8/8/14 - A single missed plate was the difference between victory and defeat at the 10th annual Gleaners Iron Chef competition last night. More than 500 people gathered at Bordineâs Nursery for the event, which raises funds for Gleanerâs Community Food Bank through a combination of ticket sales, a silent auction, and donations. The event is the sole fundraiser for the organizationâs Shared Harvest Pantry in Genoa Township. Last year's event raised approximately $100,000 which translated into 300,000 meals for Livingston County residents in need. This year, past winners were randomly paired off into two teams, with as Jody Brunori of The Laundry in Fenton and Patrick Srock of the Lakelands Golf & Country Club facing off against Steve Pilon and Tammy Young of the Wooden Spoon in Brighton. This year also featured two secret ingredients to be incorporated into the dishes instead of just one: locally-harvested blueberries as well as beer from the Witchâs Hat Brewery in South Lyon. Brunori and Srock won out in the appetizer and dessert categories, but for the entrée portion they were only able to complete 4 plates rather than the required five, costing them the points they would have gotten from the final judge. In the final tally, they lost by only half a point to Pilon and Young of the Wooden Spoon. Both sides were good sports, and the winners even credited Brunori and Srock for the close finish. New this year was a mixology competition, with two bartenders competing to make the best cocktail with a secret ingredient of their own. This year, Lindsay Palizzi of the Downtown Main martini Bar and Grille in Brighton beat Dani Borden from Diamonds Steak and Seafood in Howell at creating a cocktail that incorporated cucumber as the secret ingredient. (TD)
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