Team Dean

or Gun Jumping Top Chef



The upcoming season of Top Chef has been filming in DC and the publicity blitz for the June 16 premiere is about to start. The list of cheftestants has been released and one of them is Baltimore restaurateur Timothy Dean.

I first went to his place in Baltimore several years ago for Mothers Day when it was known as Timothy Dean Bistro. Then it featured gourmet southern and soul food. Later it was an ill-fated night club and now it has re-opened as Prime with the specialty being steaks and chops. But there is still a lot of soul in the kitchen. The catfish was lightly breaded and served on top of an enormous bed of grits. I got the filet mignon and it was butter-tender on the inside with a fierce herb-encrusted sear on it. As good as that was, the macaroni and cheese side dish (unlike chain steakhouses, each entree comes with one side dish) was the real surprise. It looked fairly mundane, but it was rich and creamy beyond words. Almost as rich as the corn soup which had huge lumps of crabmeat in it.

On an early Sunday evening, the place only had a few customers so when Timothy Dean overheard me lamenting that my water was empty he came out and set it right. That also gave me the opportunity to buttonhole him a little about the Top Chef process. You do not apply for Top Chef; Top Chef finds you. But beyond that there are a lot of hoops to jump through before you get on the air.

As Eli Kirshtein (the evil gnome) from last season told me when we ate at Eno in Atlanta (I am such a food-whore name dropper, aren't I?), being on Top Chef can easily double your business. Dean told me that he was warning his staff to prepare for the onslaught. In fact, the only snag in my visit was trying to reach someone for a reservation. As I mentioned, this particular night showing up without a reservation was not a problem, but I expect it soon will be.

Prime is in Fell's Point which is better known for Bertha and her mussels than for fine dining. Furthermore, it is in the northern end just off Broadway on Eastern Avenue in an area more known for its tacquerias and take-out chinese joints than gourmet steakhouses. But it's just a short walk from the waterfront and offers valet service, always a plus in parking space deprived Fell's Point.

Part of the fun of reality shows is picking a contestant and cheering for them. As a Baltimoron, I am going to be a big-time homer and form Team Dean. Not only is he the local hero, but his cooking has the chops to go over big at the judge's table.

Top Chef Finals

It may come as no surprise to readers of this blog that I have become just a teensy bit obsessed with the current season of Top Chef. It has been one of my goals to eat at as many of the cheftestants' restaurants as I can. Of the final three, I have dined at two of their establishments. Let's compare.

