The Worcester’s Best Chef culinary competition will take place Sunday, January 31, 2010, at historic Union Station, from 4 to 8 p.m., with some exciting developments. “Some Iron Chef elements, like a live Mystery Basket final round, will be added to the event,” said Alina Eisenhauer, one of the competition’s judges and a featured chef on Food Network’s Chopped. Michael Giletto, a celebrity chef from Iron Chef America, Chopped, and the Tyra Banks Show, is one of many highly-accredited chefs that will sit on the panel this year alongside other culinary greats and food critics.
Last year’s winners included Judges’ Choice champion Laddavanh “Anna” Bouphavichith from Yama Zakura in Northboro and People’s Choice champ Wilson Wang from BABA Sushi in Worcester. They will be joined by several other top chefs, all competing in one of three categories, Fine Dining, Asian, and Dessert. The gourmets will all be preparing their very best, as this is no ordinary food show—”The chefs are coming to win and they are bringing their ‘A’ game,” said judge Stanley Nicas from the Culinary Institute of America and The Castle Restaurant. The judges’ criteria are based on those of the Culinary Institute of America, and results are audited and announced by Worcester-based CPA firm, Houssan Ojerholm, PC. Last year’s event saw the likes of stuffed lobster, King Crab, a fully skewered and slow-roasted lamb, caviar-filled sushi, stuffed fillet mignon, and much, much more.
The Worcester’s Best Chef culinary competition also features a full tasting of wines from throughout the world. Guests will also be trained in the art of “Champagne Sabering” by Sir Jeremy John Bell of Scotland, a master of uncorking $80 Perrier-Jouet French Champagne with a 4-foot saber. Sir Jeremy will also indulge guests in the history and tasting of Absinthe, an ancient liquor known as “The Green Fairy”, which inspired world-famous artists like Picasso and Matisse, as well as author Ernest Hemmingway. Guests will witness a Salsa, Cha-Cha and Merengue dance exhibition by the kings of Latin Swing, Salsa Storm, then they will cast their votes via text messaging after tasting the extraordinary delights, but not before they get some relaxing massage therapy courtesy of Theracopia of Soutboro.
Net proceeds will be donated to Worcester Technical High School’s College Scholarship Fund. The intent is to reward young culinary students who are talented and work hard, but don’t have the economic means to continue on to higher culinary education. Students are also paired with mentoring chefs during the competition for training purposes. “Supporting the culinary arts is a very important aspect of this event,” said Peter Crafts, director of technical education at Worcester Technical High School’s $93 million facility in Worcester. Mercury Media & Entertainment, the organizers of the event, plan to introduce a competition this year between the students of the many technical schools from throughout Massachusetts, called Massachusetts Best Student Chef. Worcester’s Best Chef will sell out, as it did last year. Sponsors include United States Army, Percy’s, WorcesterScene.com, Quality Business Graphics, Vantage Printing, WXLO, WCRN, and WSRS. Check out T&G press features and other information, and get $10 off when you buy 2 tickets at WorcestersBestChef.com.
Buy your tickets now, see pricing information at the Worcester’s Best Chef web site.
On November 17th, Brew City Grill & Brew House officially introduced their newly updated menu with a three course Cask Ale dinner featuring local craft breweries. Participating in the event were Central MA’s own Wachusett Brewing Company, Shipyard Brewing Company from Maine and Harpoon Brewery based out of Boston.
In a tradition of excellence that has kept Brew City Grill & Brew House on top of the “Best of” list in Worcester, Massachusetts, Brew City now features forty beers on draft and a phenomenal bottle selection exceeding 120 beers. The highlight of the bar experience is three newly installed Angram beer engines, imported directly from England. This elegant centerpiece delicately delivers the beer into your glass through the use of a hand pump. “As poured in England, it’s truly the most natural way to drink beer,” says co-owner, founder and genuine beer enthusiast Jerry Azzarone. “We spared no expense having this system custom built to suit out customers needs.” On a typical night you will find yourself amazed by the display of beers running through this hand-crafted system from craft breweries across the country. Recently featured breweries include Allagash Brewing Company out of Portland, Maine, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery from Milton, Delaware and Smuttynose Brewing Company out of Portmsouth, New Hampshire.
