{"id":7563,"date":"2026-08-23T15:06:22","date_gmt":"2026-08-23T15:06:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563"},"modified":"2026-08-23T15:06:22","modified_gmt":"2026-08-23T15:06:22","slug":"chefs-set-to-defend-their-titles-at-south-bay-food-and-beverage-pairing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563","title":{"rendered":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

The third annual Star Chefs food and beverage pairing event to benefit Momentum for Health is coming up on Sunday, Sept 20, at the Lexington Hills Estate and Winery in Los Gatos, near the Lexington Reservoir. It\u2019s hard to match the brilliant combination of well-crafted bites paired with the perfect beverage, be it a cocktail, wine or beer. Add a magnificent backdrop, music, a live auction and the excitement of voting for one\u2019s favorite pairing experience, and it\u2019s sure to be an unforgettable afternoon.<\/p>\n

Read more Saratoga residents defrauded in separate incidents<\/a><\/p>\n

This year, another slate of talented chefs will put their culinary talents to the test as they team up with local beverage providers to create an afternoon of brisk competition to benefit Momentum for Health, the 66-year-old organization that provides mental health services for Santa Clara residents.<\/p>\n

Kathryn Williams, board chair of Momentum for Health, and her colleague Brenda Hammond have been producing the Star Chefs event for over 16 years under their Table for Three partnership. For the past three years, they have designated Momentum for Health as the event\u2019s beneficiary.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s Star Chefs are mostly veterans of the event, and some are multiple award-winners. Among those looking to defend their crowns is Chef Anthony Secviar of Palo Alto\u2019s Michelin starred Prot\u00e9g\u00e9, who earned last year\u2019s Star Chef Judges Choice Award for Best Pairing for a rich mushroom and truffle tart topped with a copious snow of shredded parm. Prior to Prot\u00e9g\u00e9, Secviar was chef de partie at The French Laundry, was promoted to sous chef and spent six years with Thomas Keller. He also has experience at Michelin three-star kitchens Akelare and El Bulli.<\/p>\n

Chef Jackie Jackson of Jackie\u2019s Place, a soul food restaurant in downtown San Jose, is back to defend her well-deserved crown as two-time consecutive winner of People\u2019s Choice at this event. Last year\u2019s winning dish by Jackson was a spicy smoked brisket beef and pepper jack cheese Soul Roll served in a fried wonton wrapper, along with a fried chicken version that contained mac \u2019n\u2019 cheese and collard greens, drizzled with sweet potato glaze. Both were served with Old Hillside Bourbon Whiskey sweet tea, made quite sweet to beat the heat. This lady and her entourage really know how to please the crowd.<\/p>\n

From ASA Los Gatos comes the team of Chef Marcelino Hernandez and Chef Steven Vu, who have collaborated for 20 years. Marcelino\u2019s food reflects the rustic traditions he grew up with in Michoac\u00e1n, Mexico that evoke comfort, family and home. Paired with Vu\u2019s classical training at the former Professional Culinary Institute in Campbell, ASA\u2019s intricate sauces, innovative vegetable preparations and beloved home-style desserts add the finishing touch. Last year\u2019s corn croquette with tomato relish, black garlic and lemon ailoi was delightful.<\/p>\n

Chef Andrew \u201cShito\u201d Thai joined Campbell\u2019s Be.St\u00e9ak.A as a line cook shortly after its 2021 opening. His culinary excellence and strong leadership skills advanced him to executive chef. He honed his craft under acclaimed chef Michael Mina and mentors Michael Rafidi and Mario Beabraut. During his time at Bourbon Steak Santa Clara, he rose to executive sous chef, helping lead high-profile events including Super Bowl 50, Steph Curry\u2019s birthday celebration and 1,000-guest Levi\u2019s Stadium tailgates. Today, he oversees the Michelin-recognized kitchen alongside Chef de Cuisine Michelle Harrouff.<\/p>\n

A homegrown talent, Forbes Mill\u2019s Chef Adam Bortolussi was born and raised in Los Gatos, where his love for food and hospitality was nurtured from an early age amid his large Italian family. The kitchen was the center of daily life, a place where tradition, connection and flavor came together in every meal. Adam began his culinary journey at Double D\u2019s, sister restaurant to Forbes, where he gained early hands-on experience and a passion for the craft.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Chef Nick LaMantia of The Bywater brings the soul, flavor and energy of New Orleans to the heart of Los Gatos through a culinary experience filled with warmth, creativity and genuine hospitality. At the heart of The Bywater, LaMantia\u2019s passion for bold flavors, thoughtful technique and bringing people together comes through in every dish.<\/p>\n

Read more TikTok reaches $400 million settlement with US Justice Department over children\u2019s privacy<\/a><\/p>\n

Orchard City Kitchen has a reputation for avant garde cuisine, and Chef Michael Maydeck is carrying on founding Chef Jeffrey Stout\u2019s mantra. With a mother in hospitality, Maydeck was inspired by the hustle and bustle of restaurants and the energy and creativity of the kitchen from an early age. He joined the team at OCK after dropping in for a snack. You never know where your next job will materialize.<\/p>\n

