wednesday JULY 13TH 4-8 P.M.

by Ronni Wilde,

for The Bulletin Special Projects

If a house has a heart, most would agree it is the kitchen. Kitchens are where family and friends gather, bellies are satisfied and nurturing happens.

Because kitchens are so central to a home’s pulse, it’s not surprising that the Chefs on Tour event, presented by Central Oregon Builders Associations (COBA), has grown each year since its inception in 2013. That first year, COBA sold 400 tickets in just a few days. Since then, ticket sales have increased each year, with 800 up for grabs this year.

“Tickets sell out very quickly every year,” said Nicole Meagher, COBA’s event coordinator for Tour of Homes and Chefs on Tour. “The event has continued to evolve; we started with five chefs the first year, now there will be nine.”

This year’s Chefs on Tour takes place on Wednesday, July 13 from 4 to 8 p.m. As in previous years, each of the homes on the chef’s tour will feature a professional chef in the kitchen preparing tasty food, and craft beer will be paired with the food.

One such chef — teamed with builder Tartan Druim — is Baltazar Chavez, owner of Baltazar’s Seafood Restaurant in Bend. A first-time Chefs on Tour participant, Chavez said he is happy to be participating, and has several bite-sized delicacies planned.

“I am doing this for the community,” said Chavez. “Everybody likes my food. You have to give back.”

“The neat thing about Chefs on Tour is it gives you the opportunity to have a party in your house, but not in your house,” said Jay Campbell, co-owner of Woodhill Homes, who is paired with Chef Dave of Rockin’ Dave’s. Proximity of the homes was a priority for COBA this year as well.

“We wanted to keep drive time down for attendees,” said Meagher. “All the homes are within a 10-mile radius, and two are even next door to each other. Because the event is growing, we had more of a selection of homes from which to choose.” Most of the homes are located on the northwest side of town, with one on the east side. The price range of the nine homes on the chef’s tour is $342,900 to $1.9 million.

One criteria in selecting a home for Chefs on Tour, Meagher said, is that the kitchen must be large enough to hold a big crowd. During Chefs on Tour, each home starts with a designated number of tour-goers, then the attendees switch and travel to their next stop. They continue in this fashion from home to home until all the homes have been visited. A schedule with the designated order of viewing and a map to the homes will be distributed to each attendee along with his or her ticket.

In addition to serving lots of food, the chefs all compete for the “Best Chef on Tour” award. Last year’s winner was Matthew Cobb of Broken Top Bottle Shop, with the “Best Kitchen” award going to DC Graham Construction, LLC.

“Dan Pahlisch, a past president of COBA, came up with this idea to add a preview event to the Tour of Homes with a smaller crowd,” said Meagher.

“I like this event because it’s a way for the professionals to see the homes in a more intimate way,” said Greg Welch, owner of Greg Welch Construction. “It’s a nice way to see and thank the title company professionals, realtors and business people who come, and is a good way to support COBA,” said Welch, who served on the COBA board the first year that Chefs on Tour was added to the Tour of Homes.

“We have participated in all the Chefs on Tour events. It’s great for the public to get out and see the homes and sample the fantastic food and beer,” said Dan Goodrich, co-owner of Structure Development. “It has become a very sought-after ticket.”

When deciding upon a home to showcase during Chefs on Tour, builders typically select a new home with a kitchen that will wow the viewers and the chef.

“The kitchen we selected to showcase has a simple layout that makes efficient use of space,” said Chuck Schermerhorn, Neil Kelly’s General Manager of Bend Operations. “It is modern with soft rustic/industrial finishes that complement the rugged surroundings of Tetherow and Central Oregon.”

The kitchen was designed for people who love to cook and entertain, he said.

“It has wide aisles, pull-out storage, large work spaces and a Galley sink equipped with two faucets and a two-tier level of work surfaces and amenities. It’s complete with state-of-the-art, energy-efficient Miele appliances including two steam/convection ovens, two dishwashers, an induction cook top, a speed-cook convection microwave and 6 feet of built-in refrigeration,” said Schermerhorn. “And for entertainment, there is a wet bar/butler’s pantry that provides a sink, under-counter refrigerator, wine cooler, kegerator and plenty of additional storage.”

To purchase tickets to Chefs on Tour, call COBA at 541-389-1058, email to nicolem@coba.org or stop by the COBA office at 1051 NE 4th St. Cost is $35 per ticket through the end of June, and $39 per ticket beginning July 1.