KC Flavor Champion: Joseph Antosiak

Joseph Antosiak

Time flies. While Major League Baseball playoffs are scheduled to begin in just a few weeks, it was the start of the season—spring training—that played a role in Joseph Antosiak’s second consecutive Kitchen Collaborative win. Antosiak, executive chef at OVG Hospitality, had been working at a stadium, “serving up thousands of bratwursts, especially to fans from Cleveland, Milwaukee and Chicago,” he recounts. “After coming off 45 straight games, I was definitely still in baseball mode, and that stadium inspiration naturally found its way into the Grilled Polish Boy Shish Kabob Sandwich.”

So did Antosiak’s ancestry. “As a Polish boy myself, this dish has a personal connection. I grew up eating sausage, sauerkraut, pierogi, cabbage rolls and all the wonderful comfort foods that are part of Polish traditions,” he notes. “Being originally from Cleveland, where the Polish Boy sandwich has deep roots, this recipe felt like bringing a piece of home into the competition.”

But it was another cultural observance that may have sealed the deal. “The Kitchen Collaborative sponsor box arrived right around St. Patrick’s Day, and I had just finished making my annual corned beef,” Antosiak recounts. His first instinct was to use the Flatbread from Damascus Bakeries for a Reuben sandwich. “Unfortunately, by the time I got around to cooking, the corned beef had disappeared!” With some Polish sausage in the freezer, his idea began to evolve. His final motivation was a commitment to “make something fabulous” with the Caramelized Onion and Gruyère Spread from sponsor Good Foods.

With those influences working together, the chef stayed locked into a sandwich concept, but pivoted to a sausage Polish Boy, albeit one with a decidedly unconventional assembly: a towering sandwich, skewered and grilled on an open flame.

The creative result paid off, earning him top honors from Good Foods. Given the double-digit entries Antosiak conceived for this year’s competition, he’s “blown away” that this dish stood out. “It was an honor that Good Foods recognized not only the creativity of the concept, but also how the product was used in a unique way,” he says. “As chefs, we always hope people connect with our ideas, so this was incredibly satisfying. It’s such a fun, creative concept that I’m really proud of.”

Last year’s Kitchen Collaborative taught me that creativity alone isn’t enough. The dish also has to be practical and approachable. This year, I challenged myself to showcase sponsor products in ways people might not expect, while still creating dishes that both professional chefs and home cooks could realistically make.”

—Joseph Antosiak

To build the sandwich, Antosiak slathered (his word) a full piece of flatbread with the Good Foods’ onion-cheese spread, then layered sauerkraut, cut Polish sausages, more cheese spread and pickled onions. The sandwich is topped with a drizzle of red pepper Dijonnaise made with Smoky Pepper Paste from sponsor SupHerb Farms. He cut the bread into five individual sandwiches, stacked and skewered them, and then cooked them for about 10 minutes over a low-temperature grill.

The choice to grill the sandwich was inspired from an Instagram reel where kabob meat was grilled, wrapped in bread, sliced and grilled again, he explains. “I wanted this sandwich to have that same sense of excitement: big skewers over live fire, crispy grilled bread, caramelized toppings and a dramatic presentation. This dish definitely delivers that ‘Wow!’ factor.”

Antosiak became a big fan of the Caramelized Onion and Gruyère Spread. “It’s fantastic. It’s incredibly versatile and honestly delicious right out of the container,” he enthuses. “In this sandwich, it became much more than a condiment. It acted as the creamy binder that pulled everything together. Every bite felt balanced and indulgent without overpowering the other ingredients. I liked it so much, I’ve already reached out to Good Foods about incorporating it into some menu items for our 2027 baseball season.”

WHY THIS PLATE PREVAILED

“A traditional Polish Boy is legendary, but reading through the blind entries, this one jumped out,” says Chef Yury Krasilovsky, culinary innovation manager at Good Foods. “What hooked me was the cleverness of the execution. By turning a notoriously messy street food into a structured shish kabob, the concept immediately showed a deep understanding of balance and texture. Even without tasting it, I could visually map out how every single bite would come together perfectly. It was just an incredibly smart concept.”

Krasilovsky admits to having low expectations for how Kitchen Collaborative chefs would employ Good Foods’ Caramelized Onion and Gruyère Spread in menu concepts. “I honestly thought competitors would just use it as a standard finish on bread,” he says. Thus, Antosiak’s preparation details, from assembling the skewer with the spread to throwing the whole thing over an open flame, “completely blew me away. The idea of using live fire to melt the Gruyère directly into the kielbasa was awesome! It showed a side of our product’s versatility that I hadn’t even thought of.”

In the evaluation process, Krasilovsky prized entries that demonstrated clear storytelling and real-world viability. “The chef’s write-up made me ‘taste’ the char and the melted cheese,” he remembers. “Plus, from an operational standpoint, a fully grilled skewer is brilliant. It keeps things clean, eliminates soggy bread and is highly executable for a busy kitchen line.”

