Opus

Chef: Roger Gelis

Date: Sept. 10

On a chilly, overcast evening in early September, diners arrived at Opus to find something that would warm their spirits: a glass of apple-laced champagne with blueberries floating on the bubbles.

It wouldn’t be fall in Maine without apples, and this opening act hinted at the evening’s secret Maine ingredient.

Throughout the evening, chef Roger Gelis explored the fruit’s myriad roles. In the appetizer of lobster spring rolls, Fuji apples made a cameo appearance in a cucumber roll that doubled as garnish. One diner at my table commented, “It looks too good to eat,” but eat it we did, and it was delicious. Gelis has a way with sauces, and his cilantro-chili accompaniment was no exception.

Apples were part of the ensemble cast for the next course, a Baby Spinach Salad with Granny Smith Apples, Cranberries, Black Jack Walnuts, Red Onion, Bacon and warm Brie Fondue. The creamy “fondue” – a drizzle of melted cheese – paired well with the tart apples and cranberries.

In the main course, Sausage Stuffed Pheasant with Mushroom Cigar, “Death by Apple” Chutney and Curry Oil, apples played a supporting role. The chutney, served warm with a hint of cayenne, complemented the moist, salty pheasant breast, wrapped around a link of sausage – “stuffing” for the Atkins set. The phyllo cylinder stuffed with mushrooms and ricotta salata cheese was an intriguing side.

Apples were supposed to star in the dessert course, a White Chocolate Cube with Three-Apple Jam and Raspberry Squiggle and Something Crunchy. However, the white chocolate box – a feat of culinary engineering – almost overshadowed everything else. And the “something crunchy” ended up being fried wonton wrappers dipped in cinnamon sugar – tasty.

After the meal, Gelis stepped out of the kitchen and into the spotlight, explaining that his buddy in Levant brought him a bunch of apples for the evening’s meal.

“I tried to show how they could be used – salty, sweet, sour, the whole gamut,” Gelis said. “We had fun back there tonight; we got to play a little bit, do some things we wouldn’t normally be able to do.”

As he retreated to the kitchen, the crowd applauded, and one man shouted, “Bravo!”

Gelis was the real star of the night – all the apples were merely players.

Muddy Rudder

Chef: David Smith

Date: Sept. 24

From the get-go, it was obvious that David Smith brought his A game to the final round of Bangor’s Ultimate Chef Competition, sponsored by the Bangor Convention and Visitors Bureau.

One glance at the menu made it clear that Smith was in it to win it – the Panko-Crusted Lobster Tail with Grilled Cinnamon Shrimp and Apple Cider Beurre Blanc gave it away.

When the appetizer course arrived, it had all the elements of a champion dish – great presentation, complex flavor and melted cheese. The Pulled Pork Strudel and Baked Brie with an Apple Chutney was artfully arranged, and the spicy chutney went well with both the brie and the pork.

The Caramelized Apple, Cheddar and Apple Wood Smoked Bacon Salad with Quail Egg really wowed the crowd with its good looks. Smith nestled the ingredients in a “bowl” of cucumber ribbons held together with a ring of red onion and arranged atop a slice of warm apple. Since bacon makes everything taste great, the salad was a real crowd-pleaser.

The panko-crusted, deep-fried lobster tail sat upon a bed of thick apple risotto, in a pool of cider-flavored beurre blanc. However, the cinnamon-spiced shrimp – an unexpected combination – stole a little bit of its thunder.

For the final course, Smith and his pastry-chef wife hit a home run with a small applesauce cake served with rich cinnamon ice cream. They make a great team.

After the meal, Smith walked into the crowded dining room looking happy but tired. A function of 100 people was taking place upstairs at the same time as the Ultimate Chef competition, and the Muddy Rudder’s regular Monday night crowd filled the rest of the tables. It was a busy night, to say the least.

“I had to go with the flow,” he explained to the diners. “I think that’s part of what a chef does – you do what you do. Just because you’re stressed out doesn’t mean you put out a bad meal.”

When asked if he employs students from the local culinary schools, Smith described the apprenticeship program he conducts with the Maine Department of Labor, which offers reimbursement for students who train in his kitchen.

“I’m not just a chef, I’m a coach, I’m a teacher,” he said. “I pour my heart and soul into it.”

After the applause, when the crowd started to dwindle, Smith reflected on his menu choices.

“I wanted to bring out part of the mountains, part of the farm life, part of the seashore,” he said. “Maine’s a beautiful state. There’s many sides to it.”

And the winner is …

This round of Bangor’s Ultimate Chef Competition showcased the cream of the crop – Smith and Gelis each made it through preliminary contest rounds, which took place in March and April.

For each round, diners paid $90 for two four-course meals, which they judged on taste, originality and presentation.

The ballots have been counted. The plates have been cleared. And without any further ado, the winner of the 2007 Ultimate Chef title is – drumroll, please – Roger Gelis of Opus.

According to Maureen Waltz of the Bangor CVB, Gelis edged out Smith in the taste category, while Smith edged out Gelis in the originality portion of the competition. Both scored high marks for presentation. In the end, though the results were close, Opus emerged as the overall victor.

This is the first year of the competition, and it was such a success that plans are already in the works for next year’s Ultimate Chef. Like this year, the competition will only be open to CVB members. However, in 2008, there will be a jurying process to determine which chefs will participate. A new balloting system will allow patrons to score each course individually.

Though Gelis doesn’t like the idea of food as sport, he has enjoyed the Ultimate Chef Competition and the constraints of cooking for 60 people with different taste, likes and dislikes.

“It’s more fun than I thought it would be,” he said. “On a normal menu, you’ve got a little something for everybody. On a night like this, it’s a roll of the dice whatever you pick.”

As it turns out, the dice were rolling in his favor.

For Smith, the competition allowed him to show off his talents beyond the traditional Muddy Rudder menu – which is exactly what the contest’s organizers had in mind when they introduced the competition.

“I think what it’s done is it’s let me get a little bit out of the norm,” Smith said. “It’s let me showcase some of my creativity to customers that come here and see there’s another side of me.”