Final Quarterfinal Challenge: DOUGH Wins

May 7, 2013 WNC Chefs Challenge Quarterfinal

Chef Chuck Kegg – West Asheville Kitchen & Lounge

Chef Brian Ross – DOUGH

 

By Del Holston

 

The last quarterfinal heat of the WNC Chefs Challenge was between Chef Ross from DOUGH and Chef Kegg from WALK.The chefs were tasked with creating three unique dishes, each containing a secret ingredient. For this battle the ingredient was dairy, which included sheep cheese from The Cheese Store of Asheville, and goat cheese and goat milk from Round Mountain Creamery in Black Mountain.

 

Top Tastes

Here are the night’s dishes, ranked in order from highest score to lowest.

#1. Spinach Goat Cheese Ravioli, Goat Cheese Vodka Sauce, Butternut Squash Puree (DOUGH)

#2. Lemon Goat Cheesecake Doughnut with Goat Milk Ice Cream Shake (DOUGH)

#3. Goat Cheese Strawberry Crepes (WALK)

#4. Roasted Beets and Ossau-Iraty* Salad (WALK)

#5. Ossau-Iraty* Fondue (DOUGH)

#6. Goat Cheese Mushroom Risotto (WALK)

*Ossau~Iraty is a sheep's milk cheese.

 

And the Winner Is...

With a slim margin of 52% over 48%, the final winner of the evening was Chef Ross of DOUGH. He will face off with a formidable team in the August 21, 2013, semifinals. Chef Anthony Cerrato of Strada Italiano has added Chef Vijay Shastri of the former Flying Frog Café to his team, making for a culinary powerhouse. The final round will take place at the Asheville Wine & Food Festival on August 24, 2013.

 

Del Holston is the Online Relations Manager at the Asheville Convention and Visitors Bureau.