Chefs blend science, cuisine at "MESS Hall Goes Gourmet"


  • November 7, 2014
  • /   Joe Vinson
  • /   community-dashboard
On the first night of the Pensacola Foo Foo Festival, the Pensacola MESS Hall held its "MESS Hall Goes Gourmet" fundraiser, sponsored by Gulf Power. About 200 people enjoyed appetizers and a four-course dinner prepared by five of Pensacola's most renowned chefs.
  • Dan Dunn, H2O – shrimp, spinach and cheese flatbread pizzas plus tuna tartar cucumber cups topped with soy, sesame and flying fish roe
  • Billy Ballou, The Fish House – house-cured salmon, crème fraîche, fermented cauliflower and fennel, topped with julienne cucumber
  • David Penniman, Classic City Catering – fried heirloom eggplant with house-made cheese, goat cheese, dehydrated tomato and Romesco sauce
  • Alex McPhail, Iron – sous vide short rib braised for 24 hours, mirepoix pearls and caramelized onion bread pudding
  • Blake Rushing, Type – rose mango granola with satsuma custard, juniper "snow" and "busy" grapes and blueberries
Gulf Power provided a massive ice sculpture that also dispensed liquor shots, and representatives were on-hand demonstrating electric cooking technologies. Two electric vehicles were on display — a Tesla provided by Gulf Power and a BMW i3 provided by Sandy Sansing BMW. At the end of the evening, Becca Boles presided over a live auction.
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