Repping Wisconsin with cheese and charisma
My first day on “set” at “Top Chef Wisconsin” was drippy hot, the kind of humid late summer day that wilts everything and everyone. One group at a time, PAs ushered attendees of the Top Chef Cheese Festival into the backyard of a wedding barn in Oconomowoc, where sweaty cheftestants labored over flat-tops and fryers.
When I spotted Dan Jacobs — co-owner of EsterEv and DanDan in Milwaukee — I might have squealed? I was definitely not chill. This was the first time in “Top Chef” history that a chef actively working in Wisconsin had ever been on the acclaimed Bravo culinary competition. His life hadn’t changed yet, but it was about to.
Last night, we hosted Dan at Cooking with the Cap Times, and it was an absolute delight. He talked about his upcoming appearance on “Tournament of Champions” (Hulu, March 2), confirmed my theory that sponsored salt throws off seasoning on “Top Chef,” and gave a behind-the-scenes peek into what it’s like to cook for your life in 30-minute televised sprints.
While you watch Dan compete, maybe let someone else cook? Ashley’s profile of Lovely’s Take Home Chef offers a brilliant alternative to Blue Apron, with dishes designed for easy reheating. This couple’s local farm focus is impressive during our long winters, when nothing grows outside of greenhouses.
This weekend, find me at “Sandra,” Two Crows Theatre’s production of a one-woman playing starring APT actor Colleen Madden. (Fun fact: Madden was scheduled to make her Broadway debut in 2020 before the pandemic shut shows down.) Saturday I’m making time for spontaneous comedy at Overture’s Fringe Festival, namely “Shamilton,” an improvised show about a random character — Dolly Parton, Kim Kardashian — with songs inspired by the hit Broadway musical…