It’s a wonder that any of the contestants of “Citywide 86’d,” a competition inspired by the Food Network show Chopped, managed to boil a teaspoon of water under the crazy conditions they were subjected to. The kitchen of Austin's Uchiko (which co-sponsored the event with its sister restaurant Uchi) was clogged with camera- and iPhone-wielding reporters and bloggers and friends of the cooks, who mostly just got in the way while the competitors raced from stove to counter to sink. Flames leapt, knives flashed, sauté pans sizzled, spoons were flung across cutting boards, and liquid nitrogen steamed.

But somehow the four cooks managed to focus. Just like in Chopped, they were given ingredient baskets filled with various products that seem impossible to meld into a single dish. There were three rounds—appetizer, entrée, and dessert—and after each dish was completed and tasted, one chef was eliminated.

The contestants were Joaquin Ceballas from Sway, Dan Gamoran from La Condesa, Corey Macks from Parkside, and Coliman Uribe from Swift’s Attic. The contest—which had no prize except the fun of competing and satisfaction of winning—was open to all employees of invited restaurants (excluding chefs and sous chefs).

The judges included Paula Disbrowe, cookbook author and travel writer; Jeramie Robison, chef de cuisine at Uchi; Elizabeth Winslow, founder of Farmhouse Delivery and Haymakers; and Jennie Chen, author of the blog misohungry.

At the end of the three rounds—which lasted from 20 to 25 minutes each—the last man standing was Joaquin, from Sway. The next two rounds will take place in May and June. There is talk of the June finals being open to the public.   

The Appetizer Round: Shrimp, blood orange, yukari, kikurage tree fungus 

Joaquin Ceballas from Sway concocted a Thai-inspired shrimp salad while Corey Macks, from Parkside, did blood orange ginger gel and seared shrimp.

Dan Gamoran, from La Condesa, made poached shrimp with a jalapeno and blood orange broth (pictured).

In the end, it was Coliman Uribe, from Switft’s Attic, who was eliminated (after which Paula Disbrowe joked that she heard a door slam and a Moped start up).

The Entrée Round: Brats, green garlic, black radish, galangal

Dan poached the brats in a beer broth with the mustard and green garlic and galangal. He then made a sauerkraut of fennel and black radish, and finished the dish with fresh veggies. He used the poaching liquid to create a sauce with Dijon, green garlic, and the galangal.

Joaquin charred the bratwurst, made a sweet, pickled galangal and onion relish, and mixed maltodextrin powder with habanero and carrots in a Thai style fish and palm sugar glaze. 

Corey made a pistachio pesto, grilled the brat, pickled the galangal and garlic, and made a "soil" of some pistachio, but his efforts weren't enough. He lost.

The Dessert Round: Chocolate, pistachios, goose eggs, guajillo chile

Joaquin powdered chocolate and guajillo with malto dextrin and pistachio oil. He experimented with a frozen egg custard and added texture by topping the dish with a sprinkle of pistachio.

Dan made a guacolate and guajillo polenta, and served sliced fruit in simple syrup. 

In the end, it was Joaquin of Sway that impresed the judges enough to be sent to the next round of competition. 

Denton’s fine-dining category doubled a few days ago when celebrity chef Tim Love opened Queenie's Steakhouse, the city’s first fancy steakhouse, located a block off the courthouse square. Honoring his mama by applying her family nickname to the joint, Love has brought some of his signature dishes and a couple of intriguing new ones to Queenie’s.

Last Friday night we watched an animated crowd pack the 65-seat dining room and 35-seat bar, with more than a few well-dressed patrons table-hopping as they spotted friends here and there. In other words, it looks like Hannah’s, the longtime Denton destination when you wanted a good hanger steak and a glass of fine red, no longer stands alone as the special-occasion place in town.

Queenie’s is only open three days a week (at least for now), and the menu is shorter than those at most Love restaurants. Still, it’s big enough for him to push the envelope. From the section labeled "First," we nabbed the spicy lobster salad, inspired by his travels in the Caribbean. The simple salad is a mingling of chunks of fresh, cool lobster, chopped tomato and onion, minced scotch bonnet chile, and a generous squeeze of lime.

From the "Second" options, we tucked into a dish of ricotta gnocchi dressed in a tomatoey sauce that includes the famous, or possibly infamous, sausage (minced rattlesnake, rabbit and fennel) that is a staple on Love’s menu at Lonesome Dove, located in the Fort Worth Stockyards district. We skipped the monster Wagyu tomahawk steak for two, choosing instead the New York strip, judiciously cloaked in coarse salt and cracked peppercorns and served with a small selection of sauces, including a garlic demi and a cilantro pesto.

We also did a vegetarian course and were wowed by the massive, roasted poblano chile with a filling of diced sweet potato and caramelized red onion and a topping of melted fontina cheese. Sitting atop a pool of corn puree and smooth black beans, it’s not just an afterthought, which is often the case with veggie dishes. A side of roasted hen of the woods and cremini mushrooms added another level of texture and flavor to both steak and chile dishes.

“I’ve always wanted to do a straight-up, quality steakhouse in Denton,” says Love, who was raised in Denton by Margaret “Queenie” Love, who continues to reside there. “The time was finally right. We got a little criticism for doing high-end in a college town, but it looks like it’s working.”

We’re inclined to agree, and are likely to return, Interstate 35 traffic be damned. It’s only 30-ish miles north of Dallas and Fort Worth. Besides, we need to check out his pheasant confit “chop” and that crazy fried whole lobster. If the crowd continues to grow, we’ll just sip martins and dine at the community table in the bar, where a jazz band from nearby UNT plays, like the locals seem to enjoy doing. The setting is quite pleasant, and you’d never guess it had been the location of his Love Shack burger joint. The exterior is wrapped in strips of wood and metal for a contemporary style, and wife Emilie Love warmed up the interior with draperies suspended from thick rails; heavy, soft-leather seating; and small candles (real ones, not the ridiculous LED kind) and plentiful fresh flowers on the tables.

Appetizers range from $6 to $12; main courses are $24 to $58, with the tomahawk for two $85. Bar. 115 E. Hickory, Denton (940-442-6834). Lunch Fri only 11:30–2:30. Dinner Thur–Sat 4:30–midnight.