DAYTON — A renowned local chef is getting recognition for her work in and out of the kitchen.
Liz Valenti, executive chef at Wheat Penny Oven and Bar, was recently one of 12 chefs awarded the by the Ohio Restaurant Association. She received the “Nourishing the Community Award” for her work in the community during the pandemic.
Valenti told News Center 7′s Candace Price that the past 16 months were difficult.
“It’s nothing any of us have prepared for,” Valenti said.
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Prepared or not, Valenti and her team pushed through the difficulties to come together for the community.
“We did vaccination clinics, we did disbursement of sanitizer. We worked with the Ohio Restaurant Association not just hunkered down in our own restaurants,” Valenti said.
When reflecting on the honor, Valenti said the team at Wheat Penny Oven and Bar played a “pivotal role” in their work during the pandemic.
“It’s not that we were the best restaurant in Dayton, but we really tried our best to have the largest reach,” Valenti said.