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The Universities at Shady Grove Students Collaborate with Local Chefs on April 21 'Dining with the Chefs' Fundraiser to Benefit Low-Income Families

Fundraiser will Feature Silver Diner Co-Founder, County’s First Lady

Students in the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Hotel and Restaurant Management program at the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) campus in Rockville, Md. will collaborate with some of the area’s top chefs to present their inaugural “Dining with the Chefs” fundraiser on April 21, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., in the USG Building II Multipurpose Room. USG is located at 9630 Gudelsky Drive, Rockville, MD 20850. 

The keynote speaker for the Dining with Chefs fundraiser will be Silver Diner chef and co-founder Ype Fon Hengst. Catherine Leggett, Montgomery County’s “first lady” – the wife of County Executive Isiah Leggett – will also be participating in the event. She is vice president of Human Resources at the International City Management Association.

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 “We are so proud that our students in the UMES program receive world-class training in hospitality management,” said Dr. Stewart Edelstein, executive director of the Universities at Shady Grove. “We’re even more proud that they are tag-teaming with so many respected industry professionals to bring much-needed attention to the often overlooked, but growing issue of hunger in Montgomery County and, ultimately, helping to support many of our local families in need.”

Attendees of the April 21 fundraiser will be able to partake in a unique culinary experience and will have the opportunity to enjoy delicious dishes from both up-and-coming student chefs and some of the area’s well-known chefs. The event will open with a cocktail hour, featuring hors d’oeuvres and beer from the Dogfish Head Alehouse, which has worked closely with USG in support of the UMES hospitality management students. Following the cocktail hour, guests will dine on a four-course meal designed and prepared by chefs and students to honor local chefs. Two complimentary wines from The Maryland Wine Association will accompany each of the four courses.

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Many local chefs and restaurants will take part in the event, including: 

  • Silver Diner-Chef and Co-Founder, Ype Fon Hengst
  • Quench (Rockville)-Executive Chef, Ed Hardy
  • Nantucket Reef (Rockville)-Partner, Steve Deffinbaugh
  • Cava Mezze (Rockville)
  • Matchbox (Rockville)-Danny Cheng
  • Dogfish Head Alehouse (Gaithersburg)-Manager Sam Petrella, an alumnus of the UMES hospitality management program at USG
  • Amy Riolo-Author, Arabian Delights
  • Atwaters Bakery (Baltimore)-Pastry Chef and Alum, Jean Diep
  • Black Market Bistro (Garrett Park)-Sous Chef, Ramin Coles
  • Central Farm Markets (Bethesda and Rockville)-Chef, Lynn Foster
  • Chef Tony’s (Bethesda)-Chef, Tony Marcante
  • Comus Inn (Sugarloaf Mountain)-Chef, Elise Wendland
  • Diana Ash-Food Stylist and Alum
  • Dress It Up Dressing-Owner, Sophia Maroon
  • Hollywood East (Silver Spring)-Owner, Janet Yu
  • La Madeline-Donation
  • Old Anglers Inn (Potomac)-Chef, Nick Palermo
  • Orioles Park (Baltimore)-Pastry Chef and Current Student, Danielle Emich
  • Ricciuti’s (Olney)-Sous Chef, Michelle Houser
  • SugaChef-Executive Pastry Chef, Padua Playa
  • Wine Harvest (Potomac)- Andrew Meyrowitz, also an alumnus of the UMES program at USG
  • 8407 Kitchen Bar (Silver Spring)-Chef, Justin Bittner

The event will also feature a silent auction and a live auction, with all proceeds going to The Dwelling Place, a Montgomery County-based nonprofit that helps low-income families realize their housing and financial stability goals. The evening will close with a dessert buffet and coffee sponsored by The Chesapeake Bay Roasting Company.

UMES Hotel and Restaurant Management students at USG created Dining with the Chefs to fundraise for their wholly student-sponsored organization, The Campus Kitchens Project. The Campus Kitchens Project was originally founded in 2001 by DC Central Kitchens to empower student volunteers to fight hunger in their community. Each month, USG’s Campus Kitchen Project designs menus, cooks meals, organizes driving schedules, and delivers meals to the families participating in The Dwelling Place’s programs. In addition, the students create educational programs with themes of cooking, nutrition and overall healthy eating.

For more information about sponsorship opportunities for the April 21 event at USG, and to buy tickets, please visit the Dining with Chefs event page: http://conta.cc/PjQEyt or send an email to diningwiththechefs@gmail.com. Tables are available for $800, and-up. Companies can also advertise in the event program.

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