Distinguished Visiting Chefs to Provide 'An Evening at the Ritz' at Penn College

Flash Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Portabello Mushroom Carpaccio, Miso Crisp Squab Breast and Sauteed Darne of Atlantic Salmon are among the gourmet dishes that four chefs from the Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., L.L.C. will prepare Saturday, April 8, at 7 p.m. at Le Jeune Chef Restaurant for the Distinguished Visiting Chefs series at Pennsylvania College of Technology.

A limited number of seats are still available for this popular series, now in its ninth season. All proceeds from the $125-per-person dinner will benefit the Student Scholarship Fund at Penn College.

"An Evening at the Ritz," featuring dishes prepared by not one, but four accomplished chefs, will provide a dining experience certain to please the most discerning palates. The four Distinguished Visiting Chefs are as follows:

Timothy H. Eldridge is general manager of The River Club in Jacksonville, Fla., an independent, private club managed by the Ritz Carlton Hotel Co.

Previously, Eldridge was director of food and beverage, assistant director of food and beverage and banquet director at The Ritz-Carlton, Atlanta; and assistant director of food and beverage and assistant banquet director at The Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead. He worked for the Hyatt Corp. for five years before joining The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co.

Eldridge earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from Thomas A. Edison College and an associate's degree in hotel and restaurant management from Paul Smith's College.

Phillip Brown, executive chef of The River Club, presents a style thick with Asian and Italian cuisine influences while relying on his classical French continental training acquired at the Culinary Art Program at Newbury College.

Brown has represented the Ritz-Carlton in such places as the Westbury Hotel, Dublin, Ireland; James Beard House, New York, and Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Houston and Cancun, Mexico.

Brown also worked as executive sous chef and restaurant chef at the Ritz-Carlton corporate headquarters in Atlanta. He started his career with Ritz-Carlton in 1983 in Boston, beginning as a line cook and progressing to saucier, cafe chef and banquet chef.

Jeff Vigilla is executive chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island (Florida). Previously, he was executive chef for The Ritz-Carlton, Cancun, and executive sous chef to the Ritz-Carlton Hotels in Kapulua, Hawaii; Seoul, Korea, and Cancun. His first post with The Ritz Carlton was as banquet chef for the hotel in San Francisco. He spent 12 years in the culinary world of his native Hawaii before joining the Ritz-Carlton.

Uffe Mikkelsen is executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City. The Denmark native apprenticed in some of Copenhagen's finest restaurants. Prior to his current post, Mikklesen was executive chef at the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, chef of the Jockey Club at The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C., and banquet chef and restaurant chef at The Ritz-Carlton, Boston.

The menu for the dinner includes Roast Maine Lobster and Dry Aged Goat Cheese Tian, Black Truffle Mache (Brown); Flash Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Black Peppercorn Caramelized Golden Sweet Pineapple (Mikkelsen); Portabello Mushroom Carpaccio, Frisee and Pistachio Pesto (Vigilla); Miso Crisp Squab Breast with Snow Pea Tendrils and Pumpkin Seed Oil (Brown); Sauteed Darne of Atlantic Salmon, French Green Lentil Ragout (Mikkelsen); Cinnamon and Coffee Spiced Lamb Chop, Sweet Potato Dauphinoise (Vigilla); and Banana White Chocolate Creme Brule, Toasted Coconut Ice Cream (Brown).

Each of the seven courses will be accompanied by a carefully selected wine.

To reserve seats for the Distinguished Visiting Chefs dinner, call the Special Events Office at Penn College at (570) 320-5229.