Two renowned chefs from Atlanta Jeff Vosburgh, executive chef of Savoy Bar & Grill, and David Robins, executive pastry chef at the Buckhead Bread Company & Corner Cafe will prepare a sumptuous "Southern Temptations" Visiting Chef Series dinner March 29 at Pennsylvania College of Technology's Le Jeune Chef Restaurant.
The gala fund-raising event is the culmination of the Visiting Chef Series activities and will benefit the scholarship fund for students in Penn College's School of Hospitality. Some seats still are available and may be reserved by calling the Special Events Office at Penn College at (570) 320-5229.
Vosburgh began his career with Hilton Hotels in 1989, working for the Ritz Carlton Co. in various outlets within the culinary operation. At the Ritz Carlton he met Robins, considered by many to be the best pastry chef in the Southeast. After five years at the Ritz Carlton, Vosburgh was hired by Swissotel as a restaurant chef under the guidance of Executive Chef Ken Vedrinski. He later became the hotel's executive chef and served in that capacity for three years.
After leaving the Ritz Carlton, Vosburgh worked at Murphy's, a small bistro in the Virginia Highlands area of Altlanta, and formed a small catering company. In 2001, he was recruited to become the restaurant chef at the Savoy Bar & Grill in the Georgian Terrace Hotel. The self-taught cook has positioned the hotel as one of Atlanta's best. In 2003, he was promoted to the position of executive chef. Vosburgh has worked alongside celebrity chefs Paul Bocuse, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter and the late Jean Louis Palladin. He's involved with charitable events in Atlanta and has appeared several times on CNN and been profiled in many "Southern Living" magazine and several other Atlanta publications.
Originally from Boston, Robins graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., in 1979. He serves as the operations general manager and executive pastry chef of the award-winning Buckhead Bread Company and Corner Cafe, which is a unique part of Atlanta's Buckhead Life Restaurant Group. He oversees 85 employees in two kitchen and service staffs. The Buckhead Bread Company, which specializes in extraordinary pastries, chocolates and gourmet desserts, has been selected as the Best Bakery in Atlanta for five consecutive years.
Robins was inducted into the American Academy of Chefs in 1990 and is a certified executive pastry chef by the American Culinary Federation. He has won numerous gold medals in pastry-food competition and won a position on the Chaine des Rotisseurs team for the 1992 Culinary Olympics in Savannah, Ga. He was selected the 1993 Chef of the Year by the American Culinary Federation.
Joining the chefs and assisting with the dinner is Timothy Eldridge, food and beverage manager at the Georgian Terrace Hotel. Eldridge has held management positions with the Golf Club of Georgia, the Ritz Carlton Co., and the Hyatt Corp. This is the second Visiting Chef dinner in which he has been involved, and he has been instrumental in coordinating this visit to Williamsport by Vosburgh and Robins.
The Visiting Chef Series has become one of the most prestigious fine-dining events in Pennsylvania, attracting world-renowned chefs to Penn College. The gala fund-raising dinner is prepared by the visiting chefs and the School of Hospitality faculty and students.
The menu and wines for the Visiting Chef Series Dinner are as follows:
"Southern Temptations" Butterbean Soup with Georgia Prawn Fritter & Truffle Heirloom Tomato Oil Napa Wine Co. Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Organic Grown Grapes, Napa Valley California
Cornmeal Crusted Rainbow Trout with Horseradish-Mustard Creme Fraiche & Micro Watercress Erdener Treppchen Riesling 2001 Kabinett, Dr. Loosen, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany
Cumin Seared Tuna with Vidalia Onion, Mango Relish & Cilantro Bonterra Vineyards Chardonnay 2001, Mendocino County, California
Maple Grilled Bobwhite Quail over Black Eye Pea Salad with Pickled Peaches & Toasted Pecan Oil Dr. Konstantin Frank Pinot Noir 2001, Finger Lakes Region, New York
Grilled Filet of Beef with Sweet Potato Hash, Braised Collard Greens & Foie Gras Sonoma Zinfandel 2000 Seghesio Family Vineyard, Healdsburg Sonoma, California
Dessert Chocolate Cinnamon Tart Roasted Pecan Sable, Candied Kumquats with Chocolate Sorbet Chateau Frank 1998 Brut, Finger Lakes Champagne, New York