ICA: Symon vs. Nunez
Iron Chef Michael Symon faces off against challenger Jesus Nunez. Chef Núñez is chef and owner of Gastroarte Restaurant in New York. The judges are Jose Andres, Cady Huffman, Andrew Zimmern and Sophie Michell.
The menu at Gastroarte Restaurant showcases rich, imaginative cooking with a focus on simple yet robust flavors and also reflects Chef Núñez’ youthful history as a graffiti and fine artist. In the kitchen, he draws inspiration from his love of urban design and street art, designing his dishes to be colorful creations that many diners say are “too beautiful to eat.” The stage for these edible works of art offers its diners two unique dining experiences.
Chef Núñez’ passion for fusing old-world recipes with new-world preparations is to say the least artistic but in Kitchen Stadium awaits Michael Symon as the two collide in Battle Octopus. Be sure to check out my exclusive interview with Iron Chef Symon HERE.
Check below for the outcome.
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| Symon | Núñez | |
| Taste | 37 | 32 |
| Plating | 16 | 17 |
| Originality | 16 | 19 |
| Total | 69 | 68 |
ICA: Flay vs. Allegretti
Iron Chef Bobby Flay faces off against challenger Alain Allegretti, executive chef at La Promenade des Anglais in New York City. Judges are Simon Majumdar, Cady Huffman and Candice Kumai.
Alain Allegretti hails from a prominent culinary background developed in kitchens across France and the United States. His cooking style pairs cultural influences from his home city of Nice with the guidance culled from famed chefs including Jacques Maximin and Alain Ducasse.
Allegretti’s career, in both France and New York, stretches from helming the kitchen at legendary restaurants to his own eponymous restaurant. He was the executive chef at the New York Ritz-Carlton’s highly acclaimed restaurant, Atelier, where he was instrumental in aiding the restaurant to achieve multi-star reviews by prominent publications. Allegretti honed his culinary skills at several Michelin star rated restaurants including the two-star Restaurant Le Chantecler, three-star rated Chez Chapel in Mionnay and three-star rated Restaurant Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo.
Allegretti arrived on the New York restaurant scene in 2001 as Co-Executive Chef at Sirio Maccioni’s Le Cirque 2000. In 2008 Allegretti opened his eponymous restaurant Allegretti in the Flatiron District and earned a rave 2 star review by Frank Bruni in the New York Times, along with glowing critique from the New York Post, Time Out New York, Insatiable Critic, among other outlets. Allegretti’s newest flagship restaurant, La Promenade des Anglais, features cuisine inspired by the French Riviera with subtle influences from various regions of Italy as well, bringing the glamour, the romance and the food of the French Riviera to the fashionable Chelsea district.
Allegretti’s résumé is world class but there is no venue in the world like Kitchen Stadium especially when Iron Chef Bobby Flay is waiting for you. Saddle up for Battle: Canned Tuna.
Check below for the outcome.
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Flay Allegretti
Taste: 25 Taste: 20
Plating: 13 Plating: 12
Originality: 13 Originality: 9
Total: 51 Total: 41
ICA: Forgione Brothers vs. Campanaro Brothers
Two teams of culinary brothers meet in Kitchen Stadium. Iron Chef Marc Forgione teams up with his brother, Bryan, to face off against Challenger Joey Campanaro and his brother Lou. Joey Campanaro makes his second appearance in Kitchen Stadium, having previously been bested by Iron Chef Cat Cora in Battle Venison. Judges are Cady Huffman, Mario Rizzotti and Anya Fernald.
Joey Campanaro was raised in an Italian-American household in Philadelphia where the food of his childhood inspired him to make cooking his vocation. With a culinary approach firmly rooted in his 
Italian grandmother’s kitchen and honed in a range of America’s top restaurants, Joey brings a lifelong affinity for Mediterranean cuisine to every dish he creates.
Lou Campanaro has always loved his family and loved to cook. At his new Philadelphia restaurant, Village Belle, he gets to incorporate those two things into his daily life, working in the kitchen alongside his brother Joey. Leo was also on Joey’s last team to enter Kitchen Stadium.
Bryan Forgione is the son of one of America’s great chefs, Larry Forgione – the godfather of modern American cuisine. Bryan is also the little brother of Iron Chef Marc Forgione who earned his title by winning Next Iron Chef 3. The younger Forgione is also the executive chef at Society Café Encore in Las Vegas so he’s no slouch either.
This battle of the brothers should prove interesting with a secret ingredient like parmigiana reggiano. If you haven’t yet, make sure you check out my exclusive interview with Iron Chef Marc Forgione (HERE).
Check below for the outcome.
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Forgiones Campanaros
Taste: 25 Taste: 21
Plating: 13 Plating: 12
Originality: 15 Originality: 10
Total: 53 Total: 43
ICA: Zakarian vs. Sawyer
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian faces off against Challenger Jonathon Sawyer. Chef Sawyer, who previously appeared as Iron Chef Michael Symon’s sous chef on ‘Iron Chef America,’ is owner of The Greenhouse Tavern, in Cleveland, Ohio. Judges are Sophie Michell, David Rocco (be sure to check out my exclusive interview with David HERE) and Cady Huffman.
Chef Jonathon Sawyer, a Cleveland native, first learned to cook at the age of 13. He attended the University of Dayton and graduated from the Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts. His post-graduate career started at The Biltmore Hotel in Miami and continued alongside renowned chef Charlie Palmer in New York at Kitchen 22. Following his work with Charlie Palmer, Johnathon moved back to his hometown to open Lolita as Chef de Cuisine for his friend and colleague, Michael Symon.
In 2007, Jonathon moved back to his hometown to pursue his dream of opening his own restaurant. This dream was realized in the opening of Bar Cento, a modern Roman enoteca in Cleveland’s Ohio City neighborhood. In April of 2009, Jonathon opened The Greenhouse Tavern which has been named one of the Top Ten Best New Restaurants in the United States by Bon Appetit.
When Chef Sawyer enters Kitchen Stadium waiting for him will be the newest Iron Chef Geoffrey “the Technician” Zakarian armed again with celebrity sous chef Alex Guarnaschelli in Battle: Mint.
Check below for the outcome.
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Zakarian Sawyer
Taste: 24 Taste: 20
Plating: 13 Plating: 10
Originality: 12 Originality: 10
Total: 49 Total: 40
