On Tuesday, March 10th at 3 p.m., Cole Ersel, executive chef of Wolf Peach Restaurant, will make his television debut in an episode of the "Steve Harvey" show on channel 12/WISN.
Ersel, whose rugged outdoorsy charm and flair for cooking up comforting European dishes, has won him fans here in Milwaukee, has been chosen as one of three of the "Midwest’s Most Eligible Chef Bachelors," each chosen to court Chicago pastry chef, Sophie Evanoff, owner of Vanille Patisserie.
Evanoff says she hasn’t had a real relationship in seven years and despite being featured in Chicago Magazine’s "Most Eligible Singles" issue last year, she’s still single.
As part of the show’s competition, Harvey will present Evanoff with three eligible chef suitors, each of which will prepare dishes created to win her affections.
Cole will prepare pan-seared pork loin with sweet and sour cabbage, pickled mustard and apple chips.
Will his dish win Evanoff over?
The only way to find out will be to watch.
"Steve Harvey" is a one-hour daytime, multi-topic show hosted by TV personality, comedian, radio show host and best-selling author, Steve Harvey.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
