Great Lakes sailors get celebrity chef treatment

Military veterans who grew to detest chipped beef on toast would have been amazed by the food served Wednesday at Great Lakes Naval Station.

Upscale dishes such as pesto sausage roll, shrimp étouffée, beef jerky chili and strawberry-blueberry pizza were part of the breakfast, lunch and dinner menus at the base through the America’s Chefs organization.

All eight culinary wizards who visited Great Lakes have been featured on Food Network’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” hosted by Guy Fieri. A band added to the festive lunchtime atmosphere in a courtyard adjacent to Galley 525.

Master Chief Leon Walker, who tops Great Lakes’ senior enlisted personnel, gave a thumbs-up to the ribs dished out by Rich Bacchi of Gorilla’s BBQ in Pacifica, Calif. Walker also enjoyed the rare opportunity to mingle with a variety of Navy ranks at lunch.

“It breeds more camaraderie,” he said. “On a ship, your dining facilities are separate. But here, you get a chance to talk to people you normally would not talk to during your work day.”

Carl Ferreira and Cris Beutler, both of whom specialize in explosive ordnance disposal, were among about 2,000 sailors who lined up for gourmet grub. While waiting for shrimp étouffée, both said they appreciated deviating from the daily Navy routine.

Along with the ribs and shrimp, lunch choices included “death” chicken wings, grilled corn and watermelon. None of the star chefs offered the chipped beef on toast, frequently known by the nickname of “SOS.”

America’s Chefs, a nonprofit launched by Christian Vaughan and Fieri about four years ago, works with all facets of the U.S. military. It aims to provide entertainment, education and a morale boost.

Jeff Rumaner — who professionally goes by the uppercased moniker STRETCH — was among the celebrities who mingled with and fed the sailors. He’s an artist who owns Grinders and Grinders West in Kansas City, Mo.

STRETCH, who’s cooked with Fieri on “Guy’s Big Bite,” brought his 25-gallon Monster Margarita Machine built from two garbage disposals. Only strawberries and other fresh fruit for smoothies went into the gizmo.

Participating in America’s Chefs is a way to show appreciation to the military by creating healthy, quality food, he said.

“These guys do so much and put themselves, literally, in the line of fire in order to keep all of us civilians free and do the crazy, wild things that I do and all my friends do,” STRETCH said.

Great Lakes’ executive officer, Cmdr. Robert Sullivan, said he hopes the chefs’ visit was the start of an annual event. He said it’s good for the military to see civilian support.

“We’re honored to have the chefs come out and do something like this,” Sullivan said.