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A South You Never Ate at Chatham Vineyards on Oct. 28 will celebrate the foodways of Virginia’s Eastern Shore along with the culture and stories behind them. This progressive dinner of all tapas includes an open bar with Eastern Shore beer and Chatham wine and a signature surprise cocktail. Twelve chefs have committed their time to crafting two dishes apiece for the small plates that will showcase some of the Shore’s most distinct ingredients. Tix are limited and can be purchased here.
This is the second in a Meet the Chefs series that will introduce an all-star lineup of creative cooks who have committed their time to make this an unforgettable farm-to-table experience.
The scoop on Evan Colibri
His bio in a nutshell: “I was born and raised in Virginia Beach, leaving promptly at age 18. When I was 21, I found myself immersed in the slow-food/farm-to-table culture of Northern California. Without realizing how lucky I was, I was working for some of the most talented chefs in the country who are/were instrumental in changing how Americans eat for the better. I've cooked all over the country, New Mexico being the most influential. I returned to Virginia Beach in 2022. The goal was to bake and sell at the farmer's markets, using as much locally grown, organic and seasonal ingredients as possible.
My husband and I started Virginia. Pie. Shop. and are doing just that! Southeastern Virginian culture, agriculture and foodways have been decimated by the high turnover of the military and local government selling out to big box stores. Almost all of the local flavor has been filtered out. I thought I'd give highlighting what we still have (while we have it) a try. The area needs it and deserves it.”
What Evan loves about Eastern Shore food, culture: “In my eyes, with the exception of a few folks farming in Pungo and Suffolk, the Eastern Shore is the last vestige of our connection to the land which sustains us and our culture. There are such wonderful farmers doing such great work on the Shore. Them, and the fact that it hasn't been subject to an intense land grab (yet), make it the jewel of the Chesapeake and eastern Virginia.”
A morsel about his dish for A South You Never Ate: “Hopefully something with ground corn!”
His favorite Eastern Shore ingredient is . . . “At the moment it is the heirloom tomatoes from Perennial Roots Farm. Everything they do is exceptional. But I am obsessed with the oysters there, too!”
Etc.: “I’m honored to be part of this event.”