The third annual Chef Summit, usually held at Sunday River, will begin in Portland this year at O’Maine Studios, 54 Danforth St.
Local and international chefs are scheduled to come to the Portland culinary studio this Thursday and Friday for a series of “industry talks” led by panels of local and international chefs, food and beverage producers and food marketers; participants can also sign up for food tours.
The first hour-long panel, held at 8 a.m. Thursday, will focus on “Inspiring the Next Generation of Culinary Talent,” and includes panelists such as Josh Berry, the executive chef of Union Restaurant in Portland, and Jonathan Lapierre-Réhayem, chef at ITHQ Restaurant in Montreal. Other industry talks will focus on food tourism and investing in Maine’s food system. Panelists for the food system talk include Chris Sherman, the president of Island Creek Oysters; Natalie King, the executive vice president of Stonewall Kitchen; and Kara DioGuardi, a songwriter, record producer and former American Idol judge who is a partner in Walkers Maine, the new Cape Neddick restaurant from Justin and Danielle Walker.
On Friday, after two morning panels, the closing keynote address – “The Distance of Local: The Future of the Local Food Movement” – will begin at 11 a.m. The speakers will be James Beard Foundation award-winning chef Odessa Piper (Best Chef in America, 2001), who early on brought national attention to local and seasonal food from her Madison, Wisc. restaurant L’Etoile, and Evan Mallett, chef/owner of Black Trumpet in Portsmouth, N.H. and Ondine Oyster + Wine Bar in Belfast, as well as the author of the 2016 “Black Trumpet: A Chef’s Journey Through Eight New England Seasons.”
The Portland portion of the summit costs $250. Tickets are available at chefsummitsundayriver.com
The summit then moves to Sunday River. After an industry reception on Friday at 5:30 p.m., there will be a Grand Tasting from 6 to 9 p.m. featuring teams of chefs from Maine, Canada, Boston, New Hampshire and Iceland. The Grand Tasting has sold out.
– MEREDITH GOAD
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