Fifth Annual 'Fish to Fork' Culinary Weekend Returns to Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort

Event at luxury Amelia Island resort features returning competitors from year’s past for unique culinary competition

AMELIA ISLAND, Fla., March 6, 2018 – Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort presents the fifth annual "Fish to Fork" culinary weekend May 17-20, 2018. Executive Chef Daven Wardynski and the culinary staff at the resort will once again welcome visitors to their coastal oasis for this one of a kind “dock-to-dish” experience. 

Alongside breathtaking views of the Atlantic Ocean, guests will be treated to a premiere “foodie” experience that challenges chefs to showcase their unique skillsets. The Main Event on Saturday, May 19 from 6-10 p.m. includes an Individual and Group Challenge, where chefs will showcase the versatility of some of the island's native ingredients. 

In celebration of the event’s fifth year, chef Wardynski will re-join the competition, together with five returning chefs who have also competed in past Fish to Fork events. 

“It is an honor to cook alongside these accomplished chefs who I truly admire and feel will best represent the identity of Amelia Island,” said Wardynski. “The food that we deliver to guests attending Fish to Fork will feature the flavors of the island, but also highlight our individual styles.”

On Friday, each chef will embark on a fishing excursion in collaboration with Amelia Island charter captains. Their catch-of-the-day will be a feature in the Individual Challenge during the Main Event on Saturday. Later in the evening, two teams of three chefs will compete in the Team Challenge to create dishes that utilize a secret ingredient unveiled before the challenge commences.   

During the evening, guests will taste and vote on the items prepared during both the Individual Challenge and Team Challenge to determine the winners. The competing chefs will also vote to determine the Chef’s Choice winner. 

This year's competitors include:

• Daven Wardynski, executive chef, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort (Amelia Island, Fla.): Host and competitor in this year’s Fish to Fork Event, Wardynski has received multiple honors from the American Culinary Federation for his passion for local, fresh, quality ingredients.
• Waylon Rivers, executive chef, Black Sheep Restaurant (Jacksonville, Fla.): Rivers is known as one of Jacksonville's most respected and innovative chefs.
• Kathleen Blake, owner and chef, The Rusty Spoon (Orlando, Fla.): Last year, Blake was one of 21 recipients in the inaugural class of the James Beard Foundation Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program.
• Joey Ward, executive chef, Gunshow (Atlanta, Ga.): Ward was named one of Zagat's "30 Under 30 People Redefining the Hospitality Industry."
• Shuai Wang, owner/operator, Short Grain food truck (Charleston, S.C.): Wang has received praise for his untraditional Japanese cuisine and is an Eater Young Gun winner.
• Richard Jones, executive chef, Green Door Gourmet (Nashville, Tenn.): Jones is credited with helping change the face of true farm to fork dining in real time with consumers and chefs across the Nashville foodscape. 

Raffle proceeds collected during the event will benefit Omni Hotels & Resorts' Say Goodnight to Hunger program.

“Fish to Fork” Travel Packages (based on double occupancy): 

Weekend Package: May 18-20, $1,459 per room, plus taxes and fees

• Two nights luxurious oceanfront accommodations
• Friday night dinner
• Saturday lunch
• Two tickets to Saturday night's Main Event

Main Event Package: May 19-20, $599 per room, plus taxes and fees

• One night luxurious oceanfront accommodations
• Two tickets to Saturday night's Main Event

Weekend and Main Event travel packages are available for purchase offering varying amenities, accommodations and tickets. The VIP Package has already sold out. To book a travel package, to purchase tickets to the Main Event (available for $125 each) and for more information visit www.FishToForkWeekend.com or call 1-888-261-6161.

About Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort
Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort at 39 Beach Lagoon Road in Amelia Island, FL is just north of Jacksonville and nestled between the Atlantic Ocean, lush marshlands and the Intracoastal Waterway. Alongside 3.5 of beachfront, the property is situated on 1,350 acres. The resort features 402 guest rooms and suites, over 300 one-, two- and three-bedroom villas, 80,000 square feet of meeting space, 10 restaurants, the largest oceanfront poolscape in Northeast Florida, 36 holes of championship golf, 23 tennis courts, a fitness center, a luxurious full-service spa and salon, a shopping village with 14 boutiques, and numerous other recreational activities. For information, visit omniameliaislandplantation.com or call 1-800-THE-OMNI (843-6664). Like Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort on Facebook and follow the resort on Twitter.