Thirteen of the nation's most acclaimed chefs battled it out for a "good cause" at the fourth annual South Beach Wine and Food Festival's Burger Bash hosted by the Food Network's Rachael Ray late in February. In addition to their skills at the grill, their potato prowess was tested during the IPC Side Dish Challenge. The IPC, a Silver Sponsor of the Festival, enlisted 13 of the Burger Bash participants to go the extra step and prepare a prize-winning Idaho potato side dish. The Grand Prize was a $5,000 donation to Florida International University made by the IPC on behalf of Chef Mark Zeitouni.
This renowned group of culinary experts quickly slipped into friendly competition mode as they prepped, peeled and presented their Idaho potato sides to a panel of judges. The judging team included Frank Muir, IPC President & CEO; Don Odiorne, IPC Vice President, Foodservice and none other than nationally syndicated TV personality Art Ginsburg, aka "Mr. Food."