CHICAGO — A young chef hailing from the North Side will move onto the next round of the TV-staged battle for America's best kid cook, while a South Side boy's journey ended in the first episode.
Jack Lembeck, 12, of Lincoln Park, and Philly Vazzana, 9, of Canaryville, faced lighthearted-but-tough criticism on the third season premiere of Fox TV's "MasterChef Junior" from firebrand celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay, Chicago chef Graham Elliot and restaurateur Joe Bastianich.
But it was ultimately Jack who came away the winner. He was among three contestants who won the first challenge in which the judges asked him and 18 other contestants, ages 8 to 13, to cook using mystery ingredients.
He impressed the judges with his sophisticated dish: broiled salmon wrapped in blanched Swiss chard, coconut fish broth and avocado mascarpone at the bottom.
"Just looking at it, I'm seeing technique I haven't seen in [adult] Master Chef," said judge and Chicago chef Graham Elliot.
And after tasting Jack's dish, Elliot said: "The flavor is awesome, the technique is great and the salmon is cooked perfectly." The only flaw? It needed a little bit more salt, Elliot said.
By winning the first challenge, Jack and two other contestants were not only granted immunity, they were also asked to choose the dish that the rest of the kids would cook: papperdalle pasta made from scratch.
Philly whipped up a sauce made with tomatoes, basil, onion and garlic.
"I think it's going to be really good," Philly said. "I think it's going to impress the judges."
But Ramsay and the other judges sent him home, saying his pasta dish needed more salt.
"This dish could've been really good, but you can't just rely on the cheese to season it," Ramsay said. "It looks great, but it tastes bland."
In his exit interview, Philly didn't seem discouraged.
"I'm a winner because Graham [Elliot] said we are all winners because we'll have the white apron," he said, adding that he plans to buy a special case, put his white "Master Chef Junior" apron in it, and display it in his kitchen.
Both boys were selected as contestants after auditioning for the popular show last year. Both took very different paths getting there.
Philly said he learned to cook while helping his mom in the kitchen. A fan of Italian food, he likes to make meatballs and sauces with his family's homemade red wine.
His signature dish is chicken marsala.
Although Philly said he's into a bunch of other activities — baseball, football and fishing — he eventually wants to open a restaurant in Bridgeport. It might serve only side dishes, he said.
Jack, meanwhile, has been under the tutelage of family friend Michael Taus, a revered Chicago chef who spent decades working for the late culinary icon Charlie Trotter.
In fact, it was Trotter's cooking that sent Jack on his culinary pursuit. Instead of listening to bedtime stories as toddler, Jack said he wanted to hear recipes from one of Trotter's complex cookbooks.
Jack's signature dish? Sweet and sour Chilean sea bass.
Both contestants watched the show's premiere at parties with their friends and families.
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