Close up of offering from Executive Chef Mike Myers; Warm Duck Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella with candied blood orange

Warning – Food Porn ahead – you will want to lick your screen as the food in the linked photos is just that freakin’ … well … appetizing. Hopefully these shots will inspire you to get all hot-and-bothered in the kitchen soon.

 

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I was asked to judge a regional chef competition for the restaurant group Bravo Cucina Italiana on 25 May at their location in Virginia Beach.

 

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From the restaurant’s website, www.bravoitalian.com:

 

Bravo [founded in 1992] is white-tablecloth casual dining at its best with great tasting Italian food and an inviting atmosphere under a fun, family-friendly Roman ruin décor.

 

Bravo has a chef in ever kitchen ensuring that everything on our Italian menu features fresh, made-to-order, authentic Italian food.

 

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Bravo hosts chef competitions annually to foster chef creativity (there is an executive chef in each of their locations); several of those executive chefs came from across the northeast (New York, North Carolina, Ohio and Pennsylvania) to Virginia Beach today.

 

All were vying for a position to compete nationwide at the restaurant’s home base in Columbus, Ohio. The winner of the national competition is afforded, among other things, a trip to Italy.

 

Along with fellow judges Paul Kennedy, the chef director of the culinary program at Art Institute of Virginia Beach, and WTKR Channel 3 anchor Kurt Williams, we evaluated dishes based on the following criteria:

 

- Flavor

- Texture

- Plating and presentation

- Name/marketing appeal

- Ease of execution and method

- Chef presentation

 

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Here were the challengers and what they brought to the table:

 

Executive Chef Mark Grant

A Tasting of Mozzarella di Bufala, which included mozzarella and pesto-topped bruschetta over a salad of dressed baby arugula with grape tomato and avocado; and fried breaded mozzarella over a bed of pomodoro-her butter sauce

 

Executive Chef John Leonard ***WINNER***

Mozzarella Arrotalata, which included a spiral of mozzarella intermixed with a walnut-basil pesto and cappacola and served with a roasted grape tomato relish.

 

Executive Chef Brian Liebhardt ***RUNNER UP***

Quattro Formaggio with Portabello Ravioli, which included large, thin raviolis stuffed with four cheeses and topped with a rich and creamy parmesan sauce and garnished with grilled asparagus spears.

 

Executive Chef Mike Myers

Warm Duck Salad with Buffalo Mozzarella, which included an arugula-mesculun-raddicchio salad with shaved red onion tossed with a blood orange vinaigrette and topped with pan-seared duck breast, buffalo mozzarella, candied blood orange slices and garnished with a balsamic reduction.

 

Executive Miguel Rodriguez

Fresh Mozzarella Trio, which included Zucchini Timbalo – roasted roma tomatoes, ricotta and mozzarella; Caprese – mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes and basil; and Roulade – mozzarella stuffed with prosciutto di Parma, pesto and basil.

 

Executive Chef Rich Schnell

Mozzarella Trio, which included three preparations: marinated mozzarella with walnut pesto to be wrapped and eaten with thin slices of capicola; breaded and fried mozzarella over a salad of arugula, asparagus and heirloom tomatoes; and cold-smoked mozzarella over a cous cous salad in citrus vinaigrette.

 

Executive Chef Joe Vavrek ***RUNNER UP***

Rosemary Polenta with Bufala di Mozzarella, which included a base of polenta, breaded and fried, topped with layers of roasted roma tomatoes, grilled eggplant, mozzarella and a salad of baby arugula and garnished with balsamic glaze.

 

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Bravo in Virginia Beach is in Town Center at 193 Central Park Ave. Call 757-416-6000 or visit www.bravoitalian.com.

 

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For more of my adventures in food, read my blog --- www.patrickevanshylton.com

 

Done