McNeese Injured During Fast-Paced Core Skills Runthrough

-Marina del Rey, Calif.
-Adam McNeese reportedly sought medical attention Thursday night after an evening core skills runthrough in which he took a hard tumble after he tripped over Ronald Lays.

31 Feast Fest chefs were going fast and furious on the floor at the Beachview during a vital practice one week before the Big Day Nov. 27. McNeese was part of practice group A, which was conducted its second Core Skills Runthrough of the ten-day preparation session Thursday night from 6 to 8 p.m.

McNeese and other chefs were preparing off-Feast Fest dishes in a practice intended to focus on speed and efficiency in getting meals out of the kitchen quickly, in an effort to stamp down on late endings in recent years, when he tripped over the outstretched ankle of the 49-year-old Lays and tumbled into the wall. The accident happened about fifteen minutes before the end of the runthrough, and he complained of ankle pain and looked considerably slower afterward as he did complete the practice.

"Adam went to the Hotel Doctor tonight and we are awaiting word on whether he was injured in any significant fashion," tweeted Co-Head Chef Jim McAllister around Midnight Thursday into Friday.

McNeese (6/25/86) is in his second year with Feast Fest following a previous tenure with its main rival, the New York City Thanksgiving Feast (NYCTC). He recorded 37 NCA points at Feast Fest 2013.

Lays could not be reached for comment on the tumble.

"They just ran right smack into each other rushing around," said Chef Patrick Kermell, who observed the incident. "This is why we're having this special runthrough to focus on speed, so that this stuff won't happen on the floor on Thanksgiving when it counts, because it has before."

Practice Group A will be back in action with a Kitchen Equipment Runthrough Friday afternoon from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., an activity that will not require much in the way of moving around. They will return to Feast Fest foods with a Core Skills Runthrough Saturday evening from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Notable chefs in Practice Group A include McAllister, Kermell, Lays, McNeese, Daniel Mettling, Jan Stephan, Lynn Avi, Jawrodly Jurrjens, and Ursula Elfman.

Practice Group B will hold a fast paced off-Feast Fest foods Core Skills Runthrough Friday afternoon from Noon to 2 p.m., and will return to Thanksgiving care with a Sunday Core Skills Runthrough from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., taking Saturday off. Practice Group B consists of, among many others, the Mason Duo, Andruw Stephan, Joe Pasik, Jarolde James, Eric NacGnissecorp, Aleck Monde, Jon Chu, and Konstaatyn Yiivititimaev.

Practice Group A will have Sunday off.

FF Wire Service