Young Chefs Go Underground with Sunday Funday
Sean DeBobes, GoLocalProv Dining Critic
Young Chefs Go Underground with Sunday Funday
Every Sunday, a group of current and very recent graduates of Johnson & Wales Culinary school spend all day shopping, prepping, and popping up a multi-course gourmet meal in a tiny apartment kitchen in Fox Point. They call it Sunday Funday.
If attending one of the most prestigious culinary schools in the country weren't enough – these young Turks, including Tom Zippelli, Doug Higley, Dillon Burke, Eric Roberts, Sean O’Hara, Aaron Peirolo and Pat Jernigan, work at the most notable restaurants in Providence including Gracie’s, New Rivers and Mill’s Tavern.
Each chef is responsible for one or more course, and they're always diligent and eager to teach new skills to their fellow participants. On a recent Beer-themed day, fresh sausage was painstakingly prepared and cooked sous-vide style with a thermal immersion circulator while dried apricots received a shot of smoke from a handheld cold-smoking gun (love a gadget).
Every week has a unique and challenging theme – discussed at pubs and on Facebook throughout the week and realized on Sundays. Recent themes: Creole, Sandwich and even Small Creature Sunday.
It goes on for hours, course after course rolling out of the little four-burner kitchen. Even though a typical Funday involves plenty of alcohol, the focus remains the meal, and we're talking a 'Thanksgiving full' event. This might be a Gooseberry Ale glazed pork tenderloin with Muscat grapes, sweet potato and #9 soup with smoked apricot crème fraiche and dandelion greens, or an absolutely epic rye and peppercorn beer braised
No matter what Sunday, this goes way beyond fun. Stalk these guys on Facebook and see if you can score a visit.
To follow Sunday Funday on Facebook, go here.
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