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Thursday, May 12, 2011

Star TV Chef Cooks Things Up at Lime Rock

One of the stars of 2010’s smash Fox TV hit “MasterChef” will be the Honorary Starter for one of the Saturday, May 28 races at Lime Rock Park.

Jake Gandolfo, whom millions recognize as the construction worker who came out of the “culinary closet,” is originally from Canaan, Conn. As a youth, Gandolfo worked at Lime Rock Park for the maintenance crew.

Gandolfo was one of the “MasterChef” top-10 finalists – out of an original casting call of more than 15,000 would-be chefs – and at one point was considered America’s odds-on favorite to win the whole kit-and-kaboodle.

In addition to officially flagging off the start of the featured Grand-Am race on Saturday of Lime Rock’s big opening Memorial Day racing weekend – the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Grand Sports contest at 3:30 p.m. – Gandolfo will be on site for autograph sessions and assisting the track announcer with some PA duties during the races. He’ll stay through the weekend, from the Royals’ Garage Veterans Memorial Car Show on Sunday to Monday’s Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series Daytona Prototype and GT main event.

Gandolfo will also be bringing his out-size, charismatic presence to Lime Rock Park’s all-new “Midway Café Food Court,” which will be bustling with chefs from local restaurants as well as serving Lime Rock’s own cuisine from culinary master Craig Hoctor.

Residing in Santa Cruz, Calif., Gandolfo is owner and executive chef of Custom Culinary Concepts. He was recently the featured chef on episode 41 of “Live from Daryl’s House,” an award winning webcast produced by music star Daryl Hall.

Gandolfo is also going to lead the dinner-making charge for a charity fundraising event at the newly revitalized local landmark, the Falls Village Inn (2 miles from Lime Rock Park), to benefit the track’s new charity partner, the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut.




http://www.limerock.com/
The date and time of the “Dinner with Jake” Make-A-Wish event at Falls Village Inn will be announced shortly.

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