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U.S. wins Bocuse d’Or Competition for first time, Norway takes silver, Iceland bronze

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X

XiaNaphryz

LATIN, MATRIPEDICABUS, DO YOU SPEAK IT
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/25/dining/bocuse-dor-usa-win-chef-competition.html

A team of American chefs on Wednesday won the biennial Bocuse d’Or culinary competition — the equivalent of the Olympics for professional cooks — for the first time in the contest’s 30-year history.

In the finals in Lyon, France, a group of 10 chefs and helpers from the United States won the gold medal. Norway took the silver medal, and Iceland won the bronze. In 2015 an American team was awarded the silver medal in the competition, which was founded by the French chef Paul Bocuse. Teams from 24 countries competed this year.

“I promised Monsieur Paul 10 years ago that we’d make it to the top of the podium,” said the chef Thomas Keller, who is the president of Team U.S.A. “We made it in nine.”

The team’s head chef was Mathew Peters, 33, from Meadville, Pa., who was most recently the executive sous-chef of Mr. Keller’s New York restaurant, Per Se. His commis, or helper, was Harrison Turone, 21, from Omaha, who also worked at Per Se. Both chefs took a year off to prepare for the contest, a fierce competition in which the American team is made up of younger chefs who can spare the time to train.

Philip Tessier, a member of the team that won second place in 2015, was the Americans’ coach.

This year the chefs were required to prepare a meat platter and a vegan dish in 5 hours 35 minutes. “We had to use two proteins, Bresse chicken and crayfish,” Mr. Peters said. “And this was the first year there was a vegan dish.”

The teams were required to interpret “Poulet de Bresse aux Écrevisses,” a Lyonnaise classic. The American version involved the chicken with morel mushroom sausage, braised wings, a wine glaze and sauce Americaine, a kind of lobster sauce. Alongside were a chicken liver quenelle with foie gras, corn custard, black-eyed peas and toasted pistachios, as well as lobster tail with Meyer lemon mousse. The garnishes included preparations using carrots, Vidalia onions, black truffles, carrots, peas and potatoes. They brought some of the ingredients from the United States.

For the vegan dish, the chefs prepared California asparagus with cremini mushrooms, potatoes, a custard made of green almonds, Meyer lemon confit, a Bordelaise sauce and a crumble using an almond and vegetable yeast preparation that mimicked Parmesan cheese.
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Unlike some teams, the Americans were supported only by commercial sponsors and contributions, with no government funding. “I don’t think our government knows who we are,” Mr. Keller said.

Mr. Keller said he could not estimate how much participation in the contest cost. But he said that experience was essential. “We learned along the way,” he said. “Our win was built on the shoulders of a thousand people.”
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JcqM22M.jpg
 
P

Pizza con salsiccia

Banned
I was expecting to see France all over the place in this competition. Looking at its history, we won a few times, but damn, Norwegians are good, real good it seems.

We have some catching up to do!
 
A

Austriacus

Member
Snowybreak said:
Have you been to a fine dining establishment in the states? We have come a really long way. Per Se is really fantastic.
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Nobody could deny the US has made strides in fine dining, but most of it its still too expensive and not common enough. Your example illustrates a good point, the united states is really vast but somehow fine dining is concentrated in like 3 cities (mainly new york).

The win here is a step in the right direction.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Austriacus said:
Nobody could deny the US has made strides in fine dining, but most of it its still too expensive and not common enough. Your example illustrates a good point, the united states is really vast but somehow fine dining is concentrated in like 3 cities (mainly new york).

The win here is a step in the right direction.
Click to expand...

I disagree. Look at Food & Wine's Top 50 Restaurants from last year. It's all over the map. And while most of these restaurants would be considered "upscale," most of them are still well within affordable ranges.

High Street on Hudson, NYC
Death and Taxes, Raleigh, NC
Cala, San Francisco
Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio, Chicago
Brewer's Table at Surly Brewing, Minneapolis
Shaya, New Orleans
Locol, LA
The Dabney, DC
Launderette, Austin
Townsman, Boston
Click to expand...

Timedog said:
That picture is blindingly white.
Click to expand...

Hoo boy, it really is.
 
V

Viewt

Member
Austriacus said:
Food and wine is an american magazine.

I suggest you look at the top 50 best restaurant in the world and which restuarants have michellin stars.

This is an international competition, judged with international standards.
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I'm aware, I'm just challenging your assertion that the best in America is concentrated in three cities, mainly New York, and that it's too expensive to take part in. Otherwise, wouldn't that list be comprised of unaffordable, exclusive restaurants in 2-3 cities?
 
K

Kayhan

Member
The European judges was probably unduly influenced by the unexpected American clapping when their team served up their dishes.

"What is going on? What is with the clapping? This makes no sense....this must be an exceptional dish!"
 
A

Austriacus

Member
Viewt said:
I'm aware, I'm just challenging your assertion that the best in America is concentrated in three cities, mainly New York, and that it's too expensive to take part in. Otherwise, wouldn't that list be comprised of unaffordable, exclusive restaurants in 2-3 cities?
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You are challenging my assertion with an american magazine in a thread about a french international competition.

Im really not following, your "challenge" has no grounds. The best, judged with similar standards as this competition are indeed concentrated in New york. The winner of this competition, Thomas Keller, is a 7 michellin star chef (and the one restaurant the poster i responded to is his New york restaurant)

You seem to be confusing good restaurants with fine dining restaurants.

They are not the same. A restaurant can be really good and not be a fine dine restaurant.
Most of the restaurants in the list you linked are not fine dining, its not simply about the food but also the restaurant experience.

Just look at pictures of Per Se and compare them to the atmosphere of the restaurants in the list you linked.

