Nickel City Chef 1 - The Battle, the Booze, the Loot and the Swag Bag

Chef Brian Mietus of Bacchus was the Nickel City Chef who competed against Chef Dunbar Berdine of Black Rock Kitchen & Bar in a fight, that to my senses was a closer fight than what the final tally showed.

This was Nickel City Chef's second battle of Season 4 and it was a well orchestrated ballet of executive chefs, cameras, sous-chefs, commentators, wait staff, and overly excited audience members. I was surprised by the number of cameras flowing back and forth between the two stations, the number of people walking around trying to catch a closer look, and the chatter from the crowd.

The smell of Chef Berdine's pork-belly in the pressure cooker, mingled with the scent of sweet fruit and simmering cider was dizzying.

The team from Leonard Oakes Estate Winery who produced SteamPunk Cider were thrilled to participate as this round's secret ingredient. A blend of traditional bitter sweet apples and new age dessert apples, like Fuji and Braeburn, this cider is light, sweet, with a sharp acid finish.

To top it all off, I won the sauce and book prize. Krista VanWagner, a Nickel City Chef, provided two bottles of her outstanding Krista's Jamacian Jerk and Hot Sauce. The book looks to be signed by everyone and I can't wait to crack it's spine and get started with producing the mouthwatering recipes in it! A big thank you to Christa Seychew, Feed Your Soul, Artisan Kitchens & Baths and all of the behind the scenes folks who made this event so enjoyable!