot

Call it extreme lemonade.

When the Outer Banks’ Beach Food Pantry invited 10 chefs to raid the larder and then dream up dinner, the results were anything but meh.

For the 3rd Annual Food Pantry Holiday Chefs Challenge, Evan Hayes of Blue Water Grill & Raw Bar dished Smoked Pork Tenderloin on top of Black Pepper Cornbread with Warm Pear Compote. No matter that the pears came from a can.

Lou Hunt of Garden Grille & Bar at Hilton Garden Inn Outer Banks/Kitty Hawk made a steaming cauldron of Southwest Chicken Ramen Soup. And Daniel Lewis of Coastal Provisions Oyster Bar & Wine Bar Café planted up Cajun Chicken Wings with Spambalaya. Spam never tasted so good.

I was honored to be a judge, and at evening’s end, our panel crowned Brian Hardison of Jolly Roger Restaurant as the “Prince of Canned Goods” for his Blackberry BBQ Ribs with Purple Mashed Potatoes and Collards.

Really, he could serve that right up at the restaurant. The people agreed, awarding him another first place.

The event, which included a silent auction and tastings of all the chefs’ creations, raised funds for the pantry, which has been serving the area for 26 years.

Donations of food and money are especially appreciated this time of year, said Beach Food Pantry Executive Director Theresa Armendarez. Same over at the Food Bank of Southeastern Virginia and the Eastern Shore.

Go ahead. Donate food or donate funds. And keep in mind that the food bank can stretch a $10 donation to supply $60 in groceries to those in need.

For details on giving to the Southeastern Virginia food bank, go to foodbankonline.org or call 757-627-6599. On the Outer Banks, go to beachfoodpantry.org or call 252- 261-2756.