3 Course Feast

Sunday night, Mom, Sissy, and I volunteered at the 3 Course Feast, a fundraiser for United Cerebral Palsy (UCP). This is the even formerly known as the Great Chef’s Tasting. This year, they pushed it back several months, kept only the best restaurants, removed live music but added chef demonstrations, and most importantly, greatly increased the price. I ran across the opportunity to volunteer, so not only was I helping a worthy cause, we got to stay at the event after our shift was over!

The way it worked was each restaurant was serving a small portion of either an appetizer, an entrée, or a dessert. After you tasted all of them, you voted once in each category. The winner won the Silver Spatula Award.

Even from just reading the “menu,” you could tell the chefs had really brought their A game. This was definitely confirmed after tasting ALL of the dishes (and even going back for seconds at many places).

Appetizers
Patrick and Deni from the Majestic Grille came with one of my favorites of the night – Thai Tuna Wontons with a ginger drizzle. The smoothness of the tuna, the crunchiness of the wonton, and the spiciness of the ginger combined for a perfect two bite finger food.

Another great appetizer was the BBQ shrimp from Chef Kelly at Restaurant Iris. A classic dish from New Orleans cuisine, it has just the right mount of flavor and spiciness.

The other standout was the winter corn chowder with smoked bay scallops and truffle pop corn from Chez Philippe. At first glance, it did not look as thick as a normal chowder, so I thought I would not like it or it would taste watered down. However, it turned out to be quite a refreshing soup, with the full corn flavor without being too heavy!

The appetizer winner was the New Zealand lamb lollipops from the Tennessean. I can’t talk about those too much, however because we got the last one and had to share it with three people. While very tasty and tender, I did not get quite enough to pass full judgment.

The final dishes to round out the category were Oxtail soup with gnocchi from Ciao Bella (gnocchi were good, but the soup was a bit too vegetable-y), and slow poached veal from Equestria (different kind of prep than I have had before, but the meat needed a bit more flavor).

Entrees
I have not been to Grill 83 in quite some time, but will definitely be going back after tasting their Moroccan Lamb Ragout with Orzo Pasta. With pearled onions (?), perfectly tender lamb, and served over rice, it was a delicious succulent (with a hint of sweet) combination!

Chef John Bragg from Circa was there with his pork tenderloin. It was stuffed with prunes, which gave a nice sweet flavor to the “salty meat.” I have never been disappointed with any of his food in the past, and enjoyed it once again with his perfectly cooked pork.

Karen Carrier from numerous restaurants (including The Beauty Shop and Do) served a crispy chorizo steak sandwich and a warm winter vegetable salad. It sounds simple, but the chorizo was beautifully prepared, and combined with the crunch of the Italian bread and the sweet flavor of the lemon aioli, it made you want to go back for another.

A place I have never been is Café Toscana, but it is now towards the top of list, due to their dessert (see below) and their pork tenderloin, stuffed with sausage and spinach. The pork was tender and juicy, and the sausage was a nice complement, bringing a bit of spice and a slightly tougher texture.

Also serving entrees were Erling Jensen with shrimp with white bean casolette (I DEFINITELY need to go there soon, it was deliciously creamy and chunky at the same time), Jarrets with saffron and seafood risotto (each risotto individually shaped in small mold, topped with a shrimp AND scallop), Bluefin with big eye tuna (very fresh with a creamy texture), and Orleans on Front with crawfish etouffee (it was okay, but I am hard to please, as I am quite spoiled with Cajun food).

Rounding out the entrée category were two types of sliders. Napa Café served a short rib slider that had tender and flavorful meat. McEwan’s on Monroe served a duck confit slider with an amazing BBQ-ish type sauce.

Desserts
Café Toscana brought a unique (in addition to being absolutely delicious) dessert, so my vote ultimately went to them. An Italian spumino, made with three layers of mousse (berry, vanilla, and pistachio), was served in mini-cups, making for a fruity and airy-light way to finish a meal.

A very close second was the white chocolate bread pudding from Felicia Suzanne’s. Creamy sauce, with soaked bread, and topped with homemade whipped cream, each bite was sinfully rich (without being overdone) and warming. One serving was definitely not enough for the three of us to share.

Completing the dessert category was a torte trio from Bari, consisting of lemon mascarpone, apple semolina, and chocolate hazelnut (these were okay, not bad but not my favorites), and a Holiday Inn offering of chocolate covered strawberries (good, but overpowering on the chocolate), cherries jubilee (good, but not a fan of the dish in general, so it is hard to judge), and bananas foster (ok, but have had better). As a bonus, Chez Philippe served their end-of-meal treats, which are always perfect little bites of sweetness.

Drinks and Wrap-Up
A.S. Barboro was sampling all the Sam Adams beer varieties. I tried the White Ale, a seasonal brew somewhere between a light lager and wheat, which I really enjoyed. Southwestern Distributors was serving Red Diamond wine, of which I tried the Cab and the Shiraz. The Cab was very good at first sip, but not as flavorful as the Shiraz after a comparison tasting.

Also serving drinks were High Point Coffee, DBI Beverages (Coors Light), Pepsi Americas, Victor L Robilio Inc (pomegranate martinis), and D. Canale (assorted beers).

Overall, it was a great even with wonderful food! Although a bit pricey at $65, it is just about worth it with the high quality and variety of chefs, drinks, and demonstrations! Plus, it all goes to a great cause!