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Arkansas Hospitality Conference a Food Lover’s Dream (PHOTOS)

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The Culinary Classic featured dishes with an “outer space” theme, including this lentil, scallop and polenta dish that was served to guests in tiny spheres.

 

This week, the Arkansas Hospitality Association held its annual Showcase & Convention event, which is a highlight of the year for many involved in all aspects of the hospitality industry.

But even for those outside of the industry, two events shine as a food lover’s dream: the Culinary Classic and the Iron Chef Arkansas competition.

The Culinary Classic, which was held Tuesday evening, is a ticketed event for public sampling. But before guests arrive, participating chefs send dishes anonymously to a panel of judges, who choose the best in appetizers, soups and salads, entrees, and desserts. This year’s winners are listed below. (Read a preview with more details about the Culinary Classic here, and see photos below.)

The next two days, the trade show floor buzzed with vendors of all kinds, but the foodies knew to head to the back of the room for the Iron Chef Arkansas stage. This live competition, much like the popular show Chopped, gives chefs a mystery ingredients basket in each round that must be used in the dishes. The chefs had 40 minutes per heat to create two plates—one for the judges, and another for winners of a silent auction held at the Culinary Classic. (Read more about Iron Chef Arkansas and the winner here on our sister site, arfoodjobs.com.)

Over four heats on Wednesday and two semi-final heats on Thursday, the original panel of eight Arkansas chefs boiled down to the last two: Casey Copeland of SO Restaurant in Little Rock and Justus Moll of River Grille Steakhouse in Bentonville. Moll took the win with his final dish.

Culinary Classic Winners:

Appetizer

1st – Adam Hanry of Camp Mitchell
2nd – Bonner Cameron of Bistro Catering and Gourmet Take-Away
3rd – Casey Copeland of SO Restaurant

Soup and Salad

1st – Javier Salcedo of Riverfront Steakhouse
2nd – Kamiya Merrick of At the Corner
3rd – Josh Marling of Southland Park Gaming & Racing

Entree

1st – Paul Frintrup of Country Club of Little Rock
2nd – Brandon Douglas of Green Leaf Grill
3rd – Pratik Mungre of Capital Hotel

Dessert

1st – Adam Hanry of Camp Mitchell
2nd – Paul Frintrup of Country Club of Little Rock
3rd – Jan Lewandowski of Pulaski Technical College

Best of Beef Award: Bonner Cameron of Bistro Catering and Gourmet Take-Away

Hiland Dairy Award: Paul Frintrup of Country Club of Little Rock

People’s Choice Award: Mario Torres of Marriott Little Rock

CULINARY CLASSIC PHOTOS

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IRON CHEF PHOTOS

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Culinary Classic Offers a Taste From Arkansas’ Best Chefs (GIVEAWAY)

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Dessert offering from the 2015 Culinary Classic

Dessert offering from the 2015 Culinary Classic. Image courtesy of Arkansas Hospitality Association.

GIVEAWAY: Share this post and comment below by noon on Monday, Sept. 12 with why you’d like to attend this year’s Culinary Classic. We’ll choose one comment to receive two complimentary tickets to the event, a $90 value. UPDATE: Kim H. won the tickets and will be attending the Culinary Classic! Congrats and have a great time!

Diners looking for a taste of Arkansas’ best need look no further than this Tuesday’s Culinary Classic, a competition and tasting event hosted by the Arkansas Hospitality Association. Tickets are $45, a bargain for the opportunity to sample the work of Arkansas’ finest established and up-and-coming chefs.

Guests at the Culinary Classic enjoy small plates from each of the participating chefs, beer and wine tastings, and admission to the after party at the lobby bar of the adjacent Little Rock Marriott Hotel. The tasting plates are small portions of the dishes each chef submitted to a panel of judges earlier in the evening, competing for cash prizes in the areas of appetizer, soup/salad, entree and dessert.

During the public event, guests may also vote for their favorite dish; the People’s Choice award is announced later that evening along with the formally judged dishes. The event also includes a silent auction in which guests can bid for hospitality-related items, from food gift cards to vacation stays. All funds raised go toward college scholarships for Arkansas hospitality students.

Sweetbreads and pork belly by Chef Arturo Solis of the Capital Hotel took top honors at the AHA Culinary Classic. More details on awards to come.

Sweetbreads and pork belly by Chef Arturo Solis of the Capital Hotel took top honors at the 2014 AHA Culinary Classic.

I’ve held for years that this is Little Rock’s best food event, showcasing some of the best talent the state has ago offer. And because they are competing for cash prizes (and respect from their professional colleagues), the chefs bring out their best dishes, often researching and practicing them for weeks beforehand.

This year’s competitors include chefs from the Capital Hotel, Little Rock Marriott, Country Club of Little Rock, Green Leaf Grille, Bistro Catering & Gourmet, and Pulaski Technical College’s Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute.

