Spoonfuls Rallies Boston Chefs for Fried Chicken Face-Off for Hunger Relief at Lincoln in South Boston
Chefs Lambert Givens and Alex Sáenz engage in friendly competition to support Spoonfuls as food insecurity is on the rise
SOUTH BOSTON, MA – With two in five Massachusetts households experiencing food insecurity, Spoonfuls is bringing back its previously sold-out Battle of the Bites to raise funds for its food recovery work, which distributes enough food across Massachusetts for 96,000 meals each week. The battle will feature a fried chicken face-off between Chefs Lambert Givens (Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar) and Alex Sáenz (Hemlock Grill, Taqueria El Barrio, El Barrio Tortillas y Salsa).
Attendees will watch the competition go down and vote for their favorite dish to crown the winner of this head-to-head. Tickets include appetizers from Lincoln, signature cocktails from presenting sponsor Tito’s Handmade Vodka, opportunities to taste both chef’s creations, and more.
Battle of the Bites Event Details:
June 17, 2026 from 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant
$50 tickets available at spoonfuls.org/events/battle-of-the-bites
Chef Alex Sáenz’s fried chicken became infamous in the Boston food scene when Bisq Cambridge opened in 2016. Later, Sáenz received back to back recognition for Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston: Fried Chicken. The first came in 2023 for Bisq’s Timeout Market outpost (the original location closed during the pandemic) and the second in 2024 for Hemlock Grill. The latter has made Brookline’s Robert T. Lynch Municipal Golf Course a foodie destination unto itself thanks to the buckets of fried chicken and sandwiches he still cooks up onsite.
Chef Lambert Givens’ fried-chicken benedict is just one of the reasons Hunter’s Kitchen & Bar took home Boston Magazine’s Best of Boston: Best Brunch in 2025. And as a former college football athlete at South Carolina State University, Givens is no stranger to competition. He has clinched wins on two popular Food Network programs: Beat Bobby Flay in 2022 and Flavortown Food Fight, hosted by Guy Fieri, in 2026.
Says Givens, “After participating in Spoonfuls’ annual Ultimate Tailgate fundraiser for the past few years, I’m excited to extend my support through Battle of the Bites. As a chef, I love to feed people, but I know not everyone can afford to put food on their tables, especially right now. Supporting Spoonfuls’ mission is one way I’m able to feed even more people in my community, and I’m excited
to do it in such a fun way. Get ready, Chef Alex!”
Chefs Nick Dixon, a member of Spoonfuls’ Culinary Board, and Rick Tormey of Lincoln Tavern & Restaurant are helping to make Battle of the Bites possible through their generous donation of the space and appetizers.
According to the Greater Boston Food Bank, the rate of food insecurity in Massachusetts has more than doubled since 2019. Spoonfuls expects this number to continue to grow, as additional federal changes to SNAP slated for October 2026 and 2027 could result in reduced benefits. Battle of the Bites will help Spoonfuls meet the current – and rising – need for food. Every $1 raised will enable Spoonfuls to recover more than one pound of good food before it can reach the waste stream. The food Spoonfuls recovers is delivered same-day to its network of 250 community partners – food pantries, meal programs, and more – across Massachusetts.
Said Spoonfuls’ Head of Development, Jean Martinho, “Spoonfuls is fortunate to have impactful, longstanding partnerships in the hospitality community, whose generosity helps to fuel our food recovery work. Battle of the Bites is no exception. Thanks to the competing chefs and Lincoln hosts for donating their time and cuisine, 100% of proceeds from this event will support Spoonfuls’ ability to recover and deliver more good food for people across the state.”
