SFCC and the SFCC Foundation Host Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dinner and Far West Regional Young Chefs Competition Guest Chefs Culinary Arts Dinner

What: SFCC and the SFCC Foundation Hosts Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Scholarship Dinner and Far West Regional Young Chefs Competition and Simulcast, Chaîne Culinary Arts Kitchen Ribbon Cutting and Young Chefs Awards Ceremony

When: Thursday, March 1, 6 p.m. In the Jemez Rooms at SFCC.

Guest Chefs Culinary Arts Dinner (with paired wines)
Local guest chefs Mark Connell, State Capital Kitchen; Cristian Pontiggia, El Nido; and Evan and Jen Doughty, the Palace Restaurant and Saloon along with SFCC Culinary Arts Lead Chef Instructors and students prepare the three-course wine dinner. Menu attached.

Tickets are $100 (a portion of which is tax deductible). Purchase tickets online or through the SFCC Foundation at 505-428-1855 or linda.cassel@sfcc.edu. Proceeds support the SFCC Foundation’s Culinary Arts Scholarship Fund.

Saturday, March 3. In the Jemez Rooms at SFCC.

Noon: Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Far West Regional Young Chefs Competition (no charge)

For the first time ever, the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world will hold the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Far West Regional Young Chefs Competition in Santa Fe. Up-and-coming chef competitors are selected from across the Western U.S. There are five competitors for savory and five for pastry. Come to campus to watch a simulcast of the competition with commentary by chef, author and multiple James Beard Award Winner Cheryl Alters Jamison. The simulcast is required as no one is allowed into the kitchens while the competition is underway. In the Jemez Rooms. Free.

The event serves to encourage and promote the culinary expertise of young chefs under the age of 27 by exposing them to a competitive environment with their peers. It provides them the opportunity to showcase their talents and creativity in a fair, unbiased, and professional forum. In the U.S., competition begins at the regional level. Proprietors, managers, chefs and culinary instructors at Chaîne-affiliated restaurants, hotels, culinary schools and Chaîne members within each of the 10 regions of the Bailliage des États-Unis can propose candidates, who complete and submit application forms to a Regional Coordinator, the Conseiller Culinaire Provincial. Contestants are then selected from the group of applicants. Regional winners will compete in national finals, with the top scorer going on to the international competition held in a different Chaîne country each year.

2:30 p.m.: Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Dedicates SFCC Culinary Arts Kitchen Ribbon Cutting (no charge)

Attend the ribbon cutting ceremony as SFCC’s Culinary Arts Program is inducted into the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. The Santa Fe Chapter of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs will present $5,000 to the SFCC Foundation to dedicate a Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Kitchen at SFCC. Free. Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Far West Regional Young Chefs Awards Ceremony

The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs will award one chef in each category of savory and pastry. Winners will compete in the national finals in May with a chance to earn a spot in the international finals.

Where: All events are at Santa Fe Community College, 6401 Richards Ave, Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Photo: From left: Jen Doughty- Co-Executive Chef, Palace Restaurant and Saloon; Mark Connell, Executive Chef, State Capital Kitchen; Patrick Mares, Lead Chef Instructor, SFCC Culinary Arts; Evan Doughty, Co-Executive Chef, Palace Restaurant and Saloon; Cristian Pontiggia, Executive Chef, El Nido; Jerry Dakan, Lead Chef Instructor, SFCC Culinary Arts

Contact: Matthew Bunkowski, Santa Fe Chapter of the Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, 505-988-7752
                Chef Pat Mares, SFCC Culinary Arts Lead Chef Instructor, 505-818-5166
                Laura J. Mulry, SFCC Marketing and Public Relations, 505-428-1776, 505-946-7980

Of Note: The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs is the world’s oldest international gastronomic society, founded in Paris in 1248. It is devoted to preserving the camaraderie and pleasures of the table and to promoting excellence in all areas of the hospitality arts. Each year the society sponsors young chef and sommelier competitions that attract contestants from throughout the world, while the Chaîne Foundation provides scholarships for students. Chaîne is based on the traditions and practices of the old French royal guild of meat roasters. Revived in 1950, the society has members in more than 90 countries. In the U.S., there are nearly 130 bailliages (chapters), each offering a variety of culinary activities s. The chapter in the U.S. is in its 56th year with about 6,000 gourmands, gourmets, gastronomes, chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, oenologists, winery owners, sommeliers, educators, and others interested in the finest of dining and life experiences and enjoying the camaraderie of friends at dinners and events. For more, visit Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.


Santa Fe Community College celebrates its 40th Anniversary as the pathway to success for individuals and the community. SFCC provides affordable, high-quality programs that serve the academic, cultural, and economic needs of the community. The college welcomes over 10,000 students per year in credit, noncredit, workforce training, personal enrichment, and adult programs.
A “Best for Vets” and a “Military Friendly” school.

Visit sfcc.edu or call 505-428-1000.

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