I know it sounds incredibly elitist but fine dining is an inherently elitist activity.
 
N

NervousXtian

Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
Too bad almost none of the food that comes out of that thing looks edible.

I mean, I dig a nice tasting menu... but honestly I dig just well made good food with good ingredients.
 
T

tearsintherain

Member
Congratulations team, I've seen the show a few times and its intense and amazing. Go team America, I hope you got a lot of people clapping for you!!

7Z18dnC.gif
 
S

Snowybreak

Member
Austriacus said:
I know it sounds incredibly elitist but fine dining is an inherently elitist activity.
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As someone who has worked in multiple fine dining establishments, this sentiment is poison.

Food is a creative medium the same as music or painting. It does not need to have an elitist vibe to be considered "good" the Michelin star ranking system is so fucked due to its eurocentric application. Hundreds of restaurants exist throughout the world that are deserving of more praise than half the restaurants that have been given Michelin stars.

It all hinges on taste. Not some fucked atmosphere or the wait staff, because when it comes down to it, the most important thing is what you're putting in your mouth.

Fine dining is no longer this hoity-toity, snooty waiter affair. It is an avant-garde orgy of new flavors and experiences, given to you by eager cooks who just want to show you the world within their minds. Eating at Alinea and Per Se are amazing experiences, but my personal favorite experiences have been eating at some rather rough looking restaurants serving the most amazing Asian and southern barbeque.

The real experience is what matters. Not the percieved experience.

We are finally shedding that stereotype coating that we gained decades ago. But when people like you act so elitest over the location of restaurants and whether or not they've been recognized by an organization that, truthfully, doesn't need to exist, you set us back.
 
J

Jenov

Member
Hmmm... something looks wrong with the trophy in that pic. Photoshop?

edit: lol maybe it's just the angle, but I swear it looks like something different
 
A

Austriacus

Member
Snowybreak said:
As someone who has worked in multiple fine dining establishments, this sentiment is poison.

Food is a creative medium the same as music or painting. It does not need to have an elitist vibe to be considered "good" the Michelin star ranking system is so fucked due to its eurocentric application. Hundreds of restaurants exist throughout the world that are deserving of more praise than half the restaurants that have been given Michelin stars.

It all hinges on taste. Not some fucked atmosphere or the wait staff, because when it comes down to it, the most important thing is what you're putting in your mouth.

Fine dining is no longer this hoity-toity, snooty waiter affair. It is an avant-garde orgy of new flavors and experiences, given to you by eager cooks who just want to show you the world within their minds. Eating at Alinea and Per Se are amazing experiences, but my personal favorite experiences have been eating at some rather rough looking restaurants serving the most amazing Asian and southern barbeque.

The real experience is what matters. Not the percieved experience.

We are finally shedding that stereotype coating that we gained decades ago. But when people like you act so elitest over the location of restaurants and whether or not they've been recognized by an organization that, truthfully, doesn't need to exist, you set us back.
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You say all this, yet this is a french competition that is eurocentric where the winner is a michelin star chef that has a restaurant that caters to this exact elitists. I mean have you seen Chef Bocuse restaurants? they ar even more elitist.

You dont get to say whats more important, sorry. Some people do indeed pay for the whole experience of being treated like royalty.

You as well are confusing good food with Fine dining. My favorite restaurants as well are not fine dining, but i dont get to call them fine dining just because i like the food better there.

Like you used Per Se as an example yourself jesus christ.
 
S

Snowybreak

Member
Austriacus said:
You say all this, yet this is a french competition that is eurocentric where the winner is a michelin star chef that has a restaurant that caters to this exact elitists. I mean have you seen Chef Bocuse restaurants? they ar even more elitist.

You dont get to say whats more important, sorry. Some people do indeed pay for the whole experience of being treated like royalty.

You as well are confusing good food with Fine dining. My favorite restaurants as well are not fine dining, but i dont get to call them fine dining just because i like the food better there.
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First off, I'm talking about redefining fine dining so that more restaurants with better food can fall under its upper class umbrella.

Second, fuck those people. They ruin the image of new restaurant culture.

I'm not talking directly about the competition, so sadly I have gone off-topic. I tend to do that when it comes to things I'm passionate about, it's how I operate.

Edit: and fuck the Michelin star bullshit. It's just a bunch of eurocentric garbage for them to jerk off over.

Edit2: wait, what are we talking about?
 
A

Austriacus

Member
Snowybreak said:
First off, I'm talking about redefining fine dining so that more restaurants with better food can fall under its upper class umbrella.

Second, fuck those people. They ruin the image of new restaurant culture.

I'm not talking directly about the competition, so sadly I have gone off-topic. I tend to do that when it comes to things I'm passionate about, it's how I operate.

Edit: and fuck the Michelin star bullshit. It's just a bunch of eurocentric garbage for them to jerk off over.

Edit2: wait, what are we talking about?
Click to expand...

Dude you are the guy that brought fine dining here not me, i enjoy all sorts of food, and personally i don.t even enjoy dressing up for fine dining restaurants, its a chore.

But the people being celebrated here are indeed chefs who normally sell fine dining experiences, so while i agree that the act of eating good food shouldnt be so elitist, it is still sadly the opinion of the many who pay for the expensive food, wine and experiences.

It would have been better that when you recommended the dude in your initial post a good place to eat you should have just thrown a more "humble" place where im sure he could eat fantastic tasting food at cheap prices of which i agree there are plenty.

The thing is that you originally didnt go off topic when you recommended him a fine dining restaurant like Per Se when recomending good food, since it is indeed fine dining and a restaurant of the Chef that won so im really confused right now what are we even arguing about.

Talking about redefining fine dining in a thread of conservatives to it being celebrated seems kinda weird even though i agree with your position.
 
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