Bocuse d'Or USA Finals - Epcot 2008, CIA 2010, CIA 2012

[ehagerty]

Bocuse d'Or USA Competition - the casual observer's experience
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You have the option of clicking links, or scrolling through the pages.

2008, at Epcot - Link List
Introduction = This Post
From Platter to Plate = Post #2 - Added 10/10/08 - LINK
Judging the Plates - Post #3 - Added 10/10/08 - LINK
Competitor Chef Richard Rosendale = Post #4 Added 10/10/08 - LINK
Winning Chef Hollingsworth's Platters = Post #17 Added 10/12/08 - LINK
A List of the Competition Teams = Post #18 Added 10/13/08 - LINK
Competition Judges List = Post #23 Added 10/13/08 - LINK
Chef's Party Set-up - Beach Club Resort = Post #30 Added 10/15/08 - LINK
Random ideas to build upon - what are your thoughts? = Post #33 Added 10/16/08 - LINK
Competitor Kevin Sbraga = Post #38 Added 10/19/08 - LINK
Various other Competition platter elements - from Day #1 = Post #39 Added 10/19/08 - LINK
Day #1 - Wrap-up = Post #41 Added 10/21/08 - LINK
Day #2 = Post #43 Added 10/23/08 - LINK
Day #2, continued = Post #44 Added 10/28/08 - LINK

2010 - Culinary Institute LINK LIST
A Brief History of Thyme - How we got here..... = Post #56, 2/4/10
Breakfast at the Apple Pie Bakery = Post #57, Added 2/10/10
Bocuse Sponsors = Post #58, Added 2/10/10
Chef Richard Rosendale - Lamb Demonstration = Post #59, Added 2/10/10
Sponsors - All Clad = Post #60, Added 2/10/10
Chef Eric Ziebold - Pastry Demo = Post #61, Added 2/10/10
Chef Charlie Trotter - Post #62, Added 2/10/10
So many interesting people = Post #63, Added 2/10/10
Panel Discussion - Crafting Your (culinary) Career = Post #64, Added 2/10/10
Informal Campus Tour - Free Cookies!!! = Post #65, Added 2/10/10
Escoffier - Dinner - Post #66, Added 2/10/10
American Bounty - Lunch 2/6/10 = Post #67, Added 2/10/10
Bocuse d'Or USA Finals - The Competition - Preparations = Post #68, Added 2/10/10
Chef's Panel- Sustaining Excellence = Post #69, Added 2/10/10
Competition - Judges assembling, competitors cooking = Post #70, Added 2/10/10
The Sponsors = Post #71, Added 2/10/10
Introducing the judges and school chefs = Post #72, Added 2/10/10
Group Photo = Post #73, Added 2/10/10
2010 Gala - Dessert, first!! = Post #75, Added 2/24/12
2010 Gala - Dessert, continued!! = Post #76, Added 2/24/12
2010 Gala - Dessert, The Master!! = Post #77, Added 2/24/12
2010 Gala - the other food = Post #78, Added 2/24/12
2010 Summary = Post #79, Added 2/24/12

2012 - Culinary Institute LINK LIST
2012 Bocuse d'Or USA Finals at CIA - Planning, 2/4/12
Dinner at Escoffier - Student staffed restaurant, 2/4/12
Cunlinary Institute - Backstage Tour, 4/18/12
Saturday - lunch at American Bounty, 4/20/12
School grounds..., 4/20/12
Commis Competition, 4/20/12
The judges, 4/21/12
Commis Introductions, 4/21/12
The Standings - someone has to win ......, 4/22/12
Commis - wrap up, 4/22/12
What happened next... and the finals, 4/22/12
Judges setting the stage for sending to winner to France, 4/22/12
Gala - The Beautiful Desserts, 4/22/12
One petit pain au chocolate, to go, please!, 4/23/12
Reflection, Ruminations, Lessons Learned, 4/23/12
Event evolution, simplified.... , 4/23/12

2014 - Bocuse d'Or dinner at The Culinary Vegetable Institute LINK LIST
Chef's Garden Tour - Getting Started 3/16/14
Chef's Garden Tour - Greenhouse
Chef's Garden Tour - Packing and Shipping
Chef's Garden Tour - Packing and Shipping, Continued
Culinary Vegetable Institute - preparations
Culinary Vegetable Institute - preparations, continued
Culinary Vegetable Institute - preparations, continued
Culinary Vegetable Institute - preparations, continued
Culinary Vegetable Institute - preparations, continued
Culinary Vegetable Institute - dinner
Culinary Vegetable Institute - dinner



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I enjoy cooking and I enjoy eating - I also enjoy reading about cooking and eating. I have not ever seen a cooking or food channel (not opposed, just have other things I want to do with my time). Somewhere around 15 years ago (may be 10), I remember reading about the first woman to win the Bocuse d'Or competition ("The Art of Eating", I think) and thought the idea of a cooking "olympics" very interesting. When I saw that USA finals would be held at Epcot - during the F&W festival - and, most importantly, while were going to be in WDW anyway, I was very interested in taking advantage of this rare opportunity to see how it is all done.

