By Rachel Hergett EBS COLUMNIST
I’m a “Top Chef” fan. Each season, the show puts a whole bunch of chefs in a pressure cooker, asking them to create flawless dishes with very little time, often unfamiliar ingredients and unusual constraints. Some fumble, sure, that’s part of the reason watching is so entertaining. But most chefs rise to the challenge and produce mouthwatering food. It’s a testament to their skill and the level it takes to be a part of that cast.
Watching the show makes you wish you were invited to the table, to sit with the judges or attend one of the events catered by the cast. Last weekend’s Big Sky PBR gave me a taste of that dream, when chefs from Season 14 joined Mountain Provisions’ Chef Emily Hahn in Montana to cater to VIP guests. This time, though some are cooking with new ingredients, they have had ample time to conceptualize their dishes.
I headed to the Big Sky rodeo grounds on Saturday, July 19, intent on rustling up some grub. Yes, I mostly came for the food. I was happy I got a head-up to arrive early. The VIP tent was already packed by 5:45 p.m., 15 minutes after the gates opened. But there was more than enough for everyone.
I made my way toward the chefs’ stations, lined up on one side of the tent backing into an open air kitchen setup. First in the row was Chef Sheldon Simeon, author of “Cook Real Hawai’i” and “Ohana Style: Food from Hawai’i, for Your Family,” due out in 2026.
Simeon’s “Spur and Smoke Lamb Noodles” was a bowl of udon in a spiced broth that reminded me of a pho—especially when topped with a heart portion of herbs, greens, onions and crispy garlic, and invited to add chili oil and Sriracha. This bowl, however, hit more umami than acid. I loved the way the Regen Market lamb—smoked whole and shredded—seemed to melt into the spiced broth. The flavor was impeccable. However, I had also started to melt. The heat of the day may have been more inclined to a cold noodle dish.
Next up was Hahn’s “Lil’ Lasso Corndog.” I was worried I wouldn’t get a taste, that it would be in Friday night’s offerings. With this caliber of food, wanting to try everything on offer is only more reason to make a weekend of the PBR.
I laughed later when a friend told me he had been “catfished” by a corn dog, expecting meat inside. But even if the date wasn’t what was expected, it was enjoyed. I knew what was coming. Hahn’s corndog featured the expected crispy batter, but it enrobed a smoked carrot. I didn’t miss the meat. The carrot lent the right amount of bite, like a cased sausage or hot dog would. Then it added something different. Sweet notes were highlighted by the salt of the batter and variety of accoutrements—a stone fruit honey mustard, smoked Amaltheia goat cheese and corn nut crumble for crunch.
“Chef Em corn dogs rock!” my editor texts, and I agree wholeheartedly.
Michelin starred chef Gerald Sombright’s offering was a “Walking Bison Taco” modeled off walking tacos with taco ingredients layered over a Frito base in a chip bag. Sombright’s version featured crispy pasta chips topped with a bolognese made from North Bridger Bison’s ground bison, topped with provolone and parmesan cheese, basil and smoked butter. It was another flavor bomb.
Ahead of me in line, someone tried to grab a “Cowpoke Smoke Stack” off Chef Jamie Lynch’s station before it was complete.
“You want the sauce,” he said.
The stack consisted of meatloaf, topped with “Chef Jamie’s Awesome Sauce” and a cornbread crunch, served with a side of slaw with vegetables from Chance Farm.
“What, you want me to give you the recipe?” he asks with a smile when I inquire about the sauce.
While Lynch didn’t cough up the recipe, I do learn that his Awesome Sauce is a New England-style barbecue. It’s ketchup-based and a little tangy, he tells me. It’s surely an awesome complement and the dish as a whole is a star. I love the silkiness he managed from the meatloaf, and how the stack’s components play together.
Last up is chef Silvia Barban, who creates modern Italian dishes “with a retro heart” at restaurants LaRina Brooklyn and Briscola Trattoria. I’m captivated by her dish. Simply named “Fregola and Burrata,” the dish held unexpected complexity. I feel the heart.
Fregola, I learn, is a semolina pasta rolled into small irregular spheres and toasted. Barban’s was coated in a purée of red bell peppers roasted for most of the day. That care with the ingredient came through, giving it the depth needed to pair with a bold floral lavender oil. The dish was served with burrata melted into the warm pasta, creating a gooey center—a nice textural contrast to the slight bite of the pasta. On top, basil, flowers and greens from Amaltheia Farm added a bit of lightness and crunch.
The combination is mesmerizing, and I find myself going back for another portion and another before the evening is through. I know this is to my own peril: I am intolerant of bell peppers. But the dish is worth a little pain. Ah, the things we do for love.
Right: Chef Annie Pettry cooks in the VIP tent. PHOTOS BY RACHEL HERGETT
These chefs really have nothing to prove at this point. They have each grown since their time on “Top Chef” and I’m grateful they were able to come together to share their talents with the Big Sky community.
When I spoke to Chef Em before the event, she expressed hope that this was only the beginning of a partnership with the Big Sky PBR. So when can I get tickets for next year? I would eat that meal again and again.
Oh, and did I mention there was some bull riding?
Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.
