Chef Challenge Syracuse is a series of hyper-local "Chopped''-style events designed to bring Central New York's top restaurant talent and lovers of local food together. Organizers aim to put CNY on the map as a "foodie'' destination.
The events are similar to Food Network's "Chopped'' in that participating chefs/restaurants receive a "mystery box'' of seasonal produce and pastured meats from Grindstone Farm, Pulaski -- then have a relatively short time frame during which to produce a four-course meal for about 25 guests utilizing the contents of the box. At some restaurants, guests are invited "backstage'' into the kitchen as meals are being prepared and at other restaurants they are not. Most restaurants are serving dinner as usual to diners ordering off the menu -- in addition to their Chef Challenge guests.
Chef Challenge Syracuse is a project of Josh Rhoades and his team at Pragmatic and Fresh Business Solutions. Rhoades describes the events as more fun and less competition than "Chopped'' -- don't worry, no one in the kitchen is eliminated at the conclusion of each course. At the most recent event, at The Lincklaen House in Cazenovia, Rhoades welcomed guests, escorted them into the kitchen, answered questions, handed out surveys, introduced the chefs and ran interference between the kitchen and the dining room.
Lincklaen House Executive Chef Chance Bear (above, right) and his team did their homework, looked at the Grindstone Farm website to get a feel for what's in season and what the box might include (lots of root vegetables) and thought out possibilities for their fusion menu well in advance. In addition to organic beets, carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas and radishes, the box contained eggs and plenty of pastured pork, including ground pork, kielbasa and fresh hotdogs. The menu, therefore would contain plenty of pork -- not a problem at all, said Bear, pointing to a pig tattooed prominently on his arm.
An amuse-bouche is usually a bite-sized "gift'' from the chef. Bear began the meal with a pork grob amuse course: ground pork with golden turnips and chilies in a Thai whiskey sauce, served on rice and garnished with tempura fried sage.
The official first course was yam coconut (milk) soup, garnished with pickled and spiced rutabaga.
The second course featured a thin sheet of pasta stuffed with smoked ginger sausage, served with pickled Adirondack blue potato and a beet dashi (dashi is a broth frequently used in Japanese cooking).
The third course generated the most buzz among diners. It featured crispy fried pork, served with red potatoes, roasted rutabaga and baked soy mushrooms, served atop a Thai yellow curry.
Last but not least: dessert. You wouldn't expect such an imaginative, gourmet feast to end with a dessert made in the microwave -- but it did. Shown is chef Bear's aerated beet cake, served warm with salted caramel, wasabi, white chocolate and burnt carrot sauce.
Thank you for a wonderful evening, Pragmatic and Fresh and Chef Challenge Syracuse! It was fun to meet fellow lovers of local food (and fellow food bloggers / Foodstagrammers). My table mates included several people from the Cazenovia business community, the wife of a Lincklaen House sous chef and a father and his high school-age daughter, who learned about the Chef Challenge Syracuse events on Facebook.
The next Chef Challenge is at 5:30 p.m. Monday, February 19, at Villa Verona Vineyard and Bistro in Verona, Oneida County's first winery. Seating is extremely limited and several price plans are available (including discounts for students and those who don't wish to partake in wine pairings).
For more information and to request tickets, CLICK HERE.
CLICK HERE for a video about Chef Challenge Syracuse.
