SAN ANTONIO, TX (February 6, 2012) – Rich, warm aromas mingled and wafted together throughout the Bake, Broil & Brew facility this past Saturday at the 2nd Annual Culinary Creativity Cook-Off contest, which took place at the Bake, Broil & Brew facility located at 1508 Guadalupe St. The contest, which awarded Kathy Bolden, Fare Trade Snack Co., for her entry, Siam S’mores, with 20 free hours of commercial kitchen rental time, required applicants to submit a 500 words or less essay discussing their inspiration for culinary creativity, their “aha” moment, and an ideal day in the life as a culinary entrepreneur.

“Our mission is to enrich the culinary community by providing a commercially licensed space for aspiring entrepreneurs, brewers, chefs and the like to grow their businesses,” said owner and CEO of Bake, Broil & Brew Michelle Solis. “We wanted to hear from culinary hopefuls about their creative dreams and help pave the way for those dreams to become a reality.” In operation since October 2011, Bake, Broil & Brew has already sparked the start-ups for several catering companies in San Antonio and hopes to continue supporting the culinary community through the various services and classes they provide to both clients and potential clients.

The contest, which ran from January 3rd through January 20th, accepted online applications at bakebroilbrew.com, followed by a first round of judging that narrowed the contestants down to 3 finalists, Kathy Bolden, Fare Trade Snack Co., Donna Kahn, Simply Magnolious Catering, and Sue Martinez, Kindcooking.wordpress.com, each of which competed at the 2nd Annual Culinary Contest on Feb 4th by presenting their most creative or favorite recipe of their choice to the same panel of judges. Celebrity judges included Edmund Tijerina, Restaurant Critic and Food Writer for the San Antonio Express News and Co-owner of the coming-soon to market Pasión Salsas, Leticia Holmbo, HEB Culinary Dietitian, and Chef Eddie Garcia of Guadalupe Street Coffee.

Festivities for the contest also included a kids section that featured face painting and other activities, music, Blue Moon beer courtesy of Glazer’s Distributors, and catering by Henry’s Puffy Tacos as well as some of Bake, Broil & Brew’s own clients, including Full Moon Cheesecakes, Cruzan Catering, Simply Magnolious and TeGar-den Farms. Visit www.bakebroilbrew.com for more information.

About Bake, Broil & Brew

“Bake, Broil & Brew” owned by David and Michelle Solis, offering rented commercial kitchen spaces to aspiring entrepreneurs, chefs, students and brewers by the hour, day, week or month. The facility offers business counseling, social media and marketing assistance, licensing, office space and equipment use. Bake, Broil & Brew’s vision is to enrich local culinary and beverage entrepreneurs by providing a space for those with a passion rooted in culinary and beverage creation to build a profitable business. www.bakebroilbrew.com

"Bake, Broil & Brew awards 20 free hours at their facility to Kathy Bolden, Fare Trade Snack Co", Sue Martinez, KindCooking, 2nd place finalist, Donna Kahn, Simply Magnolious Catering, 3rd place finalist,

"Judges evaluate each finalist's dish based on a 500 word essay, a Q&A, and the taste and presentation of their dish."

Enjoy catering made in-house by one of Bake, Broil & Brew’s own clients, music and other special tasty treats!

Judging begins at 2:00pm. Contest winner will be announced at 3:30pm.

RSVP: 210.254.9160 or rsvp@aguillon-associates.com

Saturday, February 4th from 1-4 pm

1508 Guadalupe St.

A beautiful Fenders Stratocaster autographed by all current Journey members—Neal Schon, Ross Valory, Jonathan Cain, Deen Castronovo and Arnel Pineda—and guitar stand will soon be up for auction!

Journey’s very own Jonathan Cain—friend of Chef Mark Bohanan, owner and executive chef of Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar—heard about the inaugural San Antonio Cocktail Conference and wanted to contribute something extraordinary that would in turn benefit HeartGift, the organization benefiting from proceeds of the conference.

“The San Antonio Cocktail Conference and everyone involved are truly honored by this generous gesture from Jonathan and Journey,” said Bohanan. “This guitar is an amazing piece of memorabilia that anyone would be fortunate to have in their collection. And it’s even more meaningful because all proceeds benefit such an incredible cause.”

Sold to the Highest Bidder!
Don’t miss the chance to get your hands on this beautiful piece of rock ‘n’ roll history. LIVE bidding will take place on Thursday, Jan. 26, during the San Antonio Cocktail Conference’s Opening Night Soiree at Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar. Rick Cavender of the Rick Cavender Band and Cavender Auto Family will be the local celebrity auctioneer. Bidding will begin at 10 o’clock that evening and proceeds from this auction item will go to HeartGift.

From 7 p.m. to midnight on Jan. 26, the Opening Night Soiree at Bohanan’s will also feature nine bars hosted by ambassadors of the select spirit brands, crafting and serving nine wells and 18 specialty cocktails. Guests will circulate in the bar and courtyard, enjoy and learn about the brands, and celebrate the start of the San Antonio Cocktail Conference.

Special Appearance: The Original Cocktail Competition
In addition, Jonathan Cain will be one of the guest judges at The Original Cocktail Competition sponsored by Fee Brothers Bitters and Red Bull at Bohanan’s Bar on Saturday, Jan. 28 at 4:30 p.m. Contestants will have 10 minutes to prepare an original cocktail. Each contestant will make two full cocktails, using one or more Republic Brand Spirits. A panel of five judges will award points for taste, presentation and execution. The judging will be blind, with the panel kept in an adjoining room. For more information on the competition or to register as a contestant, visit www.sacocktailconference.com.

Conference Details
Presented by Bohanan’s, Soho Wine & Martini Bar, Ocho Lounge at Hotel Havana, The Esquire Tavern and Rio San Antonio Cruises, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference from Jan. 26-29, 2012, is modeled on the wildly successful Manhattan Cocktail Classic and New Orleans’ Tales of the Cocktail Event. The first of its kind in Texas, the San Antonio Cocktail Conference will bring together an impressive list of dedicated experts in the fields of classic cocktails, liquors and more.

Proceeds from the conference will benefit HeartGift—a group of surgeons, pediatric cardiologists, medical personnel, volunteers and host families dedicated to providing lifesaving heart surgery to disadvantaged children in developing countries where specialized treatment is scarce or nonexistent. Since its establishment in 2000, HeartGift has helped more than 130 children in 22 countries on five continents.

The schedule of events and classes can be found at www.sacocktailconference.com. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online.

Bohanan’s Restaurant & Bar
Jenny Rabb
(210) 885-0538
bohanansccatering@aol.com

Media Contacts
Laurie Steiner/Nancy Baca
(210) 569-6921/(210)569-6910
lsteiner@cegroupinc.net/nbaca@cegroupinc.net

The contest will run from Monday, January 2, 2012 through Friday, January 20, 2012. Finalists of the contest will be notified and announced on Monday January 30, 2012 with the final Culinary Cook-off Contest taking place on Saturday, February 4, 2012 at the site of Bake, Broil & Brew, 1508 Guadalupe St. Deadline for application is January 20th, 2012.

To enter or for specific rules and regulations go to BakeBroilBrew.com.

If you want help getting exposure for your establishment,  please email me at johnnie@flicksandfood.com or give me a call at 210.617.3287. I have a large follower base. Looking forward to my next review!