Santa Clara University Executive Chef Josh Grimes and his sous chef Mark McGowan were the newbies of the three competing collegiate teams at Friday afternoon’s Garlic Bowl II, held on Cookoff Stage at the 36th annual Gilroy Garlic Festival.
But the Broncos didn’t cook like it—dazzling the distinguished panel of judges with a pair of tasty, garlicky and creative dishes to dethrone defending champion Fresno State—as well as edge out Cal Berkeley—and hoist up the coveted Garlic Bowl crystal trophy.
“I was satisfied with our performance and what we got done today. It was great,” said Grimes, a New Mexico native and executive chef at Santa Clara University by Bon Appetit since 2012. “The timing was a little tricky…This was our first year and we really put our mark on this competition.”
Each two-person team, representing their respective four-year universities, had one hour to prepare two garlic-influenced dishes with six cloves in each and present them to the judges. Judges grade each dish on a scale of 1 to 10 in each of five categories: flavor, texture, creativity, appearance and use of garlic. Those scores are then added up and the highest total wins the competition. San Jose State University, which competed in 2013, was unable to attend this year, making it a three-team race.
With temperatures rising above 100 degrees inside the Cookoff Stage culinary arena, Santa Clara kept its cool—waiting 30 minutes as Fresno State was the first to get started followed by the Berkeley duo 15 minutes later. It was well worth the wait for the judges, who gave rave reviews to the “Telicherry Peppercorn Crusted American Kobe Beef with Tempura Spring Vegetables, Truffled Asparagus and Grape Tomato Confit, and Black Garlic Puree” and the “Garlic Godzilla Oshi Sushi.”
“I think with both their dishes the presentation was excellent. The Kobe beef with the crunchy vegetables was delicious and the sauce was outstanding,” said judge Beat Giger, Director of Special Events and Corporate Chef for Pebble Beach Resorts. “The dragon sushi, the presentation was fantastic and the use of garlic throughout the dish…It was really a close race between Cal and Santa Clara.”
Giger was joined at the judges table by Sysco Executive Chef Jay Marshall, The Harker School Director of Special Events Danae McLaughlin, Le Cordon Bleu Chef/Instructor David Isenbeg and former San Francisco 49er and UC Berkeley alumnus Rhett Hall.
“For Cal, they had beautiful flavors, but their presentation was lacking,” said McLaughlin, who was blown away by the Cal team’s “Garlic Bacon Whoopie Pie” that she called “the most creative dish” of the competition.
“We knit-pick (as judges), but the bottom line is all these dishes are amazing,” McLaughlin added.
Cal, which resolved its clock issues after failing to present a second dish in last year’s inaugural Garlic Bowl before time ran out, also gave the judges a delightful offering titled “Beef Tenderloin with a Garlic Gastrique on a bed of Garlic Fried Rice with Pineapple and Kimchi topped with a Simple Green Onion Slaw.”
“I’m happy to be here and excited to cook some garlic,” said Cal Executive Chef Jennifer Albers who teamed with sous chef Mary Ferrer when questioned by co-hosts Joe Starkey (the voice of Cal Bears football for decades) and Chef Jason Gronlund (Vice President of Culinary for Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill).
“How can you not love it?,” said Starkey of the Garlic Bowl competition and the Gilroy Garlic Festival as a whole. “Everyone is having a good time. It’s a big party. There’s lots of choices of food and entertainment. It’s a lot of fun to come down and be part of this.”
Gronlund—who got the cooking competition under way with a ceremonial, “Let’s cook!”—explained what and how the chefs were preparing their dishes to the audience members throughout the hour-long, timed competition. The college football-like atmosphere heated up as Cal brought a contingent of cheerleaders along with a giant Cal flag; Santa Clara brought its mascot Bucky the Bronco; and Fresno State supporters flaunted their school colors and vigorously cheered on its culinary tandem of Executive Chef Erik Debaude and his sous chef Bryan Kramer.
“We’re back for some more. Hopefully we can win another and earn scholarship money for the students of Santa Clara,” said Debaude prior to cooking up Fresno’s two dishes: “Stuffed Cherry Tomatoes with Basil Butter Escargots and Garlic Sea Salt Brioche Toast” and “Fresno State Boneless Rack of Lamb with Orange Blossom Honey Sauce, Sweet Potato Mash and Stuffed Zucchini with Roquefort Cheese.”
The inaugural Garlic Bowl champion Bulldogs, as well as runner-up Golden Bears, each earned every bit of the $1,000 scholarships for their respective colleges, while the 2014 trophy-winning Broncos received a $5,000 scholarship for its students.
