Taking Game Day Favorites to the Next Level with Chef Shelby and the Evo EVent 48E

Game Day favorites got an upgrade when Chef Shelby Briggs, Director of Culinary for Star Brands, joined The Hansen Group for its Next Level event, showcasing creative menu possibilities on the Evo EVent® 48E Ventless Griddle.

With live cooking at the center of the experience, Chef Shelby demonstrated how familiar Game Day flavors can be elevated into memorable menu offerings—all while showcasing the versatility of one of the newest additions to the Star Brands family.

Game Day Favorites – with a Chef Shelby Twist

Chef Shelby’s menu brought together familiar comfort-food flavors with unexpected ingredients and presentation.

First up was a Cheesesteak featuring shaved ribeye, smoked provolone, and pickled pepper chimichurri served on a hoagie roll – a fresh take on a Game Day staple.

She followed it with Cider Braised Pork Belly served with jalapeño cornbread and stewed tomato jam, combining savory, sweet and a little heat into a dish built for an elevated Game Day menu.

But behind all that great food was a piece of equipment designed to make live-action cooking possible in places operators may not traditionally expect to put a griddle.

Meet the Evo EVent 48E

The Evo EVent 48E combines a high-efficiency electric griddle with an integrated downdraft ventilation system, creating a self-contained cooking station designed specifically for front-of-house and display cooking applications.

The biggest advantage? No traditional overhead vent hood or ductwork is required.

That opens up opportunities to bring freshly prepared food closer to the customer in restaurants, sports and entertainment venues, cafeterias, convention centers, resorts, grocery stores, QSRs, and even nontraditional locations where installing conventional ventilation may be difficult.

Ventless Cooking. Serious Griddle Performance.

At the center of the EVent 48E is a 24″ x 48″ rectangular steel cooking surface with a heat-focused center. Its temperature can be adjusted from 100°F to 550°F, providing flexibility to handle a wide variety of menu applications.

Evo’s Smart Heat Technology sequentially energizes four heaters to promote even heat and quick temperature recovery—important when chefs are moving from one order to the next during busy service. A resistive touchscreen gives operators control over temperature presets while also providing information about the ventilation system and filter status.

Ventilation Built Right In

What truly sets the EVent 48E apart is what happens underneath and around the cooking surface.

Its integrated downdraft ventilation system draws air across the griddle and through a four-stage filtration system designed to address grease, airborne food particles, smoke and cooking odors. The system incorporates a stainless steel grease filter, aluminum mesh filter, electrostatic precipitator and activated charcoal post-filter.

The unit is certified for ventless operation to the UL 710B standard and also incorporates a self-contained fire-suppression system. The result is much more than a griddle. It’s a cooking platform designed to help operators rethink where the cooking can happen.

Bringing the Kitchen into the Experience

That capability made the EVent 48E a natural fit for The Hansen Group’s Next Level event.

Instead of hiding the cooking process in the back of the house, equipment like the EVent 48E can help make food preparation part of the guest experience. Operators can create live-action stations where guests see, hear and experience their food being prepared right in front of them.

For chefs, that means an opportunity to interact with guests while demonstrating the freshness and creativity behind the menu. For operators, it creates new possibilities for locations where a traditional overhead hood may not be practical.

And for Chef Shelby, it provided the perfect platform for transforming Game Day favorites into something unexpected.

Thank you to The Hansen Group for hosting Chef Shelby and allowing us to showcase Evo, great food, and what’s possible when innovative equipment meets culinary creativity.