New York Vs. Boston: Chefs Battle It Out For A Good Cause

The heat was on Thursday night at New York City's NIOS restaurant, located just east of Times Square, as the restaurant's chef de cuisine, Jarett Brodie, partnered with executive sous chef Jair Solis to go head to head with Jay Silva, executive chef of Bambara in Cambridge, Mass., to create a five-course tasting menu. Each chef made one appetizer and one entrée, and guests voted on which they preferred.

The event coincided with Movember, in which men grow moustaches to raise awareness for men's health issues, specifically prostate and testicular cancer initiatives, and $1,400 was raised by the restaurant to support the cause.

"We were excited to see such a great turnout at the 'Eat Like a Man' competition in support of Movember," said Ericka Nelson, general manager of Kimpton's The Muse Hotel (where the restaurant is located) and NIOS restaurant. "We are committed to doing what we can to make a difference and are thrilled to have raised funds and awareness for such an importance cause."

The first course served was a short rib-stuffed arancini, which went head to head with a wild boar rillete with a Scottish quail egg and frisee salad. Entrées were a braised lamb shank versus "the ultimate Salisbury steak," served with onion rings and truffle fries.

When it came time for votes to be tallied, it was revealed that New York's chef Brodie was behind the rillete and lamb shank, and Boston's chef Silva prepared the arancini and Salisbury steak. The appetizer round was a tie, but in the end it was chef Brodie's lamb shank that won the day, by a margin of only three votes.

A tasty (and fun) way to raise money for charity, if you ask me.