Restaurant	Volt Frederick, MD	Woodfire Grill Atlanta, GA
Chef	Bryan Voltaggio	Kevin Gillespie
Cuisine	Modern American	Local-vore Rustic
Top Chef Reputation	While just as intense as his brother Michael, Bryan came off as the more relaxed and friendlier of the two Voltaggio Brothers.	Friendly bear-like Kevin was everybody’s body. His food was mocked (mostly by Michael V.) as being too simple, but he won challenge after challenge.
Atmosphere	Located in the semi-seedy downtown of Frederick, Maryland, Volt is located in an old mansion tarted up to look like a modern art museum.	Located in a semi-seedy area of Atlanta, Woodfire Grille looks like a dumpy barbecue joint, but on the inside it has high ceilings and earth tones that make it resemble a 70s era ski chalet.
Food	The food is high end gourmet and comparable to fancy New York places. The meat tray included both pate and head cheese. Both of our first courses came covered with foam. The goat cheese ravioli was fine, but the lobster was just out of this world. For the main dishes, the pork tenderloin was cut with a butter knife tender but the presentation was a little busy with at least three little side bits on a rather small plate. The fish dish was tasty but not spectacular. Both desserts were deconstructed and rather bizarre. Service by the black and Converse clad wait staff was attentive to the point of obsequiousness. The only glitch was that the bar was slammed by cargo shorts wearing refugees from a downtown street festival and our cocktails didn't arrive until halfway through the appetizers.	We sprang for the tasting menu which is not listed in advance. Appetizer was a shrimp something which was very good. Next was a diver scallop that was only so-so. Third course was a deboned quail. Such a tasty scrumptious thing. Like a little baby slice of heaven. The main entree was, wait for it, pork belly and every calorie laden bite was delicious. The first dessert was frozen solid so they replaced it with another one featuring candied bacon. Pork as a dessert is a wonderful thing. The service was nearly the best I ever had anywhere. Our seasoned to the point of looking grizzled waiter explained the whole life story of every animal that died for our dinner as it came out. Midway through the meal he suggested a perfect wine pairing for just one course with overselling the rest of the meal.
Chef Sighting	We were in the Main Dining Room, not the Chef’s Dining Room, so we didn’t get to gawk at Bryan in action, but he was in the back looking all serious slicing and dicing like a mad man. The next time we may have to spring for the 21 course tasting menu.	We were one of the first seatings, so kevin wasn’t around when we arrived, but as we were leaving, he was hard at work at the titular woodfire grille. He stopped for a photo and signed a copy of the tasting menu for us.
Verdict	Volt is an oasis of fine dining in central Maryland that can compete with the best restaurants anywhere in the country. It is fancy enough to more than impress a date, but not so stuffy that you can’t take the whole family for a special occasion. Top Chef has made Bryan and prodigal brother Michael local celebrities so reservations are now tough to get. But since it is in downtown Frederick, there are plenty of places to get a tattoo nearby.	One of the best places to just relax and have a fine meal anywhere. I had a cocktail called the Rendezvous (high west rye whiskey, fresh grapefruit juice, cardamom syrup, and lemon juice) that was about the best I have ever had. It’s a little too expensive to go to on a weekly basis, but you sure wish that you could. And for after dinner entertainment, the infamous Tattletales (link NSFW) is just a few blocks away.

I will be on the couch watching the finale and if either of these two wins, I can see why. Both are Top Chefs no matter who Tom and Padme finally pick.

Top Chef Brunch-Off

Indulging my new-found celebrity chef stalking obsession, we found ourselves the past couple of weekends near restaurants run by current Top Chef contestants. While brunch is not the ideal meal to judge a restaurant by, these were perhaps our only chances to eat at these places to see how the actual eatery compared to the personality of the contestant.

Restaurant	10 Arts Philadelphia	Trestle On Tenth New York
Chef	Jennifer Carroll	Ash Fulk
Cuisine	Modern American	Swiss Bistro
Top Chef Reputation	She garnered a reputation in the first episode for mispronouncing ceviche. Intense and focused, she is considered one of the front runners.	Skating on the bubble, Ash has a propensity for not quite being able to finish a dish in time.
Atmosphere	The restaurant is one side of the lobby of the Ritz Carlton in downtown Philadelphia. The hotel is a repurposed bank with a monstrous lobby full of marble and grandeur. Neon lights have been spread around the lobby to give the place a glowing hipster vibe.	Located on the corner of Tenth Avenue and 24th Street in Chelsea, the brick walls and dark wood gives trestle a warm comfortable feel. A small bar at the entrance gives it neigborhood sense. Doubling the seating area is a garden area out back enclosed by a small fence.
Food	For the novelty of it, I ordered an egg-white spinach omelette with goat cheese. The goat cheese was a perfect match for the lighter taste of the egg-white. The other dish we got was buttermilk pancakes which were amazingly fluffy and absolutely perfect. For sides we got both bacon and sausage but either one would have been enough for two people. Of the two, the sausage was much better with a rich maple taste.	The gratinéed pizokel were little schnitzel-like dumplings and the open face pork sandwich had tangy sauerkraut with a thick topping of fontina cheese. The omelette was billed as goat cheese and herbs. Rather than being in the omelette, the goat cheese was just a light topping on the top. And the definition of herbs included spinach, zucchini, and green beans. The vegetables overpowered the egg. For dessert, a delicious walnut torte had a thick butter crust was topped with rich ice cream and whipped cream.
Chef Sighting	On a Saturday morning we had no expectations of the chief chef being around. However, there were several signs in the lobby touting Jennifer as a Top Chef 'cheftestant' and promoting their Wednesday viewing parties.	Ash is listed on the show as the restaurants sous chef but none of the owners or chefs are touted anywhere on the menu or the restaurant website.
Verdict	One of the best breakfasts I have ever had. Everything was cooked to perfection and then some. However, the dining room was nearly empty on a Saturday morning and seemed to be catering to the captive hotel crowd. Unless you are in Philly on business you are unlikely to stumble upon this downtown gem because parking is difficult and expensive. I imagine the evening scene is much wilder when all the glowing neon plays up the decor.	This neighborhood place has both good food and is located in a great funky New York neigborhood. The people next to us were a professional photographer and his aging hipster friends. By noon the place was full of regulars. If I were a local, I could see myself paying a few bucks more compared to some other brunch places in New York to come back again and again.

