An evening with Melissa King and Omaha's top chefs
Join Food Bank for the Heartland on Thursday, February 25, 2027, for our 26th annual Celebrity Chef fundraiser at CHI Health Center!
We’re thrilled to welcome Melissa King as our 2027 Celebrity Chef! Melissa—a James Beard Award-winning chef, author, and TV personality—won Bravo’s Top Chef: All Stars L.A. and holds the record for most challenge wins in the show’s history. Her memoir, The Girl Who Became King, arrives this fall.
Your support of this event will help the Food Bank raise 3 million meals, at a time when food insecurity levels across our service area have never been higher.
All attendees will experience a wonderful evening in support of our Heartland neighbors in need, featuring an auction, pre-event celebrations, and a gourmet meal inspired by our Celebrity Chef. Patron Party ticket holders will also enjoy an exclusive pre-event gathering with Melissa King, our featured Culinary Cook-Off chefs, and guest judges.
This year’s fundraiser will again feature our popular Culinary Cook-Off! This friendly competition features some of Omaha’s most acclaimed chefs, who are revolutionizing our city’s restaurant scene. This year’s talent includes Wilson Calixte, Executive Chef and owner of Le Voltaire; Jonathan Miller, Executive Chef at V. Mertz; and Dario Schicke, Executive Chef and owner of Avoli Osteria and former owner of Dario’s.
Some familiar faces will help us judge this year’s exciting event. Joel Hassanali of Salted EDGE and PIVOT Prime, Tim Nicholson of Boiler Room, Brian O’ Malley of The Institute for the Culinary Arts at Metropolitan Community College, and David Utterback of Yoshitomo, Koji, Ota, and Shredders will share their culinary insights. Plus, Julie Cornell of KETV NewsWatch 7 will once again serve as our emcee for the evening.
