Who's Dish Is On The Chopping Block?!

NickyNom Exclusive: Chef Michell Sanchez' Chopped premiere on the Food Network

It's a perfect day for a Chopped Game Day Challenge, right?

Good evening fellow foodies!

Have I got a treat for y'all!

Okay, so as you all know, I am a native Miamian, therefore, I live, breathe, eat, and sleep the 305. My heart pitter patters when one of our own goes out and represents us in such an outstanding way. They should, since we live in an outstanding city, am I right? Nothing makes me more proud than to see local chefs going out into the world and really showing everyone what Miami is all about: The flavor and flare that all other cities lack.

Chef Michell Sanchez not only brought the flavor and the flare, he made Miamians across town extremely proud to live in South Florida. Chef M, as he is affectionately known, is chef and owner of Latin House Grill, located on SW 72nd st and SW 97th ave. What started out as a funky food truck, blossomed into an amazing burger and beer joint, serving nothing but the freshest and most delicious fare this side of Sunset Drive. LHG offers a wide variety of dishes from tacos, to burgers, to lettuce wraps; you name it. Not to mention the tastiest, most refreshing glass of Sangria you'll ever have (And you can take that to the bank)!

Not too long ago, Chef M was contacted by the Food Network to be part of an episode on one of my favorite shows, Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives. His episode aired, and soon after, business was booming. On social media, LHG has a following of tens of thousands of hungry, repeat customers, me being one of them, lol. Since the episode aired, Chef M has been featured on several local news stations, has won numerous awards (Best Burger by Burger Beast, kind of a big deal!), and the exposure kept coming.

Then, it happened. Chef M was contacted again by the Food Network to compete on an episode of Chopped, highlighting Game Day dishes. Once word got out that Chef M was going to throw it down in the Chopped kitchen, I couldn't contain my excitement. He is so innovative with his flavors and pairings, yet stays true to his latin roots, a quality that shines through the food he prepares. The episode aired on November 3rd, 2015 and, along side his wife Bella and family, he hosted a watch party, offering free tacos and Coronas for everyone. I made sure to arrive with plenty of time to get a great spot, which I did, lol. 

VIDEO: http://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/chopped/2400-series/tailgate-fate.html

For the appetizer round, chefs had to create a dish to wow the judges using:

• Game Day Chili
• Roasted Jalapeno Poppers
• Pretzel Rolls
• Chicken Wings

Chef M created a Chicken and Green Chili Slider that impressed Chef Aaron Sanchez, Chris Santos, and Roger Mooking.

For the entree round, chefs had to create a dish to wow the judges using:

• Three Bean Salad
• Burger Patties
• Chocolate Cupcakes
• Flask of Whiskey (Woohoo!)

For his entree, Chef M prepared a whiskey meatball with a chocolate sauce and Pico De Gallo, as an ode to Bella's Mexican background (Brownie points, Chef!)

Finally, for the dessert round, chefs had to create a dish to wow the judges using:

• Strawberries
• Fried Apple Pie
• Banana Pudding
• Wine Coolers

Now, if you saw the episode, Chef M had originally planned to make a strawberry-apple ice cream, but sabotage or not, he had to switch it up on the fly and decided to make a French Toast with Apple-Strawberry pudding and candied bacon (Duh!)

Unfortunately, as fate would have it (or a 'faulty' ice cream machine), Chef M came in second place, being chopped in the dessert round. He walked off with his head held high, knowing he represented Miami the best way he could. He stayed true to his craft, creating flavors that awoke the judges' palates, all while having that famous South Florida Swagger. 

Before the watch party, Chef M sat with me and enjoyed an ice cold beer, and we talked about his inspiration behind it all: Family, flavor, and hard work. Overcoming the obstacles he was faced with, he is now enjoying the fruits of his labor by watching others enjoy it as well. And, can I just mention how humble a man he really is?! He visited each and every table, welcoming his customers, making sure their orders came out nothing short of perfect. It's people like Chef M that give the culinary industry a good name; Always making sure the food is fresh, everything is cooked to order, with love being the main ingredient. Although I was disheartened at the fact that he couldn't come home with the title of Chopped Champion, he definitely returned home a champion nonetheless. 

To Chef Michell, Bella, and the staff at LHG: Thank you, a thousand times, thank you for such an awesome time at the Chopped watch party! Everything was flawless, from the tacos, to the service, even my Corona was perfectly chilled! I will definitely be coming back, as I always do, but for a real review. When Chef M found out I still hadn't tried the MadLove™ Burger, all he could say was, "What are you waiting for?!" LOL! This I can promise you all: My next visit to LHG, I will be chowing down on the MadLove™ Burger, which I can only imagine must be addicting, having won a Burgie award (And none of that slider nonsense; I either go all in or not at all). My mouth is watering already... 

To all my foodies, it's about that time to turn in for the night. So, for now, I'm sending you nothing but love and delicious noms from this Miami girl to you.

Exquisitely yours,

Nicky