What You Missed at the StarChefs Gala Last Night

StarChefs threw the Rising Stars gala last night at Castaway, which means several local chefs and producers got significant pats on the back and, in one chef’s case, a very large bottle of sparkling water. Here are the highlights from the shindig:

Maya Lovelace nabs Game Changer award

When not frying ridiculous amounts of chicken or swiping pimento cheese on cornbread, Appalachian culinary mastermind Maya Lovelace spent her time carrying around a large bottle of sparkling water, a.k.a. the award for Game Changer of the Year. She also made the main list of Rising Stars, which included chefs like Bonnie Morales of Kachka, Justin Woodward of Castagna, and Sam Smith of Tusk.

Bonnie Morales made the best dish of the night

Part of the gist at the RisingStars gala is that all the chefs cook a little bite for everyone to try; dishes ranged from fried chicken with pimento cheese and cornbread (Mae) to Pimenton de la Vera bread (Ataula). Guests voted on the top dish of the night, and Kachka chef and rising star Morales reigned supreme with her rabbit in a clay pot with potato pancakes. The chef is also up for a James Beard this year for her celebrated Russian food, and should open her second restaurant this summer.

The Art of Presentation Award Winner Has Yet to Open his Restaurant

Portland’s Filipino food fans have been patiently awaiting Magna, the new restaurant from chef Carlo Lamagna. Lamagna made a name for himself at Clyde Common before he launched his pop-up series, Twisted Filipino. As he prepares for the Cully restaurant opening, he now has $5,000 of tabletops for the new spot: He got one of those comically large checks as a part of the Art of Presentation Award. As the award was announced, the chef openly guffawed in disbelief.

Watch Peter Cho of Han Oak and Gary the Foodie emcee below:

• Maya Lovelace [Instagram]
• 2018 Portland Rising Stars: Why They Shine [StarChefs]
• Twisted Filipino [Instagram]