SIDETRACK
PLAYING THE FIELD: The New England Revolution recently rolled up to Gillette Stadium and they were there for the right reasons: to shoot a special parody video of “The Bachelor” in celebration of Valentine’s Day. To start off what is hopefully not the most dramatic season yet, a few players from our local roster — specifically Matt Turner, Jalil
Anibaba and Brandon Bye — stepped in front of the camera to win fans over and secure that first-impression rose. The spoof, which can be seen on the team’s social channels, asks folks to choose for themselves and vote for which soccer star will have their heart this season.
WORK HARD, PLAY HARD: “No sleep” will take on a whole new meaning for Wiz Khalifa when he comes to New England for a three-show run. After his slated performance with Curren$y at Boston’s Royale on Feb. 26, the rapper will be making an immediate encore by hosting a scheduled after-party later that night at The Grand. The hip-hop artist — who made headlines last week by uncharacteristically starring alongside his son, Sebastian, in a new Oreo adthat also had him actually rapping about the popular sandwich cookie — is expected to perform tracks off his most recent album, “Rolling Papers 2,” as well as his solid hits like “Black and Yellow” and “We Dem Boyz” at the Seaport venue. To end his whirlwind 48 hours, Wiz Khalifa will also head down to Connecticut, where he’s set to play Shrine Nightclub at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Feb. 27.
AFTER-SCHOOL SKILLS: The Massachusetts Restaurant Association Educational Foundation just hosted its 12th
annual Massachusetts ProStart Student Invitational at Gillette Stadium for the first time ever. The statewide culinary arts and restaurant management competition welcomed students from 14 local high schools as they completed a series of challenges at the Foxboro arena, with celebrity judges including:
Bob Luz, president/CEO of the Massachusetts Restaurant Association; Matthew Slater,
Patriots special teams captain
and wide receiver; Maria Stephanos, anchor for WCVB-TV Channel 5; Jarvis Green, ex-Pat and owner of Oceans 97 Shrimp;
Tatianna Rosana, executive chef at the Envoy Hotel and recent “Chopped” champion; Patrick Renna, interim CEO at
Wahlburgers; and RyanDion , CEO of 110 Grill and Evviva Trattoria .As far as winners go, Carver Middle/
High School students placed first in the culinary arts competition, while Taunton High School students won the top spot for restaurant management, with both teams advancing and representing the state at the 2019 National ProStart Student Invitational in Washington, D.C., this spring.