The Takeover: Showcasing Chefs in the Queen City

There's nothing like serving food that you created for people.

There is genuine joy in placing a meal in front of people who have spent their hard earned money to try something that is handcrafted and plated with passion for people to not just consume...but to relish.

The RTF Crew had our first pop-up event in February—THE TAKEOVER. It was a Valentine's Day themed event with Dope Romantic food. It was easily some of the most fun I have ever had in a kitchen. We were blessed to have two amazing chefs working with us that night and an awesome Bartender crafting some signature cocktails.

Dave Dimock and Jaret Sanchez were the chefs for the evening.

Dave has been a close friend of mine for 15 years. He is an amazing chef with a passion for teaching. His love of food carried over to his plating of our second course, roasted duck over sweet potato puree with a mushroom medley. He has always been they most easy going person I have ever worked with in a kitchen...with killer skills. 

Jaret Sanchez is an amazing young chef who is finishing up his senior year of high school. He is already doing cooking competitions at barely 18 years old. He has a love for every aspect of the culinary industry. He has amazing parents who are great cooks in their own right. He has been finding his voice in the kitchen and it is awesome to see. While hanging out with him and his dad, they taught me a lot about making chocolate. These dudes order cocoa beans from small farms across the world. There's so much care and detail put into his food. He took the lead on making truffles for the events.

These were some of the best chocolates I've ever had.

Jaylen is a talented mixologist who owns the company WonderBrew. He is creative, fun, and makes some tasty drinks. He made two great signature drinks that embodied the theme of the evening. Also check out his podcast "We Da Champs" that I am a featured cohost on.

Cheers to our media team— Head Photographer, Katherine Kirchner and Lead Videographer, James Gibbs—for capturing the vibes with expert precision. Stay tuned to our Instagram @run_the_food for more content from the evening.

The Takeover was a culmination of years of hard work and the beginning of our story at the same time. With this being our first event, we had people who we know and love there for support. We have been on this journey for a long time. There's been a ton of people who have helped us get to this point.

The Takeover Valentine's Event was a love letter to everyone and every experience that got us to this point. Stoked to present you with the next Takeover event, courtesy of the RTF Crew 💯

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