Taste buds speak, Hale crowned celebrity chef
Volunteers who helped put together a March 30 cooking challenge benefit at Torey’s Restaurant & Bar in Owatonna handed over a $3,000 check to representatives of Rachel’s Light. Pictured from left are: Annie Harman (judge), Justin Ohnstad (organizer), Julie Summe (Rachel’s Light), chef Julia Seykora, Torey’s Restaurant owner Torey Statlander, Amanda Starks (Rachel’s Light), chef Karen Hale, Karly Gomez (judge), and Matt Jessop (organizer).
Volunteers who organized the March 30 Celebrity Chef competition at Torey’s Restaurant in downtown Owatonna on Friday delivered a big check to Rachel’s Light women’s shelter and crowned a winner.
The in-person event had Mineral Springs Marketing owner Karen Hale and Owatonna Chamber of Commerce & Tourism events director Julia Seykora cooking up their own recipes in front of a live audience. Hale’s chicken dish had a Hawaiian theme, while Seykora made a Cajun shrimp linguini.
Donations were gathered from attendees and online, as well as a portion of sales for both dishes in the restaurant for a week after the event.
Hale’s name will go on the disco ball trophy as winner of the event. The audience voted that night, and each restaurant sale counted as a vote. Organizer Justin Ohnstad said the voting was close; Hale won by a handful of the nearly 150 votes cast.
Judges Matthew Hughes, Karly Gomez, and Annie Harman also weighed in during the event with comments on each plate.
The $3,000 check for Rachel’s Light, the charity chosen by restaurant owner Torey Statlander, exceeded Ohnstad’s expectations–as did the event overall.
“The community really came together,” he said. “There was no blueprint… There were members of the community who stepped up and played roles that didn’t exist.”