Fishing for gold
Boston College Dining Services Executive Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz has earned first place in the National Association of College & University Food Services 2026 Northeast Culinary Challenge.
The competition, held March 5 on the 自慰视频 campus, was part of NACUFS Engage: Northeast, an educational and networking conference for professionals working in campus dining that included keynotes and panel discussions鈥攚hich featured 自慰视频 representatives鈥攁s well as tours of the McElroy and Eagle鈥檚 Nest dining facilities.
Kaplowitz will move on to compete at the NACUFS 2026 National Conference on July 15 in New Orleans, where she will face off against other regional winners from across the country.
自慰视频 Dining Executive Chef Phyllis Kaplowitz after winning the NACUFS challenge.
In addition to earning first place in the Northeast, Kaplowitz earned a gold medal from the American Culinary Federation for her coconut curry seafood noodle bowl鈥攃atfish and pickled vegetable roulade, tempura togarashi okra, catfish shrimp shumai, coconut red curry, lemongrass cilantro oil, rice noodles and Thai basil.
Kaplowitz said she was shocked to hear her name announced as the first-place winner and to realize she would be representing her institution at the national competition.
鈥淚t was surreal. It was an out-of-body experience. I didn鈥檛 think that I was going to win, and I was surrounded by so many other amazing chefs that I was humbled to just have the experience,鈥� Kaplowitz said. 鈥淚t means so much to represent Boston College in this competition. I work with an amazing team and to be their spokesperson through this is very humbling.鈥�
Kaplowitz's winning dish: a coconut curry seafood noodle bowl of catfish and pickled vegetable roulade, tempura togarashi okra, catfish shrimp shumai, coconut red curry, lemongrass cilantro oil, rice noodles and Thai basil.
Kaplowitz said she set out to present catfish and okra in a way that reimagined the ingredients beyond their traditional Southern roots.
鈥淚 wanted to do something out of the box and different,鈥� Kaplowitz said. 聽鈥淚 tend to gravitate toward Asian flavors, so I turned it into a noodle bowl using southeast Vietnamese flavors and then okra as tempura.鈥�
With more than 25 years in fine dining, high-end catering, and educational food service, Kaplowitz leads a team of more than 150 people in daily operations and designs and leads culinary workshops, training programs, and safety sessions. A聽 competitor on Food Network鈥檚 "Chopped," she has also had the honor of cooking at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City.
Last year, she was among 21 chefs in the nation chosen聽by Culinary Institute of America and Hormel Foods to take part in a yearlong Culinary Enrichment and Innovation Program.
Earning second place in the competition was Peter Masiero of Smith College and in third place was Caleb Pham of the University of Massachusetts Amherst. They earned ACF silver medals, along with William Reardon of Fairfield University and Kaprishia Covington of the University at Buffalo. Nathaniel Buzard of the Rhode Island School of Design earned a bronze medal.
Launched in 2001 and adjudicated by the ACF, the NACUFS Culinary Challenge celebrates the exceptional culinary talent in collegiate foodservice. Each year, chefs create an original, nutritionally balanced dish featuring a designated protein, competing on organization, technique, and taste鈥攁ll judged on a 100-point scale.
NACUFS has been supporting excellence in collegiate dining since 1958. Through education, networking, and programs like the Culinary Challenge, NACUFS empowers food service professionals to innovate and lead on campus.聽The NACUFS Culinary Challenge is sponsored by聽Cintas. For more information,聽.