Tickets for the semifinals of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe—Oct. 6 and Oct. 13—are now on sale.
While being hosted at Partake Collective, Chef Jason Witzl (of the long-loved Ellie’s) defeated Chef Carlos Jurado (of the rightfully adored and Los Angeles Times-recognized Selva) in what was likely the most contentious and sought-after battle of the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe. The first dinner to sell out in the series—in a matter of hours, mind you—this dinner saw two deeply respected titans of the Long Beach food scene go at it.
“The real applause goes to the kitchen and staff—both my team and Carlos’s,” Chef Jason said. “I think people, especially those at the VIP counter, got to see first hand how this isn’t a one-person process. This competition got to bring them in on a level that is hard to mimick outside Partake Collective.”
For Chef Carlos, though at a loss, the event showcased two very clear things. First? Long Beach is ready for this type of competition and food. Secondly? He is ready to create food that goes beyond the boundaries of Selva.
“It was great to create so freely,” Chef Carlos said. “It’s something I’ve been trying to explore at the restaurant but the blunt reality is that the restaurant is still a business—not a zone to just do whatever you want. It has to sell, you have to appeal. There was a real sense of freedom here—and I loved every second. It showcased Long Beach in a way that I don’t think was possible even five years ago.”
Bracket 1 is all about formation: What formed the chef’s culinary identity?
Chef Carlos came with a menu that, for those who know his work at Selva, might have been taken aback. Surely, there was the use of smoke—this round, instead of the restaurant’s famed smoked chicken, he used a different fowl for the plumes: duck—but altogether really represented a bold deviation from Selva’s comfort zone.
A wagyu beef tartare, layered with hoisin and soy sauce, opened the dinner as an amuse bouche—and won over the crowd: In its category, it was by far the most acknowledged as the best amuse bouche of the evening. Next was a Maryland’n’dungeness crab concoction rolled into collard leaves before being laid into a red yuzo kosho-infused bath of beurre monte. His entree was that smoked duck breast, crisped to perfection and laid over a forbidden rice-gone-risotto with Peruvian pesto.
But the overall winner of the night was Chef Jason’s menu…
Californian to the C, Chef Jason’s menu stepped outside Italian—no pasta in sight—and went for fresh, seasonal, and warming
While it may not have been exactly what you would find at Ellie’s, there was no question as to whether Chef Jason’s menu and food was his or not. Bringing in wine from his personal cellar—a genuinely wonderful Chablis and a heavy, jammy Napa Cab among the highlights—Chef Jason’s menu felt more like a celebration of his style and amicability more than anything.
A honey roasted yam with a stonefruit mostarda—a classic dish from Witzl with a freshness thanks to Thai basil and cilantro. A Kusshi oyster with aguachile salsa and smoked salmon roe. A gorgeous array of American wagyu slivers atop mashed potatoes Robuchon-style, scallop-like trumpet mushrooms from Long Beach Mushrooms, and a tallow soubise that was umami-packed.
A few personal words on the Long Beach Grand Prix Fixe.
As someone who has known the majority of these chefs rather intimately, I cannot say on a personal level how proud I am of what was accomplished on night two. Just as with night one: Nerve-wracking. Excitement-inducing. Definitely worth every ounce of effort put into it, what makes this competition so wildly fulfilling is witnessing the evolution of these chefs as the competition continues.
As someone involved in the very gregarious group text we have, they are not just proud of themselves and their culinary purveyors. They are also proud of the city they represent. Ultimately, Long Beach is worth such a competition. And the chefs themselves are honoring their belief in that ideal through these ambitious menus.
Also, it was such a pleasure to see the patrons come out in support and, in what could only feel like a community confident that their city isn’t culinary-adjacent, but culinary in and of itself.
Next up? Chef Michael Ryan of Marlena and Chef Jason Winters of Speak Cheezy on Monday, Sept. 29.