Krasilovsky takes his chef’s toque off to Antosiak. “He respected a regional classic but had the imagination to completely reinvent the experience. It was a well-deserved win.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

As a repeat Kitchen Collaborative winner, Antosiak is excited to travel with Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B to Mendoza, Argentina, and compare the culinary adventure with last winter’s winners’ trip to Dubai. “Dubai was an unforgettable experience. I expect Mendoza will be remarkably different—more rooted in agriculture, wine, fire cooking and regional traditions—but equally inspiring,” he says. “Every trip adds another chapter to your culinary story, and I’m looking forward to continuing to bring those experiences home.”

In fact, Antosiak’s time in Dubai inspired another of his Kitchen Collaborative 2026 concepts: a chimichurri chicken with red lentil dahl and feta on flatbread. “I’d enjoyed a similar profile of lentils, dahl and chicken on a flaky croissant in Dubai, and thought I would do something similar,” he recounts.

An unabashed supporter of Kitchen Collaborative, Antosiak values the creative challenges inherent in the menu development program started by Flavor & The Menu and Summit F&B in 2020. “Some sponsor products naturally lend themselves to a few obvious applications, but I intentionally pushed myself to think beyond those. I wanted people to look at the ingredient differently and realize it could be used in completely unexpected ways. That’s one of my favorite parts of Kitchen Collaborative.”

The chef also finds drive from his own competitive spirit. “The chance for a second title definitely added extra motivation,” he says. “The level of talent in Kitchen Collaborative is so incredible that earning another championship among such accomplished chefs is something I’m extremely proud of. Of course, I’d love to see if I can three-peat next year!”

MORE INSPIRED TAKES

Antosiak used every sponsored product—and every last drop, scrap, morsel and crumb of each—to produce numerous menu concepts. Here are two more that demonstrate his inventive prowess in action.

Lentil Burrata Benedict with Teriyaki Bacon

Start with a family favorite. Add a pinch of social media. Leverage some leftovers. Together, you’ve got the inspirational elements that led Antosiak to create this eye-catching twist on a brunch classic. “Instagram is always a great place to discover ideas, and I’d seen a version of this dish there right before my wife and I went out for breakfast, where she typically orders eggs Benedict,” he recounts. “Also, the night before, I’d made a gnocchi with flour made from lentils [supplied by Lentils.org], and thought it could also be used to make a great potato pancake-type dish.”

The goal was to create a tall, striking, social media-ready version of eggs Benedict. Antosiak swapped the conventional English muffin for red lentil potato pancakes, which are layered with teriyaki-flavored bacon and ham. Poached eggs remain a key component.

To elevate the iconic hollandaise, he added Burrata from BelGioioso. “Once it melted into the sauce, it added incredible richness and a silky texture, while softening the acidity of the traditional recipe. It was a creamy contrast that helped tie the dish together. He also glazed thick-cut bacon with Teriyaki Marinade & Sauce from Kikkoman.

While Antosiak can see the roots of the dish tracing back to the original Instagram inspiration, “I think the finished version evolved into something even stronger,” he says. “It became brighter, more colorful and much more layered in flavor. There’s the sweet of the teriyaki-glazed bacon, the richness of the burrata hollandaise, the crispy potato cake and the delicately poached egg. It’s a really amazing bite.

“This concept was fun to create, and it was one of my favorites from this year’s competition,” continues Antosiak. “By the way, my wife loved the dish. She ate the whole thing and didn’t even share.”

Kung Fu Shrimp and Thai Queso Orecchiette

 Sometimes, successful cooking is all about knowing when to let go of Plan A, muses Antosiak. “Originally, I wanted to create crispy, Asian-inspired, fried mac-and-cheese sticks or nuggets with shrimp,” he recounts. “But no matter what I tried, they simply wouldn’t hold together. The recipe wasn’t cooperating.”

Instead of trying to force the concept, he stepped back to take a different look at his key ingredients, which included sponsored products from Barilla for Professionals, Lee Kum Kee and Lentils.org. “That pivot ultimately led me to a much more exciting and balanced dish,” he says.

Continuing to center the dish on a loosely defined mac-and-cheese format, Antosiak showcased Barilla’s Al Bronzo Orecchiette with a robust cheese sauce spiked with Chili Crisp Hot Honey Sauce from Lee Kum Kee. Having produced a flour from lentils provided by Lentils.org for another concept, he used some of the leftovers to create a tempura batter to fry shrimp, which are then tossed with the chili crisp sauce and crown the pasta. He considered dropping the shrimp tempura, but decided it was critical “to finishing the Asian spin.”

That Asian profile was table stakes for this dish. “Most people expect pasta to be paired with Alfredo or tomato sauce. Taking orecchiette in an Asian direction created something unexpected,” the chef notes of the layers of texture and flavor “that kept every bite interesting.” He praises the cup-shaped pasta that holds “a whole lotta sauce,” and the flavor boost the chili crisp delivers in the cheese sauce. The lentil flour gave the tempura batter both light and crispy qualities upon frying, he adds.

“I really enjoyed developing this dish. It’s colorful, energetic and a good example of blending culinary traditions in a fun way,” Antosiak continues. “It was playful, memorable and exactly the kind of cross-cultural cooking I love to create, borrowing ideas from different cultures while still respecting each one’s flavors.”

Look for more profiles of this year’s Kitchen Collaborative winners in the weeks ahead.

Kitchen Collaborative Project Management: Summit F&B
Peanut Butter Mousse Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie photo: Photography: otysonphoto.com // Food Styling: Peg Blackley