Gallerie Chef Bill Glover Heads to the James Beard House

Until this month, a chef from Columbus had yet to do two things: earn a James Beard award (the Oscar of cooking), or receive an invitation to cook at the James Beard House, the storied former home of the late cook and author.

We can scratch the latter off our dining scene to-do list when Gallerie Bar & Bistro chef Bill Glover takes over the New York City kitchen Sept. 11. "I was the invited person, but, in my mind, it's an opportunity to shed light on what we are doing as a community," says Glover, who will serve six courses that tell a story of Ohio's bounty and Columbus' talented producers. "I'm the quarterback. I'm bringing the team to the line and leading them down the field. I think it's important to showcase all of who we are and what we do."

Glover breaks down his inspiration, course by course.

Cocktail hour: To start the evening, Watershed Distillery spirits will star in cocktails crafted by Travis Owens of Curio.

First course: Ohio Trout with golden roe, smoked rainbow Ohio trout, steelhead tartar, ginger panna cotta, pickled fennel, rhubarb fluid gel, rye

This dish is inspired by Glover's upbringing in Western Pennsylvania and his earliest memories with his father, catching trout. The first course is designed to capture the life cycle of the rainbow trout, which will be sourced from Freshwater Farms in Urbana. "That's where it started," he says. "[Then I asked], 'How can we expand on just trout? What if we take the roe and steelhead?' There are all kinds of ways that fish crosses through our state."

Second course: Lake Erie walleye tempura, cherry tomato, roasted eggplant puree, lemon labne, chioggia beets, pea tendrils, beet powder

Glover again draws on youthful memories of fishing, this time on the choppy waters of Lake Erie. When the dish needed lemon, Glover almost omitted the ingredient, knowing he'd have to source it out of state. Then, unexpectedly, a relative connected Glover with the Ohio director of agriculture, who put Glover in touch with a greenhouse in Toledo thatgrows lemons.

Third course: Ohio rabbit confit, sage gnocchi, smoked red cabbage, black walnuts, Ludlow emulsion, nasturtium, leek ash

This course is an ode to his Italian mother's gnocchi and his love for the outdoors. He'll forage the black walnuts himself and use Champagne d'Argent rabbits raised by James Anderson, the owner of Ray Ray's Hog Pit, who this past winter started a farm where he raises a variety of heritage livestock breeds of animals. The emulsion is made with Blue Jacket Dairy's Ludlow aged cheese.

Fourth course: Ohio Berkshire pork 36-hour sous vide belly, corn puree, blackberry ketchup, jalapeño hush puppy, maple, red ruffled mustard, corn shoots

Glover couldn't get through a dinner without featuring his favorite protein: pork. Anderson raised these Berkshire pigs on spent grains from Watershed Distillery. The maple accents come from sugar maple trees grown in the Hocking Hills.

Fifth course: Ohio black Angus beef short rib and sweetbread croquette, spelt, sumac, goat cheese, pickled chanterelle, citrus lace, red ribbon sorrel

Seventh Son Brewing Co. crafted Mille-Feuille barrel-aged strong ale finished in a Watershed bourbon barrel specifically for the evening, and it'll be paired with this course.

Sixth course: Ohio sweetcorn souffle, honey sabayon, slow-roasted drunken apricots

If the Beard awards had a coffee category, Glover insists One Line Coffee would easily vie for the honor-which is why this all-Ohio dessert is paired with a coffee cocktail featuring the Columbus roaster's La Arenosa mixed with Watershed's Nocino, chicory and walnut cream.