ICA: Garces vs. Weitzman
Iron Chef Jose Garces faces off against challenger Rebecca Weitzman. Chef Weitzman is the executive chef at Redwood Kitchenette in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood. The judges for Battle: Silkie Chicken are Karine Bakhoum, Art Smith, and Julie White.
Chef Weitzman grew up just outside of Boston but has made her bones working in some of the most well respected kitchens in the Big Apple. That includes time spent working for chef Bobby Flay at Mesa Grill, Bolo and Bar Americain as well as ‘inoteca Restaurant. Pedigreed toque Rebecca Weitzman made her name thrilling Park Slopers with locavore plates at Thistle Hill Tavern (where she is still partner, though no longer head chef). After a brief stint at gourmand movie-theater café Indie Food and Wine, the CIA grad has turned up at the cheery Chelsea diner, sporting redwood paneling, U-shaped teal banquettes and a blown-up vintage photo of a trailer amid crisp fall foliage, plus an actual shiny Airstream trailer retrofitted to serve as a bar.
If Chef Rebecca looks familiar to Food Network viewers it’s because she competed on Chopped back in 2010 on an episode called “First Things Worst.” There she took home the win making a dessert that included baby bananas, coconut flakes, pumpernickel rye and soy sauce. Hopefully that experience will translate into a solid performance in Kitchen Stadium but it won’t be easy as Iron Chef Jose Garces will be waiting.
Check below for the outcome.
| Garces | Weitzman | |
| Taste | 27 | 22 |
| Plating | 15 | 12 |
| Originality | 15 | 11 |
| Total | 57 | 45 |
ICA: Zakarian vs. Frauneder
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian faces off against challenger Eduard Frauneder, executive chef at Edi & The Wolf in New York. Judges are Jeffrey Steingarten, Cady Huffman, and John Curtas.
One of the youngest Michelin-starred chefs from Austria, chef Eduard Frauneder began his culinary career at a young age. In his preteens, he worked alongside his father in the multiple bakeries and pastry shops the family owned in Vienna.
Fast forward years later, Frauneder’s passion for food hasn’t waned and he’s managed to bring his home flavors to Alphabet City of all places.
Along with business partner Wolfgang Ban, they opened their second NYC restaurant Edi & the Wolf. The result is a rustic yet sophisticated Austrian bistro. We chatted with the chef about Austrian flavors, grapes and Oktoberfest. To learn more about Chef Eduard Frauneder there is a great interview with him HERE from metro.us.
Waiting for Chef Frauneder is the newest Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian. Expect fireworks. Expect drama. Most of all expect amazing food. Bring on Battle Yak.
Check below for the outcome.
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| Zakarian | Frauneder | |
| Taste | 26 | 20 |
| Plating | 10 | 14 |
| Originality | 10 | 13 |
| Total | 46 | 47 |
ICA: Zakarian vs. Gallante
Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian faces off against challenger Shea Gallante, who is the executive chef at Ciano in New York. The judges for Battle: Pasta are Michael Ruhlman, Candice Kumai and Martin Yan.
Gallante has been wearing a chefs apron from the early age of 14 where he jump started his career and fascination for Italian cooking at a local pizza shop in Upstate New York. It wasn’t long before his hunger for the restaurant world had him enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America, after which he knew his quest would to one day own his own restaurant in New York City. His first job after the CIA was with Pino Luongo at Coco Opera near Lincoln Center. After two years training under him, Gallante began working with the famed Lidia Bastianich at Felidia and was quickly promoted to sous-chef after demonstrating to her his passion for the type of cooking that earned Felidia three stars. After this, Gallante was recruited by David Bouley, whom he credits as the person who has had the most profound effect on his career to date, to work at his eponymous restaurant Bouley. Gallante spent four years working with Bouley before moving on to Cru, where during his time as executive chef the restaurant received three stars in the New York Times by then reviewer Frank Bruni, a Michelin Star, three stars in New York Magazine by Adam Platt and Gallante was also named one of the Best New Chefs in 2005 by Food & Wine.
Chef Shea Gallante has landed back in the New York City dining scene, this time to open a place he can call his own. Having partnered with Philippe Chow principle Stratis Morfogen, Gallante has now signed on as Executive Chef/Co-Owner of Ciano (45 East 22nd Street, New York, NY 10010), a new, seasonal ingredient driven casual and atmospheric Italian restaurant in the former Beppe space in the Flatiron District.
Chef Gallante has a very impressive resume but so does Iron Chef Zakarian.
Check below for the outcome.
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| Zakarian | Gallante | |
| Taste | 25 | 26 |
| Originality | 11 | 14 |
| Plating | 14 | 13 |
| Total | 50 | 53 |
ICA: Forgione vs McClain
After a summer nearly devoid of new ICA action this is the second fresh episode in a row. This time, Iron Chef Marc Forgione faces off against challenger Shawn McClain, the executive chef at Sage, at Aria Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Martin Yan, Ching-He Huang and Adam Richman are the judges for this battle.
Shawn McClain, executive chef of Sage at ARIA Resort & Casino, has a knack for balancing innovative concepts with refinement and sensibility. His spirited New American menu takes the seasons as its departure point, tapping the freshness of California’s fertile environment to produce elevated flavor combinations interwoven with Mediterranean undercurrents.
A native of San Diego, Calif., and a 1990 graduate of the School of Culinary Arts at Kendall College in Evanston, Ill., McClain’s star rose quickly in the culinary world. He broke onto the national scene at Trio restaurant in Evanston, earning four stars from both the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Sun-Times. There, his style came into focus, one that juxtaposes Eastern influence with Western foundations. After seven accolade-filled years, he left to open Spring – his homage to seafood. The restaurant opened in 2001 to extraordinary critical and consumer success. That same year, Spring was nominated for the James Beard Foundation’s Best New Restaurant award, and McClain was named Esquire magazine’s Chef of the Year. In 2002, he appeared in “40 Under 40,” Crain’s Chicago Business’ highly competitive list of who’s who in the city.
Chef McClain’s food had better be Zen perfect when he goes up against Iron Chef Marc Forgione in Battle: Tropical Ingredients.
Check below for the outcome.
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| Forgione | McClain | |
| Taste | 41 | 46 |
| Plating | 20 | 17 |
| Originality | 17 | 20 |
| Total | 78 | 83 |
