On Monday, May 15th, culinary students at Murrell Dobbins CTE High School, a City of Philadelphia designated community school, experienced a once-in-a-lifetime meet-up with three James Beard Award-winning Philadelphia chefs and restaurateurs: Michael Solomonov, Stephen Starr and Greg Vernick. Michael Solomonov received Outstanding Chef for his restaurant Zahav; Stephen Starr of STARR Restaurants received Outstanding Restaurateur; and Greg Vernick of Vernick Food & Drink received Best Chef – Mid Atlantic. The event was part of a special ceremony to honor the award winners and connect them to aspiring chefs within Dobbins’s culinary program.
During the event, the students asked the chefs about their backgrounds, their favorite dishes to prepare, and challenges they had to overcome to be successful.
Q: What helped you succeed?
Starr: I always wanted to win & do better
Vernick: getting fired & knowing I needed to get better & work harder pic.twitter.com/P8ZMCO2dlT— Mayor's Office of Ed (@PHL_MOE) May 15, 2017
As part of the event, Mayor Kenney honored the awardees and thanked them for what they have done for Philadelphia. “I am truly honored that these talented award winners represent our great city, and am thrilled to connect them with our culinary students at Dobbins,” said Mayor Kenney. “We applaud these creative visionaries who build businesses that provide jobs and pathways to great careers, as well as raise the profile of Philadelphia as a food destination.”
After Mayor Kenney’s remarks, Trey, a student at Dobbins, presented his vision for an after school club and cafe that unites classmates and the community over food. The chefs were impressed, citing that they of all people know the power of a great meal.
Finally, it was time for the most nerve-wracking part of the day for the students–the taste test. They presented their signature dishes to the chefs: homemade manicotti, chicken Alfredo stuffed pasta shells, and an invention by seniors Dawud Brown and Donte Abney, a cheeseburger dip. The students waited on bated breath as the chefs inspected the dishes before taking a bite, but the culinary students had nothing to worry about–the chefs loved each dish.
The taste test results are in! Dobbins culinary students get rave reviews from #JBFA winners! "Hit the spot" "cravable" #CommunitySchools pic.twitter.com/dDhqS5mwVQ
— Mayor's Office of Ed (@PHL_MOE) May 15, 2017
As the day wrapped up, everyone huddled in for pictures and to ask the chefs just a few more questions before they left. Afterwards, it was back into the kitchens for these budding restaurateurs to dream up their next dish, having just gotten a glimpse of the possibilities ahead.
