Mitchell’s catering unit aids Flavored Nation

This year’s Flavored Nation event is getting a big boost from a company that knows a thing or two about food.

Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, the catering operation for Columbus’ most famous restaurant company, will make sure that the chefs at Flavored Nation have the ingredients and equipment they need, and any other assistance they require.

Flavored Nation, which is in its second year, showcases an iconic dish from all 50 states, featuring chefs from those states who will demonstrate how to prepare their home state’s dish.

This year’s Flavored Nation will be held Aug. 24-25 at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

“To me, it’s a natural connection and thing to get involved with,” Mitchell told The Dispatch.

“It’s a neat opportunity for people to experience some of the signature food dishes, and they can experience it without leaving Columbus,” he said.

Mitchell also is pleased that a portion of the proceeds from the event will go to support Mitchell Hall, the new home to Columbus State Community College’s Hospitality Management and Culinary Arts

program, which is named after Mitchell. The restaurateur has led the $10 million philanthropic campaign for the building, and it received a $2.5 million donation from Cameron Mitchell Restaurants.

“It’s part of our commitment to our community involvement. That program and school will be very impactful to our community for decades to come,” Mitchell said.

Beyond catering services, the company will present culinary demonstrations at Flavored Nation, including a chef knifeskills challenge and a butchering demonstration. Other ideas are in the works.

Mitchell will attend at least part of the event, trying out some of the dishes and signing his new book, “Yes is the Answer! What is the Question?” His schedule hasn’t been set.

Besides the catering operation, Cameron Mitchell has 36 restaurants operating nationwide under 15 concepts.

“One of the unique advantages of Flavored Nation is that it provides access to other state and regional dishes, spurring culinary discoveries while highlighting talented chefs from Columbus and beyond,” Melissa Johnson, managing director of Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, said in a statement. “This is a quality event that has great opportunity to continue to grow year over year.”

Gatehouse Live creates and produces the event. Dispatch Media Group, including The Columbus Dispatch, is the local arm of Gatehouse Live.

“We are excited to welcome one of our nation’s preeminent food and culinary art innovators, Cameron Mitchell and his team, to the Flavored Nation event,” Bradley M. Harmon, president and publisher of Dispatch Media Group, said in a statement. “Cameron Mitchell Premier Events brings the very highest caliber of food and hospitality excellence to this second-year event, so that together we can delight our guests even more.”

Tickets for the event are available for $35 until Monday. After that, the online price goes to $45, and tickets at the door will be $55.

Tickets include oneday access to the event, 10 food samples and six drink samples.

Go to Flavored Nation.com for more information.

mawilliams@ dispatch.com @Bizmarkwilliams