Seasonal Slam Debuts at TWO

Everyone loves a good culinary throwdown. Just look at the ravenous success of Top Chef. In this day and age, food is viewed as entertainment and chefs revered as demi gods. So any chance to partake in a little culinary melee, guests lap it up like catnip. And for good reason, especially when the kitchen entertainment is provided by such well-regarded talents as Tom Van Lente of TWO and Ryan McCaskey of Acadia. The two chefs are taking the stage as part of the first installment of guest-chef competition series, Seasonal Slam. So get hungry for some competition. 

 

(The kitchen at TWO, scene of the smackdown)

 

The Seasonal Slam series begins July 27 at TWO, wherein Tom Van Lente and TWO's head bartender Graham Crowe vie against guest chef/bartender duo Ryan McCaskey and Arunas Brunzas of Acadia. The event is a three-course head-to-head, each one consisting of one dish and one paired drink. The trick is that guests at the event are the judges, sampling each dish/drink and voting for their favorites. 

 

The ingredients that each chef and mixologist must utilize in their creations are corn, cherries, and basil, indicative of late-July seasonality. Said ingredients were selected by Plate Magazine's Editor-in-Chief Chandra Ram, who will also emcee the event. By the end of the event, whichever team has the most votes wins the dinner. 

 

Seasonal Slam begins at 5:00 p.m. with a cocktail reception, followed by a seated dinner at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $85 per person and can be purchased here. 

- Matt Kirouac