Zeph wins first runner up award in Maine Lobster Cook Off

Congratulations Zeph!!! Yesterday at the Blaine House (the official residence of the Governor of Maine), the Hartstone Inn’s Sous Chef, Zeph Belanger, was named first runner up in a state-wide Maine lobster cooking competition. Here he is pictured (holding his award) with Maine’s First Lady Karen Baldacci. The annual competition for “Maine’s Chef of the Year” is organized by the Maine Lobster Promotion Council and sponsored by Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine.

Zeph’s dish was a Maine Lobster Salad with Ginger, Daikon, Bacon and a warm Ponzu Dressing. Look for it on upcoming menus at the Inn. Zeph started working at the Hartstone Inn in October 2007 and has become a valuable member of our team. Like myself, Zeph started working in restaurants when he was a young teen-ager and was destined to excel in the kitchen. He is a very talented cook with great “kitchen sense,” a drive and curiosity to learn and discover all there is to know about food. This spring, Zeph attended the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California (Napa Valley) and took a course on Mediterranean cuisine.

Congratulations again Zeph, we are all very proud of you.

Click here to see Zeph’s Recipe.

Photo courtesy of Jim Bazin – Creative Director, Maine Food and Lifestyle Magazine