Chef Sal Calisi is no stranger to those who\u2019ve been following the Silicon Valley dining scene for decades. He earned his Michelin star at Dio Deka back in 2010 and parlayed that into a successful run at Odeum, where\u2019s he\u2019s been serving up his solid Mediterranean fare with a side of sauce and spicy humor since July of 2011. Odeum\u2019s open kitchen in the old granary is the only wood-fired oven in Morgan Hill.<\/p>\n

The dual talent of Chef Trent Lidgey and Chef Edalyn Garcia of One Fish Raw Bar in Campb ellreturns to create novel cuisine that combines Lidgey\u2019s discipline and seafood-centricity from Michelin starred San Francisco gem Atelier Crenn, Australia\u2019s Brae and Boston\u2019s UNI, with the Filipino-American roots of Garcia, a U.S. Culinary Olympics team captain who\u2019s worked at Madera, Plumed Horse and Village Pub, all Michelin starred.<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>\n

Helming Goodtime Bar on Fountain Alley in San Jose, Chef Alex Whiteman tends toward natural creations, as evidenced in his excellent fresh tomato carpaccio sprinkled with queen sesame and topped with pickled shimeji mushrooms and gochugaru from last year\u2019s Star Chefs. He\u2019s sure to whip up something seasonally sensational for this year\u2019s event.<\/p>\n

At Palo Alto\u2019s Bar Zola, Executive Chef Ben Robin has been lending his creative juices to the menu for 3\u00bd years, plating French-inspired dishes like duck confit, steak tartare with porcini aioli, and Parisian gnocchi with summer squash, maitake and smoked corn pudding. Prior to that, Robin ran his own San Jose-based catering company, 2 Coast Catering, for four years after bartending at Dan Gordons in Palo Alto and was executive chef at SP2 Communal Bar and Restaurant for four years prior.<\/p>\n

Chef Julian Silvera of Tasting House returns this year with his newest creation, Vicinity, a restaurant within a restaurant in Los Gatos. This chic, upscale and tastefully irreverent setting serves as the ideal backdrop for a multi-course tasting menu crafted with tweezer-level precision from the foraged adventures of this East Coast native. Silvera relocated to Florida during the pandemic, where he was sous chef at Knife & Spoon, which was subsequently awarded a Michelin star. Vicinity\u2019s kitchen team prides itself on its \u201cgreen menu\u201d approach, an internal system that reduces waste and\u00a0maximizes ingredient utilization.<\/p>\n

Also defending his title this year will be Chef Ross Hanson of Oak & Rye, the two-year consecutive winner of Chef\u2019s Choice. What will he make to top last year\u2019s succulent gruyere-stuffed arancini atop celery root puree, topped with Calabrian chile aioli? Paired with the 2023 Common Thread Brut Ros\u00e9, Central Coast, a refreshing sparkler of Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay made by local winemaker David Baird, this satisfying combo was pretty popular with attendees, too.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s professional judges include head judge Moe Rubenzahl (philanthropist and food blogger), Erica Lockheimer (a vice president at LinkedIn and founder of @humanizeher), Linda Zavoral (food writer for the\u00a0Mercury News), Coline Le Conte of Edible: Silicon Valley and Carolyn Jung, The Food Gal.<\/p>\n

Read more Gongloff: Trump is aiding a golden age for renewable energy<\/a><\/p>\n

Tickets start at $225 at https:\/\/momentumforhealth.org\/starchefs2026.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Judges, attendees and peers pick winners at Star Chefs to benefit Momentum for Health.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7562,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-things-to-do"],"yoast_head":"\nChefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Judges, attendees and peers pick winners at Star Chefs to benefit Momentum for Health.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Next City Digest\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"admin\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"headline\":\"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563\"},\"wordCount\":1322,\"commentCount\":0,\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp\",\"articleSection\":[\"Things To Do\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563\",\"name\":\"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp\",\"width\":2560,\"height\":1920},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?p=7563#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/\",\"name\":\"Next City Digest\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b\",\"name\":\"admin\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"admin\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/nextcitydigest.com\\\/?author=1\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest","og_description":"Judges, attendees and peers pick winners at Star Chefs to benefit Momentum for Health.","og_url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563","og_site_name":"Next City Digest","article_published_time":"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00","author":"admin","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"admin","Est. reading time":"7 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563"},"author":{"name":"admin","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"headline":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing","datePublished":"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563"},"wordCount":1322,"commentCount":0,"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp","articleSection":["Things To Do"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563","name":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing - Next City Digest","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp","datePublished":"2026-08-23T15:06:22+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp","contentUrl":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/3e135326679532a9a155d6d4f90d0dfb-scaled.webp","width":2560,"height":1920},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?p=7563#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Chefs set to defend their titles at South Bay food and beverage pairing"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#website","url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/","name":"Next City Digest","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/#\/schema\/person\/13065d40d633843429ac57d4e5c06f9b","name":"admin","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/50b1ad2e498f523425ee0a8cc5180a210646db1622662a3d56cc405d3e0c346a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"admin"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/nextcitydigest.com"],"url":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/?author=1"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7563"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7563\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7562"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nextcitydigest.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}