VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — J &K Style Grill in Virginia Beach is hosting parking lot battles to showcase some of the best chefs in Hampton Roads. Showdown number three was the battle of the best Cheesesteak.
Three chefs from three Hampton Rods cities competed in this cook-off. First up, Tonya Batten from Ryan's Steaks and Cakes in Suffolk, Virginia.
"This is what I do. This is my thing. This is no competition to me," smiled Chef Tonya.
The second chef in the competition is Chef Moe Stevenson from My Mama's Kitchen in Norfolk, Virginia.
Chef Moe's trash talk was evident from the start, "Hey, hey, y'all taking notes over there?" he asked as he prepared his take on a cheesesteak sandwich.
The third and final contestant is Chef Gabriele Pianezze representing his food truck, La Cucina Di Sophia, or "Sophie's Kitchen."
Cheesesteaks are not the usual dish for Chef Gabe, but he said that's no problem. "I am the best, even though this is not my specialty. I mean I'm Italian, I can cook everything in Italian cuisine. But I'm good, I'm good," he laughed.
Judges compared the chefs on three things; taste, presentation, and trash talk. The trash talk was there, so was the presentation, but it's the taste that is the real deciding factor on who takes the crown.
The chefs crafted these three sandwiches with love, and that was evident from the beginning. Chef Tonya took a classic Philly approach to her Cheesesteak. It was juicy but not too messy.
The cheese was melted to perfection and stringy but not overwhelming. Also taking the Philly approach was Chef Gabe. His sandwich was a little more flavorful because of the number of peppers he placed inside. Also, his cheese was on the bottom of the bun creating a delicious bite in full.
Finally, Chef Moe stepped out of the box and made a Surf and Turf style sandwich. This sandwich took your tastebuds to the sea with every bite while keeping your brain in cheesesteak mode. The sandwich, topped with shrimp, is unique and tasty.
The judges tried all three as well and voted based on the three categories. Although he was not in his wheelhouse, Chef Gabe was dubbed the winner!
You can find Chef Gabe at La Cucina di Sophia of Virginia Beach.
If you want to visit Chef Moe, you can taste his cooking at My Mama's Kitchen, located at 7943 Shore Dr, Norfolk, VA 23518.
Chef Tonya was representing Ryan's Steaks and Cakes. You can pay her a visit at 202 E Washington St, Suffolk, VA 23434.