Top Chef Masters Face Off

When planning our trip to Chicago we knew we wanted to eat at some places frequented by President Obama. One of the tough tables is Table 52 run by Art Smith. Soon thereafter we started watching the end of the Masters edition of Top Chef. Art Smith made it to fourth place, being done in by not being able to make a vegan desert. The eventual winner was an affable mustachioed chef who was dedicated to preserving and spreading authentic Mexican cuisine.

So here is a side by side comparison of two top chefs in the Windy City.

Restaurant	Table 52	Frontera Grille
Chef	Art Smith	Rick Bayless
Cuisine	Southern	Mexican
Claim To Fame	A favorite of Oprah Winfrey, this is where Barack Obama took Michelle for Valentines Day.	Widely considered the best Mexican restaurant in the country, Bayless won the Top Chef Masters.
Atmosphere	The décor is made to resemble a genteel Southern home. With tables pressed close together, groups end up talking to each other. The service is very high end with all the waiters, servers and bussers working together seamlessly.	Typically Mexican with lots of bright colors and adobe textures. Seating is first come first serve, so the line starts forming about 45 minutes before opening. By the time the restaurant is open, the line is literally down the block.
Food	For entrees we had blackened sockeye salmon which came served with a great zucchini ‘peperdelle’ and some sea scallops. But the star of the meal was the three-cheese mac and cheese. I’m a serious macaroni and cheese fan and have eaten a lot of high end flavors but this was one of the best ones I have ever had. We pried out of the wait staff that it was a sharp white cheddar, a yellow cheddar and parmesan cheeses. For dessert we split the hummingbird cake and still couldn’t finish it.	Since it was brunch, most of the dishes had an egg component. The best choice we made was to get the appetizer sampler which included these tasty little Mexico City style quesadillas and Bayless’s signature guacamole. For entrees we had Cazuela de Borrego, a lamb dish, and steak and cheese enchiladas. Several of the deluxe margaritas are shaken at the table with a lime as the shaker top. Two of those will make any brunch go better.
Chef Sighting	Art Smith tours the dining room about once an hour chatting with guests, posing for pictures, and autographing cookbooks. He is friendly and gregarious.	We had seen Bayless at his quick service restaurant Xoco where he politely posed for a picture but quickly went back to managing the open kitchen. As we were seated right at the opening of Fontera Grille, we saw him in the back surveying the crowd being seated. He quietly went to the back, not to be seen again.
Verdict	Table 52 is a fine high end restaurant with good food but it just feels a little forced. It’s too busy to be intimate and too fancy to be casual.	The Bayless empire also includes the aforementioned Xoco and the higher end Topolobampo, but the flagship Frontera Grille lives up to its reputation as perhaps the best Mexican food to be found north of the Rio Grande.