March 11, 2008

Michigan chefs are invited to be a part of a Chef’s Challenge competition, being touted as the state’s “Culinary Event of the Year,” April 25-26, 2008 at Shanty Creek Resort in Bellaire located in northern Michigan. The event, supported by the Michigan Department of Agriculture’s Select Michigan Program and Michigan commodity organizations, growers and food processors, is part of the celebration of Springtime Splendor Week in Michigan, and is a fundraiser for Challenge Mountain, the nation’s only non-profit organization that provides adaptive recreation exclusively to people with special needs.

Four chef teams from northern Michigan will compete against four chef teams from southern Michigan to determine the state’s finest dining region. The top winner from the north and south teams will compete in an “Iron Chef” competition on Sunday evening.

Chefs and restaurants from throughout Michigan are invited to submit entries to compete in the cook-off. The deadline for entries is March 21, 2008. Winning teams will be announced on March 29, and will be posted on the www.chefs-challenge.com Web site. Celebrity judges will include Chef Eric Villegas of Fork in the Road T.V. fame, and Chef Michelle Bommarito, known for her frequent appearances on the Food Network.

Chefs interested in submitting entries for the cook-off and those interested in sponsoring the event can contact Joe Breidenstein, competition coordinator, at 231-535-2227 or info@springtimesplendor.com. For more information about the Chef’s Challenge, visit www.chefs-challenge.com. For more information about Challenge Mountain, visit. www.challengemtn.org.