The Rugby Grille to Host National Celebrity Chef Tour: Here’s Who’s Cooking

Last week, we shared the elaborate menu planned for the being hosted at the on Sept. 22. This week, we’d like to share some info on the participating chefs. The Rugby Grille’s own Jim Bologna will be hosting the dinner, which benefits the James Beard Foundation. Guest celebrity chefs include Aaron Butts from Joseph Decuis in Roanoke, IN and David Gilbert from the in Birmingham.

About Chef Aaron Butts

Chef Aaron Butts started cooking in high school, excelling so fast that he passed on formal training to learn hands-on at acclaimed restaurants Fat Duck and Charlie Trotter's before coming to Indiana’s Joseph Decuis. A certified sommelier, he places emphasis on working with fresh, in-season, local meats and produce.

About Chef David Gilbert

Michigan-born Chef David Gilbert, deemed by Chef Polcyn as a "rising star" in the culinary world, has worked at the French Laundry (Yountville, CA), L'Astrance (Paris, France), Martine Berastegui (San Sebastian, Spain) and Michel Bras (Laguiole, France). He returned to Michigan in 2005, serving as chef at The Townsend Hotel’s Rubgy Grille before moving on to Birmingham’s Forest Grill.  He is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. 

About Chef Jim Bologna  

Jim Bologna has been the executive chef of The Rugby Grille at The Townsend Hotel since 2008, where he’s responsible for the hotel's partnership with local farmers to deliver the freshest products available. Prior to joining The Townsend, Bologna was executive chef for Morels/Shiraz and Capital Grille. He then joined Holiday Market, a high-end off-premise catering company located in Royal Oak, Mich., as the executive chef. While there, Bologna designed the company’s kitchen and started a very successful cooking school, The Mirepoix.

This dinner is open to everyone who wants to support the James Beard Foundation. For more information and ticket inquiries email: jeff@celebritycheftour.com.