Chef's Feast at Tryon Palace North Carolina History Center

Event Details

As you enter the History Center, your eyes are taken to the grand hall’s sweeping vaulted, atrium ceiling, with large sunlit windows facing the Trent River on one side, and the ornate King George III’s Royal Coat of Arms set high against the brick back wall. Mattocks Hall is the corridor that opens to all the History Center’s galleries and exhibits. Tryon Palace’s legacy represents the heart of North Carolina’s historic and cultural heritage. The smooth sounds of local favorite recording artist, Alisa Mike, will meet you at the door and complement a synergy of atmosphere and unforgettable tasting experiences during the annual 2023 Chefs Feast experience. 

Chef’s Feast will showcase a decadent array of local signature dishes. This food tasting event is a collaboration of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina and several of the region’s most celebrated chefs. Guests will indulge in a wide variety of food and an open bar of regional and local beers and wines. Additionally, guests can enjoy live music, a live and silent auction, and ample outdoor terraces overlooking the beautiful confluence of the Trent and Neuse Rivers.

Thank you so much to a wonderful community of support, our tickets have sold out!

June 22, 2023

5:30-8:00 pm

Parking: Free at the North Carolina History Center, Mattocks Hall

529 S Front St, New Bern, NC 28562

Dress: Business Causal

Interested in donating to The Food Bank? Text CFNB to 56651 and make your impact today.

Did You Know...

During 2022, your support ensured the Food Bank’s ability to nourish people, building solutions, and empower communities. 

In 2022:

• 97,159,166 Pounds of Food Distributed
• 80,965,972 Meals Provided
• 37,769,829 Pounds of Produce
• 142,481 Volunteer Hours 700 Partner Agencies
• 695,622 Kids Meals Provided Through our Kids Programs
• $5,488,291 In Benefits Generated by Outreach Team (SNAP)
• $8,451,968 In Economic Activity Generated by Benefits Outreach

Learn about the New Bern branch, one of seven, here.

 Learn about more ways to support the Food Bank here.

Interested in donating to The Food Bank? Text CFNB to 56651 to make your impact today.

Our Sponsors

The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina has been in the business of serving communities with food for daily nourishment, supplies during disasters, programs that serve families, and education for nearly 43 years. As our founders did in 1980, with just a card table and a telephone, we continue to work every day to ensure no one goes hungry. Today, we provide these resources and services in more than a third of our state.

We are honored and humbled to be trusted stewards of the resources and relationships that allow us to operate, serving people facing hunger when they need it most. Corporate partners play a significant role in the Food Bank’s ability to nourish people facing hunger, build solutions to end hunger and empower the communities we work with. Partnership opportunities including cause marketing and sponsorships, provide a valuable way to promote a company’s corporate responsibility, brand, and can be a great way to engage employees while being connected with a 4-star Charity Navigator-rated hunger-relief organization.  We are good stewards of our dollars, donations, and initiatives. In 2020, The Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina was named non-profit of the year by Feeding America.

It is truly thanks to all of you- our partners in ending hunger– and the dedicated work of our staff that we’ve made progress in meeting people where they are to get the services they need.

Together, we will continue the work of nourishing people, building solutions to hunger, and empowering communities.

We value your support for this year's annual 2023 Chefs Feast.

Interested in sponsoring your brand or business? Click here or email cparker@foodbankcenc.org for more information. 

 Proudly Presented By 

Premiere Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors

Champion Sponsors

VIP Sponsors

Friends Sponsors

The Frazier Family & Friends

Support Sponsors

Event Donors

“At Zaxby’s of New Bern, we are dedicated to supporting our local community because we owe our success to the community that supports us! When we opened in New Bern 10 years ago, Zaxby’s was a relatively unknown brand in Eastern North Carolina. Thanks to the amazing people of New Bern and the surrounding areas, we have been able to become a part of the local community. In turn, that community has supported us more than we could have imagined. We see events like the Food Bank’s Chef’s Feast not just as an opportunity to give back to those who are in need, but as an opportunity to say Thank You to the community that has been uplifting our business for the past decade, and hopefully for decades to come!”

"International Paper is proud to support the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina as they fight hunger across the state. Together, we are a force for good, impacting lives and investing in the communities where our employees live and work."

