OneEighty Taste Extravaganza offers glorious night of food

OneEighty is bringing back a community favorite, and it is of the tasty variety.

The biannual Holmes County Friends of OneEighty Taste Extravaganza will see around two dozen celebrity “chefs” bringing all kinds of mouthwatering food to the fundraiser this year from 6-8 p.m. April 25 at the Millersburg Methodist Community Church.

Since 2005 this time-honored event has seen mostly area men pitching in to create their favorite dishes, whether it be main dishes, soups, salads, desserts and even some dishes that hail from their native homeland.

Patrons can stop by and delve into a bevy of cuisines that best suit their fancy, whether it is crème brulée, buffalo hot wings, pheasant stew or Greek salad.

“We never tell the chefs what to make. It’s always a surprise, and it’s always incredible how much great food there is and the variety that shows up,” said Tina Zickefoose, OneEighty advocate/outreach specialist. “The variety is a big part of the joy.”

Much of the fun is simply showing up and taste-testing your way through two dozen different recipes that are handpicked by each individual “chef,” many of whom opt for their favorite dishes or the recipes passed down through generations.

“I’ve been around this event since it began, and I recently found an article from the very first one, and it was in 2005,” Zickefoose said. “I had no idea it’s been that long.”

She said looking through the years, some of the guest chefs have been involved since the inception, people like Bob Porter and Joel Menuez. Others have come and gone, and Zickefoose said it’s neat to look back and think about all the people who have volunteered their talents in the kitchen for such a great cause.

“It’s amazing over the past 21 years how many of the players have changed when it comes to supporting us at OneEighty,” Zickefoose said.

One thing that has changed is the chef lineup. Zickefoose said back in the day it was solely men serving as chefs to show their support for the organization.

Today, there are women chefs and even married couples who are tag-teaming the event as chefs.

She said when this event began, it was under the umbrella of Every Woman’s House.

Zickefoose said now that the event is part of the OneEighty collaboration, it encompasses not only domestic violence, but also sexual assault, drug and alcohol abuse, mental health issues and more.

Zickefoose said this is a wonderful evening of dining and community fellowship, where people can chat with the chefs or sit and talk during the meal, which is served cafeteria style. Patrons can go from station to station picking and choosing which delicacies to nosh on.

“People can come in, grab a plate and have at it,” Zickefoose said. “There are no limits to how many times they visit their favorites or which ones to choose. They can eat as much as they desire at a leisurely pace.”

In the past Zickefoose said OneEighty has had programs about its services, but she said this year it is going to be all about the food and fellowship.

With all the funds going to OneEighty, in addition to the meal, there will be a 50/50 raffle, as well as a piece of Holmes County Pottery either raffled or auctioned off.

“We’re looking forward to it because, afterward, people always come up to us and say they were planning on where to go eat afterward, but now they are so stuffed they couldn’t imagine eating another bite,” Zickefoose said. “It’s amazing how much food one can put away one tiny serving at a time.”

For only $25 per person, the Taste Extravaganza is everything diners could want, complete with a taste of so many different dishes to sate the biggest of appetites.

Children age 7-12 are $15 each while children age 6 and under are free. Tickets are available for purchase at the door the evening of the event, or patrons can preorder online at Evenbrite via the OneEighty web page.

Millersburg Methodist Community Church is located at 5395 Township Road 336 in Millersburg.