Raley's Grape Escape

Chef's Challenge

Presented by the Institute of Technology

Chef's Challange - Meet the Chefs

While sipping on your favorite varietal at the event, take in the always entertaining local chef cooking contest!

The Institute of Technology Culinary Academy is proud to present the Chef's Challenge at this year's event.

To showcase these sizzling restaurants, chefs from the capital region will compete for cash prizes. Each team, consisting of a chef and an assistant, is given 25 minutes to produce and serve up a dish from a basket of ingredients provided. Teams competed in two rounds, and winners advanced to the finals to prepare and serve another creative and mouth-watering dish in minutes.

This year's participating chefs include:

  • Suleka Sun-Lindley Thai Basil
  • Russell Okubo from Fat's Family Restaurants
  • Adam Pechal Tuli Bistro
  • David English The Press Bistro and Bar

Named by Restaurant News as the city whose "Restaurants Sizzle," Sacramento has evolved into a vibrant dining Mecca. Time magazine has also named Sacramento the most diverse city in America, which is reflected in the many flavors found in restaurants throughout the region.

Host

Mark S. Allen

Mark S. Allen is the entertainment anchor for "Good Day Sacramento," and with one glance at his TV resume, you'll see that he's no ordinary broadcast... though that might not be a good thing. He created and hosted "Dateless and Desperate" for the Emmy Award winning Nationally syndicated TV show "Scratch," and also hosted Comedy Central's Ace-Award winning variety show "Short Attention Span Theater." He made his first mark locally at KSFM 102.5, taking evening ratings to a historical high.

This Years JudgesChef's Challenge Judges

Don Dickinson CEC, CCA, ACE, AAC

Don Dickinson is the Culinary Division Director at the Institute of Technology's Culinary Arts Division campus in Citrus Heights, California. He has 33 years of experience in the food service industry and is a Certified Executive Chef and Culinary Administrator and specializes in openings and charcuterie.

Evelyn Miliate

Evelyn Miliate is Head Chef of Raley’s, Bel Air and Nob Hill Foods. She is a graduate of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y.

A native of Pennsylvania, Miliate moved to Sacramento in 1990 after working in a number of Philadelphia area restaurants. In Sacramento, she served as a chef at a catering company, a European bakery and two popular restaurants before joining the Raley’s Family of Fine Stores as Head Chef in 1998. Raley’s is a family owned company which owns and operates 128 stores throughout Northern California and Nevada under the Raley’s, Bel Air, Nob Hill Foods banners.

Evelyn works with the Raley’s Food Service Product Development team to create hot and cold food programs for the Deli such as exciting new Gourmet and Hot grilled panini sandwiches, Raley’s to Go prepared meals, Holiday dinners including Ultimate Valentine, Mother’s Day Brunch and a new Father’s Day Dinner along with many other prepared meal offerings.

Chris Macias: Food & Wine Writer, The Sacramento Bee

Chris is a native Sacramentan who graduated from UC, Davis in 1993 with a sociology degree, and many units in music theory and Chicano studies. In 1999, he became the Bee's pop music writer. And in 2008, he moved from music to food and wine. Now, he can set you up with the perfect wine - and music - to pair with your meal. He recently co-hosted Table Talk, a collaboration between The Bee and Sacramento Press on food writing and blogging in our region. When he isn't writing or blogging, he likes spending time with friends and family, especially his son, Diego Macias.