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October 12, 2010 5:05 am

Battle Jewtalian: Chef Showdown at the Cova Hotel in SF

A picturesque look into Battle Jewtalian.  For the pleasure of your eyes.

You’ve already experienced the depth of the dishes with our Scarlet’s little preview of the dishes here, so sit back and enjoy a brief recap via pictures and video.  Enjoy.

The night started off sunny and warm on the rooftop terrasse of the Cova Hotel.  Long, elegant tables were set to stretch out across the rooftop terrasse, simply decorated by small platters of salted walnuts and pistachios and bowls of fresh apples. 

We welcomed guests with Prosecco and wine from Thomas Fogarty wines (Thomas was in attendance and nice enough to bring a couple bottles to share).

Scorecards were passed, and the Battle Jewtalian was to begin.

It was Italian Chef Christian Noto and Jewish Chef Sam Leonard (both of Jersey Tomatoes) competing in this chef showdown.

Shane, resident mixologist at BBC Elite headquartered in San Francisco was providing us with his smooth libations for the eve.

He started with a Negroni made from a muddle of rainbow grapes, campari, and gin.  Beautiful composition was achieved.

The Negroni paired the competitor’s dishes side by side.

On the Italian side, Noto created a Chilled Mixed Seafood Salad with Hand-Shucked Ceci Beans, House Cured Cod, Roasted Gypsy Peppers and Lemon.

On the Jewish side, Leonard created a Cured Sockeye Salmon and House-Smoked Whitefish Salad with Heirloom Tomato, Half Sours, Caper Relish and House Baked Pumpernickel

Round 2 was paired with dazzling glasses of the Dvash Frizzante, (a true blending of Italian and Jewish) with Fresh pear, honey, sage and lemon in sparkling wine garnished with fresh pear and a fresh sage leaf.

Chef Noto created his version of the Italian Wedding Soup.  It was an Escarole and Meatball Soup with Shaved Parmesan and a Poached Farm Egg.

Chef Leonard dressed up chicken soup with a Chicken and Vegetable Soup with Kreplach where he added dried fruits and nuts to the kreplach filling to give the dish a sweet and savoury finish.

Charming chatter filled the open night sky as the sun set before our eyes.  It was a magnificent view.

We peeked into the kitchen and found the chefs hard at work plating the 3^rd round.

(Below is a video recap of the night.  Watch it and read on! )

A traditional Italian dish was presented.  Bucatini with Cherrystone Clams, Herbs and Crusty Bread paired with a 2009 Ruffino Orvieto Classico

And to remind us of Passover food traditions, a Matzah Brei with Carmelized Onion, Leek, Chantrelle Mushrooms, Micro Greens, House Ketchup and a Six Minute Egg paired by the BBC Elite with a 2008 Francis Ford Coppola, Sonoma Chardonnay, “Directors Cut”.

It was down to the last course.  Now, two satisfying comfort dishes transformed into modern creation. 

By Noto, a Manicotti with Hand-Rolled Braciole paired with a 2008 Bolla Chianti, Tuscany.

By Leonard, a Vidalia Onion Braised Brisket with Fingerling Potatoes, Chantenay Carrot Tzimis, and a Market Fruit Glaze paired with a 2004 Semler, Saddlerock Malibu Estate Grown, Cabernet Sauvignon.

In the end, Leonard hailed victory over Noto with 3 dishes out of 4 scoring higher than his Italian competitor (Noto won the 2nd round).  Goes to show the student sometimes is taught so well, they overcome the master.  But until the next battle, we’ll never know.

Keep on the lookout for more events near you!  Or create a dishcrawl in San Francisco, New York, or Montreal!

Love,  The Dishcrawl Team

Additional Notes:

Press Coverage

Classy Eats, Lily Ko Dishcrawl & Jersey Tomatoes’ Chef Battle: Jewtalian tonight at the Cova Hotel, Tenderloin, SF.

Posted on 12. Oct, 2010 by tracy

Tags: battle dish, battle jewtalian, bbc elite, cova hotel, dish crawl, dishcrawl, featured, food event sf, iron chef, jersey tomatoes, jewtalian foodie, local iron chef competition, sf foodie