(Disclaimer - without tripod and/or extenal flash, I had to push up the ISO, hence pictures are a tad grainy. There were professional photographers present - just not sure where they will be publishing.)

We headed to Millennium Village - I mean "The World Showplace, EPCOT" - to this view

Tables of chef-judges, large LED video feed, 4 kitchens (the red-rimmed windows - only 3 visible in this picture - more to come). Temporary metal bleachers with flop-down seats across from the events.



Moving in a little closer, you get get quite close to the judging action....

This chef pointing out that the competitor only has 1 minute before delivering...

..... the platter version viewed by Paul Bocuse (himself) and Lea Linster (the only woman to have ever won the Bocuse d'Or)

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What are they looking for? Here is a description of the competitive elements from the booklet handed out:

Each team will be given five and a half hours to prepare two presentation: a fish course featuring Atlantic cod, Hawaiian prawns and scallops provided by Pierless Fish and a meat course featuring beef tenderloin, oxtail and cheek provided by Brandt Beef. For each course, each team must prepare a presentation platter for six in addition to six individually plated portions featuring the main proteins and three garnishes. These presentations will be evaluated for excellence in flavor, composition, presentation and technical skill according to the following criteria:

TASTE: PRESENTATION OF THE PLATES 50%
10%: Texture & Cuisson (Perfection in Doneness}
10%: Seasoning
10%: Overall Harmony of Flavors
10%: Sophistication & Subtlety
10%: Originality & Creativity

ARTISTRY: PRESENTATION OF THE PLATTERS 30%
10%: Complexity & Level of Detail
10%: Technical Knife Skills
10%: Originality & Creativity

ORGANIZATION: KITCHEN SKILLS 20%
10%: Commis Performance
5%: Cleanliness
5%: Efficiency & Timing

 

[ehagerty]

The platters are being carried by Disney chefs. They are ultra careful, as any shift in display costs the competition team points. Once the mini-parade is over, the platter comes to rest on a table in front of the kitchen.

After the platter, the competition teams has a fixed number of minutes to deliver 6 individual plates for assessment. Here, you can see fairly intact plates being judged. The judges look it over, test for scent, then flavor!

To help keep the audience aware of what is happening, Daniel Boulud asks Andre Soltner for his impression of what he is seeing and tasting.

In between presentations, the chefs display some sort of special watch.

From left to right:
Paul Bocuse
Jerome Bocuse (didn't know there was more than Paul)
Thomas Keller (remembered the tobacco-cake and name from Bourdain's book which I read 10 years ago - my only source of chef-awareness besides working in a restaurant 30 years ago and friendly chats with Chef Jens at CG)
Daniel Boulud

List of Competition Officials
Paul Bocuse (L'Auberge du Pont de Collonges - Lyon, France
Jerome Bocuse (Chefs de France at Epcot)
Daniel Boulud (Daniel - NY)
Joel Buchman, Esq (Competition Auditor)
Thomas Keller (The French Laundry - Yountville, CA)
Lea Linster (Lea Linster - Luxembourg)

Honored Guests:
Dana Cowin (Food & Wine Magazine)
John Besh (August Restaurant, New Orleans)
Al Roker (Today Show)
Susan Ungaro (James Beard Foundation)

 

[ehagerty]

The beef judges confer (there's that professional photographer - hope I can find his pictures somewhere)

Most of the chefs had little digital cameras, taking pictures of their own. Here is Chef Jens Dahlmann - formerly of the California Grill, currently at Epcot.

Look who's co-hosting Day #1 - Samatha Pamelia Perkins of Adventurers Club reknown

We signaled "Kungaloosh" (sign language, of course) - so she came over to chat and talk a little about what the cast will be doing after PI closed the next night.

 

[ehagerty]

The setting - Kitchen, platters

Post-Competition picture with Paul Bocuse

...with his commis

Fish Platter

...with some detail

Veggies

Beef Platter

Post competition feedback

 

[AuroraBeauty]

WOW! That was soooooo cool. I wish I had been there. I've heard it is an amazing competition and one that is a significant honor just to have been asked to participate. Thank you so much for the photos -- they are terrific. Don't apologize.

Again, thank you for sharing this.

 

[redzinner]

Thanks for the write-up. Intense craftmanship on display here. Great pics.

