Let the cooking -- and competing -- begin, all for a great cause

If you are like me, you are, dare we say addicted, to cooking shows especially ones that are competitive!   That’s why the 4th Annual Brainfood Grill-Off on June 10 at 6:30 pm is so appealing.   The event will be held at the Decatur House on Lafayette Square at 1610 H St NW.

The Grill-Off is an Iron Chef-style competition that pits teams of local chefs, amateur cooks, and Brainfood program graduates against each other.   Using a pantry of secret ingredients, each team creates and presents their dishes to a panel of food celebrity judges, to be announced soon.   Nearly a dozen local chefs will participate in the event, giving Average Joe’s the chance to rub elbows with chefs at the helm of some of the city’s hottest restaurants.   This year’s chefs include:

• Daniel Giusti, 1789
• Kyle Bailey, Birch & Barley
• Kevin Villalovos, Cure
• Dean Gold, Dino’s
• Teddy Folkman, Granville Moore’s
• Shannon Overmiller, The Majestic
• Glenn Babcock, Nage
• Bryan Moscatello, Zola and Potenza

Seriously, you have got to attend this event, a fundraiser for the DC nonprofit Brainfood.   Don’t know Brainfood?   They are waaaay more than just a cooking program for kids.   It’s a program about self-esteem, learning new skills, working together, working alone, making mistakes and learning from them, and seeing and seeking opportunity.

Tickets are $75 and 100% of ticket sales will help Brainfood to continue offering after-school and summer programs to local teens, including hands-on instruction, educational field trips and guest chef demos.

More information about the event, including how to purchase tickets, is online.