From the judges’ tent: Flavors flourish at Taste of Vail après tasting and chef competition

What do a coffee entrepreneur, a sommelier, and four foodie journalists all have in common? They were seated at the judges’ table at this year’s aprés tasting and chef competition at the Taste of Vail.

The blind tasting this year looked different from years past, where chefs would traditionally battle it out over who could do the best with the same protein. As a judge, going through a dozen plates of pork or beef can become a test of will and objectivity. This year, they spiced things up and chefs were able to use a variety of proteins, ranging from Colorado-raised lamb and pork to Japanese scallops and Mexican shrimp. Across the board, judges were excited to see seafood in the mix.

Judging coordinators Lisa Briner and Carrie Larson ushered us into the tent, briefed us on the rules and provided our judging booklets. The layout — 12 courses in roughly 90 minutes — was broken up into groups so there would be short breaks between taking multiple bites. A fun conversation starter at the table is always asking if anyone fasted before coming to this, and setting the stage for metabolic debate.

The banter settled as the first plate came out, and then the next one, and then the next. Food comas are an occupational hazard, though the passion and the creativity behind the dishes are always a judge’s honor.

The winning plate

In these events, the judging tent stays mostly quiet throughout the process in order to safeguard the independence of each judge’s evaluation. However, as someone who has judged this particular competition multiple times, there is an observable difference at the table when a winning plate is presented. The silence takes a new form. The air becomes thick, as if every person in the room is holding back from saying “wow.”

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Enter The Gambit, and Executive Chef Kevin Erving’s brilliant platanos fritos rellenos — fried plantains shaped into a basket and filled with chili-braised short rib, lime crema, pineapple relish, salsa verde and cilantro. This plate brought home the win, leaving the judges stunned by its dynamic burst of Caribbean and Central American flavor.

Top presentation

As stunning as the overall winner was, another looker won the most style points. The Charter’s short rib and foie gras shumai with mango tobiko, micro cilantro and serrano ham demi glace — engineered by Executive Chef Matt Good — was delicate, ornate and won the eyes of the group. Make no mistake — it, too, was delectable.

Judge’s honorable mention

There was another contender in the group who surprised everyone on the scoreboard and is worthy of honorable mention — at least by this judge. While conventional options like tacos, pizza and sandwiches can often find themselves at a disadvantage in the creativity criterion, there is a fair amount of opportunity to make up those points in other places. Glo’s katsu sando did exactly that with its thick, juicy, tender fried pork chop, savory slaw and its approachable, perfectly toasted bread. One of the largest portions presented to these judges resulted in few leftovers early in the competition — it was worth every bite.