Interactive Champagne Lunch with Charmer Chef Bernard Guillas Tomorrow

Photo by Riki Altman

Chefs Philippe Ruiz and Bernard Guillas yuk it up in Punta Cana.

We briefly introduced you to Chef Bernard Guillas last year in our travel log about the Club Med Wine & Food Festival, and now you can meet (and flirt with) the man himself at the Biltmore's interactive lunch Saturday afternoon.

Based in California, the Brittany-born chef will teach more than 100 of us to prepare a tasty scallop appetizer, then a branzino dish, followed by a fruit-forward dessert. Last night, he and Biltmore's chef de cuisine, Philippe Ruiz, wowed diners at Palme d'Or with expertly executed dishes like a plum and togarashi-spiced Kobe beef carpaccio appetizer and wattleseed-coated elk entree accompanied by a sundried pear-cherry chutney-stuffed charred eggplant.

If you've never done an interactive event at the Biltmore, you're in for a treat. Typically the chef instructs from a stage (but knowing Guillas' bubbly personality, it's pretty much a sure bet that he'll be working the room, instead) as diners at tables set for eight to 10 cook on the tabletop with the help of a burner and an eager culinary student assistant.

Photo by Riki Altman

The Kobe carpaccio was enhanced by a dusting of cocoa nibs, romano triangles, and a few heavy swipes of tamarind-rosebud paste.

​Star chef-stalkers, study up: Guillas is known nationally as the co-author of Flying Pans, a 2011 International Association of Culinary Professional (IACP) Cookbook Award Winner and he was inducted into Maître Cuisiniers de France (Master Chefs of France) this past March. He has also made a few appearances at the James Beard House and been featured on the Today show (he's the guy who told Hoda the immersion blender is "gonna vibrate a little bit, but it feels good!").

Meet the man this weekend by calling 305-445-8066, ext. 2092 and reserving a seat. Tickets are 
$65 each and the lunch begins at noon.

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