“The Food Bank is fiscally responsible. Money raised is used efficiently. Money I give them will buy more food than what I can buy and then donate to a local Food Bank.”  -Donor   

"As a business owner, I strongly believe in supporting the community. I recognize that our success as a business is intimately tied to the success of the community around us, . Supporting the community is also a way to build strong relationships with our community, and to show that we care about more than just making a profit. Whether it's through volunteering, donating to local organizations like the food bank, promise place , or sponsoring community events, Beauty Bar by Heather is committed to doing our part to make our community a better place to live and work. Ultimately, our goal is to create a positive impact that extends beyond just our business, and to help build a brighter future for everyone in our community." -Heather Green

Featured Restaurants & Brewery

Our Chefs & Local Brew

Event VIP Chef Experience Presented By Platinum Sponsor: 

Carolina East Healthcare

Executive Chef Mike Lynch with wife Brooke

VIP Chef

Cork Wine & Bistro

Executive Chef Mike Lynch

Menu - Cork Wine & Bistro

Experience our VIP with Executive Chef Mike Lynch. Cork is a culmination of a high-level appreciation for artisanal flavor and the desire to bring a cultivated dining experience to the charming town of New Bern.

As a young child, owner and Executive Chef Mike Lynch’s Grandparents lived above the family butcher shop outside of Philadelphia in the East end of Norristown, PA. His earliest memories are entwined with the sounds and aromas from the family business. The sound of steel tenderizing meats with Uncle Billy and Uncle JoJo preparing the veal cutlets and the Sunday tradition of his Nan (2nd gen American with strong Sicilian roots) making “macaroni and gravy”, meatballs, braciole and of course…veal cutlets! The delicious fragrance filling the house and flowing out through the neighborhood. Those were the days.

With a passion and love for food running through his blood passed down from generations before, Mike found his niche for cooking at an early age. He began working in restaurants at the age of fifteen. His extensive background includes 18 years as the Exec chef and manager of a prestigious catering company before he moved to the corporate side of food including healthcare, country club and yacht club settings. Mike has done it all not only as a chef but also as a leader in the kitchen.

Mike and his wife Brooke moved to New Bern in 2016, leaving the Phila suburbs for a slower pace and salt air. They quickly saw a great need in the area for their style of cuisine and the passion they share for pairing food and wine in perfect harmony. They are eager to bring intentional, rich, carefully crafted atmosphere and menu to share with the guests of CORK where everyone feels at home and the aromas of food made with love flow throughout the community.

Event Chefs & Local Brewer:

Middle: Chef Morgan

The Flavor Hills

Chef Morgan

Menu - The Flavor Hills

Flavor Hills was started by two veteran Marine Corps Officers along with the help of their Executive Chef from Washington D.C. Thier goal is to provide modern southern comfort food, with company core values rooted in "Quality." It is their top priority when they train staff to focus on the guest experience, allowing Flavor Hills to be a place where you can unwind and enjoy life. Flavor Hills is a complete scratch kitchen, and the chef focuses on bringing rich, flavorful, and aesthetically pleasing food choices with fresh ingredients to the menu. They carry that same energy and excitement to their drink menu and use an array of fresh fruits, garnishes, and plants to create amazing cocktails. They never disappoint. Their main goal is to make sure their guests just Eat, Laugh and Drink in an amazing atmosphere. 

Flavors Hills focuses on building relationships with local vendors and businesses that are native to North Carolina. For example, their Beer menu features Beer from a brewery in Durham, which is the first women veteran-owned brewery in North Carolina, and our cocktails feature alcohol from Walton’s Distillery, which operates prestigiously in Onslow County. When asked to bring their competitive souls to this event and participate, they did not hesitate to say yes. It's clear this group of women are trailblazers in our community eco-system- the place we all call home. 

Executive Chef Smoke

The Flame

Chef Smoke

The Flame- Menu

Chef Smoke has been a long time supporter of this event. It just simply would not be the same without him. Chef Smoke states "My daddy told me to always work at something that I loved. I didn't realize that my 30+ year journey into the catering industry would begin as a kid in high school with my very first job as a kitchen assistant at the local hospital. It wasn't glamorous, but the lessons learned were priceless. As an apprentice chef and then executive chef for a large hotel I was able to gather experience in not only the culinary arts, but in leadership and event execution as well. My dream of business ownership turned into reality about 10 years later when I was able to purchase what was then The Flame Restaurant. Every restaurant has its own special set of challenges but mine felt like it had more than its fair share. When thinking back on those days sometimes I don't know how we survived! From the hard work and dedication of my team and myself The Flame has grown into the catering leader that it is today. Maybe I was born with it or maybe it developed somewhere along the way, but I truly have a passion for what I do and I promise to treat every event like it was my own."

—Chef Smoke

Sara's Big Apple

Chef Sara Walston

Sara's Big Apple- Menu

Sara began her food journey into the industry over 25 years at age 16. She started as a driver at the Big Apple Pizzeria in the mall. She learned to love the process of creating dishes people enjoy and very quickly began brainstorming her next steps once she was able to venture out on her own.

Once she decided to take over the Big Apple on Broad Creek Road, and rename it to make it her own, she was off to the races! Her passion and drive for customers is what keeps her going each and every day. She loves the feeling of changing someone's mood, especially if they are "hangry" when they walk in.

