Top Chef Joe Flamm Teaches White Sox Dave and Dante How To Make Gnocchi & Vodka Sauce
This meal is the perfect thing to whip up if you're trying to impress somebody for date night. It sounds super intimidating but it's actually not that complicated. If a Top Chef like Joe Flamm can teach White Sox Dave and I then anybody can do it.
Chef Joe Flamm is a near and dear friend of the program.
He's a self-taught, self-made, salt of the earth guy from Beverly who loves making great food for people, the White Sox, and the High Life.
A couple years back, he allowed us into the multi-Michellin starred kitchen of Spiaggia.
It was for sure the first time 5 people who had zero business being in Spiaggia period, were handling equipment and food behind the line. He told us about the time he almost cut his arm off butchering a hog, but still finished his shift because he's chef tough. Shot the shit about growing up a die-hard White Sox fan and his outlook, and he got his first taste of White Sox Dave.
I got to meet Chef when I got asked to DJ his Top Chef finale watch party by Bravo, which turned into a celebration party when he won. He is the protege of world-famous chef Tony Mantuano, and couldn't be more down to earth. We quickly hit it off and have remained close since. He is the best.
A few months ago, after White Sox Dave posted one of his infamous cooking stories on Instagram, Chef reached out to me and said we should do a cooking video at his new restaurant that is opening in West Loop, "Rosemary". It's going to be a coastal Croatian concept with classic Dalmation Coast cuisine. It's very similar to Italian and Greek, and honestly, anything Chef Flamm touches is a ten, including the dish he prepared for us in this video.
Since Rosemary is still under construction (the anticipated opening is mid-April) we had to film in their sister restaurant BLVD. Chef's kitchen team was there to monitor things and take everything in. And to help knock out the bottle of slivovitz Chef brought. (slivovitz is a Croatian liquor that tastes like jet-fuel)
Dave was his usual self in this one. Talking lots of shit, inventing plenty of illogical cooking methods on the fly (the blender part is must watch), yet somehow still managed to pull a rabbit out of his ass by delivering a pretty great tasting dish. Just like he did with the chili cook-off against Chief a few months ago. His methods might be maddening, but you can't deny the finished product.
He even showed me up when it came to using the gnocchi roller. I couldn't get the hang of it but Dave was a natural. I'm still very ashamed.
Watch the video and let us know what you think. Tag us in any attempts you make so we can see how yours came out.
And be sure to check out Rosemary in Fulton Market when it opens next month.
Shoutout to my guy Alex on filming this shit show and editing it all.