Acworth Chef Named Fan Favorite

ACWORTH, GA — Chef Henry Chandler of Henry’s Louisiana Grill was voted Fan Favorite at the National Chef’s Taste Challenge 2016, part of the Farm to Table Experience (F2Te) event.

The competition was held August 19 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA.

Competing with nine other chefs selected from across the country, Chandler won good reviews from the majority of the 400 food fans who attended the ticketed event, securing him the title of Fan Favorite. His dish was also enjoyed by the panel of expert judges, including Chef Nedra Harris, who appeared on Season 11 of “Hell's Kitchen;” Izabela Wojcik, director of house programming at The James Beard Foundation; Gary Prell, vice president culinary development at Centerplate; and other figures from the culinary world.

Chandler’s winning dish, “Farm Boy’s Feast,” featured Louisiana braised beef inside round over root vegetables with Pennsylvania mushrooms and Montana chickpea saffron risotto topped with Port balsamic paint. The dish featured in-season, regionally sourced farm fresh, sustainable ingredients selected by a lottery style drawing for the contest and donated by state agricultural departments.

The goal of the annual competition is to showcase the significance of the farm-to-table philosophy, a cooking movement that emphasizes locally sourced and seasonal ingredients. Locavores, those that prefer locally grown or produced food, tend to be especially interested in food and eating trends, so the event enables chefs at the forefront of the farm-to-table approach to show off their creativity combining locally sourced ingredients for enthusiastic judges and diners. All profits support the Farm to Table Experience and the National Farm to Table Alliance.

Chefs were allowed to bring only one assistant with them to the competition. Chandler chose hard-working sous chef, Jeremy Hartman, who made the trek with him from Acworth.

Over 500 attendees were expected at the event, but recent flooding in Louisiana kept approximately 100 people who had tickets from attending. Chef Eric Cook of New Orleans was awarded the gold medal by the judges’ panel, with silver going to Chef Lee Anne Wong of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Image Courtesy Henry’s Louisiana Grill