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Sydney Cromwell
Smoked Creole beef brisket, bacon marmalade, crawfish comte, mac n cheese and fresh pea tendrils, created by Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
The Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea team dishes up bread pudding. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
The team from Five Star Preserve prepares dishes for guests to taste. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Bananas Foster bread pudding, created by the team from Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Members of the Pizitz Middle School math team helped serve food and clean up plates at the event. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Hors d'oeuvres and Doodles ice cream were served to guests before taste testing the chefs' creations. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Chef Jabari Nix and his team from the Uptown Sheraton and Westin made up one of the four competing culinary teams. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
The culinary team from Uptown Sheraton and Westin served priester pralines as dessert. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Blackened lobster with Bienville cream sauce and Creole rice, created by the team from Uptown Sheraton and Westin. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Chef Jabari Nix and his team from the Uptown Sheraton and Westin made up one of the four competing culinary teams. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Hors d'oeuvres and Doodles ice cream were served to guests before taste testing the chefs' creations. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Jade Sinacori makes cheesecake desserts for Root to Tail. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Coconut braised lamb bahn mi with jicama carrot slaw avocado pate and jalapenos, created by Root to Tail. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Salted caramel cheesecake with candied bacon and bourbon chocolate cream, created by Root to Tail. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Five Star Preserve chef Sean Butler holds a plate of hickory smoked quail, green tomato kimchi, charred corn and peaches with Gochujang barbecue sauce. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
The team from Five Star Preserve prepares dishes for guests to taste. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Hickory smoked quail, green tomato kimchi, charred corn and peaches with Gochujang barbecue sauce. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Blueberry basil ice cream with pound cake crumb and preserved lemon, created by Five Star Preserve. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
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Sydney Cromwell
Iron City Chef included a silent auction for local products, vacations, gifts and more. Iron City Chef was held at Jefferson State Community College's Culinary and Hospitality Institute on July 14, 2018.
Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea rose to the top of the competition at the 2018 Iron City Chef.
The event, held on July 14 at Jefferson State Community College’s Culinary and Hospitality Institute, off Valleydale Road in Hoover, featured four local chefs creating a complete menu, which guests got to sample. Iron City Chef also featured music, a silent auction and hors d’oeuvres prior to the taste testing.
Chef Patrick McCown from Snapper Grabbers Land & Sea took home the Iron Skillet. His menu featured smoked Creole beef brisket, bacon marmalade, crawfish comte, mac and cheese, fresh pea tendrils and bananas Foster bread pudding as dessert.
McCown faced off against chef Gary Jones of Root to Tail, chef Jabari Nix from the Uptown Sheraton & Westin Hotel and chef Sean Butler from Five Star Preserve, who was the 2017 champion. Their main courses ranged from hickory-smoked quail and blackened lobster in cream sauce to coconut lamb banh mi. Desserts that guests sampled included salted caramel and bacon cheesecake, blueberry basil ice cream and Priester pecan pralines.
As part of the win, McCown’s sous chef, a student at Jefferson State, also received a scholarship.
Iron City Chef is hosted by the Vestavia Rotary Club and the proceeds from the event support the club’s annual scholarships and charity work, as well as the math and debate programs at Vestavia Hills City Schools. Members of the Pizitz Middle School math team were on hand at the event to serve drinks and help with other tasks throughout the night.
Learn more about the event and the Vestavia Rotary at vestaviarotary.org.
