Vincent Brady, culinary student and part-time chef of the Pittsburgh club won the S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Central Regional Competition, and is seeking the national title in March.
The Duquesne Club, downtown’s private enclave for Pittsburgh corporate captains, might soon have an almost famous chef, reported Patricia Sheridan of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Vincent Brady, a part-time chef at the club and a student at The International Culinary School at the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, was the winner at the 13th annual “S.Pellegrino Almost Famous Chef Central Regional Competition” in Chicago. The winning dish was a crispy skinned duck breast and braised duck ravioli with sauteed winter root vegetables and beet silk, the Post-Gazette reported.
Brady’s interest in cooking began in high school with a cooking class. “I found I loved to cook for people and watch them enjoy eating what I created,” the 25-year-old said. “My goal is to cook the best meal a person has ever had.”
With the regional win under his belt, he moves on to Napa, Calif., in March in hopes of winning it all. There he will face off against the four other winning chefs from the Southeast, Northeast, South and Northwest in an intense three-day competition. Each winner is assigned a chef mentor, someone famous in his or her region, the Post-Gazette reported.
Brady’s mentor is Sarah Grueneberg. She competed on Bravo television’s “Top Chef,” and is co-owner and chef at Monteverde in Chicago. Locally, The Duquesne Club’s chef Keith Coughenour has been a mentor for Brady, and a big part of his development, along with his teacher chef, Joseph Bello, the Post-Gazette reported.
“This is by far the biggest competition I have done so far in my career,” he said. Brady came in first in “The Best Teen Chef” and “The Best Teen Chef Chopped Edition” competitions, which will be an advantage. “The pressure I am under for this competition is nothing new to me. I welcome the challenges and stress that come with it,” he said, equating the pressure he will be under to that of any good chef in a busy, successful kitchen, the Post-Gazette reported.
In Napa he wants to bring his experience, passion and heart. “I will show the judges how I view food and leave nothing to regret later.”
Being a Marine may also give him an edge when it comes to facing challenges. Brady joined the corp in 2012 and is a Food Service Specialist. Currently, he is juggling school, the Marines and working part-time at The Duquesne Club, the Post-Gazette reported.
Along with already being an award-winning chef, he is a fan of non-GMO (genetically modified organism) ingredients. “My cooking is all about what is true and real. I want to support farmers who take the time to grow everything right.”
As for the future, “I never know what I want to do until I start doing it.” For now he thinks he would like to own a vineyard and farm, which supports a great kitchen. He isn’t ruling out becoming a teacher to the next generation of chefs either, the Post-Gazette reported.
The contest in Napa takes place March 11-13. Along with the title of Almost Famous Chef, the winner gets a one-year paid apprenticeship with an accomplished chef, the Post-Gazette reported.
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