Jacob Rios of B Resorts is the winner of Scott Joseph’s Sous Chef Challenge: The Next Big Thing. Rios competed along with five other sous chefs in the competition, which was part of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show this past weekend at the Orange County Convention Center.
The chefs were challenged to create a dish they thought would represent a coming trend, whether it be an ingredient, a cooking style or a presentation.
Rios’ dish was Herb Crusted Florida Black Grouper with sweet potato puree with house-made butters. Rios said that it was “the next big thing” because “making and producing as much as possible in house” is becoming popular. “I feel this concept is more than just a trend, is a movement designed to change the culture on how we eat,” he said.
The other chefs included Edwin Fernandez of the J.W. Marriott, Grande Lakes Resort; Porter Holloway, Urban Tide; Denny Roach, Walt Disney World All Star Resort; Maelo Cotto, RusTeak; and Kent Rustin, Hamilton’s Kitchen.
The event was sponsored by the American Culinary Federation, which provided the prize of $1000 for the winner, and Sysco and FreshPoint, which provided ingredients for the chefs.
