Elite culinary talent from Elkhart County delights crowd at first On the Road Dinner event in Bristol

What happens when you bring together some of the top chefs in Elkhart County?

On a recent March evening at Elcona Country Club, more than 80 diners were treated to a magical evening of culinary delights — savory appetizers, palate-pleasing drinks, and a flavorful four-course meal all paired with the perfect wines.

The intimate dinner was the seventh On the Road Dinner Series presented by Culinary Crossroads and the first in Elkhart County. Culinary Crossroads is a statewide organization dedicated to promoting talented chefs and food producers in Indiana. The On the Road Dinner in Elkhart County featured chefs Chris Janowsky (Artisan, Elkhart), Sylvia Award (West on Warren, Middlebury), and Robert Standen (most recently of Ruhe152, Nappanee).

The chefs collaborated over several weeks to create the one-of-a-kind meal, as well as the four appetizers that were enjoyed prior to the dinner.

At the conclusion of the meal, the chefs received a heartfelt round of applause from the 10 tables at Elcona. As each of them were introduced and described their inspiration for their dish, Culinary Crossroads announced that it was making a $500 donation to the charity of each chef’s choice.

Janowsky selected the Community Food Pantry of St. Joseph County. Awald selected the Middlebury Food Pantry. Standen selected the Boys and Girls Club of Elkhart County.

Each chef was also compensated for their evening’s work, reinforcing the value that Culinary Crossroads and the Elkhart County CVB sees in the exceptional talent in restaurant kitchens.
Artisan, West on Warren and Ruhe152 are open daily to serve a full range of tastes to hungry diners.