Marietta Chef to Compete in Statewide Competition

Twelve Georgia chefs, including Marietta's Marc Taft, will soon reveal layers of their own talent as well as the versatility of the famous Vidalia onion.

The 2nd Annual Golden Onion will be held on Sunday, April 14, in Vidalia, GA, as the official kick-off to the 36th Annual Vidalia Onion Festival. This professional cooking competition showcases the Vidalia onion, Georgia’s official state vegetable, and also serves as a platform for chefs across Georgia to display their skills and creativity.

Chef Marc Taft, chef and owner of Chicken & The Egg and executive chef and general manager of The Mill Kitchen & Bar in Roswell, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama and then began working for the restaurant companies Carlson Hospitality and Brinker International.

He has since served as general manager for The Inn at Evins Mill in middle Tennessee, B.A.N.K Restaurant in Minneapolis, Minn., Domaso Trattoria Moderna in Washington, D.C., and Pacci Ristorante in Atlanta.

“I love the versatility of the Vidalia onion, the perfect balance of the onion flavor and sweetness make it the perfect additive to any dish or stand alone as the star of the show,”  Taft said.

From the mountains to the islands, fine dining to casual eateries, new business ventures to long-standing community mainstays, the 2013 roster of chef competitors represents a cross-section of Georgia restaurants and cuisine:

• Chef Mimmo Alboumeh is owner and executive chef of ME Restaurant Group, which operates Red Pepper Taqueria, Coldbrews Sports Bar & Grill, and Coldbrews Oyster Bar in Atlanta.
• Chef Daniel Chance, executive chef of Campogonolo in Atlanta, is an Atlanta native who has spent more than 15 years gaining experience in modern and traditional cuisine.
• Chef Linda Harrell, executive chef and partner of Cibo E Beve in Sandy Springs, brings over 20 years of experience to the Italian restaurant.
• Chef Brian Jones, chef de cuisine for Atlanta Grill at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta, is a native of Chamblee. He began his culinary career at Carbo’s Café in Buckhead, and then moved on to The Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. Other notable restaurants on his resume include Watershed, Canoe and the 1848 House in Marietta.
• Chef Brian Justice, chef and owner of Tasteful Temptations Café in Brunswick, is a Georgia native. He started working at the Sea Island Company in 1992, completed the Apprentice Cook Program and was named lead cook/banquet chef at The Cloister, Sea Island.  
• Chef John Mark Lane, executive chef of Elements Bistro & Grill in Lyons, was born in Charleston, WV. He launched his culinary career at age 15, working as a dishwasher at Café Society in Charlotte, N.C. 
• Chef Roberto Leoci, chef and owner of Leoci’s Trattoria in Savannah, developed a passion for food at an early age while spending summers in Sicily with his family.
• Chef Keira Moritz, chef and owner of Steel Magnolias in Valdosta, is a Georgia native. She attended Valdosta State University and was planning on a career in criminal justice before fully realizing her passion for cooking. 
• Chef Austin Rocconi, executive chef for Le Vigne Restaurant at Montaluce in Dahlonega, graduated from the California School of Culinary Arts in Pasadena, Calif.
• Chef Michael Shutters is executive chef and food service director at The Pilot House Grille Restaurant at George T. Bagby State Park and Lodge in Fort Gaines.
• Chef Dave Snyder, chef and owner of Halyards and Tramici in St. Simons Island, first gained cooking experience during his high school years in Michigan. He continued cooking while attending college at the University of Georgia in Athens and later graduated from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont.

The Golden Onion professional cooking competition challenges 12 Georgia chefs to create and prepare recipes featuring Vidalia onions. Competing chefs will have one hour to prepare and present their recipes.

The First Place champion will be presented the Golden Onion trophy to hold for one year along with a cash prize of $500. The second place winner will receive $250 and the third place winner $100.