Celebrity Chefs' Brunch notes

Every time I attend the Meals from Masters Celebrity Chefs' Brunch, I'm blown away by the culinary offerings. This was Sunday's hoity-toity fundraiser at the Bank of America building (formerly MBNA) in Rodney Square. Yeah, at $175 a pop, it's expensive, but the money goes to a good cause and unlike some stroll and troll benefits there was PLENTY of good food and drinks.

(This is kind of funny: MBNA may have left the building, but the MBNA vibe remains - maybe because there are still MBNA-like messages over the doorways that remind employees to think of themselves as the customer, or something like that...)

Before the doors opened at 10 a.m., someone on the loud-speaker called out: "Battlestations...chefs, sous chefs...you have less than 30 seconds..." (I dunno why, but this cracked me up.)

Then the posh crowd poured in and began gobbling.

I had a sip of the Dutch breakfast martini that Vicmead Hunt Club bartender Billy Cerasari sent down an ice luge. Very, very cool, very, very delish. No wonder there were so many people crowding that station. I really wish I hadn't been on the clock for The News Journal because it was a drink that deserved more than one sip.

On to the food: So many interesting dishes, so many interesting choices. Braised pork cheeks, pasteurized lamb, grilled octopus, herring buffet, etc., etc., etc.

I have to say some of my favorites were the shrimp and crab mojitos from chef Chris Prosperi of Metro Bis in Simsbury, Conn., and the smoked rabbit nachoes with creme fraiche cilantro cream from Daniel Stern of Rae and Gayle restaurants in Philadelphia. (Don't make a face. This dish was so good I saw several people pick up business cards and ask for directions to Stern's restaurants. I'm going to write about Stern soon. Stay tuned.)

Pat D'Amico of the Hotel du Pont offered a gloriously delicious torchon of foie gras marinated in vanilla Grand Mariner with grilled pineapple gastrique, coconut froth, macadamia nut tuille and micro greens. It sounds like a lot working on one plate, but D'Amico really showed off his cooking chops and demonstrated why he is one of the state's most talented chefs. Very nicely done, Pat.

Nate Garyantes of 821 Market Street Bistro offered an amazing take on eggs, bacon and coffee. I wrote about it today, but the execution was so top notch and painstakingly difficult - you've got to give Nate and the kitchen staff who cleaned all those eggs a big hand. The coffee beans on the table added an organic and creative touch - as the room filled with people and the temperatures rose, you could, literally, smell the coffee.

Pastry chef Matthew Ratliff of the Inn at Perry Cabin in St. Michaels, Md., spent 7 hours creating a blown, spun and pulled sugar sculpture that decorated his table. It was a museum quality work of edible art. (Dale Chihuly look out!) I've included a photo from News Journal photog Fred Comegys. Ratliff also decorated the tops of his chocolate-cherry timbale desserts with spun sugar.

"It's like eating a Jolly Rancher," he said of the swirly sugar.