The historic El Capitan hotel in downtown Merced will welcome Bay Area Guest Chef Phil Saneski for a “Salvage Social Hour” on April 21, from 5:30-7:30 p.m., in honor of Earth Day and Food Waste Prevention Week.
Together with the hotel’s Executive Chef Quentin Garcia as well as chefs from UC Merced, they’ll be serving delicious upcycled foods with sponsors Black Sheep Foods, The Ugly Company, Sundial Foods, and others.
A sampling of the menu includes: Cauliflower Arancini with romesco sauce, Herb Stem Falafel with carrot top chimichurri, Upcycled Za’atar Breadsticks, Sundial Plant-Based Chicken Wings, Peruvian Causa Rellena, Caramelized Chicken Skewer with rescued bread garlic sauce, Tapas Style Albondigas with black sheep foods plant-based lamb, Blondies with Ugly Company dried apricot white chocolate chip, and Renewal Mill Brownies with Ugly Company dried cherries.
Priced at $20/person, tickets grant entry to the hotel’s EC for an entree and appetizers, in addition to cocktails for sale. Proceeds from the event will go to UC Merced Basic Needs Program, which provides vita resources for students who are struggling with food insecurity. To reserve your spot, reach out by email to chefmitchv@gmail.com or kimberly.garner@jdvhotels.com.
If you’re not familiar with Chef Saneski, he has worked in Michelin-starred kitchens and served on the board of the Research Chefs Association. His curiosity about ingredients considered “waste” and his passion for formulating delicious products at every scale led him to be the VP of Product for ReGrained, an upcycled food start-up; then led product development for CCD Innovation, a food and beverage consultancy in the Bay Area.