Buy your tickets now at this link and we’ll see you there! Be sure to share this post and comment below for your chance to win two tickets. (If you buy tickets and win, AHA will reimburse you.)

Arkansas Hospitality Association Culinary Classic
Tuesday, Sept. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Tickets $45 (Click to purchase)
Statehouse Convention Center, Hall 4
101 E. Markham St., Little Rock
Contact Jill Thiel at (501) 376-2323 or at jill@arhospitality.org

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Want to read more about the Culinary Classic? Check our archives!

2014 Culinary Classic Winners and Photos

Judging the 2013 Culinary Classic 

2013 Culinary Classic Preview 

2012 Culinary Classic Winners and Photos

A Taste of the 2014 Culinary Classic

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Sweetbreads and pork belly by Arturo Solis of the Capital Hotel took top honors at the AHA Culinary Classic. More details on awards to come.

Sweetbreads and pork belly by Arturo Solis of the Capital Hotel took top entree honors at the AHA Culinary Classic. 

Last night I had the priviledge of helping judge the Culinary Classic at the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s 70th annual Convention and Trade Show. (SEVENTY years!)

If you’ve read my blog for any time, you know that this conference is my favorite thing all year. The Culinary Classic kicks things off with a bang!

The AHA Culinary Classic is an annual event, always held the night before the trade show begins. Chefs from across the state gather in the Statehouse Convention Center to offer their best plates to judges (I was one for entrees) and to those who bought tickets to the tasting-style event. It’s always full of surprises, both from innovative new plates and from new chefs to the event and community. If you missed it, be sure to buy a ticket next year and join us.

Award winners:

Soup/Salad

1st Jason Godwin, Acxiom – Sopa Azteca

2nd Jason Knapp, Green Leaf Grill – Thai spiced sweet potato soup

3rd Adam Hanry, Camp Mitchell – Purple pea soup

Appetizer

1st Micheal Mayer, LR Marriott – Crab and smoke gouda stuffed tempura shrimp

2nd Jason Knapp, Green Leaf Grill – Three see seared salmon

3rd Matthew Cooper, Cache – Dungeness crab cakes

Entrée

1st Arturo Solis, Capital Hotel – Sweet breads

2nd Stephen Burrow, Clinton Presidential Center – Korean BBQ veal ribs

3rd Jason Knapp, Green Leaf Grill – Pan seared filet of beef

Dessert

1st Jason Godwin, Acxiom – Curry roasted fruit tart

2nd Adam Hanry, Camp Mitchell – Animal crackers

3rd Lauren Creel, LR Marriott – Deconstructed peanut butter and jelly

People’s Choice

Adam Hanry, Purple Pea Soup

Best of Beef

Stephen Burrow, Korean BBQ veal ribs

Hiland Pride Award

Matthew Cooper, Dungeness crab cakes

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Judging the Arkansas Hospitality Association Culinary Classic (And Mildly Freaking Out)

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Smoked, pan-seared beef tenderloin with fondant potatoes and baby vegetables by Jason Knapp, Aramark/UCA.

Smoked, pan-seared beef tenderloin with fondant potatoes and baby vegetables by Jason Knapp, Aramark/UCA.

Looking for the winners? Jump alllll the way down.

Yesterday, I had the amazing privilege of being on the panel of judges at the Arkansas Hospitality Association‘s annual Culinary Classic competition.

It kind of freaked me out.

I’ve had several opportunities to judge food competitions in recent years, and I’ve turned them down since going gluten-free. I didn’t want to risk bloating and bleh. But when the amazing Holly Heer of AHA offered, I was NOT going to say no. I’d figure it out.

The panel of 12 included excellent chefs such as Jason Godwin (now at Alltel) and Donnie Ferneau (formerly of Ferneau/Rocket 21, now consulting and preparing for his own new place), esteemed writers such as Kelley Bass (formerly of the Arkansas Gazette, Dem-Gaz and Arkansas Times), and industry giants such as Bob Coleman (retired from Coleman, now Hiland Dairy). What the heck was I doing here?

That's me in the silly hot pink chef coat, waiting with the other judges before the event.

That’s me in the silly hot pink chef coat, waiting with the other judges before the event.

We chose what category we would judge. I figured, rightly, that entrees would be the least glutenous. Good call. But would I know enough to properly judge the hard work these chefs had put in? I knew they were sweating behind those black curtains, wondering if we would taste and appreciate everything they had done. This was a big deal for them, I knew.

Judges at the appetizer course table.

Judges at the appetizer course table.

As the entrees started to come out, I slowly started to realize that I may know a thing or two after all. My fellow judges and I discussed some of the hits and misses of each dish. Because of my excellent education at Pulaski Tech (and probably a good bit from Good Eats and my own experience), I was able to describe the tiny “just off” things the other judges and I noticed in these otherwise spectacular dishes:  A dish that was smoked but maybe should have been braised. A piece of beef that would have benefited from a different cutting method. An overcooked fond that created a slightly bitter pan sauce.

