Las Olas staple YOLO clinched the top award from JA World Uncorked last night by serving a "forever-braised" short rib over a potato risotto with crispy shallots.
A majority of the Clean Plate Charlie panel of judges picked YOLO to win the Best Plate award at the second-annual Uncorked event. Here's the full breakdown of the winners:
Best Plate
YOLO
Chef Peter Boulukos spooned up the short ribs himself, plopping a square of the melt-away meat onto the potatoes. The meat was nearly as soft as the gravy that surrounded it, and below, the potatoes were cooked al dente in an au gratin sauce. Crispy shallots over the top gave a nice crunch contrast.
Best Presentation
L'Hermitage Catering
Many of the 27 participants offered just one dish, but not so at the L'Hermitage display, which featured four fairly stunning-looking items. Chef Marci Boland offered curry chicken salad in curry cones, fig and goat cheese lollipops, pan-Asian crab salad in edible spoons, and sun-dried tomato and feta sigaras.
Best Uncorked Burger
Charm City Burgers
This might have been the toughest category in the Uncorked awards, considering that most of the five burgers were fantastic (special props to Georgie's Alibi, which finished second here). But it's easy to understand why Charm City won with a burger covered in candied bacon, smoked mushrooms, and a garlic/blue-cheese spread.
Most Unique Bite
Hard Rock Cafe
Hard Rock took all the things that are great about a bahn mi sandwich -- French bread, fresh herbs, Asian sauces -- and combined it with tender pulled pork. This wasn't a bahn mi that you'd find on a Vietnamese street corner but more like one you might find in the Deep South, making for one creative bite.
Best Sweet Treat
Susie's Scrumptious Sweets
Most famous for its wedding cakes, Susie's showed off a fairly amazing display of desserts: cakes of rum canolli and dulce du leche; cake pops of red velvet, coconut, and German chocolate; caramelized popcorn; cheesecake lollipops of Key lime and chocolate; chocolate-covered strawberries; and cookies including Jamaican crunchies, Chinese five spice, and sesame butter.
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