Madison was well-represented at the 2026 Cassoulet War hosted by D’Artagnan in New York City. Chef Joe Papach of The Harvey House and Butterbird claimed the contest’s People’s Choice Award on Feb. 2, the same title claimed by chef Sean Pharr of Mint Mark at the 2025 competition.
Papach competed against 23 chefs in this cooking contest honoring the hearty, slow-cooked stew dish from southern France. He adhered to tradition with his cassoulet recipe, noting that he wanted to “keep it as classic as I possibly could.” His recipe included French tarbais beans, pork and duck confit.
A panel of 11 judges evaluated the chefs, but Papach’s most important judge ended up being the event attendees. His authentic recipe paid off and impressed a majority of the 300-person crowd. He secured the People’s Choice, one of three awards, by earning the most votes. The other categories were the “Most Traditional” award, which went to chef Eli Collins of A.Kitchen+Bar, a Philadelphia small-plate American bistro, and the “Most Daring” award, which went to chef Anina Belle Giannini of Le Chef’s Wife, a French restaurant in Washington, D.C…