Showing posts with label Executive Chef. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Executive Chef. Show all posts

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Sotto Sopra’s Chef Bill Crouse in a head to head culinary competition with Kali’s Chef Bill Martin

On Tuesday, May 25th, Sotto Sopra’s Chef Bill Crouse is competing in the Mason Dixon Master Chef Tournament. It is a head-to-head competition of regional chefs where they have one hour to prepare a three course meal. Like March Madness, the winners of each competition move on to the next round of culinary competition. Chef Bill is inviting you to come out and cheer him on.

Chef Crouse is pitted again Chef Brian Martin of Kali’s Court and Mezze, two excellent chefs, cooking up great dishes for the chance to move on in the competition and go for the best Mason Dixon Chef title.


Are you a cooking voyeur?

Want to watch the competition, possibly judge? Share food war stories with other guests while enjoying a wonderful meal. This will be a convergence of food enthusiasts. This is live, better than Top Chef or Hell's Kitchen. There will be no editing out the expletives here or funny out take moments.

Guests attending this exciting event will be more than just spectators. In addition to enjoying their choice of a gourmet four-course meal, guests will also have the unique experience of witnessing these two spectacular area chefs battle it out in the prep kitchen right on the main dining room floor.

As an added bonus, 25 audience members will participate each night of the competition as judges, tasting the chefs' creations and voting right alongside of our expert judging panel. Finally, and best of all, guests will be supporting a local charity since 10% of the net proceeds from ticket sales will go directly to Moveable Feast. Moveable Feast is a local non-profit Baltimore charity that provides meal delivery service to homebound People Living with AIDS/HIV, women undergoing breast cancer treatment as well as their families.

The competition is running for 16 weeks and tickets will include a choice of four-course meal, the chef competition, and a donation to Moveable Feast. Dates have been announced, and tickets are available for purchase. Be sure to keep up-to-date on all of the results and match-ups by signing up for our email updates, or following them on FaceBook or Twitter.

Basic Competition Rules and Scoring System

• A total of 32 teams will compete for the title of Mason Dixon Master Chef 2010 during the tournament.
• Participating Teams will consist of one executive chef and one sous chef each.
• Two teams will compete each night of competition.
• Competing chefs are executive chefs currently working in the Baltimore/Washington Metropolitan area.
• Competitions will be held each week on two different evenings for 16 weeks.
• Chefs will have one hour to plate up three courses an appetizer, entree, and dessert.
• Each Chef will also produce 25 amuse bouche size portions of their entree to be passed out to 'Judge Experience' ticket holders as well as randomly selected audience members. These 'Guest Judges' will be able to score courses on a scale from 1-10.
• Each chef team will plate up three plates of each course to present to the judging panel (three judges per competition night).

Scoring

• Judges will score the three courses based on plate presentation, creativity, and taste. Each judge will be able to give a total of 8 points for plate presentation, 8 points for creativity, and 9 points for taste.
• The combined points will be added up from all the judges for a total score out of a possible 75 points.
• The remaining possible 25 points will come from the Guest Judges score cards, and will be calculated as a percentage of the average score each chef receives.
• Scores from the Expert and Guest Judges will be added together, and the winning score and Chef Team announced. In the event of a tie score, the Expert Judges' decision will be final.
What: Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition
www.masondixonmasterchef.com/index.php

Where: Truffles Catering at the Belvedere

Event Timeline:
5:00pm - Happy Hour
6:30pm - Dinner Served to customers
8:00pm - Competition Begins
9:00pm - Judging Begins

Saturday, March 28, 2009

Chef's April Three-Course Dinners

Executive Chef Bill Crouse's
April's Three-Course Dinner Menu
Wednesdays: April 1st, 8th, 22nd & 29th (not available April 15th)
Open Reservations – Served from 5:30 p.m. through 9:00 p.m.

This menu that our dynamic executive chef, Bill Crouse, has created for the month of April offers so many mouth watering options for each course that everyone in your party will be pleased although we still offer our regular dinner menu as well.

