Last week the first two contestants vying for the spot of chef at the upcoming Table, Donkey and Stick cooked their pop-up dinners— and now you can see for yourself how they did and what the diners thought about it. Each had to show how they'd execute the idea of an Alpine inn-inspired menu with a focus on whole animal cooking. Jon Keeley, who had been sous chef at Bonsoirée, the restaurant in the space which Table, Donkey and Stick will occupy, until it closed a few weeks ago, chose rabbit for his whole animal, using it in a squid ink pappardelle with rabbit loin and shredded rabbit meat. While Scott Manley, who's worked at Vie and EL Ideas, went with a boar from Slagel Farm, making a boar sauerbraten, sausages and more— not to mention using pine needles and pine cone syrup in his dessert ("Pine, Alpine, hey!" as he explained). So which dinner was better? Which one came closest to the concept of an Alpine inn's hearty simple food and hospitality? Judge for yourself in our 7-minute video... and in the meantime, the final chef has been announced and tickets are now available. He's Brian Flach, who comes from Swoon Kitchenbar in Hudson, New York, and his dinner will be November 19. Go here for tickets, then come back and watch the first of our three chef's competition videos.
