Padma's Picks Recap: Dive Bar Food Fight

Episode 3 of Padma's Picks already?! We're literally halfway through the series, and soon we'll know who our final New Orleans cheftestant is. The anticipation is palpable.

This time, Padma heads to Melvin's in Marigny to meet blues legend Ernie Vincent, a New Orleans native. They enjoy a cocktail and Ernie offers up two chefs: Tres Barnard, chef at pop-up We've Got Soul and Bart Bell of the Crescent Pie & Sausage Co. He had me at pie and sausage.

The two show us around their estabishments. Neither of these chefs are white tablecloth kinds of guys, which sets them apart from some of the previous chefs we've seen so far, and the chefs we'll see in Episode 4's "fine dining" challenge.

And, they're off cooking! Tres mentions Top Chef's curse of the Southern chef. I've never really thought about it before, but I guess there's something to it? Either way, he's thinking about it, and he's got something to prove.

Bart, on the other hand, sings a little diddy about summertime in New Orleans. It's precious. He also laments the fact that he's not in the kitchen as much as he'd like to be. He mentions he's getting impatient. Pull it together, Bart!

They present their dishes to Padma and Ernie.

Bart: Beer-Brasied Shrimp with Citrus, Fennel, and Mirliton Slaw

Tres: Pan-Seared Scallops with a Jalapeno, Blueberry Gastrique, Grand Marnier Carrots and Country-Freid Potatoes

Padma honestly didn't have much negative feedback about either dish, but notably describes Tres' dish as "dark, mysterious, strange, and delicious"... just like New Orleans. So, Tres wins!

In Episode 4, best friends battle! You may recognize one of the best friends as Nick Lama! Sue Zemanick's sous chef! Watch it HERE!