It’s late on a Tuesday night in Kittery Foreside. The stores, cafes, and galleries are closed, but a crowd is starting to form outside Anneke Jans. By day, the European-inspired casual bistro serves its signature fried olives and other dishes, but on the last Tuesday of each month at 11 p.m., the restaurant becomes a culinary community hub.
Inside, the anticipation is palpable. The latest Chefs After Dark competition is about to begin, and the evening’s competitors are about to see the mystery ingredients they must work with. The audience is abuzz, but soon, the chatter stops. Plantains, cashews, and octopus — tonight, the two chefs have an hour to make a series of dishes using these ingredients, all while an audience and a panel of judges look on.
Chefs After Dark is technically a competition, but according to creators David Vargas, owner and chef at Vida Cantina in Portsmouth, and Lee Frank, chef at Anneke Jans, the kitchen battle is more about building relationships in the Seacoast’s vibrant food scene. They’ve been producing the event for two years.
“It’s not just about competition,” says Vargas. “We do this to be better, yes, but we also think it’s important for chefs to be in the same room, to talk, to share ideas. Competing makes us stronger, but not as strong as when we have colleagues we can rely on, not just in our own kitchens, but in kitchens all over.”
Each installment features two chefs from restaurants throughout the Seacoast, from Maine to Massachusetts. The chefs are given the three ingredients and 10 minutes to raid the restaurant’s walk-in freezer for additional items. Then, they have an hour to make two dishes (with two plates of each dish) using the ingredients. When time runs out, they present the dishes to a panel of judges made up of mentors, peers, and friends.
“Sometimes you have to run with intuition and hope for the best,” says Vargas.
Rodrigo “Ricco” Garcia of Martingale Wharf (left) and Justin Hewitt of Anneka Jans compete in the Chefs After Dark event on Nov. 24.
Competing on a cold November night at the most recent event was Rodrigo “Ricco” Garcia of Martingale Wharf in Portsmouth, and Anneka Jans’ own sous chef, Justin Hewitt. “We seem to get a rowdier crowd when the sous chefs compete,” says Frank, laughing. “But it’s so important for this not to just be about the chefs in charge — everyone working in a kitchen has skills and ideas they can share with the community.”
As the audience moves toward the kitchen hatch to watch the action, chef Mark Segal gives a brief introduction on behalf of Chefs Collaborative, a national nonprofit that connects chefs in order to “inspire, educate and … build a better food system.” It’s proof that there are both local and national efforts to build a community of chefs.
The crowd alternates between observant silence and discursive excitement. Though Frank and Vargas encourage the audience to ask questions, many stay quiet. A few of the competing chefs’ family members are present. “He’s a good cook,” says Hewitt’s mother, Pat, as he prepares his plantains. “But I would say that I’m his mother.” She’s watched her son cook for years, but not usually in such a high-pressure situation. “Everyone is so supportive of one another,” she says. “It’s really fun to watch.”
In the kitchen, 30 minutes have passed. Garcia moves with ease, calm in the small space, but Hewitt looks determined and focused, if a little flushed.
“Competing makes us stronger, but not as strong as when we have colleagues we can rely on.” — chef David Vargas
“Each chef that competes is different,” Vargas says. “They work, move, and think in different ways. That’s what we are trying to show.”
At past competitions, chef Justin Walker of Kennebunkport’s Earth at Hidden Pond served up a suckling pig tongue transformed into sausage, and chef Evan Hennessey of Stages at One Washington in Dover showed he had a way with eggs when he tackled chicken, duck, and quail eggs, all served in a variety of ways.
“We’ve had some really impressive food in the kitchen. People do mind-blowing things with the ingredients we give them,” Frank says. “Some of these items people have never cooked before. So, not only do you have to be courageous, you have to be adventurous, using your knowledge to make something happen.”
The clock strikes 12:30 a.m. and time is up. The judges are seated, and the dishes make their way to the table. The plates look fresh, colorful, and inviting. Chef Evan Mallet and Vargas sit at the judges’ table; Frank stands nearby, though he’s not judging, since his sous chef is competing. The audience swarms around the table. The dishes take center stage and the chefs step back into the kitchen and wait. An intense discussion follows about creativity, flavor, texture, and balance. It’s not clear who the winner is, and Frank and Vargas step aside to discuss the rules — can there be a tie?
But after a little more discussion, the judges swiftly and unceremoniously declare Garcia the victor. Although disappointed, Hewitt is congratulated on his well-executed dishes, and handshakes and hugs follow. “We don’t keep a leaderboard, or a running list of top chefs,” says Vargas. “Each chef shows up, does their thing, learns something, meets someone new, and can head into their kitchen the next day feeling proud that they took the challenge.”
Chefs After Dark is open to the public each month at Anneke Jans, 60 Wallingford Square, Kittery, Maine. Visit facebook.com/chefsafterdarkseries for information about upcoming events.