Boulevard Battle features fourth Copper Chef match-up
Janel Shoun |
The annual “Battle of the Boulevard” is no longer just limited to the hardwood floor. For three years, the annual meet-up of Lipscomb University’s Bisons and Belmont University’s Bruins has spilled over to the kitchen floor, where the universities’ executive chefs duke it out in the annual Copper Chef competition.
This year, the Copper Chef will be held at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 9, in Lipscomb’s dining hall in the student center, 3901 Granny White Pike. In a battle inspired by the Iron Chef competitions featured on the Food Channel, Lipscomb Executive Chef Michael Sullivan and Belmont Executive Chef Kevin Dorr will compete to produce the most and best-tasting dishes using two mystery ingredients within an hour’s time.
The chefs, along with two assistants each, will cook out in the public eye. Music, the school mascots and giveaway announcements will entertain the students, faculty, staff and guests from Belmont as the chefs whip up their concoctions. Past mystery ingredients have included the likes of mangos, chorizo sausage, Twinkies and Nerds candies.
Since the creation of the Battle of the Boulevard Copper Chef competition, Lipscomb chef Sullivan has outperformed Lipscomb’s Bisons by winning all three match-ups so far. The men’s basketball team has won only three of its eight games against Belmont since the universities joined the NCAA.
“There’s a lot of pressure to keep winning these things,” says Sullivan, who admits to a little superstitious worry this year because the Bisons defeated the Bruins at their first 2007 game at Curb Center earlier this month. Sullivan has also won three district Iron Chef-style competitions, coordinated by Sodexho, both Lipscomb’s and Belmont’s dining services provider.
The Belmont gourmets feel that 2007 will be their year. “Those guys have had a lot of luck going their way, but it’s time to break the cycle,” said Dorr.
The winner of the Copper Chef gets a trophy crafted from a chunk of the Belmont Boulevard pavement (the road both universities are located on) with a whisk embedded in it and a plaque indicating each year’s winner.
The Copper Chef competition grew out of a district competition that Sodexho held for all the surrounding colleges they serve, said April Simmons, Sodexho district marketing manager. The company stopped holding that event, but healthy rivalry between Lipscomb and Belmont has kept the Copper Chef rolling along, she said.
“They are always trying to outdo each other at events,” said Simmons of the Lipscomb and Belmont dining managers. “Everyone on campus knows Michael Sullivan and Kevin Dorr, so just like at a basketball game, they root for their chefs as well.”
“It’s all in fun,” Dorr said of the healthy competition. “Everybody has fun and the team spirit just overflows.”