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Fire in the Triangle: Il Palio vs. Jujube recap

WRAL's Ken Smith is still talking about how great the food was last night at the Fire in the Triangle competition.

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By
Kathy Hanrahan
WRAL's Ken Smith is still talking about how great the food was last night at the Fire in the Triangle competition.
He was one of the celebrity judges when Il Palio chef Adam Rose competed against Jujube's Josh Decarolis. 

The secret ingredient was mustard! 

Guests were treated to a six course meal - three dishes from each chef. Diners and judges were not told which chef made which dish. Voting was done on a dish-by-dish basis via smartphone. 

Here's a rundown of the courses:

First course: Buttermilk Mustard Fried Shrimp with Original Sin Mustard Slaw & Chipotle Mustard Barbecue (Il Palio)
Course 2: Mustard Poached Pork Tenderloin with Shellfish Confiture, Salad of Pickled Vegetables, Mixed Greens, Fresh Herbs & Mustard Polenta Croutons (Photo by Judy Royal)
Second course: Mustard Poached Pork Tenderloin with Shellfish Confiture, Salad of Pickled Vegetables, Mixed Greens, Fresh Herbs & Mustard Polenta Croutons (Jujube)
Course 3: Chipotle Mustard Duo of Skirt Steak with Sunchoke Puree, Pickled Sunchokes, Braised Veal Cheek, Porcini Risotto & Fruit Mostarda (Photo by Judy Royal)
Third course: Chipotle Mustard Duo of Skirt Steak with Sunchoke Puree, Pickled Sunchokes, Braised Veal Cheek, Porcini Risotto & Fruit Mostarda (Il Palio)
Fourth course: Cassoulet of Mustard Crusted Duck Breast with Lamb and Pork Sausage, Lentils & Yucca Tots (Jujube)
Fifth course: Golden Apple Tarte Tatin with Honey Mustard Caramel, Mustard Crème Anglaise, Fresh Basil & Golden Raisins (Il Palio) - Highest scoring dish of the night
Course 6: Mustard Mascarpone Flan with Roasted Walnuts & Port-Currant-Mustard Compote (Photo by Judy Royal)
Sixth course: Mustard Mascarpone Flan with Roasted Walnuts & Port-Currant-Mustard Compote

The scores were very close with Rose edging out Decarolis by just two percentage points. 

The Fire in the Triangle website has more on how scores are tabulated.
Overall it was a wonderful night with great company and mouthwatering food. If you would like to get in the action, there are only a few tickets still available for later rounds. Those can be reserved online.
Here is a look at the rest of the first round match-ups: (They are all sold out!)
June 12: Adam Rose (Il Palio) vs. Josh Decarolis (Jujube)
June 13: Ryan Payne (Weathervane) vs. Chris Harris (Fork and Barrel)
June 18: Scott James (Midtown Grille) vs. Matthew Hannon (Ashten's)
June 19: John Childers (Herons at Umstead) vs. Chad McIntyre (Market)
June 20: Reto Von Weissenfluh (Mia Francesca) vs. Serge Falcoz-Vigne (518 West)
June 25: Michael Lee (Sono) vs. Dean Wendel (Flights)
June 26: Christopher Hill (The Oxford) vs. Jimmy Reale (Chapel Hill Country Club)
WRAL's Ken Smith at the Fire in the Triangle dining competition. (Photo by Judy Royal)
Fire in the Triangle is part of the Got to Be NC competition dining series. The winner from the Triangle will go on to the "final four" to compete against the winners of the Fire on the Rock, Fire on the Dock and Fire in the Triad competitions. The Rock and Dock winners have been selected, and the Triad competition is coming up in August and September. The last chef standing wins $2,000 and the coveted red chef’s jacket. The runner-up will get $500.

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