Topped 'Chopped'
54 JANUARY 2 0 1 8
Photo courtesy of Nick Testa
Image courtesy of Food Network
Photo by Mike Di Tota
Tuesday, Nov. 28,
was a big day for Astoria
chef Nick Testa –
he won Episode 14 of this
season’s Food Network
show “Chopped.”
Testa is head chef at neighborhood
joints Sweet Afton (30-09 34th St.) and
The Bonnie (29-12 23rd Ave.), both local
gastropubs known for having upscale pub
fare. “Chopped,” which challenges cooks
to create meals from unwieldy ingredients,
had a Weird Twist theme when the local
chef competed, and Testa rose to the occasion
with a series of bizarre dishes.
First up, for the entree challenge, Testa
made a classic Asian vermicelli salad with
dressing with untraditional ingredients,
namely black rice ramen, pig’s head terrine
and conehead cabbage.
Next up, for the second course, Testa managed
to make a classic Italian sausage and
peppers from stuffed lamb intestines, garlic
ice cream and red runner bean blooms.
Lastly, for the final dessert round, Testa was
given sweet avocado, dried ants, Szechuan
peppercorn buds and tang yuan (a tart, Japanese
starch with a nut in the middle) to work
with. From that he made an ice cream sundae,
but the peppercorns tripped him up a bit.
“I ate a half of one on set and it was tonguenumbing,”
he recalls of the tasteless initial experience
with the peppercorn buds.
Since the show aired on Nov. 28, Testa says
a number of people have dropped by to the
two bars to try his cooking, even if it’s not nearly
as outrageous as the dishes he whipped up
on “Chopped.” The Bonnie’s Instagram account
also saw an influx of over 600 likes for a
photo announcing Testa’s big win.
Despite telling a competitor there was no
way he would cry if he won, Testa reports that
he “bawled” upon hearing the news. As for his
$10,000 winnings, Testa plans to “put it away,
let it grow somewhere.” One day, he hopes
to open a restaurant beyond the city, and the
cash could help fund that dream.
For now though, you can find him cooking
up quality bites at Sweet Afton and The Bonnie.
As for whether or not he’ll incorporate
dried ants and lamb intestine into his off-show
creations, Testa said, “Not likely!” However,
“Avocado ice cream will be something I’ll be
putting on the menu in the future.”
ARTS+ENTERTAINMENT
BY HANNAH FRISHBERG