Hat's off to Justin and the Windsor!

I just took a gander at the Shrimp and Grits throwdown and saw that Justin McMillen took 1st place. Congrats to Justin and all at the Windsor. I gotta say that ive seen several of his menus and he's been quietly going about doing some really aggressive, cutting edge stuff at that property since they opened. I'm very glad to see the effort paying off. I strongley suggest that anyone who hasn't been there go check it out! Anyone have any pictures of the dish??

[Robin Garr]

I just took a gander at the Shrimp and Grits throwdown and saw that Justin McMillen took 1st place. Congrats to Justin and all at the Windsor. I gotta say that ive seen several of his menus and he's been quietly going about doing some really aggressive, cutting edge stuff at that property since they opened. I'm very glad to see the effort paying off. I strongley suggest that anyone who hasn't been there go check it out! Anyone have any pictures of the dish??

I took iPhone pix of most of the dishes as they went through my judging station, but they were presented to us "blind," so it's going to take some cipherin' to sort out which was which. I'll try to scope out Justin's and post it shortly. (I think I got all of them, but sadly, Dan Thomas's spectacular shrimp-and-grits tamale didn't come out - I must have whipped the camera around during the shot, and it's just a blur.

Agreed, serious props to Justin. I think his win is going to drive a LOT of folks over to New Albany Real Soon Now.

[Robin Garr]

I'm pretty sure this was Justin's. My judging comments included observations that the collards and bacon were a nice touch, the shrimp were perfectly cooked, and ditto the grits. It was a nicely balanced, well-made dish, paying homage to tradition rather than taking the concept over the top. I scored it 17 out of 20, which was one of my highest scores. (My highest was an 18, for Corbett's; the other top three was a 17 also, for Westport General Store. Son of a Sailor ranked fourth for me, at 16.

Here's the picture - can anyone confirm that this is indeed Windsor's?

windsorgrits.jpg

Very good memory, Robin. Yes, that's Justin's dish.

Deb

I didn't get to taste that one

If it makes you feel any better- I didn't either...

Deb

I just took a gander at the Shrimp and Grits throwdown and saw that Justin McMillen took 1st place. Congrats to Justin and all at the Windsor. I gotta say that ive seen several of his menus and he's been quietly going about doing some really aggressive, cutting edge stuff at that property since they opened. I'm very glad to see the effort paying off. I strongley suggest that anyone who hasn't been there go check it out! Anyone have any pictures of the dish??

What/Where is the Windsor?

148 E Market St.

You want proof that Chef Clancy's a classy dude? Read no further than his opening post above. It's been hard for Bistro New Albany fans, but the Windsor's been flying under the radar just like Dave says, and I've had good experiences there.

The Windsor has a beer dinner coming up on the 23rd ... yo, Isaac, are you still here? I can post the info if you want.

You want proof that Chef Clancy's a classy dude? Read no further than his opening post above. It's been hard for Bistro New Albany fans, but the Windsor's been flying under the radar just like Dave says, and I've had good experiences there.

The Windsor has a beer dinner coming up on the 23rd ... yo, Isaac, are you still here? I can post the info if you want.

Yes, Roger, I'm still here....And a post about the details of the beer dinner would be fantastic. Between shrimp and grits, Secrets of Louisville Chefs, and the insanity that is about to be Valentine's, we haven't been able to push the beer dinner much yet. But our attention is now turning to malts, hops, and more good food.

And Chef Clancy, yes, you are a classy dude. As always. Thanks for the kind words about the throwdown. All of us at the Windsor would like to extend our thanks to everyone responsible for putting this fantastic competition together and making it a success. Everything was handled superberly!!

I actually loved the petit portion of Shrimp and Grits with the Thyme Garni...I have no idea who's it was, I believe it had shaved Reggiano or Pecorino on it as well, I also really enjoyed Dan Thomas's and quite frankly if I had to order one in a restaurant the tamale would be at the top of the list. I found out later that the egg on the last one was the original historical presentation, also very well done, didn't know that.
A very fun time and a great turnout, thanks to all!

You want proof that Chef Clancy's a classy dude? Read no further than his opening post above. It's been hard for Bistro New Albany fans, but the Windsor's been flying under the radar just like Dave says, and I've had good experiences there.

The Windsor has a beer dinner coming up on the 23rd ... yo, Isaac, are you still here? I can post the info if you want.

Ahh...shucks (toe tapping ground ). Hope Bank Street is going great and I'll stop in for a beer.-Dave

I actually loved the petit portion of Shrimp and Grits with the Thyme Garni...I have no idea who's it was, I believe it had shaved Reggiano or Pecorino on it as well, I also really enjoyed Dan Thomas's and quite frankly if I had to order one in a restaurant the tamale would be at the top of the list. I found out later that the egg on the last one was the original historical presentation, also very well done, didn't know that.
A very fun time and a great turnout, thanks to all!

Dean,

It wouldn't have surprised you if you'd been able to see it, but I couldn't get over how fast Chris and the team were moving ( in a sweltering corner) to perfectly prepare those itty-bitty quail eggs individually for each guest. Wow- what a challenging presentation to take on!

Deb

Does anyone have a clue who did the petit with the cheese and thyme?

You want proof that Chef Clancy's a classy dude? Read no further than his opening post above. It's been hard for Bistro New Albany fans, but the Windsor's been flying under the radar just like Dave says, and I've had good experiences there.

The Windsor has a beer dinner coming up on the 23rd ... yo, Isaac, are you still here? I can post the info if you want.

I saw the post about that on The Potable Curmudgeon a while back, and I've been meaning to ask you how much it costs. Thanks for the reminder.