Special to The Ledger
An evening inspired by the last year’s Taste of the Nation – Princeton has evolved into a very special event for the Lawrenceville Culinary Partnership.
For a second year, chef-owners of local restaurants converged at the historic Stony Brook Settlement home of Bruce and Marcia Willsie in Princeton, also the site of Ezekiel’s Table Cooking School, to prepare a five-course dinner for the winner of April’s Taste of the Nation auction. Each attending chef prepared a course highlighting local producers, with each course paired with a wine from Hopewell Valley Vineyards.
Attending chefs included Scott Anderson of the soon-to-open Elements Restaurant in Princeton; Matthew Sytsema of Griggstown Quail Farm, Franklin Township; Lawrenceville Culinary Partnership chef-owners Karen Child of The Village Bakery and Mario and Laura Mangone of Chambers Walk, and Elizabeth Hunt, outgoing owner of The Lawrenceville Inn, with incoming chef-owner Christine Busch.
Helping to “prep” was Lawrence High School senior Austin Mliner, who plans to study at a culinary institute after graduation. Acoustic jazz was provided by Bo Child and Dennis O’Neil of Stringzville.
The winner of this year’s auction dinner was Robert Ams, proprietor of Express Enterprise Limousine Service, who bought the item for his wife Suzanne’s birthday. Mrs. Ams works for Callaway Real Estate.
The evening began when the guests gathered in the 1730s parlor of the Willsie home, furnished with 18th-century antiques. They toasted Mrs. Ams’s birthday with champagne while Chef Christine’s Lobster Ravioli with Edamame Puree and Coconut Lobster Sauce was served. The guests were then seated in the antique-appointed Colonial- era dining room. The chefs filed in for introductions, in turn offering a few words about the dishes they were presenting and about themselves as restaurateurs and artists. They also made a point of talking about the local farm community and the importance of working with local producers.
The soup course was Chef Mario’s famous Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup, garnished with sage. Chef Laura — in charge of “the front of the house,” i.e., the dining room — brought in Chef Scott’s inspired-by-the-moment Hamachi Fish with North African additions of Chickpeas, Eggplant and Cumin.
Chef Elizabeth’s salad was next, featuring the morning’s harvest of Blue Moon Acres Micro Lettuces, Grapefruit, Seasonal Berries, Walnuts, Citrus Vinaigrette, and Blue Cheese Grape Tartlette.
While the older guests remained in the dining room, some of the younger crowd wandered into the kitchen to watch the action. The room was filled with the energy and intensity of the chefs assisting one another. Chef Scott stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Chef Matthew at the stove, finishing off Chef Matthew’s Duo of Roasted Pheasant Breast and Braised Pheasant Thigh, with Roasted Royal Trumpet Mushrooms, Braised Swiss Chard and Pickled Swiss Chard Stems. It was a reminder of the times when the two chefs had worked together at the late Ryland Inn in Whitehouse Station.
“It was nice to hang around all the chefs who share the same passion,” Chef Matthew said. “It was great having everyone there to help out. I had a great time and I definitely appreciated the opportunity to work on the line again.” (His current position as chef at Griggstown keeps him more removed from customers.)
Chef Karen took a break from whipping the cream for her Homestyle Brioche Bread Pudding with Fresh Sliced Peaches and Nectarines, with Brown Sugar Sauce, Whipped Cream and Brittle Topping, to help plate up Chef Matthew’s pheasant dish. Chef Christine chatted with the curious onlookers about the chef business. Mario, Scott and Matthew peppered young Austin with advice about the culinary profession as they piled plates up their arms and filed out of the kitchen for service.
Chef Laura moved in and out of the kitchen. “I love this event,” she said. “While we often participate on events together, this is one of the few times throughout the year where we get to work side by side, inspiring each other and bouncing ideas around. It reminds me that beyond the business of our restaurants, we are, at the end of the day, an artistic community.”
Indeed, the evening was a testament to the vibrancy of Central Jersey’s culinary community.
The chefs all plan to repeat the event at next year’s Taste of the Nation Auction, which helps to fund the local anti-hunger initiatives of Share Our Strength, the nation’s premier culinary benefit dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Over the course of 20 years, Share Our Strength’s Taste of the Nation has raised more than $70 million for anti-hunger organizations across the country.
The Lawrenceville Culinary Partnership was formed in April 2006 and consists of several Main Street restaurants, local farms, chefs and individual members connected to the culinary world. The LCP seeks to establish and maintain the Village of Lawrenceville as a “food destination” and believes that supporting local farms and businesses will help to ensure their availability to future generations.
On the Web: www.ezekielstab le.com, www.strength.org.

