For the 5th year, Broad Appétit served up a delicious afternoon of food, beverage, and entertainment for thousands in downtown Richmond on Sunday, June 3, and for the 5th year J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College was a big part of the day’s event. More than 20 students and instructors from the College’s Culinary Arts Program participated along with chefs from over 70 of Richmond’s finest local restaurants.
The students served up nearly 500 plates of coffee-braised beef on a sour pretzel baguette with an arugula salad with homemade hot sauce and a charred corn aioli. In addition, culinary students Christy Eliasek and Jamell Dickerson served as sous chefs for the entire competition.
J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College Culinary Arts Program hosted the Chef’s Demonstration Stage. Chef Jesse Miller, Program Head of the Culinary Arts Program managed the stage, which featured the Throw Down in the Street competition. In this competition, six chefs competed in multiple rounds to win the ultimate cooking showdown! Two chefs in each round were provided a mystery box of ingredients – a protein from a featured local provider, a starch, and a vegetable and given only 45 minutes to create the winning dish. Congratulations to Adjunct Faculty Member Mike Pendergrast who took second place in that competition for this Pork Two-Ways dish! 
The students who participated reported it was a great opportunity to gain some real-life experience and to interact with the local community. They enjoyed answering questions and sharing information about JSRCC’s Culinary Arts Program with event participants.
The College’s Culinary Arts program provides a comprehensive occupational-technical education and is intended to lead to employment in a variety of culinary, food service and retail paths. The Culinary Arts Associate of Applied Science degree prepares graduates to enter kitchens as professional cooks in hotels, resorts, restaurants, catering operations and a variety of retail businesses.
For more information on JSRCC’s Culinary Arts Program, please visit http://www.jsr.vccs.edu/curriculum/programs/Culinary_ArtsAAS.htm.
