Park Slope’s Dale Talde in the Running for ‘The People’s Best New Chef’

Park Slope is known for its restaurants, chefs, and the food made by these neighborhood cooks. But one local chef, Dale Talde of Thistle Hill Tavern, Talde and Pork Slope, has been included in an annual contest on FoodAndWine.com for “The People’s Best New Chef.”

Talde is currently the frontrunner in the contest, which has a list of nine other New York City chefs, with 34.5 percent of the votes.

The Chicago-native, who was on the TV show Top Chef and is partner in the three Park Slope restaurants with David Massoni and John Bush, has brought a unique mix of Asian and American cooking to the Seventh Avenue restaurant Talde with dishes like Kung Pao Chicken Wings, Pretzel Pork & Chive Dumplings and Korean Fried Chicken.

Talde, who went to The Culinary Institute of America, has cooked at popular restaurants such as Kevin, Naha, Vong and Le Anne in the Windy City, as well as Morimoto and Buddakan in New York City.

Interestingly enough, FoodAndWine.com found out that Talde started his career at Outback Steakhouse.

Last year, Zagat rated Talde the second-best restaurant in New York City.  

According to FoodAndWine.com, Talde’s “quintessential dish” is his Korean Fried Chicken made with spicy kimchee yogurt, grapes and mint for $23.

And as the site states, why is Talde “so amazing”?

Because the former Top Chef contestant is brilliantly combining Asian and American cooking in fun ways that work, such as with his “pretzel” (coarse salt–topped) pork-and-chive dumplings with spicy mustard.

But how does Talde describe his own culinary creations?

“My food’s always been about punch-in-your-face flavors. I’ll sacrifice the way something looks over taste any day,” Talde told FoodAndWine.com. 

Will you vote for Park Slope’s own Dale Talde for “The People’s Best New Chef”? The polls are open until March 18. Click here to vote on FoodAndWine.com’s annual contest. Let us know why you think Talde is the best chef in the comments section below.