Reality Rally

Today’s “Up Close and Personal” interview will feature Kevin Des Chenes, an executive chef in Boston, Massachusetts who is one of our dear Reality stars and attendee of Reality Rally!

Des Chenes has appeared on reality cooking shows such as Season 2 of “Chef Wanted”, and Season 1 of “Frankenfood”. In the coming months, he will also be appearing on a few more shows whose names are being kept under wraps for now.

Des Chenes was offered the position on “Chef Wanted” after his participation in national food and wine festivals was recognized by Food Network producers. At the festivals, Des Chenes networked with attendees, made some connections, and “a couple interviews later and I was on the show,” he said.

Now, Des Chenes works for the Table 3 Restaurant Group, just outside of Boston.

When asked what he loves most about his job, Des Chenes replied: “I love the unlimited amount of applications for all the crazy ingredients. I’ve been doing it for 20 years but there’s still so much more I can do, so many options and ways to work with ingredients that I haven’t even tried yet.”

Des Chenes is also passionate about doing charity events.

“Before I was on TV, I always did little events. But being on TV gives me a platform to actually help out and raise some real money. Because people know the Food Network, so it allowed me to be able to raise some more funds. I just love to help people and I’m glad that I can help out a lot more now that I’m a pseudo-celebrity,” he said.

One of Des Chenes’ fundraising mechanisms is called the “One Dollar Challenge”, wherein he challenges friends on social media to donate just a dollar, or two.

“A lot of us have five hundred or a thousand friends on social media, and the deal is, if you can get everyone to give a buck or two bucks, suddenly you have five hundred or one thousand dollars.”

Des Chenes has seen already seen a huge response.

“I’m well past five hundred, on my way to a thousand,” he said.

At Reality Rally 2015, Des Chenes won the Chef Showcase against 18 other chefs along with his team member from Chopped and Cutthroat Kitchen. Their play on a street taco was a hit.

Des Chenes plans to attend Reality Rally in 2016. He most looks forward to the comradery between all the chefs, as he recalls the fun they all had last year.

“It was a really cool event. It was a great night.”

We look forward to seeing you Kevin! Ready to cook up a storm in 2016?

-Taryn Murphy