Choose one dish from each course for just $38 and enjoy a fabulous dinner.


First Course – choice of one

Soup of the Day

Caprese Salad

Grilled Romaine Salad

Spinach Salad
with warm goat cheese crouton, blueberries, pine nuts and honey vinaigrette

Grilled Asparagus
with poached egg, parmesan and truffle oil

Prosciutto and Grapefruit Salad
with mache greens and a peppery olive oil

Second Course-choice of one

Chestnut Pappardelle with Lamb Ragout

Spring Pea Gnocchi
with shrimp, fava beans and a tarragon-lemon sauce

Sesame Seared Tuna
with couscous and salsa verde

Black Pepper Garganelli Pasta
with San Danielle prosciutto, peas, and cream

Spinach Ravioli
with fresh tomato sauce

Spaghetti with Spinach and Grape Tomatoes in Garlic Oil

Grilled Prosciutto-Wrapped Beef Fillet Medallions
with oven-roasted potatoes, snap peas and a truffle demi

Third Course-choice of one

Vanilla Semifreddo with Pineapple Compote

Warm Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Coulis

House Gelato and Sorbetto

Cherry and Mascarpone Crepes

Sweet Ricotta with Blueberries and Honeydew Melon

$38 per person

- excludes beverages, tax and gratuity -

Reservations are highly suggested

Call 410 625 0534 or e-mail ciao@sottosopra.us for more information or reservations

no other promotions or discounts are applicable to this event

Saturday, March 21, 2009

Cooking Class with Chef Bill Crouse


Cooking Class with Executive Chef Bill Crouse
Ideas for your Holiday Table

Sunday, April 5th
1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

$65 per person
limited to 16 students

Please join our uber exec chef, Bill Crouse for his spring holiday table class. The class offers optional hands-on opportunities for the students who like to get their hands into the cooking mix. Enjoy the fruits of your labor by dining on the foods prepared in class along with wine.

Cooking Class Curriculum

Salads and Vinaigrettes
Duck Ravioli
Roasted Leg of Lamb and Accoutrements

Check out photographs and a bit of video on Bill’s last cooking class – Click HERE

Please call to make your reservations with Monika Pawlak at 410 625 0534. Reservations are guaranteed and can be cancelled up to 24 hours prior to the class. Any cancellations in the last 24 hours before the class will be billed. Students are required to sign a release form.
no other promotions or discounts are applicable to this event

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Big win for Chef Crouse and his kitchen team



The Taste of Elegance pork competition took place last week and Chef Crouse walked away with the popular vote of the 300 attendees and the pork and wine pairing as well. The story was so well written at the foodandwine blog in detail of what all the chefs prepared that I'm just going to give you the link.

Click HERE

Thursday, June 26, 2008

Our Top Toque

As executive chef at Sotto Sopra I am keenly aware of the spirit and soul of this restaurant. It’s important to me that it is true to you as well as itself, presenting a slice of contemporary Italy with style and sense of excitement.

My passion for food began in Havre de Grace, at my family’s table, which offered the bounty of the local woods, the Susquehanna river, and a family garden. There, I developed a healthy appreciation for good, fresh food. I graduated top-of-my-class at the Pennsylvania Culinary Institute (PCI) with three associate’s degrees: culinary, pastry, and restaurant and hotel management. I’ve received the Medal of Excellence from Chaines des Rotisseurs and the Award for Professionalism from PCI.

I love to share my culinary knowledge, whether with my staff in the Sotto Sopra kitchen, the culinary students from Carver Center’s ProStart program, or our clientele at my monthly cooking classes. This sharing of culinary ideologies and techniques is the core to our world of food.

Each month, I create a new chef’s three-course tasting menu, available every Wednesday night, which offers multiple selections from our seasonal dinner menu for just $38.

Bill Crouse, Executive Chef
Sotto Sopra Restaurant