Minxeats at the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament

Mr Minx and I attended a Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament round one battle on Monday: Chef Fabio Mura of Grille 620 vs Chad Novak of Das Bier Haus.

The competition starts out with a half hour of cold prep. No cooking is allowed at this time, at least nothing that needs to be prepared with heat. So ice cream-making is fine, as is chopping, dicing, and breaking down meat products.

The theme of this battle was Game Day, and the teams were expected to produce three courses of food that would be appropriate for eating at a sporting event. There were theme ingredients provided by the competition's many sponsors, this time including Dr Pepper and bone-in pork butt, among other items.

After cold prep, the cooking began in earnest. Partway through, I was called over to assign mystery ingredients to the chefs. I chose to give Fabio ghost pepper smoked salt, while Chad got sriracha peas. Neither ingredient seemed to be an impediment.

During the competition, we purchased food and adult beverages from the Tournament's venue, the Inn at the Colonnade. Their restaurant, Alizée, offers a limited menu to Tournament attendees (the full menu is available inside the restaurant proper).

After an hour of cooktime, the chefs plated their food for presentation, then prepared plates for the three judges. (I was a judge once, back in 2010, which was fun, even though I don't think my opinion was taken at all seriously.) After careful consideration, for it was a close contest, Fabio Mura was declared the winner.

Chef Mura and his team from Grille 620 will face Brett Arnold from Smokin' Hot Bar & Grille on
Monday, July 18, 2016. Doors open at 5:30; the competition starts at 6pm and generally runs until 9:45pm. To purchase tickets for this or any other match, and for more details, go to the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament web site.



Posted on Minxeats.com.

Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament!

Back for the 6th year, the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament pairs local chefs against each other in a one-on-one, single elimination, bracket-style competition. The first battle begins on June 7th. All events will be held at the Inn at the Colonnade.

Minxeats is proud to be a media sponsor for the 5th year in a row. Hope to see you at a match!

This season's competing chefs are:

Christopher Vocci, Alexandra’s at Turf Valley
Kurt Peter, Azure
Chad Novak, Das Bier Haus
Fabio Mura, Grille 620
Brian Wells, Hard Yacht Cafe
Francois Giovanni Merle, KitchenCray
Kitty Ashi, Monsoon Siam
Bill Kelley, Renditions Golf
Niko Negas, Roasthouse Pub
Brett Arnold, Smokin’ Hot Bar & Grille
Terence Tomlin, SoBe Restaurant
Jeffrey Barillo, Social Restaurant & Oyster Bar
Brendan McKinney, Tark’s Grill
Darius Jones, That’s My Favorite Catering
Sean Praglowski, The Point in Fells
Greg Mason, The White Oak Tavern

Tournament Details
Tickets for all 15 dates of this summer-long single-elimination chef competition are available for purchase at: http://www.masondixonmasterchef.com. Tickets for most matches are $25 for general admission and $45 for judging experience (including all taxes). In addition, the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament donates 10% of the net proceeds of each ticket sold directly to their charity partner Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland (http://www.mealsonwheelsmd.org).

Competition Dates 
June 7, 8, 13, 14, 20, 21, 27, 28
July 11, 12, 18, 19
August 1, 2, 14

Event Timeline
5:30 p.m. – Happy Hour with Complementary Hors d’oeuvres and Wine Tasting by Boordy Vineyards, plus Drink Specials
6:30 p.m. – Cold Prep Begins for the Competition
7:00 p.m. – Chef Competition
8:00 p.m. – Judging Begins, Complementary Dessert and Coffee Served



Posted on Minxeats.com.

The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament

The Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament, a live, local, interactive culinary competition, completed Round 1 competition this week. The original field of 16 top area chefs is now down to just eight, as the competition enters Round 2 and the final weeks of competition. Each week the competition is getting more intense and the scores tighter, as chef teams vie for the over $10,000 in prizes and the title of Mason Dixon Master Chef Champions!

Matches are being held throughout the summer on most Mondays and Tuesdays at the Inn at the Colonnade in Baltimore. Round 2 matches are listed below. 10% of each ticket sold goes directly to Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, the competition’s charity partner.

Tickets*: $25 for general admission (includes tax)
$45 for judging experience (includes tax)
Available for purchase at: www.masondixonmasterchef.com
*Tickets must be purchased in advance for the above pricing. $35/ $55 day of and at the door (if available).

The $25 ticket price includes admission to that night’s competition, wine/spirit tasting, passed hors d’oeuvres during happy hour, dessert and coffee bar, all taxes and a 10% donation to charity. Tickets are on sale now, and are expected to sell out quickly.

Round 2 Matches:
The line-up for July 21 and 22 matches in “Battle International Street Food” include:

Match 9: Monday, July 21 - Chef Jeff Keeney of The Point in Fells versus Chef Adam Snyder of Chef’s Expressions

Match 10: Tuesday, July 22 - Chef Nina Swartz of Aida Bistro & Wine Bar versus Chef Jake Hack of Conrad’s Seafood

The line-up for July 28 and 29 matches in “Battle Parisian” include:

Match 11: Monday, July 28 –Chef Chad Medina of Kelsey’s Irish Pub versus Chef Janny Kim of Bistro Blanc

Match 12: Tuesday, July 29 – Chef Gerardo Gonzales of Tapas Adela and Anastasia versus Chef Kiet Philavanh of Basta Pasta

Happy Hour each evening will feature a complementary wine or spirit tasting, hors d’oeuvres, as well as special pricing on drinks and food for purchase from Alizee American Bistro both days. Guests will also enjoy a complementary dessert bar and coffee to top off their evening. Event details available at: http://www.masondixonmasterchef.com/about-the-tournament/menu.php?match_id=53

When & Where:

Round 2: July 21, 22, 28, 29
Semi-Finals: August 11, 12
Championship Match: Sunday, August 24
5:30 -7:00p.m. – Happy Hour (free appetizers and wine/spirit tasting)
6:25 p.m. – Cold Prep Begins
7:00 p.m. – Chef Competition
8:00pm – Judging Begins (complementary dessert and coffee bar for all guests)

Inn at the Colonnade
4 West University Parkway, Baltimore, MD 21218

Posted on Minxeats.com.