Colorado chef wins contest to open her own restaurant in Burgaw
Prepare an awesome three-course meal? Check. Get engaged? Check. Win your own Burgaw restaurant with a $1 million budget? Check. It was all a part of a big weekend for chef Karoline Schwartz.
The contest, from organizer Richard Johnson and his Burgaw Now team, is a part of an effort to revitalize the historic Pender County town. The quest to find the right restaurateur led to a nationwide contest that drew more than 500 applicants. The pool of potentials was narrowed down to 24 for a recent Town Square Cook-off and the 12 remaining chefs completed a series of challenges this past week. Johnson reviewed business plans, they completed a Chopped-style cooking challenge, and worked in the kitchens of local chef-judges.
On Sunday, the remaining two prepared a three-course meal for 70 people to see who would be creating a restaurant at 106-108 W. Courthouse Ave. in downtown Burgaw, and a budget to outfit the space. Here's a look at how Schwartz won.
How did she get here?
Originally from New York, Schwartz is now living in Tabernash, Colorado, where she's the executive chef and a general manager at a historic lodge at the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park in Grand Lake, Colorado. She started as a barista before moving on to become a bartender, chef, and then adding more responsibility and leadership positions.
She entered the contest because she wanted the chance to create a community gathering space -- and one that could be a place to spotlight ingredients from local farms. At the town square cook-off, she talked with judges about plans to support local sustainable agriculture initiatives. For that challenge, she prepared samples of miso pork belly with crispy Carolina Gold rice served with a muscadine grape gelee.
Who was her competition?
Chef Vincent Mangual of Brooklyn, New York, wasn't a part of the original 12 semifinalists, but got the call to come back when other contestants dropped out of the competition. He has more than 25 years of experience in the food industry and currently owns and operates four food trucks in New York City. His restaurant concept would have offered traditional Puerto Rican cuisine in a semi-quick service format.
What did she prepare?
For the grand finale meal, Schwartz described her chef journey through food. First, she prepared her grandmother's mushroom soup garnished with sour cream, fresh dill and paprika oil. The second course, which was a popular one for the judges, was a vegetarian option -- a jerk-spiced acorn squash with a coconut cauliflower puree, crispy leeks and watercress. The final course, which was an example of the kind of dish you might see at her restaurant, was tomato-braised short ribs served over a bed of goat cheese grits.
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What’s next?
By the end of the meal, judges named Schwartz the winner. It was both her skills in the kitchen and her personality and ability to connect with the community that set her apart, Johnson said.
Her restaurant concept Outland will be coming to Burgaw, with a goal of opening in early 2025. The process begins now, Johnson said. There's already a meeting planned with architects, the same company that helped renovate another downtown project, Burgaw Brewing.
In addition to planning a restaurant, the chef will be planning a wedding. Her partner, and sous chef, proposed after the final course was prepared on Sunday.
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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Colorado chef wins contest to open her own restaurant in Burgaw
