Almost Famous

No, not me, I haven’t had my fifteen minutes, but one of eight chefs competing in the Almost Famous Chef competition at the Art Institute of Atlanta, sponsored by delicious and effervescent San Pellegrino, was attempting to earn the right to earn some accolades (and money) in the kitchen. (note: I will accept free cases of Pellegrino)

I had the honor of serving as a media judge for the Southeast regionals last night, where the regional winner earns the right to travel to the CIA at Greystone and compete for $20k and a chance to cook along side a “well known” chef.

I was a little wary when I was asked to be one of the seven tasting judges, as I assumed they did what most PR folks did, which is to Google “Atlanta food blog”, then contact each of the top five results, and see who bites. As I didn’t see the Blissful Glutton, Chow Down Atlanta, or Foodie Buddha there, I presume they all passed on the opportunity. I’m glad I didn’t.

Each of the eight young chefs were given a few hours to prepare their dish, and they were each judged by three different sets of people. There were kitchen judges who were watching their technique and preparation, then there were seven of us tasting the results – four chef judges and three media judges. The chef judges included Eli Kirshtein and Sean Brock, and the media judges included Donna from “Dishing with Donna” and Meredith Ford-Goldman of the AJC. I was definitely in good company, and it was a lot of fun meeting some of these people and hearing them analyze dishes and ask questions of the oft-nervous chefs.

I was impressed by how many of them were chasing their dream, which is often very unglamorous in the food industry. One young lady, who served a solid rack of lamb dish with purple Peruvian potatoes, had only been cooking a few years, and had previously worked at a security check point at the Atlanta airport. Now she works a full time job at Dolce in addition to having a family and attending culinary school.

This chef was only 19 years old and served us the pistachio crusted pork with collards and sweet potato photographed below. The dish ultimately fell short, but I was impressed with his abilities at such a young age, and he did very well in front of the judges. It must be so nerve-wracking to try to present something you cooked for such accomplished chefs, and at such an inexperienced age.

The winning dish is below – sumac seared duck breast, braised duck leg, parsnip puree, and bull’s blood microgreens. Chef Timothy DeVore’s presentation was the best of the evening, and the appearance was indicative of the quality. Save for the aforementioned rack of lamb, this protein was served at the most appropriate temperature of all the dishes. Many of the challengers had a tough time with the timing, and ended up serving us overcooked salmon, tuna, pork, and duck. I’m sure that sort of thing will correct itself as these chefs gain experience.

But the winning dish was very solid top to bottom. I liked how the duck was prepared two ways, the duck breast was still slightly pink, the parsnip puree was still warm with even texture, the sauce was of appropriate consistency, and the micro green garnish was a tasty addition that also added to the overall aesthetic. This was a dish I’d be very satisfied with at many restaurants. Download the recipe here.

Timothy also deserves a shout out for plugging Pellegrino in his requisite participation questionnaire, citing his love of Pellegrino and how he couldn’t wait to cook with Pellegrino water. You are wise to understand marketing and sponsorships, young man.

The only downside of this competition was that it was very tough facing challengers with sub par submissions. Many chefs had worked very hard to get to this point in the competition, practicing their dishes over and over again for family and friends, many of whom were nervously watching the judging through glass. This was a big opportunity for many of these chefs, and I did feel badly to have to judge some dishes negatively. That was a new experience for me, and I can’t say I enjoyed that part of it.

But it must have been even tougher for those chefs to serve food they knew was overcooked to seven people whose job it is to judge the preparation, flavor, and overall enjoyment. Those chefs live to cook another day, and I applaud them for their efforts, not only for last night, but in their general endeavors to turn their passion into a career.

I wish I could see the finals in Napa, and just my luck, it turns out that FoodBuzz and S. Pellegrino are going to send one lucky blogger to the finals, all expenses paid. Having participated in the regional event, I now have a vested interest in seeing our elected winner represent our region and take down the other candidates. Through my research leading up to this event, my time spent judging last night, and through the time spent developing this post, I have a great understanding of this event, and would do a good job covering it. If FoodBuzz and San Pellegrino are reading this, I hope that you’ll consider me.