Lafayette man wins 'Best Sandwich'

Lafayette — George Mandakas is a self-avowed "foodie" and he’s well on his way to fulfilling a lifelong dream of becoming a notable chef as well.

Mandakas, who spent 22 years as a research scientist, is chef/owner of Innova Cuisine in Lafayette. His company is a specialty catering business and producer of gourmet jams, jellies, hot sauces and a professional grade condiment line. He's appeared at many culinary fundraising events in the region and in Manhattan and is involved in the local food movement.

And, last month, he added a new feather to his toque.

Mandakas submitted a sandwich recipe — the favorite of his sons — to a contest run by the ABC-TV daytime food-themed talk show, "The Chew."

It was voted "the best" by Mario Batali and Daphne Oz, two of the hosts, on an episode dedicated to finding "The world's best sandwich."

Mandakas’s passion for cooking traces back to his childhood years. As a boy, he spent his Sunday mornings standing in his grandmother’s kitchen watching and learning her secrets of traditional Greek cooking. His first kitchen job was at the age of 5, cranking away at a 1950s hand held metal beater helping his Yaiya ("grandmother" in Greek) temper the eggs for her Avgolemono soup — a lemony chicken and rice soup. He credits those days spent in her kitchen as the birthplace of his passion for food.

“Growing up, I was incredibly fortunate to have such a large and food-loving family,” Mandakas says. “There would be 20 people around my grandmother's dining room table every Sunday...no joke.” Even into her 90s, his grandmother would cook the lion’s share of that weekly family meal. “Parents, brothers, cousins, aunts, uncles, friends and of course, there was Yaiya presiding at the head of the table...at one point there were four generations of Mandakases around that table enjoying course after course after course for hours at a time. I was truly very lucky.”

How an award-winning sandwich came to be

"Sit-down dinners are the routine in our house. This one day, there just wasn’t enough time so I said we’d have to have a sandwich night. Well, standard ham and cheese just doesn’t cut it for the boys,” he said referring to his own sons. So to satisfy their discerning palates, off Mandakas went to the refrigerator, the pantry and the bread drawer to see what he could throw together.

The resulting sandwich has evolved into a popular and frequent dinner request at his home. “The sandwich was meant to replace a meal, so I made sure it had a lean protein, fresh greens, a bright and flavorful sauce and a little something sweet to balance it all out.”

That "something sweet" turned out to be his secret weapon at the television contest. Watching the replay of the April 26 episode of "The Chew," Mandakas couldn’t help but smile when he heard chef Mario Batali say that his sandwich popped with flavor and Daphne Oz confess, "...that jam, I just have to get the recipe for that jam." The jam she was referring to was Mandakas’ homemade Caramelized Vidalia Onion Jam.

That episode of the show featured a six-foot Spicy Chicken sub made by co-hosts Carla Hall and Clinton Kelly, a Croque Madame prepared by culinary legend Daniel Boulud and the battle for the “Worlds Best Sandwich” with the top three viewer submitted recipes going head to head. Not only were they up for bragging rights, but also the creator of the winning recipe would be asked to prepare his or her sandwich on camera with celebrity chef Batali.

When it came time for the judging, each of the challengers had the chance to present their sandwich and share the details of its creation as Batali and Oz tasted each one. Then in a matter of moments, and in Batali's hand, Mandakas' Grilled Roast Beef Florentine Panini was raised high in the air and crowned victorious.

Detour on culinary highway The road to culinary success has not been a direct one. Just a little over a year ago, Mandakas’ 22-year career as a genetic and molecular toxicologist for a major pharmaceutical company came to an end at the hands of a corporate mega-merger. “The job market is so competitive and lean," he said, "No matter how successful you were at your profession, the jobs simply just are not there."

"The only way to survive today is to re-invent yourself.”

And for Mandakas, that meant pursing the dream of being a professional chef.

“I’ve always loved to cook. In college I worked the fryer and grill at a Bennigan’s and baked cookies in my dorm room in a toaster oven. In my 20's and 30’s I was always cooking for friends and family, putting on dinner parties and even doing some light catering. Then about 10 years ago I was introduced to a local prominent chef, Kirk Avondoglio, owner of Perona Farms, who is a James Beard award winner. Avondoglio has not only grown over the years to become a dear friend but he has been my biggest ally, culinary inspiration and motivator. He gives me an unbiased commentary on my work, recognizes my accomplishments and reminds me to never lose sight of my goals.”

Growing as a chef “Over the past 10 years, in addition to my full-time job as a research scientist I’ve worked really hard to build up a broad network of culinary colleagues. I’ve infiltrated some excellent kitchens so I can learn techniques and work a line and I have been able to develop my own style and interpretations of traditional cuisine.”

That's evident by looking over the menu from the recent pop-up restaurant event he staged at the Salt Studio in Andover. Mandankas has not only been able to exploit his scientific knowledge but also has remained true to traditional flavor profiles. “My goal is to prepare food that is familiar and immediately identifiable but presented in a completely different and innovative package.”

Mandakas incorporates skills gained as a scientist into what is known as "molecular gastronomy" techniques. His cryogenic ice cream is one example — ice cream made with liquid nitrogen. But he doesn't want to merely dazzle.

“You should never have to look at your food more than once to try to figure it out or how to eat it. Modernist techniques are excellent tools but only if used in a purposeful and coherent manner. It has to make sense.”

As a scientist, Mandakas was a published author, mentor to many and a contributor to the development and approval of several prominent drug

therapies. As a chef, he has matured from playing a supporting role to that of a leading man — the headliner. So now, whether he is using liquid nitrogen to prepare his own creation, Cryogenic Tootsie Pops, using an immersion circulator to prepare a sous vide butter poached filet mignon or is seen standing by the centrifuge preparing tomato consommé for his Gazpacho Claro, Mandakas’ culinary aspirations are never too far away from his scientific roots. And based upon his respect for traditional flavor profiles, he’s not too far away from his grandmother's kitchen either.