The Battle of Williamsburg

By: Patrick Evans-Hylton

July 2011

The second annual Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association Iron Chef Wine & Food Expo 2011 took place in Williamsburg, offering tasty bites, along with wine and beer, for attendees, as
well as quite a show as three teams from top restaurants in the historic town battled it out on stage, trying to wow a panel of judges, using a pantry of ingredients as well as several mystery items only revealed to them at the last moment. While judges were sampling the trophies of war from the culinary teams, folks in attendance enjoyed wine and beer, including some local quaffs from Williamsburg Winery and Williamsburg AleWerks, in addition to heavy hors d’oeuvres from Kingsmill, LeYaca, Second Street Bistro, Opus 9 Steakhouse and Williamsburg Lodge. Here is how the competition worked: Each team was given a basket of 10 ingredients, and in basket there were three proteins, three vegetables, three starches and one spice; each team had use a minimum of five items to prepare an appetizer and entrée within 60 minutes. The entrée was judged by a panel of five judges based on presentation, taste and creativity. Judges included: Captain George’s restaurant vice-president, Kristina Pitsilides Chastain, Chef Nancy Geddes of Williamsburg Landing, Chef John Maxwell of Culinary Institute of Virginia, and Daily Press lifestyle reporter David Nicholson. A fifth
judge was drawn randomly from the audience. I emceed the event along with Chef Rhys Lewis of Williamsburg Lodge. Some of the secret ingredients were: rockfish, duck, red quinoa, okra and fava beans. The judges awarded Team 1, the Blue team, with top honors. The event really showcased the
wonderful talent and outstanding restaurants offered in Williamsburg. An event like this would no doubt  be well-received in Virginia Beach. For more information on eateries and events in Williamsburg, visit – www.WilliamsburgAreaRestaurants.com Patrick Evans-Hylton, a Johnson & Wales-trained chef, is a food authority on Chesapeake Bay regional cuisine and author of the upcoming book, “Dishing Up Virginia.” His work appears in print, television and radio. Read more of his adventures at food at www.PatrickEvansHylton.com