In addition to his brewery experience, Grant Gillon's culinary work is influenced by his Italian heritage. Fittingly, the final three-course meal that won him the season kicked off with a ravioli appetizer topped with a truffle-heavy sauce. For his main course he served pork loin accompanied by a side that included beer-braised vegetables. He closed with a stout cake, incorporating his love of beer into his second key dish of the finale. In fact, while Kennedy Grace seemed like she was on track to win the season's final competition, her black sesame cake dessert failed to impress the trio of judges and it was only in this round that Gillon appeared to emerge as the frontrunner.
Gillon spoke to Parade shortly after his win and praised his competition. "Jennifer and Kennedy are incredible cooks, both had tremendous menus that I thought were beautiful, and so that made the competition harder, especially after seeing the appetizers," he said. "It's still so surreal that I was able to come out on top against those two incredible, strong cooks, and it feels amazing."
He also revealed that, while he still plans to work at Kinship Brewing, he's thinking of putting his prize money toward a farm-to-table restaurant in his hometown of Waukee, Iowa. "This is where I was born and raised," he said. "It would be great to put a stamp on the community for, hopefully, years to come."
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