MINNEAPOLIS - The seventh annual Charlie Awards will be held on Sunday, Feb. 25 beginning at 3:30 p.m. at the Pantages Theatre (710 Hennepin Ave., Minneapolis).
The Charlie Awards celebrate the exceptional contributions of the Twin Cities food and beverage community. More information is available online.
Nominated Chef Alex Roberts from Restaurant Alma and Brasa stopped by KARE 11 to make some delicious breakfast on Saturday.
Recipe for Biscuits:
20oz Flour
2T Baking Powder
1T Sugar
1 t Salt
8oz Butter, cold and cut into 1 inch chunks
2c Buttermilk
Combine the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the butter cubes. Cut in the butter by working it into the flour with your hands. To do this, grab handfuls of flour and butter and pinch the butter with the flour to break it down into smaller pieces. Keep doing this until the butter is in dime sized chunks. You can also use a food processor or a mixer to cut in the butter but go slow and be careful that the butter chunks don’t get too small.
Add the buttermilk and mix until just combined, adding a little more buttermilk if necessary.
Roll out to about an inch thick. Cut out with a ring cutter. Reroll the scraps and cut again.
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Rotate pan, bake another 10 minutes or until the bottoms of the biscuits are golden brown.
Here are the finalists in each category for the Charlie Awards:
Outstanding Service
A restaurant or foodservice business that excels at hospitality by being consistently outstanding and welcoming, and having an inviting and fun personality that makes people feel more at home than when they are at home
Good Day Café
Manny’s
Mucci’s
Outstanding Restaurateur
Not all the magic happens in the kitchen. This category is for the owner of the restaurant with at least five years in the industry, who excels at running a restaurant, keeping it profitable as well as relevant, and who is an influencer in the community
Ann Kim and Conrad Leifur: Young Joni, Pizzeria Lola, Hello Pizza
Brent Frederick/Jacob Toledo: Jester Concepts (Borough, Parlour, Monello)
Alex Roberts – Alma/Café Alma & Brasa
Outstanding Restaurant
A restaurant that continually hits on all cylinders with creative and exceptional food, atmosphere and service
Bellecour
Café Alma/Alma
Heyday
Outstanding Baker/Pastry Chef
A working baker or pastry chef with at least five years of experience who is an artist when creating the staff of life or the masterpieces of desserts and morning pastries
Katy Gerdes – Angel Food Bakery
Emily Marks – Bachelor Farmer
Solveig Tofte – Sunstreet Breads
Outstanding Chef
A working chef with at least five years in the industry, who shows consistency, relevancy, creativity and isn’t resting on his or her laurels.
Lisa Carlson – Chef Shack
Jamie Malone – Grand Café
Hide Tozawa - Kayatchi
Rising Star
An under 30, up-and-coming foodservice professional whose talent and hard work guarantees he or she will make their mark on the Twin Cities community and go on to even greater contributions.
Adam Eaton – Saint Dinette
Yia Vang – Union Kitchen
Josh Walbot
Beverage Innovator
A professional who is doing innovative work with wine/beer/spirits, either as a brewer, mixologist, sommelier, craft soda producer or bartender
Bang Brewing
Brie Roland – St. Genevieve
Nick Kosevich – Can Can Wonderland/Bittercube
Hidden Gem
An out-of-the-box restaurant, food truck or catering service that often flies under the radar of the mainstream media, but is a favorite with the neighborhood or foodie fans
Marla’s Caribbean Cuisine
Moroccan Flavors
Quangs
Community Hero
He or she uses their skills and platform to better the community, either through charitable acts or mentorship
Lachelle Cunningham & Michelle Horovitz - Breaking Bread Café (Appetite for Change)
Pat Weber, owner of Mise en Place consulting (volunteer extraordinaire for Charlies and Cookie Cart)
Rose McGee (founder of Sweet Potato Comfort Pies)
A VIP dinner will be held on March 12 at Open Arms, the Charlies’ nonprofit partner. Tickets are $125.
Proceeds from all three Charlies event go to Open Arms. To purchase tickets, please visit charliesexceptionale.com.