APRIL 2, 2009 ISSUE
The Fire is Just Warming Up!
The Stage (and Table) is Set for Fire On The Rock Finals April 18 and 19
The burners are off, the flour has settled, the plates are washed and the votes are in. After eight epic culinary battles and hundreds of satiated diners, eight worthy chefs and their teams will battle for kitchen supremacy in the third annual Fire On The Rock Chef’s Challenge. The finalists will pull out all the stops as they compete during the Blue Ridge Wine & Food Festival on Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19, at the Hayes Performing Arts Center in Blowing Rock.
Competition heats will take place at 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m., 5:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Tickets are $5 to each individual heat or $10 for all four heats.
Chefs slated to participate include Bill Green (Artisinal), Michael Barbato (Chetola’s Manor House Restaurant), Guy Thomas (Ciao Bella at Meadowbrook Inn), Marietta DeBriere (Blowing Rock Country Club), Dominic Geraghty (Hound Ears), Chuck Nelson (The Table at Crestwood), Guy Branaman (Broyhill Inn’s Jackson Dining Room) and James Welch (Crippen’s).
Diners who ate, drank and judged the dishes during the preliminary battles at Crippen’s raved about the experience. More than just another night at one of the area’s most esteemed restaurants, the participation factor created an electric environment at Crippen’s, fostering intense discussions about aroma, appearance, texture and taste.
Unbeknownst to many, several of the participating chefs have loyal fans who gladly made their way to Crippen’s in hopes of seeing their favorite culinary master win their round. Jimmy Crippen and his staff went to great lengths throughout the competition to ensure that each chef’s identity pertaining to each dish was kept hidden until after the scores were tallied.
You Be The Chef
For an encore to the wildly successful series, Jimmy Crippen is opening his restaurant to local amateur chefs who think they’ve got what it takes to please a room full of discriminating diner with the new You Be The Chef series.
Under the watchful eye and culinary expertise of Crippen’s Chef James Welch, amateur chefs will have the full run of the restaurant’s kitchen and attempt to recreate three of their most famous dishes for friends, family and Crippen’s diners alike. According to Crippen, the series will begin during the next few weeks. Chefs must secure a minimum of 12 reservations to participate.
“Don’t worry, we’ll make you look good,” said Jimmy Crippen on the restaurant’s website.
For more information on You Be The Chef, click to www.crippens.com.
Want To Go?
Date: Saturday and Sunday, April 18 and 19
Time: varies
Location: Hayes Performing Arts Center, Blowing Rock
Cost: $5
And The Winners Are…
Working furiously in the kitchen to infuse a series of sumptuous creations with the surprise secret ingredient, each chef and their teams were brought out of the kitchen at the end of each meal to be cheered by crowds of discerning, yet appreciative diners. Without further ado, here are the winners along with their individual scores and secret ingredients:
March 3: Bill Green (Artisinal) def. Michael Foreman (Restaurant G)
Score: 3,992 points to 3,392 points
Secret Ingredient: Milk
March 4: Michael Barbato (Chetola’s Manor House Restaurant) def. Ken Gordon (The Gamekeeper)
Score: 3,073 points to 3,015 points
Secret Ingredient: Apples
March 10: Guy Thomas (Ciao Bella at Meadowbrook Inn) def. Jordan Allen (Pssghetti’s)
Score: 2,903 points to 2,571 points
Secret Ingredient: Heirloom Tomatoes
March 11: Marietta DeBriere (Blowing Rock Country Club) def. Daniel Bock (Canyons)
Score: 4,035 points to 3,378 points
Secret Ingredient: Beer
March 17: Dominic Geraghty (Hound Ears) def. Andrew Long (Storie Street Grille)
Score: 3,333 points to 2,967 points
Secret Ingredient: Mushrooms
March 18: Chuck Nelson (The Table at Crestwood) def. Sam Beasely (Casa Rustica)
Score: 4,286 points to 4,190 points
Secret Ingredient: Rosemary
March 24: Guy Branaman (Broyhill Inn’s Jackson Dining Room) def. Will Burrell (Glidewell’s)
Score: 2,239 points to 2,133 points
Secret Ingredient: Strawberries
March 25: James Welch (Crippen’s) def. Jamie Lyda (The Library at Green Park Inn)
Score: 5,131 points to 3,575 points
Secret Ingredient: Peppers
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