by Teresa Gubbins

Two Dallas chefs vs. two Fort Worth chefs, and only one team could win.

The event was billed as "The Trinity River Chef Showdown," a contest pitting two chefs from Dallas -- David McMillan and George Brown -- against two chefs from Tarrant County: Brian Olenjack and Jon Bonnell.

The team from Dallas ended up winning, by only two points. But this was a good-natured competition, as it was a charity event benefiting the American Heart Association. More than 100 attendees mingled at the Milestone Culinary Center where it was held, then watched the chefs demonstrate their dish. In the end, everyone got a sample.

Chef Richard Chamberlain emceed, and the judges were Meda Kessler of 360 West magazine; Sharon van Meter, of Milestone Culinary Center; and me.

Bonnell was first up, with miniature elk tacos and grits. His delivery was charming; he shared good cooking tips and information, but also made jokes throughout his demonstration. The biggest difference between restaurant chefs and home cooks, he said, was seasoning, i.e. salt and pepper. Later, chef David McMillan snuck over and impishly added more salt and pepper to Bonnell's grits.

Bonnell's best tip: Grits are only as good as what you add, and just adding water won't be enough. He added onion and poblano pepper that he'd sauteed.

Next up was George Brown, who made seared scallops with a butternut squash cubed hash. He sauteed garlic, shallots, and onion, then added perfect cubes of butternut squash. "I don't need to tell you about butter, butter is a good thing," he said. He also added some micro-greens, but the thing that made his dish stand out was a lime dressing which he doused over the greens; it really perked up the flavor.

Olenjack made grits, too, but he paired it with shrimp and mustard greens. As he cooked his shallots, garlic, and Andouille sausage, the aroma filled the room and someone in the audience said, "Smell-o-vision!" Olenjack stirred all of the ingredients, including Gulf prawns, and explained that judging the doneness of seafood is similar to steak: You go by feel. When it becomes firm, it should be done. His dish was homey and generous, but definitely the best part were the mustard greens.

McMillan came last and did his best to scandalize the crowd by explaining the recipe for his "Tabasco crackers": Ritz tossed in butter, Tabasco, and Ranch dressing powdered mix. He was right that the spicy crackers were addictive. His dish consisted of oysters topped with a crunchy coating. Sommelier A.J. McClellan, who'd offered pairing suggestions for each dish, said that the Egelhoff Riesling that had been chosen for the course represented a "match made in heaven" thanks to its crisp minerality and its careful balance of acidity and sweetness.

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