Her favorite moments are watching her staff grow. To Sara, it's incredibly rewarding watching them create a live for themselves because of her restaurant. She also loves giving back to her community. Sara says "she's very aware she wouldn't be where she is today without her incredible, loyal customers that bring her job every day." If you are a native to this area, you probably know that Sara serves rich, robust, flavorful dishes that pack a "vacation in each bite".

Left: Chef Kurtis Stewart

Broad Street Takeout

Chef Kurtis Stewart

Broad Street Takeout- Menu

Kurtis Stewart first opened Broad Street Takeout in April 2021. With degrees in Psychology and Health Administration Services, his true passion has always been in sports. As an agent for professional athletes, and as the owner of Millennium Sports Management, Kurtis never intended to venture into the restaurant business.  

However, being born and raised in New Bern, he decided to begin investing in real estate and started purchasing residential and commercial properties locally. “I remember when Broad Street Takeout was Robbie’s Rib House, Papa Bear’s Kitchen, even a Jamaican restaurant. The building used to be owned by Frank Pollock, who was a very influential African American businessman, he then sold it to William Smith. Pollock requested from Smith that when the time came that he could no longer run the business, that he pass it down to his kids or sell it to another local African-American" says Kurtis. To many, Smith was a man of character and a spiritual foundation- in true fashion, he kept that word and sold to Kurtis.

“I wanted to keep it simple and doing only takeout limited the risk in comparison to a restaurant with servers and such. We make great food and serve people from all walks of life. As we continue to grow and evolve, we are expanding the menu for a daily special, like the grilled ribs. Those are my favorite. They are just always perfection when grilled and end in the perfect tenderness.”  

ECU Health Culinary ChefEdward "Steve" Washington

East Carolina University

Steve was born and raised in Eastern NC. Steve creates cullinary delights as a homegrown approach to cooking. Steve recently represented Sodexo at THe Global Plant Forward Summit in Napa, California. Steve leaves a lasting impression on his dishes igniting tastebuds you never knew to exist. 

Shortway Brewing Co.

Leading Local Brewer: Lindsay Shortway

Shortway Brewing- Menu

Shortway Brewing Co. is a veteran-family-owned taproom & brewery located in downtown Newport, NC. Established in 2017, with a vision to provide a community gathering place that felt like the neighborhood backyard. Here friends, families, & neighbors can come together while enjoying our hand crafted beverages. Their taproom & beer garden are kid, dog, & outside food friendly. They also offer a variety of NC made snacks & have food trucks on site several nights a week. They specialize in American Ales brewed on site in their taproom brewery as well as in their Trenton production facility. It is their mission to provide fresh, easy drinking, great tasting beer boasting locally sourced ingredients. You can find their beer on tap and in cans in their Newport taproom as well as throughout Eastern North Carolina.

"Shortway Brewing Co. is a veteran-family-owned taproom & brewery located in downtown Newport, with a heart for serving their local community. Giving back is the right thing to do, we all take care of one another and that's what makes our community such a special place to live, work & play."- Owner Lindsay Shortway

Music Provided by Alisa Mike 

Learn more about her here. 

Let Alisa Mike serenade you through the evening with her hypnotizing voice.  Alisa Mike has given voice to a soul-soothing album of familiar standards, created to complement the more intimate, treasured moments of life. A beloved staple on the New Bern music scene, Alisa has developed a loyal following since her days as lead singer for two local bands. As a solo artist, her broad range of musical selections has delighted and touched audiences with her unusual mix of songs, to include tunes from the Great American Songbook, Motown, Country, Rock, R&B, and Alternative favorites through the decades, with a classical aria or two added to keep the audience guessing. Alisa does not like to be categorized or restricted to a specific genre. Although much of her repertoire consists of the standards, she feels free to perform anything that moves her and allows her to make a musical connection with people. 

Alisa Mike, mezzo-soprano, is a native of Tarboro, NC. Her love of singing was developed from early childhood, encouraged by her parents, as well as throughout her academic years by several music teachers, whom she credits with fueling her passion for music and performing. Alisa studied vocal performance at Saint Augustine’s College (University) in Raleigh, NC, where she later earned a BA in Communications.  Alisa is a local vocalist here in New Bern, with a loyal, supportive fan base.

“I’m honored to be a part of this fundraiser for the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina. Food is one of the most basic needs that have to be met in order to survive.  How can a child be expected to listen or learn over the deafening roar of a growling stomach?  I have eaten lots of things that I may not have liked but I thank God that I have never experienced the kind of hunger that some children and adults face every day.  If I can use my voice in this small way, to help support efforts to provide assistance and relief to local families, then hand me a microphone!"