Tavola’s Dylan Allwood Will Face Keevil & Keevil’s Harrison Keevil In The Duel Chef Showdown On September 10th

Jerry Miller: Hey guys, Jerry Miller inside I Love CVille with Dylan Allwood, the executive chef at tavola restaurant.

On September 10th he will face Harrison Keevil in the Duel Chef Showdown. Tickets are selling out, Get them at DuelChefShowdown.com.

We’re going to start open-ended. You’re facing a guy in Harrison Keevil that you have known for ten years?

Dylan Allwood: Yeah. Probably about that.

Jerry Miller: What’s this matchup going to be like?

Dylan Allwood: I think it’s going to be a lot like old times. It’s probably going to be a more friendly battle, because we’re cool. I’m going to have to try to do some stuff that he wouldn’t do, because I think we kind of think the same when it comes to food. So that might be tough.

Jerry Miller: I know you worked together at Clifton Inn, of course you worked together at Brookville Restaurant, what do you mean in that you guys think similarly?

Dylan Allwood: I mean, we’re all just about the local food, good ingredients and preparing them with respect to that. And I think he would say the same. We cook a lot of similar stuff, like similar styles, techniques. So, maybe have to try to break away from that.

Jerry Miller: I’m excited to see what you do. Onions are the common ingredient for this Duel Chef Showdown. What do you think about onions as the common ingredient here?

Dylan Allwood: I think it might be a little more challenging than people would think. It’s normally not the star of the plate, but it’s used a lot in French cuisine which I have a lot of experience with…

Jerry Miller: Good background.

Dylan Allwood: So, I think the biggest challenge will be making that the focus.

Jerry Miller: What’s it like to go against somebody like Harrison – you’ve touched on it already – you guys are homies, he’s a great dude. Now you guys [are] toe-to-toe in a kitchen with 90 guests voting the winner.

Dylan Allwood: I think it’s going to be intense…

Jerry Miller: Me too.

Dylan Allwood: I mean, we’re confident…

Jerry Miller: I like that about you.

Dylan Allwood: You know, I really feel like we’re putting out some of the best food in town. And we’re going to try to bring that to the battle.

Jerry Miller: One of the things I really like about you is the confidence. And it’s followed you from Clifton to Brookville to Rocksalt to C&O to tavola. How old are you?

Dylan Allwood: My 29th birthday is next week.

Jerry Miller: How many poeple want to be a 28 year old executive chef at a restaurant like tavola?

Dylan Allwood: I put in a lot of work…

Jerry Miller: I know you have.

Dylan Allwood: I feel like the young cooks these days don’t want to do that. They want to be ‘the guy’ way to early, so they don’t develop their skills. I think I did it the right way.

Jerry Miller: I think you did, too. You paid your dues. Are the young guys thinking that way because of TV shows and networks like The Food Network?

Dylan Allwood: Well, that, and I think in the small town, you got people getting promoted very quickly because the talent pool is small…

Jerry Miller: Good point.

Dylan Allwood: So then you got those guys who haven’t really developed their skills trying to train other people. So, nobody’s skills really reach that top level.

Jerry Miller: Very good answer. What are you telling to the young guy that wants to become a chef here? Like a 17 year old that’s like, “I think I want to be a chef.”

Dylan Allwood: Right. Just don’t do it for the money early on. They try to get the highest hourly rate, and with that you’re probably not working at the best place. Just put in the hours, because the only way you’re going to learn is to practice and develop your skills.

Jerry Miller: Cool, man. Dylan Allwood, guys, executive chef at tavola. September 10th, Duel Chef Showdown. You’re a good man, watch out for this guy!

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