Battle of the Chefs is Back with Dueling Duos on June 2

Today, Founders Hall announced the return of Battle of Chefs, their marquee culinary event held annually in June. Now in its 7th year, the event will take place on Sunday, June 2 from 4 – 7 PM at Founders Hall. The format of this year’s event will be a first of its kind: six chefs who’ve competed at the event in the past have been paired up in a random drawing. The dueling duos will compete in a fast-paced cooking showdown.  

Purchase your tickets HERE.

The six local area chefs have been selected:

Jehan de Noüe, JSN Catering/Albano Appliance    

Sal Bagliavio, Bailey’s Backyard  

Bernard Bouïssou, Bernard’s of Ridgefield

Sarah Bouïssou, Sarah’s Wine Bar                 

Frank Bonnaudet, Sucre Sale      

Art Michaelsen, Bartolo

And.. the teams:

  • Jehan de Noüe, JSN Catering/Albano and Sarah Bouïssou, Sarah’s Wine Bar          
  • Sal Bagliavio, Bailey’s Backyard and Frank Bonnaudet, Sucre Sale              
  • Bernard Bouïssou, Bernard’s of Ridgefield and Art Michaelsen, Bartolo

The event has been described as a cross between Food Network’s Chopped and Bravo’s Top Chef. There are three phases to the Battle: appetizer, entrée, and dessert.  There will be a panel of three expert judges:

  •          Brendan Walsh, Dean from The Culinary Institute of America
  •          Amy Kundrat, CT Bites
  •          Erik Ofgang, Author and Senior Writer, Connecticut Magazine

Here’s how the Battle works:

Appetizer: Each duo will prepare an appetizer that must incorporate a required ingredient. Guests will be focused on tasting each appetizer and will then vote for their favorite.  The judges will also taste the appetizers and select their favorite. This portion takes place inside and will feature tasting stations and passed appetizers.

Entrée: Next, we move outdoors. During this phase, the chef teams will be cooking al fresco in individual outdoor kitchens while guests watch all the action!  Each duo will be given a basket of four secret ingredients and will have 60 minutes to complete a cohesive entrée featuring all four ingredients. The will also have access to a well-stocked fridge and pantry.  Completed entrees will be presented to the judges.

Dessert: Last, guests will move back indoors to enjoy desserts prepared by the chef teams.

Judging: Over dessert and refreshments, guests will hear comments from the panel of judges and the results will be announced. A total of 80 points can awarded to each team in the categories of taste, presentation and the use of the secret ingredients. One third of the final scores comes from the appetizer round and two thirds from the entrée round.  

Throughout the event, guests will have access to an open bar and will be served a plethora of passed savory and sweet eats – many of which include the secret ingredients from both the appetizer and entrée rounds of the competition. Local vendors will be offering food/drink samples to guests and there will be live music for all to enjoy.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Founders Hall, a donor-supported education and recreation center for people age 60+. The event is being sponsored by Fairfield County Bank and The Chefs Warehouse. Media Partners include HamletHub and Edible Nutmeg.

To learn more and to order tickets, please click HERE.

ABOUT FOUNDERS HALL: Founders Hall, a donor-supported education and recreation center for people age 60 and older, is located at 193 Danbury Road. For more information, call 203.431.7000, email Founderhall@founders-hall.org or visit founders-hall.org. 

*Image courtesy Michele Williams Photographer

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Submitted by Danbury, CT

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