Chef Patrick MacWhorter from Oakleys Bistro in Indianapolis took home the top award at this year’s Taste of Elegance held on Tuesday, January 30, 2018 at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis. The premier chef’s competition – hosted by Indiana Pork in partnership with Indiana Farm Bureau, Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council – is a culinary event designed to inspire innovative and exciting ways to menu pork.
Each year, the Taste of Elegance program brings talented chefs together from across Indiana to compete in the prestigious event created to encourage chefs to use pork more frequently in creative, non-traditional ways. The event attracts over 400 pork farmers, lawmakers, ag industry leaders, and dignitaries to downtown Indianapolis for an evening of elegance and celebration.
The 2018 Indiana Taste of Elegance featured some of the state’s top chefs, including:
- Chef Michael Gomez – Gomez BBQ, Indianapolis
- Chef Brendon Cheney – JW Marriott, Indianapolis
- Chef Brandon Nelson – Table by Market District, Carmel
- Chef Patrick MacWhorter – Oakleys Bistro, Indianapolis
- Chef Estaban Rosas – Rook, Indianapolis
- Chef Angela Osborn – Circle City Soups, Indianapolis
- Chef Joseph Hsu, 5280 Bistro, Indianapolis
- Chef Eli Laidlaw, Plat 99 & The Alexander, Indianapolis
- Chef Craig Mariutto, Shoefly Public House, Indianapolis
- Chef Edward Sawyer, Taxman Brasserie & Taproom, Indianapolis
- Chef Alan Sternberg, Cerulean, Indianapolis
- Chef Craig Baker – The Local Pub & Eatery, Indianapolis
MacWhorter’s winning entrée was a dish that included a southern fried pork tongue, rolled pork collar with roasted leeks, ham hock collard greens puree and a celery root pork tail remoulade. As the Taste of Elegance winner, MacWhorter was presented with a check for $1,000 from Indiana Pork. He will represent Indiana at the Pork Summit hosted by National Pork Board.
Other winning chefs from the night include:
- Superior Chef Award (2nd place): Estaban Rosas – Rook, Indianapolis
- Premium Chef Award (3rd place): Alan Sternberg – Common House, Indianapolis
- Wine Pairing Award: Estaban Rosas – Rook, Indianapolis
- People’s Choice Award – Favorite Entrée: Brandon Nelson, Table by Market District, Carmel
- People’s Choice Award – Favorite Display: Edward Sawyer, – Taxman Brasserie & Taproom, Indianapolis
- People’s Choice Award – Favorite Wine: Best Vineyards Winery, Elizabeth
Source: Indiana Pork