With the draft beer selection well covered and an ever growing bottle list, Jerry and his team are dedicating more and more time to the food at Brew City Grill & Brew House. “Our restaurant has a great reputation for accommodating the sports fan or the businessman, but we didn’t want to get away from the core values which have made us so successful,” states Azzarone, “that’s our family atmosphere and eclectic menu.” A trip to Brew City will have you amazed at the menu which includes items such as the ever popular Smoked Chicken Baked Macaroni, Grilled Mediterranean Tuna and Beer-BBQ Brisket. Be sure to try Brew City’s “burger bar concept” menu…there are over 38 trillion possibilities. Beer dinners will also be conducted on a regular basis to increase awareness about beer’s place at the dinner table. “Beer and food is the perfect match, sometimes people don’t stop to think about it,” he adamantly expresses. “That’s where we come in.”
Brew City Grill & Brew House is located at 104 Shrewsbury Street in Worcester, Massachusetts and has been an integral part of the community of restaurants which give the city so much character. Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Brew City Grill & Brew House is the premier place in the city to meet up with friends, take a colleague to lunch, watch the game, have a beer, or enjoy a night out with the family. Visit Brew-City.com to join the email club for news, events and promotions as well as special offers and discount coupons.
Happen to notice this on the web…Dr. Gonzo’s Uncommon Condiments Emporium, 122 Main Street, Worcester, is having a interesting, casual and “uncommon” gathering Sunday, May 31. Billed as a BYO Dip / Canape party, the good Doctor is asking everyone to bring their favorite dip made from Dr. Gonzo condiments to share. This should be interesting as the condiments sold at this shop add a kick to any meal and if you have never tried them, you are in for a real treat. Besides the food, some of Worcester’s most interesting people are regular visitors and it is the type of spot where a music jam could break out at any time. If you can’t get there this Sunday, make sure you put Dr. Gonzo’s Uncommon Condiment Emporium on your list of stops soon and pick up something to add to your summer grilling menu. Trust us, after you have used them once, they will become a staple in everything you cook!
These are trying financial times. With the stock market acting like a roller coaster, gas prices soaring and retail prices higher than ever, we are tending to watch every penny. For those of you inclined to eat out a few times a week, you may find yourself searching out one of Worcester’s great BYOB options. It is a great way to enjoy good food and not break the bank. Some spots do have a “corkage fee” or may charge you for glasses and ice, so ask before you open to avoid any surprises. The city has a quite a few good ones, and more may be on the way. Some of our favorites, Cafe Espresso, Zia Grill, Lucky’s, Mac’s Diner, Tortilla Sam’s, One Love, Da Lat, Bamboo Hut and Roma’s.
Wilson Wang and Chef Mike defend their ‘WBC’ title, September 28, 2008. A Repeat?
Over the past few years many restaurants have competed furiously to win over the stomachs of thousands. Although each restaurant in the city may claim to have the best chef in the city, it wasn’t until last year that the Worcester’s Best Chef officially came together to crown Wilson Wang and Chef Mike as the 2007 Worcester’s Best Chef from Ba Ba Sushi on Park Ave.
The Worcester’s Best Chef competition is in full force again for this September 28 competition where the public votes on who is the best chef! This exciting, one-of-a-kind culinary competition is expected to sell out quickly, so be certain to reserve your place for you and your friends to vote on all of the wonderful contestants, enjoy a chair massage, and follow Sir Jeremy John Bell to the stage where they will chop the top off of a bottle of Perrier-Jouet Champagne with a gleaning sword! Taste the best..Perrier, relax with some Tawny Port, take in the live dance exhibitions and learn who the 2008 Worcester’s Best Chef is!
Enjoy the pre-registry reduced price of $40 per ticket available at the web site for a limited time. And if you can’t wait, visit the Worcester’s Best Chef Pre-Taste at Diamond Chevrolet during Cruise Night, Wednesday, August, 13th as Chef Chris and Chef Wang give you a taste of what’s to come!
