The Battle of the Chefs is making its return to the Milwaukee Athletic Club, 758 N. Broadway, on Sunday, Oct. 5 from 3 to 7 p.m. with one of the most craveable events to date.
Founded by Samantha Starr Events in 2016, Battle of the Chefs is a friendly chef competition tasting event curated to elevate local chefs and mixologists from Milwaukee's evolving dining scene while supporting local youth culinary and hospitality programs.
This year's Battle of the Chefs: Fast Food Reimagined will feature twelve chefs and mixologists recreating some of your favorite foods and 100% of the live auction proceeds will be donated to a local youth culinary or agriculture program.
All the delicious details
This year’s event will be hosted Jamila Carney with music by special guest DJ LoLo.
Meanwhile, the tasting portion of the event will be split into four categories with three chefs assigned to each category.
Appetizers
Bearded Pharaoh LLC – Marques Williams
Benson’s Restaurant Group – Adam Kemmler
Phat Dumpling – Kristen Schwab
Entrees
Rare Steakhouse Milwaukee – Darleen Vanmanivong
K&L’s BBQ – Kip & Lauren Kadlec
Monarch – Raymond Zychowski
Desserts
Kandie Red’s – Candyce Kilgore
The Eleanor Room – Xenia Smith
The Bad English MKE – Juneil-Paulo Cabreza
Mixology
La Piña – Patrick Todd
Style Pop Cafe – Rosha Brister
The Copper Turtle – Patrick Green
Food and beverage submissions will be judged by a panel of local celebrity judges including Judy Hannon of MKEeeeEats; Frankie Jupiter of CBS 58; Tamesha Patrice of Baked Dreams Bakery & Cafe; Souk Sayavongsa of Lucky Ginger; and Luke Zahm of Driftless Cafe.
Get your tickets
Tickets for Battle of the Chefs MKE are available for purchase online.
General admission is $110 per person and includes 4 p.m. entry to the main tasting event and a glass of complimentary sparkling wine.
VIP Tickets are $160 per person and include a Foodie Swag Bag, 3 p.m. admission for a special "Drive-Thru VIP Lounge" experience curated by Chef Ramses Alvarez including a signature cocktail, special bites and access to a one-of-a-kind retro-chic lounge space (plus all the fun of the main tasting event).
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
