Food Network's Anne Burrell hosting Meals on Wheels brunch

One of Delaware's premier culinary events is getting a star chef host and a new location for its 2017 party.

Anne Burrell, who appears on several Food Network programs including, ironically enough, one known as “Worst Cooks in America,” will host the 20th annual Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch on April 30.

The Meals on Wheels Delaware fundraiser, a walk-around brunch, has been held at locations in downtown Wilmington since its 1997 inception. It was first held at the former MBNA headquarters near Rodney Square and later moved to Hercules Plaza on West 13th Street. The 2017 party is leaving the city, and the new venue is the DuPont Country Club in Rockland.

The 12-story Hercules Plaza has had difficulty attracting tenants to the 33-year-old office tower. Owners of the building are in danger of defaulting on the $79 million loan they used to buy the property in 2005.

Regina Dodds, Meals on Wheels Delaware director of events, said “we’ve had an amazing experience with Hercules Plaza. We decided to move the event for two reasons – one we wanted to keep the event fresh and a new venue always offers a new experience for the guests and the second reason is to make the preparation process a little easier for our out of town chefs.”

She said the Hercules Plaza does not have professional kitchen accommodations for chefs to prepare and cook the food. The past several years they’ve made arrangements for the chefs to prepare all of their offerings at an offsite kitchen and then all of the product was transferred to Hercules.

“By moving to the DuPont Country Club we will have full access to the kitchen onsite and it will be easier on the out of town chefs (who are donating their time and offerings) to prepare for the event,” Dodds said.

The Celebrity Chefs’ Brunch has never been short on national and international talent. Over the years, the roster of 25 or more chefs who make dishes for the party and serve them at the brunch have included PBS star Lidia Bastianich; Nicholas Elmi, a Philadelphia restaurateur who won “Top Chef: New Orleans;” Chicago chef Stephanie Izard has a James Beard Award for cooking at her Girl & the Goat eatery; and Seattle superstar restaurateur Tom Douglas, who grew in Newark.

Last year after a five-year absence, more Delaware chefs than in past years made dishes for the event, a favorite of local foodies. The fundraiser, which supports Meals on Wheels Delaware’s mission to provide food to senior citizens, also includes cocktails and live entertainment.

Burrell, the blond, spiky-haired Food Network chef and cookbook author, has worked at restaurants in New York, including Lidia Bastianich’s Felidia, and was an instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education. She was first known to Food Network fans as celebrity chef Mario Batali’s sous chef on “Iron Chef America” battles. She has since hosted the programs “Chef Wanted,” “Worst Cooks in America” and “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.”

Her most recent cookbook, “Own Your Kitchen: Recipes to Inspire & Empower,” was published in 2013.

“We selected Anne Burrell as our host because we wanted a chef with national recognition and a media presence to help create awareness of Meals on Wheels Delaware’s mission and our Celebrity Chefs Brunch. We are hoping to gain additional publicity and excitement,” said Dodds. “The Celebrity Chefs Brunch is one of our biggest fundraisers and we are hopeful this year will be one of the best.”

Dodds said the staff is recruiting chefs now for April and the process usually takes a few months to finalize the lineup. Some returning chefs include Rick Gresh of Ace Bounce in Chicago, and John Tesar, who runs Knife in Dallas.

Meals on Wheels Delaware provides meals to about 4,000 homebound seniors. Tickets for the brunch are $125 for general admission and $75 for young professionals (ages 40 and younger). Tickets can be purchased on www.mealsonwheelsde.org.

Beaujolias Nouveau served with five courses

It seems only appropriate you should drink a young wine with a "Harvest" meal.

This Thursday, Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar at 549 Wilmington-West Chester Pike, in Glen Mills, Pennsylvania, is offering regular and vegetarian five-course dinners accompanied by wine pairings from the Beaujolais region.

The dinner at the restaurant in Glen Eagle Square Shopping Center is timed with the annual release of Beaujolais Nouveau, the young French wine made from Gamay grapes grown only in the Beaujolais region.

Beaujolais Nouveau, always released a week before Thanksgiving (or the third Thursday of November), is meant to be drunk young. Most vintages should be consumed by the following May after its release.

The $79 per person dinner at Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar begins at 6:30 p.m.

The menu includes Vegetarian Poutine paired with Bieler Cotes D'Aix Rose; Chorizo and Green Apple Stuffed Quail Salad paired with Moreau & Fils Vouvray; Pan-Seared Maryland Striped Bass paired with Paul Mas Marsanne; Coq Au Vin paired with Domaine de Foretal Beaujolais Villages; and Baked Camembert for dessert paired with Chateau Loupiac-Gaudiet Sauternes.

The vegetarian menu includes Vegetarian Poutine; Red Quinoa and Apple Salad; Roasted Acorn Squash; Tofu Au Vin; and Baked Camembert for dessert. It has the same wine pairings as the regular menu.

Visit harvestseasonalgrill.com.

Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico.