East Haven Chili Cook Finishes 10th in $100,000 “Final Table” Cooking Challenge

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Posted Aug 31, 2020

East Haven Chili Cook Finishes 10th in $100,000 “Final Table” Cooking Challenge

World Chili Champion Rocky Julianelle is returning home after competing in the finale of the world’s largest Food Sport event. The “Final Table: Indy” culinary throwdown was held in Indianapolis in August and filmed for a special one-hour TV show that will be released in October on the Cooking Channel.

The event was hosted by the World Food Championships (WFC), Visit Indy, Ivy Tech Culinary Center and Culinary Crossroads. It featured ten Category Champions who had earned a seat during WFC’s Main Event last fall in Dallas. Julianelle completed the tournament with an 10th place finish.

In the “Final Table: Indy” first round, Julianelle and the other champions were tasked with making a Pork and Parisian Gnocchi dish using Red Gold Tomatoes and pork cuts sourced from the National Pork Board.

Julianelle, his wife Paula and Team Connecticut friend Carol Koty completed the Challenge One cook on time and presented it to a panel of local pork experts including Chef James Murray from the National Pork Board. The judge panel used WFC’s propriety judging system, the E.A.T.™ Methodology (which stands for Execution, Appearance and Taste) to score each dish.

The dish was titled “Semi Bone-In Pork Loin with Parisian Gnocchi and Pan Sauce”, but it missed the next round’s cut-off by 9 points. The dish scored an 83.25 (out of 100) after the panel of judges’ scores were combined and formulated on key weightings. Although he did not advance to the next round, Jualinelle won an additional $500 on top of his $10,000 category win at WFC’s 2019 Main Event.

Only five of the Category Champions continued on to Challenge Two, which tasked the finalists with creating a delicate duck dish designed by Chef Greg Hardesty and using Maple Leaf Farms’ product. From there, three finalists were awarded a spot in the last challenge, which involved a creative interpretation of the iconic Indiana Sugar Cream Pie.

WFC kept fans updated on results throughout the weekend event, up until the final challenge in which all parties involved were required to sign non-disclosure agreements. “The Final Table: Indy” national TV show will air on the Cooking Channel on October 3, 2020. At that time, the new World Food Champion will be revealed during the show’s final sequence.

Until then, stay up-to-date on all culinary competition news, by following the World Food Championships on Twitter (@WorldFoodChamp), Facebook and Instagram (@WorldFoodChampionships).

About World Food Championships

The World Food Championships (WFC) is the highest stakes food competition in the world. This multi-day, live event culinary competition showcases some of the world's best cooks who compete for food, fame and fortune in 10 categories (Bacon, Barbecue, Burger, Chef, Dessert, Recipe, Sandwich, Seafood, Soup and Steak). In 2019, more than 450 culinary teams from 11 countries and 42 American states competed in WFC’s Main Event. In August, the 10 Category Champs faced-off in the $100,000 challenge that determined a new World Food Champion at The Final Table: Indianapolis. The 8th Annual World Food Champion will be revealed Oct. 3rd on the Cooking Channel.

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East Haven Chili Cook Finishes 10th in $100,000 “Final Table” Cooking Challenge

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