Middlesex County NJ
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Annual Dine Below the Line Cooking Competition 
The Dine Below the Line hunger awareness event was conceived as a Rutgers Intern project in 2016 in partnership with MCFOODS, now known as REPLENISH, and has taken wing.
REPLENISH has partnered with different pantries to move the event throughout the County each year. The first event was attended by about 50 people and has continued to grow with 200 people attending the last in person event with guests including county and local government officials, county non-profits, local businesses, food pantry volunteers, parishioners, food pantry clients, and many other individual stakeholders in the fight against hunger.
Dine Below the Line has transformed into a friendly cooking competition showcasing local food pantries and their impact in the community while taking items commonly found in food pantries and elevating them to a healthy, nutritious meal!
Previous Program Hosts:
2016 Christ Church Food Pantry, New Brunswick
2017 Aldersgate United Methodist Church Crisis Room Food Pantry, East Brunswick
2018 North Brunswick Food Bank and Our Lady of Peace Church
2019 We Feed – Woodbridge and St. Anthony Padua
2020 Paused due to COVID
2021 Held virtually with participation from St. Peter’s Spotswood, and chefs from New Brunswick and Piscataway
2022 First Presbyterian in Metuchen – in person and virtual
2024 Princeton Alliance Church, Plainsboro
Thank you for attending the 2024 Dine Below the Line.
This year’s competition featured reigning champion, Chef Brian Karluk of Steakhouse 85 who represented Sharon Baptist Food Pantry in New Brunswick who faced off against Chef Maricel of Maricel’s Kitchen who represented “The Pantry” at Princeton Alliance Church. The chefs threw down their best cooking skills using staples found at these pantries to create unique, flavorful and budget friendly dishes that wowed our taste buds!
Attendees voted for their favorite team, resulting in a tie for the People's Choice Awards. Our special guest judges including our County Commissioners, Chef Joel Hannold, and our event sponsor Cathy & David Decker of the Royal Neighbors chose Chef Brian Karluk as this year’s champion!
For a recap of the event, check out the highlights above, and we can't wait to see you again next year.
Special Thanks To: All the volunteers, chefs, participating teams, and judges. The congregation communities of Princeton Alliance Church and Sharon Baptists Church, PRAB, Miller’s Rental, Rows for the Hungry, Steakhouse 85, Maricel's Kitchen, St. Joseph High School Football team.
Dine Below the Line Committee Members: Doug Wilson, Jennifer Apostol, Toni Campbell, Dee Davison, Chef Brian Karluk, Chef Maricel Gentile, Paul Gentile, Pastor Pablo Garcia, Jenith Gomez."
