Food bracket madness, aka chefsmack

So, the Globe, like a million other outfits, (see esp Southern food and drunks) has its own NCAA tournament knockoff, Munch Madness in this case. It's exactly as compelling as a battle of the bands in the gym your sophomore year, except that Tony Maws, Beard awards and all, REALLY wants to win: 

Thanks to you, Craigie has made it to the finals of The Globe's "Munch Madness" Competition. Of course, I want us to win. Who wouldn't appreciate such a vote of confidence?

We've tooted our own horn a fair amount over the last few days - thank you for reading and voting for us - and, yes, I'm asking for your vote again. We know it's "just a contest", but I hope that winning can be so much more than bragging rights.  I hope it will focus more attention on our nose-to-tail, stem-to-root, fin-to-gills approach to cooking and how it enables us, in our small but consistent way, to spread the word about sustainability.

 

A vote for Craigie is really a vote for our suppliers too. I am just a cook; they are the ones who produce the beautiful product that I am honored to work (and play) with. They do this through rain, sleet, and snow. I'd love to win it for them too.

 

Most of all, I would like to win for the proud committed people who work here at Craigie: Sous Chef Matt Foley, Pastry Chef Jessica Scott, and the entire kitchen staff; Our Managers: Carl York, Karin Brudvig, Ted Gallagher, and Mark Grande, and our front of house staff. No way could we do what we do without them. THEY deserve the recognition.

 

No matter what happens in "Munch Madness, we'll all be here the very next day fixing the plumbing, harassing suppliers, and finding new ways to honor our 100% commitment to both sustainability and yumminess.

 

I am humbled and proud to have our family-run restaurant make it to the "Munch Madness" finals. No matter what, I'll be excited to cook for you the next time we see you at Craigie.

But, more important:

NEW ORLEANS – NOLA-based scribe Brett Michael Dykes is a friend to hungry sportswriters. He never steers us wrong when we visit his city. Friday night, a few of us got a direct message on Twitter from Dykes that he would be imbibing at Sylvain. If we were thirsty, we should join him. If we were hungry, even better. The food, he said, was incredible.

I hadn’t planned to eat an official dinner. I had been grazing at some schmoozefest and figured I’d had enough. Then Dykes introduced me to Sylvain chef Alex Harrell. Brett grew up in Terrebone Parish. If you prick him, he will bleed LSU purple and gold. Harrell, on the other hand, grew up in Dothan, Ala. He rolls with the Alabama Crimson Tide, and he did not pass on the chance Friday to remind Dykes of the Tide’s 21-0 win against the Tigers in the BCS Championship Game in January.

The conversation then turned to Dykes’ favorite dish, but it never really left football. Dykes said his favorite meal in New Orleans at the moment is Harrell’s pan-fried pork shoulder with greens and grits. Harrell chuckled. “You know, those grits come from Alabama,” he said to Dykes. “They kind of burned going down, didn’t they?”

Comments

[Darryl Iorio]

Congratulations to Craigie for reaching the finals of "Munch Madness". This will really boost their ego to prepare delightful and mouth watering food at Craigie. How's your plumbing system back in the restaurant? Are they fixed now?

[New Adidas Shoes]

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