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I should clarify that these were minor errors of technique, mere landing hops in the culinary olympiad that separated the winners from the others. I want all the participants in the Culinary Classic to know that this was a very hard job, one that we all took seriously. Each dish was stellar and a joyous representation of the culinary talent in our state.

But I came away more confident, knowing that I knew good technique when I saw it. Some kind words from Chef Ferneau also bolstered my confidence, as he encouraged me to enter the contest myself one day. We’ll see.

I was so full. And then I attended the public event and tasted all the other categories’ offerings. (In a few days, I’ll review three of my favorite plates that were not among those I judged.)

Yum.

JUDGING AND ENTREE PHOTOS
NOTE: I did not know who made each dish until after judging.

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Congrats to all the winners!

Appetizer:

1st — Chili encrusted hanger steak by Chef Matthew Cooper, Cache
2nd — Charred raw shrimp by Chef Arturo Solis, Capital Hotel
3rd — Pork slider by Chef Adam Hanry, Camp Mitchell

Soup/Salad:

1st — Cream of roasted poblano pepper by Chef Jason Knapp, Aramark/UCA
2nd — Corn bread salad by Chef Adam Hanry, Camp Mitchell
3rd — Baked beef and brie soup with caramelized apple crisps by Chef Brandon Douglas, Ark. Children’s Hospital

Entree:

1st — War Eagle farms cheese grits with braised beef short rib by Chef Gilbert Alaquinez, Governor’s Mansion
2nd — Lightly smoked porcini crusted halibut by Chef John Greenwald, Southland Park
3rd — Smoked pan seared tenderloin by Chef Jason Knapp, Aramark/UCA

Dessert:

1st — “Fall”en chocolate torte by Chef Jan Lewandowski, Pulaski Technical College
2nd — S’mores by Chef Adam Hanry, Camp Mitchell
3rd — Raspberry chocolate pistachio macaroon by Chef Heidi Eppling, Cache

Best of Beef Award:
Chili encrusted hanger steak by Chef Matthew Cooper, Cache

Best of Dairy Award:
Cream of roasted poblano pepper by Chef Jason Knapp, Aramark/UCA

Arkansas Hospitality Association’s Culinary Classic Tonight

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Filet of beef with mushroom gratin, red wine demi glace by Chef Andre Poirot of the Peabody Hotel.

Filet of beef with mushroom gratin, red wine demi glace by Chef Andre Poirot, then of the Peabody Hotel, at last year’s Culinary Classic.

I’ve said it for several years now: The Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention and Trade Show, which starts today, is pretty much my favorite food event all year.

The big week features samples and resources for food professionals, professional development opportunities, housekeeping and bartending competitions, and two (count ’em, TWO) major cooking competitions: Iron Chef (on the trade show floor, later this week) and the Culinary Classic (a separately ticketed, pre-conference event).

The Culinary Classic offers guests a taste of every entrant’s competition dish, and these tastes are pretty generous. The chefs enter their wares in the categories of Soup/Salad, Dessert, Entree, or Appetizer. Meanwhile, attendees browse a silent auction of mostly hospitality items (meals, hotel stays and the like), the benefits of which help Arkansas culinary students with their education. You know I’m down with that.

The really fun thing about the event is that it’s not the standard cache of chefs you see at all the other food events in town. For example, one of the most medaled chefs in past years, Adam Hanry, works at the sleeper (ha) Camp Mitchell Retreat Center, although his food could pass for that at a trendy restaurant downtown. Another surprise last year was Bistro 1600, a private dining operation open exclusively to Dillard’s employees.

This year’s Culinary Classic offers a weird twist for me: I’m on the judging panel. I’ve had several event judging opportunities in recent years that I eschewed because of my gluten intolerance. Tonight, imma suck it up. I may be all bloated and sickly tomorrow, but by golly, this is an opportunity that I won’t pass up.

See winners and photos from previous years here and here. Also, check out AHA’s video promotion of the event.

Want to join me? Here are the deets:

Arkansas Hospitality Association
Culinary Classic (Click to order tickets)
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Statehouse Convention Center
6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $45 and include beer and wine tasting by Glazer’s

Culinary Classic at Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention 2012

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She-Crab Soup by Chef Andre Poirot and culinary staff at the Peabody Hotel.

Second Update: Award winners are now listed.

Updated: Full dish descriptions are now in the photo captions. Please let me know if I missed a chef’s name, as there were often several at one station.

It’s time once again for my favorite food event of the year, the Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention and Trade Show!

Last night, I attended the opening event, the Culinary Classic. It’s a competition event in which Arkansas chefs prepare their best dishes featuring products from sponsors, such as the Arkansas Beef Council and Coleman Dairy. Paying diners visit each chef’s station, as well as an open bar of adult beverages from Glazers, sampling mini plates of each item. There is also a silent auction, live music and lots of great company, seated come-and-go style at round tables as they try their plates in hand.

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