Do you attend the gala evening too? Were the bleachers full during the competition?

 

[ehagerty]

WOW! That was soooooo cool. I wish I had been there. I've heard it is an amazing competition and one that is a significant honor just to have been asked to participate. Thank you so much for the photos -- they are terrific. Don't apologize.

Again, thank you for sharing this.

And I would return again and again specifically to be able to observe. However, it is only held once every two years - and this is the first time at Disney. I do not know whether Disney can make it attractive enough to return again and again, but I hope there is plenty of synergy there so that Epcot at least remains in the rotation.

The beauty of attending the first is that it was rather under-attended for the significance of the event and opportunity to Epcot guests, but also the relative casual-ness of the "first time" - everything was "in close" and "accessible". I was fearing mobs of people, but I don't think very many Epcot guests understood it was even there (tiny sign out front) - or what it is. The attendance was reasonable for the number of seats. I suspect that once Disney understands better what a gem it was and how to market it better, future events (if they are scheduled) will be different. Who knows!!

There are many more photos to come - this is just as far as I got last night!! Stay tuned (excuse me - twenty-first century calling - don't "stay tuned" - radio & TV term - but rather, SUBSCRIBE!!)

 

[ehagerty]

Thanks for the write-up. Intense craftmanship on display here. Great pics.

Do you attend the gala evening too? Were the bleachers full during the competition?

The bleachers WERE full - but mostly with press and families of competitors. However, no one seemed to mind or notice that we were there. I had the extreme good fortune on the second day of sitting next to a local (to Orlando) chef who has participated in similarly set-up competitions. He was very friendly and I asked hundreds of questions. His answers greatly expanded my understanding and appreciation for what was occurring - and he knows the chefs, their interests, etc.

I did NOT attend the gala.

 

[ghidorah97]

Wow! Great pics of the competition. How did you get so close to the trays?!?!?! I nearly got kicked out on Day 2 just trying to get up to the ropes to take some pics.

For those interested, I've posted my review of the Gala event (which was AMAZING, btw) here:

http://disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1968065

Brad

 

[ehagerty]

Thanks for stopping by my thread and providing the link to yours (this one).

In answer to your question, I don't know how I got close to the trays (and many more pictures to come). They were a lot more accommodating on Day #1 - on Day#2 they were sensitive to the time constraints for gala preparations. I also think they may have thought I was some sort of professional because my camera has a larger-than-normal lense.

In any case, thanks for stopping by. I hope you subscribed because I have many more pictures.

And since you mentioned the California Grill in your thread, I'll include that link too (although I haven't posted my pictures from 9/27 yet):

Click here for some pictures of the California Grill

 

[ehagerty]

Disney supplied toques as souveniers, which you could get signed by the chefs. I didn't realize this, but I noticed a small retail section in the building selling aprons. Not every chef was available, but those who were were quite affable - chatting, asking your name, posing for pictures. I am only posting one - the one without me in it!!!


Thomas Keller was getting a beverage at the coffee cart just outside "The World Showplace, Epcot" (between UK and Canada) - one of the few places in the World you can purchase a not-so-terrible caffeinated beverage.

Here, he is signing my apron. I suspect he is really a very nice guy - but he has a inherent reserve that makes him a little intimidating to ask for an autograph. I cultivate a similar persona at work, but DH ignores all such social cues, asked to him to sign, and he did.

Here is a picture of the sign out front - you can see it was unobtrusive - more confirming location for those who knew it was there, than attracting those who might not have known it was there - or what it was.

And, since you can't really see ME, here is a picture of the "place" and my apron!!

Soon I hope to post pictures of all the food - I have some from each competition team. All were incredible to look at - probably didn't do justice to all of them, as we were being asked to leave at the end of the second day so they could start preparing for the gala.

They did make one good adjustment from Day #1 to Day #2, in that they moved the judges BEHIND the display platters to make it easier for people to see the food.

 

[jeminni]

I've always enjoyed your pictures and these are especially nice. Can't wait to see more pics of the food.

 

[jeminni]

The setting - Kitchen, platters

Post-Competition picture with Paul Bocuse

...with his commis

Fish Platter

http://ehagerty.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p664985371-4.jpg[/img



[B]
...with some detail[/B]

[img]http://ehagerty.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p748121435-4.jpg




Veggies

Beef Platter

Post competition feedback

I have to know, what was that on the beef platter that you took a close up of?

 

[TigerKat]

Great pics! I would have loved the chance to attend this competition.

 

[LowesChevy]

Thank you for the pictures, I would have love to seen the competition. Bocuse d'Or is the olympics for culinarians. By the way do you know who was selected to the team?

