Recently seen on Chopped, La Chasse executive chef Andrew Welenken will be hosting a French dinner night at Mesa Collaborative Kitchen, 216 Pearl Street, New Albany, on Friday, January 12. Cocktails are from 6 to 7 p.m. and the show is from 7 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $75 and are available here.
(Photography by Jolea Brown at Creative Photography )
Welenken started his culinary career washing dishes in Lima, Ohio.
“From there I moved to Columbus, Ohio and worked at my first fine dining restaurant,” he explains on the event page. “At the time,I was preparing to go to culinary school at Sullivan U[niversity] but wanted to get a little experience under my belt before taking on the culinary journey of becoming a chef.”
Welenken goes on to speak of his professional culinary journey, which includes being an assistant sous chef to Volare’s Jose Moore and serving as sous chef at Park Place and Brownings. It was at Buck’s Restaurant and Bar that he was promoted to executive chef for the first time. After eight years, he decided to check out working in corporate upscale pub grub, but his life was changed forever when he was diagnosed with chronic pericarditis and rushed into multiple surgeries. Determined to continue following his passion, he then found himself at the Brown Hotel and English Grille as the chef de cuisine.
“After a year in at the Brown I was offered a job I couldn’t refuse: the Executive Chef position at La Chasse. This opportunity of a lifetime has given me the ability to express my cooking in ways a chef could only dream of,” he said. “At La Chasse, we focus on farm to table rustic european food with Spanish influences — basically giving my staff and I the ability to do the most amazing food we can possibly do and pass that on to you!”
The four course meal will feature:
1. Wild boar meatball, Frondosa farms mushroom bacon risotto, whole grain mustard sauce.
2. Pan seared scallop, potato croquette, saffron tomato broth, bacon jam.
3. Citrus braised fried chicken, jalapeno gruyere grits, braised greens, truffle cream sauce.
4. Caramalized banana bread pudding with creme anglaise.
