Last Chef Standing
Houston's best restaurant challenge is down to the Final Four: You decide whowins it all
Liberty Kitchen's Lance Fegen
Adam West represents MonarchPhoto by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Roots Bistro is led by German Mosquera
Chef Robert Del Grande leads at Alto PizzeriaPhoto by Sarah Rufca
And then there were four.John Healey, "Four Chefs"
You've cut the Elite Eight to the Final Four in the CultureMap Last Chef Standing Restaurant Challenge. The battle to be named the Whole Foods People's Choice Champion is heating up and your vote counts more than ever.
Who will advance to the championship round?
Will it be the farm-to-market, changing daily menu of Roots Bistro (just the thought of the in-house Kobe beef pastrami and the pan-seared local broccoli and Texas cheese gratin is enough to make one's mouth water), or the high/low concept of West Ave's Alto Pizzeria (please tell me you've tried the fried calamari and the gorgonzola pizza with dried mission figs and arugula)?
Liberty Kitchen works wonders with fresh seafood (not to mention its addictive milkshakes), but Monarch at Hotel ZaZa promises a new twist on ceviche — Meyer lemon-cured yellowtail with sea beans and candied quinoa — at the Tasting Event at Hotel ZaZa on April 9. Which of the two would you like to see battle it out for the title?
Even if you don't have a chance to stop by each of the four restaurants before voting for this round ends on Tuesday, you can learn more about German Mosquera, the executive chef at Roots Bistro, by turning the radio dial to the Cleverley Show this Saturday between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m on 650 AM. And watch KHOU's Great Day Houston on Tuesday for a live cooking demonstration by Adam West, executive chef for Monarch.
A cool $45 admission fee covers entrance to the Tasting Event on April 9, which includes delectable dishes from 18 of Houston's best restaurants — each with a drink pairing — with samples from GoodPop to cleanse the palate between each, plus libations from Saint Arnold Brewing Company, Messina Hof, Hpnotiq and Harmonie.
A portion of the proceeds will go to Houston Public Media and the Houston Food Bank. Buy your tickets today, and vote in the ultimate restaurant challenge. Remember you can vote once a day.
