[Fort Myers, Fla] On October 15, join Lee County ProStart high schools for a delicious time at the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) Lee Chapter’s 2nd Annual Taco Cook-Off in partnership with Uncommon Friends. Hosted at the Burroughs Home & Gardens, local ProStart culinary student and instructor teams will prepare signature tacos and side dishes for attendees and judges, hoping for a chance to be crowned Overall Winner of the Taco Cook-Off. The competing high schools are: East Lee County High School, Estero High School, Oasis Charter High School, Island Coast High School, Lehigh Senior High School and Cape Coral Technical College & Fort Myers Technical College.
“The event is a great way to give students experience in cooking for large numbers of guests and serves up a healthy dose of competition,” explains Melissa Johnson, Teacher on Assignment at The School District of Lee County, who oversees the ProStart/culinary programs locally. “Community events like this cook-off are wonderful for showcasing local student talents, but also helps raise awareness and money for these Career & Technical Education programs.”
The fiesta will begin at 5:30 PM and end at 8:00 PM. In addition to great food, there will be live music, raffles and silent auctions. Guests will not only be able to try the student and instructor’s creations, but they will also lend a hand in the judging process, picking the Fan Favorite Winner. The Overall Winner will be selected by a group of local celebrity judges including ABC7 News’ Simone Cuccurullo, Guy Clarke, James Fraser, FOX4’s Lisa Greenberg, Chef Jay Johnson, Normal Love, Chef Joe Pittman, and many more.
Proceeds from the event will go towards Lee County’s ProStart programs, contributing to student scholarships, classroom supplies and equipment as well as state competitions. In addition, FRLA is partnering with Uncommon Friends to raise money for their scholarship programs, too.
Tickets cost $30 and are available to purchase here.
For more information on the Taco Cook-Off, contact FRLA Southwest Florida Regional Director, Lois Croft at 239-339-7692 or Lcroft@frla.org.