Iron Chef: Calvary

The first event for Calvary’s Good Hope Kitchen: 100 Days to $100K program was a great success! We are so grateful to all the supporters who made this possible.

Michael James putting the finishing touches on his dish

You may remember that the campaign to build the Good Hope Kitchen launched earlier this fall to help raise funds to build the kitchen in our new facility on Good Hope Road in Anacostia. This first Good Hope Kitchen event, hosted by Kymber Messersmith and Tracy Ballard of Calvary’s Board of Directors and by Michael James of Proof, raised over $10,000 for the kitchen. Thanks to matching support for this campaign, this amount will be doubled!

A group of local chefs, restaurateurs, and food critics gathered on a Sunday afternoon in Alexandria to compete for the “Iron Chef: Calvary” title. Michael James of Proof and Marco Ferrari went head-to-head in a whirlwind competition for the best culinary creation. Adam Bernbach, bar manager at Estadio, also contributed by crafting a signature Calvary cocktail for the occasion.

Herb Kaplan, restaurateur and General Manager of Bistro Bis, judged the competition along with Patrick Murphy of 3 Click Solutions and Nycci Nellis, co-anchor of Foodie & the Beast.

It was a tough call, but after much deliberation by the judges, Michael James walked away with the distinction of winning for the best dish, and Marco Ferrari was awarded best overall menu.

The Judges: Herb Kaplan of Bistro Bis , Nycci Nellis, Co-Anchor of Foodie & the Beast, and Patrick Murphy of 3 Click Solutions

Other members of Calvary’s Board of Directors, major donors, volunteers, and other community supporters have committed to hosting events over the days leading up to December 15 to benefit the kitchen. The campaign will culminate with a special ribbon cutting ceremony at the close of the 100 days, with event hosts and sponsors in attendance.

Curious what the event was like? Here’s a behind-the-scenes video of the chefs battling it out: http://socialcam.com/v/L8IDLMrX

Do you have a fun idea for an event to benefit the Good Hope Kitchen? For the 100 Days to $100K, we’re inviting supporters like you to help build a kitchen that will not only serve healthy meals, but also help women who are homeless build healthy new lives. If you’d like to make a difference, you can register to host an event for the Good Hope Kitchen here.

For additional information, please contact Heather Laing at (202) 548-0596 or information@calvaryservices.org.