Zach Bell vs. Dean Max at Taste of the Nation

Zach Bell

​Palm Beach County's first annual Share Our Strength Taste of the Nation benefit, to be held Wednesday, April 13, in West Palm's Kravis Center, will feature a cooking competition between two of NoSoFla's (that's North South Florida to you) hottest chefs. 

Zach Bell of Café Boulud and Dean James Max of 3030 Ocean will go toque-to-toque in a culinary throwdown that combines the mystery basket of the Food Network's Chopped with the intense time pressure of Top Chef's Quickfire Challenge.  

The competition will take place at 7 p.m. at the center's Cohen Pavilion, with the chefs side-by-side onstage in front of self-supplied cooking equipment. They'll then have 15 minutes to create a dish based on the ingredients in two identical baskets, to be judged by a distinguished panel of three judges. (Or at least a mostly distinguished panel, since cookbook author and former Washington Times restaurant critic Judith Olney and Dine magazine editor Katy Lynch will be joined by yours truly.) 

Dean James Max

​Whose cuisine will reign supreme?  

How the hell should I know? I haven't tasted it yet. We'll all find out at 7:30 p.m. But it does promise to be fun. And there's not a better cause than ending childhood hunger, especially at a time when everyone whose name isn't Goldman Sachs is taking it in the chin. 

Among the participating restaurants: Café Boulud, 3030 Ocean, Dada, Atlantic Ocean Club, Casa d'Angelo, Roy Villacrusis's extraordinary Kubo and more. The event runs from 6 to 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $80 in advance and $100 at the door. VIP tickets are $125 in advance and $150 at the door. Get 'em here. http://www.strengthflorida.org/

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