Master of outdoing your palate. More powerful with a spatula in hand, able to pile large sandwiches by the pound.
When you meet them on the street, they may look like ordinary people, but when they get into the kitchen, they transform into impressive hash artists, fighting for a tastier future.
NWI’s Chefs of Steel feature returns after a roughly five-year hiatus. The first series, which culminated in a competition, ran in 2019 and featured a number of creative chefs whose restaurants are making the region a destination for foodies.
Television programs such as Iron Chef and No Reservations have helped to raise the profile and status of chefs as artists and household names, and in recent years the popularity of FX’s The Bear has brought new attention and even a romantic twist to working in the kitchen.
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Each feature highlights a local chef who demonstrates in print and on video how he prepares some of his specialties and succeeds in a difficult, yet delicious, industry.
The first Chefs of Steel profile focuses on restaurant owner Chris Pavlou, who runs Radius and Maple & Bacon in Valpo, among other restaurants. Pavlou, who made a blueberry bourbon bacon burger for the first Chefs of Steel competition, ups the ante this time. I don’t want to give away the surprise yet, but I can confirm that his latest creation should be a big hit with Radius’ guests.
Chris Pavlou presents his dish at the Chefs of Steel competition on Saturday at Bulldog Park in Crown Point.
Marc Chase
Every two weeks you’ll meet other Chefs of Steel whose menus cover the entire radius – from the radius to microbreweries, food trucks and pizza places to the dunes and the saloons (we have saloons here, right?).
Stay tuned for more details on the release of each Chefs of Steel profile.
Angela McCrovitz of Captain’s House in Gary.
We also welcome suggestions from readers for chefs or restaurants to participate in the series. Please also email us suggestions for future Chefs of Steel themes, including “foodie” or “different types of ethnic cuisine” categories.
To recommend a chef or restaurant from an area brewery or gastropub, email Times feature writer Aaron Dorman at [email protected].
In the meantime, get ready to learn from the master chefs of some of the region’s hottest restaurants.
