Executive Chef Zach Bell from Lost Tree Club, Farm to Table Dinner and Wine Tasting 04/30/2023
Photography and Blog by Jill Brammer
Three days of 30-40 mph winds, rain, lightening and tornado watches broke just in time for the last Kai-Kai farm-to-table dinner and wine tasting of the season. Guests gathered around Kai-Kai farmer and owner Diane Cordeau for a farm tour, winding their way through the rows of vegetables and farming stories about the challenges of growing quality crops in the difficult south Florida climate.
As guests worked their way back to the elegant, screened dinner tent they could smell the fragrant beginnings of dinner prepared by Executive Chef Zach Bell of Lost Tree. In the back, orange flames grew tall as the grill was fired up for mahi and pork belly. Chef Zach prepared an appetizer of Happy Rich Tempura broccoli and Prosecco was poured while guests mingled, and live music performed by Phil Axelband filled the air adding to the festive ambiance.
This evening’s dinner was prepared by four-time James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: South, Zach Bell, now Executive Chef at Lost Tree Club. Chef Zach grew up in a small town called Clermont outside of Orlando. That’s where his interest in cooking took root as he worked his way up from dishwasher. He pursued a degree in physical Therapy while as he learned about the cooking industry working in different restaurants around Orlando. The desire to be a chef always pulled at him so he pivoted and left for Miami to begin cooking school at Johnson and Wales. While pushing himself to learn the craft, Chef Marc Poidevin, formerly of Tavern on the Green and Daniel’s Sous Chef at Plaza Athénée, opened up shop in Miami so Zach applied. It was his first exposure to real French cooking and he fell in love with the pursuit of perfection and the thrill of mastering all the difficulties accompanying French technique, pushing him to become better and better.
This led him to Manhattan with Marc Poidevin where they opened Le Cirque 2000 and later Café Boulud. His hard work paid off and he was asked to open Café Boulud, Palm Beach in 2002. While at Café Boulud he hosted Tasteful Pursuit Dinners in Palm Beach which is now No Kid Hungry Dinners. When he left Boulud he wanted to stay involved in the community and decided to resuscitate Palm Beach Taste of the Nation, so he gathered a group of great chefs with a goal to help local organizations get the tools and outreach they need to combat childhood hunger. In 2010 Share our Strength recognized Zach with a National Community Leadership Award for his work with the No Kid Hungry campaign and he’s still involved in this amazing organization today.
Chef Zach and Kai-Kai owners, Diane Codreau and Carl Frost, have enjoyed a long Chef-to-farmer partnership spanning at least a decade. His culinary imprint in Palm Beach County has earned him the respect of his peers, enabled him to help reduce hunger for kids with the No Kid Hungry initiative, and placed him in a position to positively impact local farmers such as Kai-Kai and lead the local culinary community.
While dining on the following menu, guests enjoyed wine and bubbly poured by Franny of Gourmet Galaxy as April answered questions about the wine pairings.
Menu
Passed hors de’ oeuvres
Happy Rich Tempura ~ Zesty Sauce
Bread Service: LTC Lavish with Cherry Tomato spread
Paired with
Sunday Funday Rose Prosecco with a hint of strawberry
Francois Montand Brute with lingering aromas of freshly baked bread and golden delicious apples and Meyer lemon
Lini 910 Lambrusco Rossi Emilia- Romagna, bright red fruit and berry flavors
1st Course
Grilled Eggplant
Yncie’s Baba, Ginger Rock Shrimp, Citrus Labrieh, Pickled Carrot, Red Onion, Mint
Paired with
True Myth Chardonnay
Aromas of ripe pear, pineapple, tangerine and caramel; rich and creamy
2nd Course
Grilled Romano Beans
Kale Pesto, French Breakfast Radish, Smoked Mahi, Herbalicious Remoulade, Dill Flowers
Paired with
True Myth Cabernet
Aromas of blueberry, cherry and vanilla, black currants and a hint of pepper and mocha and caramelized oak
3rd Course
Adobo Pork Belly
Grilled Pac Choy, K-Bravo Kimchee, Sticky Rice, Chili Crunch
Paired with
Reata Pinot Noir
Aromas of wild blueberries, raspberry and cherry
Dessert
Chocolate-Beet Brownie
Chocolate Ice Cream
Paired with
La Doria Moscato
An elegant aroma with citrus and pear notes