Urban Food Group Chef Joins 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge
The food and wine event will help raise funds for children and adults with disabilities.
May 18, 2011 (Raleigh, NC) — Executive Chef Beth Littlejohn of Coquette, a French brasserie in North Hills Shopping Center in Raleigh owned by the Urban Food Group, has signed on to participate in the 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge, which will be held Saturday, June 4, from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Hinnant Family Vineyards in Pine Level, NC.
Proceeds will benefit children and adults with disabilities served by RHA Howell, Inc.
Now in its third year, the Epicurious Vino Challenge features professional chefs 
from Durham to Wrightsville Beach who compete to see which one can create the best signature dish using a Hinnant Family Vineyards wine as a main ingredient. Everyone in attendance samples the dishes and Hinnant wines. Then the crowd votes for the People’s Choice Award while professional chefs with US Foodservice name the Chef’s Choice winner.
Urban Food Group’s Executive Chef Ian Sullivan and owner Kevin Jennings told RHA Howell’s events director, Debbie Valentine, that they were “thrilled to have one of their restaurants participating again this year,” she said. “One of their chefs joined us for the first Epicurious Vino Challenge in 2009. We’re equally delighted and honored to have one of the Urban Food Group’s remarkable chefs back this year.”
Along with Coquette, Urban Food Group owns and operates Porter’s Tavern, Frasier’s and Chow in Raleigh, and Vivace in Raleigh and Charlotte.
During the 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge, Chef Littlejohn will compete against the culinary talents of Raleigh chefs Tom Armstrong of Vinnie’s Steakhouse and Mario Huante of Chef Mario’s Inc.; Durham chefs Belo Shelton of Thrills From The Grill and Maggie Radzwiller of Comfort Cuisine; Chef Pat Walston of House Autry Mills, Four Oaks: Chef Vivian Howard of The Chef and The Farmer, Kinston; Chef Mark Lawson of the Blockade Runner in Wrightsville Beach; and Chef Kimberly Hall of the Flying Fork, Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, Goldsboro.
The event will also include both a silent and live auction in the “barrel gallery” room at Hinnant Family Vineyards.
Tickets to the 2011 Epicurious Vino Challenge ($50 each or $400 for a table for 10) are available at www.rhahowell.org by clicking on the event icon. Questions about tickets and sponsorships should be directed to Debbie Valentine at 919-803-2960 or dvalentine@rhanet.org. Proceeds directly benefit children and adults with disabilities.
Sponsors for this year’s event are RHA Howell Inc., US Foodservice Inc, Hinnant Family Vineyards, Southern Pharmacy, Van Products, L&M, Fallon Benefit Group, Morcom Medical Consultants, Wake Stone Corporation, and Print Enterprise Inc.
For more information about the event and RHA Howell, go to www.rhahowell.org and visit the Epicurious Vino Challenge Facebook page.
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