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Chef Mark Muller of Ellie’s Downtown
Deli featured at Spring Forward for Hunger
Media Inquiries: Angie Francalancia
The Connection Public Relations
561-837-3251 office
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STUART, Fla. Feb. 9, 2017 - The second annual Spring Forward for Hunger will feature the culinary artistry of Chef Mark Muller, one of the most highly regarded chefs on the Treasure Coast.
Muller, who owns Ellie’s Downtown Deli and Catering in Downtown Stuart, will lend his catering talents as well as his allegiance to healthy ingredients to the farm-to-table brunch that features locally sourced foods and benefits Treasure Coast Food Bank.
“The event is something I could really get behind,” said Muller. “For me, the concept is ‘the fresher the better.’ Our specials at the deli are based on what we can get our hands on, so the customer knows whatever they get it’s going to be top-notch.”
Spring Forward for Hunger, which sold out its first event last year, takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Sunday, April 2, 2017, at Ground Floor Farm, 100 SE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in Downtown Stuart.
Guests will enjoy complementary mimosas and sangria along with an array of traditional and unconventional brunch dishes created from fresh ingredients provided by Florida farmers. Don’t be surprised to find a couple of crowd favorites from Ellie’s featured at Spring Forward for Hunger, Muller says.
“Our Cran-Apple Crunch Salad is one of our most popular on the board,” Muller said. “We buy our greens locally in Vero Beach or at Ground Floor Farm.”
Other menu highlights include a rosemary and thyme roasted New York strop with brandy button mushrooms and a mint demi glaze as well as a blackened shrimp and asparagus penne alfredo. For those looking for more traditional breakfast fare, there will be house smoked salmon eggs benedict as well as an omelet bar and a biscuit bar.
Muller bought Ellie’s in 2013, but he has overseen kitchens throughout the region, including Sailfish Point, Loblolly Pines, Harborage Yacht Club and at several gourmet restaurants. He’s also well-known for his community outreach, including a summer cooking camp he teaches at the YMCA and as coordinator of the Stuart “Chopped” competition that has become an annual feature of ArtsFest.
Spring Forward for Hunger celebrates Florida’s harvest and emphasizes the benefits of eating local. Through Treasure Coast Food Bank’s recently completed produce processing plant, there will be more nutritious produce available for the community’s vulnerable populations – low-income children, seniors, and others who struggle with hunger.
Tickets for the brunch are $55 and can be purchased online at stophunger.org or by calling 772-489-3034. Sponsorship opportunities also are available. For more information contact Wendie Berardi at 772-446-1796 or email wberardi@tcfoodbank.org.
