Let's Mango Blog

The National Mango Board continued the Mango Hometown Tour in Hartford where local chefs Chris Torla of Trumbull Kitchen and Billy Grant of Restaurant Bricco, Grant’s Restaurant and Bar, and Bricco Trattoria, competed to create a mango dish capturing the city’s local flavor and reflecting late-night cuisine. For the first time on the Mango Hometown Tour, the judges’ scores lead to a deadlock, resulting in a tie for best mango dish.

Hosted at Trumbull Kitchen, the chefs went toe-to-toe in the kitchen as approximately 100 guests took in the action. Chef Torla, who draws on various cultures to create dishes bursting with flavor, dished up “Mango Three Ways,” featuring a bacon slider with mango slaw, mango lassi and a mango fondue tartlette. Chef Grant, who emphasizes and incorporates fresh, seasonal items into each dish, created mango and plum wine braised BBQ short ribs with mango cilantro salsa.

Judging the event was MaryEllen Fillo of the Hartford Courant, Teresa LaBarbera of WTNH and Sarah Caron of Sarah’s Cucina Bella and Laura Koski, MA, RD at Price Chopper. After much deliberation, the judges declared a tie between both chefs, as they both exuded creative use of mango and captured the late-night theme.

For more details on theHartfordleg of the Mango Hometown Tour and the local taste-off, please visit our website.

Finally, please visit www.mango.org/hometowntour for additional information on the Mango Hometown Tour including dates, location information, event highlights, photos and videos.