On Thursday night at the Wish Upon a Chef event at UNCW’s Burney Center, NHRMC Chef Danny Lopez won first place in the Entrée category.
Chef Danny, a Sodexo chef who works exclusively at NHRMC, was aided by NHRMC Food Services employees Brian Gore, Carlos Bryson, Antonio Fullwood, John Vickery, LaQuana Brown, Toni-Anne Dannucci, Joe Ventura and Corey Scott, who all volunteered their time for the event. Together, they created a winning dish of: braised short ribs in a huckleberry demi glace, rustic mashed potatoes with whole grain mustard, and whiskey glazed carrots, garnished with microgreens.
Celebrity judges and diners chose Chef Danny’s entrée from a field of four, presented by chefs at some of the top restaurants in the region.
“This is another example of how the New Hanover Team is knocking it out of the park in all areas,” said Wayne Strauss, Director of Food Services at NHRMC. “I am incredibly proud of this achievement and for Danny’s passion.”
The event was attended by more than 400 people, and each received a sampling of four salads, four appetizers, four entrees and four desserts.
Wish Upon a Chef is billed as a gourmet extravaganza which pays tribute to the culinary excellence of local chefs. The event raised more than $168,000 for Make-A-Wish Eastern North Carolina, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. In addition to Chef Danny and his team, many NHRMC volunteers helped during the event, furthering our mission.
