Press Release
For Immediate Release
Date: December 11, 2019
Contact: Andrea Money, Executive Director, Leadership Prince William
andrea@leadershipprincewilliam.org // 571-765-7568
The Big Winners at Gourmet Guys Give Back
Photos by Don Flory available on our Facebook page.
Manassas, VA- On Sunday, December 8 Leadership Prince William and the Prince William Chamber of Commerce hosted their 4th Annual Gourmet Guys Give Back amateur cooking competition at Linton Hall School in Bristow, Virginia. Over 200 adults and children came through the doors, including Santa Claus himself!
Guests sampled dishes and voted for their favorites to identify the Peoples’ Choice winners. Judges’ Awards were given by professionals in the food service industry: Eric Pollard, Executive Chef at Novant Health UVA Health System Prince William Medical Center; Charles Gilliam, Owner of Okra’s Cajun Creole; Gina Michak, Owner of “From Gina’s Kitchen;” Kumar Iyer, Owner of Rangoli Restaurant and Shawn Terry of Smokin’ Shawn’s BBQ. Gourmet Guys Give Back featured a visit from Santa Claus, children’s activities by ImagiNation Learning Centers, and live music by local singer-songwriter Greg Dodson.
And the winners are….
- Judges’ Awards:
- BEST APPETIZER: Larb Sliders by Xiao-Yin Byrom, Owner of Tang’s Alterations, Bridal & Bespoke;
- BEST SOUP/CHILI (and winner of the Judges’ Top Prize): Thai Fusion Soup by Xiao-Yin Byrom;
- BEST SALAD/SIDE DISH: Minted Cucumber Salad by Xiao-Yin Byrom;
- BEST MAIN DISH: The Royal Masala by Shan Lateef, a student in Prince William County Public Schools and a past graduate of the Leadership Prince William Summer Youth Academy;
- BEST GRILL ITEM: Smoked Beef Brisket by Brian Sipes of the Prince William County Service Authority; a member of the Leadership Prince William Class of 2020;
- BEST DESSERT: Chocolate Éclair Cake by Aaron Tolson, Development Director at ACTS and a 2018 graduate of Leadership Prince William.
LPW Chair-Elect Tina Laguna (L) and Chairwoman Jackie Krick (at right in Santa hat) present the Fan Favorite Trophy to Brian Sipes and his son Brandon for their Smoked Beef Brisket.
- People’s Choice Awards:
- BEST APPETIZER: Triangles of Heaven (samosas) by Shan Lateef;
- BEST SOUP/CHILI: Papa D’s Lobster Bisque by Dave Merli;
- BEST SALAD/SIDE DISH: Minted Cucumber Salad by Xiao-Yin Byrom;
- BEST MAIN DISH: The Royal Masala by Shan Lateef;
- BEST DESSERT: Chocolate Éclair Cake by Aaron Tolson.
- FAN FAVORITE: Smoked Beef Brisket by Brian Sipes of the Prince William County Service Authority. Brian’s brisket received 94 total votes, making it a run-away for the top prize.
Sponsors for Gourmet Guys Give Back included Employment Enterprises, Inc; Novant Health UVA Health System; Linton Hall School; The Benedictine Sisters of Virginia; ImagiNation Early Childhood Learning Center; Prince William Living, What’s Up Prince William; Mike Garcia Construction; Tang’s Bridal, Alterations & Bespoke; FVCbank; Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center; the Prince William Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and FreshySites.
Proceeds from Gourmet Guys Give Back benefit the programs and activities of Leadership Prince William and the Prince William Chamber of Commerce; two community organizations nurturing local leadership, and supporting the business and not-for-profit communities of greater Prince William County and Manassas.
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About the Prince William Chamber of Commerce:
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce is the strongest voice for the business community in the Washington, DC Metropolitan region. Together with our diverse membership, representing over 70,000 employees we work to create an environment where business and people thrive. To accomplish this, we focus our efforts in the key areas of business growth, economic development, advocacy, education and community outreach. In this way, we are building a solid foundation for the success of our business members and our community. For more information, visit our website at www.pwchamber.org or call the Prince William Chamber at 703-368-6600.
About Leadership Prince William:
Leadership Prince William is a 501c3 non-profit organization focused on engaging individuals, organizations and alumni to enrich the community through collaborative leadership. Our 350 plus alumni and stakeholders have been engaged in every aspect of community evolution for over 10 years!