We spent half a semester working on cold plating and garde manger in culinary school. These pictures show how artful and talented the chefs are with the ingredients.

I enjoyed your post and pics thank you

 

[ghidorah97]

Thank you for the pictures, I would have love to seen the competition. Bocuse d'Or is the olympics for culinarians. By the way do you know who was selected to the team?

We spent half a semester working on cold plating and garde manger in culinary school. These pictures show how artful and talented the chefs are with the ingredients.

I enjoyed your post and pics thank you

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth, Sous @ The French Laundry, and his commis were selected to represent Team USA.

 

[ehagerty]

Originally, I was going to conclude with Hollingsworth, not as in a "ta-da, and the winner is" approach, but rather to highlight just how different his presentation was compared to the other seven (I have no idea how the ratings were for taste....). But in response to reader direction, via questions....

As noted above, the winning competition team was Chef Timothy Hollingsworth
Sous Chef, The French Laundry - Yountville, CA
Commis: Adina Guest
Commis: The French Laundry

As I mentioned before, it helped to have my-new-chef-friend sitting next to me to explain the judges reactions to Chef Hollingsworth's work - one said "Perfection" - another "The good ones make it look easy". I have no idea how much they won by - or what factors set them apart, but their presentation platter was significantly different from the other seven - all of which were impressive. Commentary continues below pictures:

Winning Chef's Fish Platter (presentation)

....with close-ups of fish platter

Winning Chef's Beef Platter

Chef-friend said that this work displayed considerable clean knife technique - that there is no place to hide errors in this type of work.


While I have some skills in my work and hobbies, the only "certifiable mastery" is in karate. There are many skills and attributes we look for when determining if someone if ready to test for black belt, but one of the surest validations is observing him/her doing "Basic One" - the first kata you ever learn. It is simple - we also use the terms "makes it look easy" and "no place to hide" sloppy technique. While complimentary of everyone's work, the judges were definitely overtly commenting on this chef's mastery.

Try as I might, I could not find out who won Sun 9/28 - I thought it would be in the Orlando Sentinel, for sure - or on a Disney site. Instead I found this on yahoo, on a google search. Thought it was a pretty good job, and includes Hollingsworth's picture

Click here for link to announcement of Bocuse d'Or USA winner

Still to come - pictures of the remaining 6 chef's platters

 

[ehagerty]

As listed in the brochure

Chef Timothy Hollingsworth
Sous Chef, The French Laundry - Yountville, CA
(Over seven years working for Thomas Keller at The French Laundry and Per Se)

Commis: Adina Guest
Commis: The French Laundry

Chef Hung Huynh
Executive Chef, Solo - New York, NY
Top Chef Season 3 Winner, Formerly Sous Chef of Guy Savoy in Las Vegas

Commis: Girair Goumroian
Student, Culinary Institute of America

Chef Rogers Powell
Instructor, French Culinary Institute - New York, NY
23 years of experience throughout New York and France, including La Cote Basque and Maxim's

Commis: Kyle Fiasconaro
Student: French Culinary Institute

Chef John Rellah
Hamilton Farm Golf Club - Gladstone, NJ
Experience at Union Club, Gray Kunz, Lespinasse, Le Bernardin, New York

Commis: Vincent Forchello
Chef de Partie, Hamilton Farm Golf Club

Chef Richard Rosendale
Chef/Owner Rosendales - Columbus, OH
US Culinary Olynpic Team Captain - Recipeint of over 15 gold medals

Commis: Seth Warren
Cook, Rosendales

Chef Michael Rotondo
Chef de Cuisine, Restaurant Charlies at the Palazzo - Las Vegas, NV
New England Culinary Institute Alumnus, Four Seasons Hotel

Commis: Jennifer Petrusky
Sous Chef, Restaurant Charlies

Chef Kevn Sbraga
Culinary Director, Garces Restaurant Group - Philadelphia, PA
Formerly Executive Chef of Le Mas Perrier of the Georges Perrier Restaurant Gorup

Commis: Aimee Patel
Cook, Amamda

Chef Percy Whatley
Executive Chef, Ahwahnee Hotel - Yosemite National Park, CA
Oversees Culinary Operations of the Ahwahnee Hotel

Commis: Josh Johnson
Chef de Partie, Delaware North Parks

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Such great photos...wish I could remember why I didn't drop in on this.

 

[ehagerty]

I have to know, what was that on the beef platter that you took a close up of?

I thought about taking a picture of each description page posted by the platter - that would have been smart - but I was so concerned that someone might realize I didn't belong or something, that I focused on the food.

There was no other publication handed out that contained that information. I suppose if you were REALLY curious, could you email the chef at his restaurant email address. I found it in Google and emailed him a link to the thread in case he wanted any of the pictures.