Local chefs advance to Top 5 in national competition
Bren Norris
Alan Collins Jr.
Frank Tokach
Three local chefs have advanced to the Top 5 in the national Favorite Chef presented by Carla Hall competition.
Alan Collins of Washington, Bren Norris of North Strabane, and Frank Tokach, originally of Donora, are now competing for a spot in the quarterfinals.
Voting is open online through July 20.
The public is invited to vote once every 24 hours for their favorite chef, or make a tax-deductible donation to the James Beard Foundation, a contest sponsor, through the purchase of Championship Votes.
Alan Collins, owner of Al’an Rubens in Washington, loves bringing joy to people through delicious dishes. If he wins Favorite Chef, Collins plans to put the championship dollars toward his restaurant, he said in his online profile. To vote for Alan Collins, visit https://favchef.com/2023/alan-collins.
Bren Norris is a self-taught culinary artist who lives in North Strabane and enjoys cooking for friends. To vote for Norris, visit https://favchef.com/2023/bren-norris.
Frank Tokach grew up cooking with his grandmother and provides personal chef services, cooking classes, restaurant consulting and more throughout the greater Pittsburgh region. He’s hoping to win the contest and open an Italy-inspired multi-function venue with a cooking school, banquet center and more. To vote for Tokach, go to https://favchef.com/2023/frank-tokach.
Local chefs voted No. 1 in their groups when this round ends July 20 automatically advance to the Favorite Chef quarterfinals. Those who come in second have a shot at quarterfinals in the Wildcard Round; voting for that opens July 23.
Canonsburg’s Jessie Johnson, known locally for her excellent fare, dreamed of winning Favorite Chef and opening a food truck in the area. Johnson advanced to the Top 10 but fell short of enough votes to continue in the competition.