Kudos to chef/owner Bryan Sikora of La Fia Bakery + Bistro + Market and Cocino Lola in Wilmington. He’s been invited to prepare a multicourse meal at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City on Sept. 29.
Sikora, who was a 2014 James Beard Awards semifinalist in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category, opened his popular Delaware restaurant in 2013 after garnerning rave reviews at Django in Philadelphia and Talula’s Table in Kennett Square, Pa. Here’s the menu for the Beard dinner:
Hors d’oeuvres:
Chorizo fritattas
Crispy porcelet—cantaloupe pixtos with cracked tellicherry peppercorns
Shrimp fritters with peppadew peppers
Mushroom empanadas with Idiazábal cheese and aïoli
Herbed gougères with deviled eggs and crab salad
Dinner:
Summer panzanella with smoked scallops and early autumn gazpacho
Sea bass escabèche with preserved lemon–chile romesco, toasted corn cracker and Marcona almonds
Rabbit ragù with ricotta cavatelli, Dr. Martin lima beans and ricotta salata
Barbecued beef tart—smoked short rib with spiced tenderloin, cocoa demi-glace and Mexican-style charred corn
White peach ice cream with sponge cake and tarragon–Sauternes syrup
A selection of fine wines will be served. Tickets for the dinner are $130 for Beard members and $170 for the general public. Alcoholic beverages are provided on a complimentary basis and are not included in the ticket price. For more information, visit www.jamesbeard.org/events/delaware-artisan.