By George, he's got it! Bar Cicchetti chef makes his mark at ORA Culinary Cook-Off
Chef Ricky George in in between kitchens right now, but he's also the hottest chef in the state.
George won the Oklahoma Restaurant Association's 2022 Culinary Cook-Off on Thursday, taking home $2,000 and a chef's state championship. His next move is to help chef Jonathon Stranger open El Coyote Bar & Cantina and Cantina in the Britton District.
George, who started out cooking for chef David Henry at The Hutch, also has worked at Osteria before landing at Bar Cicchetti.
"Chef David Henry showed me the fundamentals," George said. "From there it just kind of took off and I've cooked around the city with some incredible chefs."
He fought off a game effort by chef Scott Liner, owner of the Yum Pig food truck. Both chefs were assisted by culinary students and provided a cornucopia of ingredients from Super Cao Nguyen Market and Hal Smith Restaurant Group.
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George had an hour to use bison tenderloin, beef tenderloin, wagyu beef, rib-eye steak and shrimp — plus mystery ingredients that included dragon fruit and fire morels — into at least one dish. George created an appetizer and center-of-the-plate entree to earn the Grand Champion's Trophy and winner's check. He was assisted by Gunner Putman, a culinary arts student at Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee.
Liner took home $1,000 and a trophy. The runner-up was assisted by Breylon Swope, of Muskogee's Indian Capital Technology Center.
Other culinary students who participated in the two-day competition were Katie Barnes, Makayla Pike and Joel Keel.
Chefs were judged on plate presentation, creativity, product taste, product texture and sanitation practices, as well as use of their assistant.
Other participating chefs included Joel Bein, The Meat & Cheese Show; Everette Bates, Skirvin Hilton Hotel; Peter Finnegan, Guyutes; and Caleb Mohr, The Palace Cafe in Tulsa.
George said he planned to save his winnings, and his future was clear.
"I've been cooking ever since I can remember," he said. "I've always had an affection for food, but never knew where that would take me. I can't ever see myself doing anything else."
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The Culinary Cook-Off wasn't the only contest at the annual trade show. Dylan Kemp, of Milo, won the 8th annual Cocktail Shakedown with a drink made from Blue Chair Bay Key Lime Rum Cream.
Kemp staved off Avery Callarman, of The Jones Assembly, for the top prize of $1,000 and the Grand Champion belt. Callarman took home a $500 cash prize as runner-up.
Kemp and Callarman competed against six other Oklahoma bartenders. Each bartender was judged on taste and balance, originality, and drink and stage presentation. Other competing bartenders included Jameson Johns, with Flamingo Tiki/OSO Paseo; Spencer Barrett, of Palace Restaurant Group; Trevor Callahan, of Traditions Spirits; Anthony Milligan, of The Social Order Dining Collective; Matthew Chen, of Chalk; and Thumper Cooper, of Spark.
Judges were Jason Ewald (A Good Egg Dining Group), Jimmy Mays (Cafe 7, The Hamilton), Leith Ezell (Traditions Spirits) and Jesse Way (Holloway Restaurant Group).
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Ricky George wins Oklahoma Restaurant Association's Culinary Cookoff
