Dallas College’s annual food and wine fundraising event, Bits and Bites, will be held at the Dallas Arboretum on April 3, 5-8 p.m. It features around 35 of Dallas’ best chefs paired with culinary students from Dallas College high school and college programs who will serve around 18,000 plates of food.
This year’s Bits and Bites is also a celebration of the resiliency of the hospitality industry, which endured months of hardship during the pandemic. Participating chefs are: Mo Assi (Crush Taco), Joseph Bateman (Café 43), Jeff Bekavac (Cane Rosso/Zoli’s), Jason Black (Chef’s Knife Catering), Dunia Borgia (La Duni Baking Studio), Justin Box (private chef), Chad Bowden (Culpepper Steakhouse), Jacob Burden (Texas Spice), Jimmy Contreras (Taco y Vino), Thuy Carroll (Buster’s Bake Shop), Eric Dreyer (Monarch Restaurants), Dean Fearing (Fearing’s Restaurant), Paul Flores (Dallas Culinary Company), Rebecca Flores (Beckley 1115), Jim Knifong (Dallas College), Paula Lambert (Mozzarella Company), Fernando Lezama (3F Premier Catering), Arnaud Masset (SER Steak + Spirits), Preston Nguyen (World Food Championships Chef Category Winner), Ruben Núñez (Petra and the Beast), George Olalia (Adolphus Hotel), Joel Orsini (Profound Kitchen), Meaders Ozarow (Empire Baking Company), Chris Patrick (Bright Box), Eric Patterson (Zest Catering Kitchen), Nikky Phinyawatana (Asian Mint), Mo Rodriguez (Modest Roger’s), Andrea Saldaña/Michelle Tribble (Gordon Ramsay North America), Sandra Sepulveda (Mesquite High School), Rodman Shields/David Griffeth (Harper’s), Patrick Smith (Tejano Brothers New Texas Cuisine “Black Tie” Catering), Jordan Swim (Vestals Catering), John Tesar (Knife), Adam West (Local Yocal BBQ & Grill), and Michael Wyatt (Full City Rooster).
“The event exemplifies the Dallas College commitment to connect students to experiences and careers in the exciting culinary and hospitality industry. Due to workforce shifts during the pandemic there has never been a better time to professionalize your career in this industry,” said Steve DeShazo, senior director of Workforce and Career Connected Learning at Dallas College.
More than half of this year’s chefs are graduates of Dallas College culinary programs. Nikki Phinyawatana, founder and CEO of the award-winning Asian Mint restaurants, attended culinary school at Dallas College’s El Centro campus back in 2003-2004. At this year’s Bits and Bites, she’ll serve up a Thai noodle salad that she calls Bangkok Bowl.
Phinyawatana attends the event every year to support one of her favorite causes: local education. “I enjoy meeting people who have the same mentality as me of supporting a school that gives back to the community,” she said. “I enjoy meeting the students who are so excited; it’s the biggest food event they are involved with.”
Dallas College alumni Thuy Carroll operates a boutique cottage baking business in Dallas called Buster’s Bakeshop. With a roster of clients that keeps her operating on a waiting list, Carroll has been featured on TV baking shows and local magazine articles. Due to her popularity and creativity, Chef Carroll has been tapped to be featured in the VIP elevated small plate experience, serving lemon pound cake “toast points” with a cream cheese mousse and blueberry “caviar.”
Regular tickets are $75 — an incredible value for a food and wine festival in Dallas. DeShazo said he hopes dedicated foodies will consider offering additional support to Dallas College culinary and hospitality programs by becoming Patrons of the Culinary Arts and purchasing a VIP experience. It includes VIP parking and two tickets to an elevated, small-plate experience with four chefs plus an exclusive VIP gift and other perks.
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