If you’ve never been to one of the Scene’s Iron Fork competitions, well first of all, why are you reading Bites? Anyway, welcome, but you shouldn’t miss out on the city’s premier culinary competition, where some of Nashville’s most talented chefs face off to determine whose cuisine reigns supreme. The twist to the contest is that the chefs must feature a secret ingredient chosen by the good folks at U.S. Foods to create a cohesive plate to impress a panel of judges.
The dynamic cooking battle and party was fresh — with crème fraîche
This year’s Iron Fork will return to the Musicians Hall of Fame at 401 Gay St. on Thursday, April 4, starting at 6 p.m. (with doors at 5:30 for those smart enough to purchase VIP tickets). You’ll want to be a door-buster so you can be first in line for the plethora of food and drink purveyors who will be offering free samples of their products at tables spread all over the lower level of the Municipal Auditorium. Among those slated to feature their food and drink are Tito’s Vodka, Daddy’s Dogs, Jasper’s, Las Palmas, Lyra, O-Ku Sushi, Oak Steakhouse, Marsh House and many others.
Most importantly, we’ve put together a fantastic lineup of competing chefs for the 15th edition of Iron Fork, including three past champions: Deb Paquette of etch and Etc. (Iron Fork Champion from 2008), Hrant Arakelian of Lyra (Iron Fork Champion from 2022) and Charles Hunter III of The Salted Table (Iron Fork Champion from 2023) will return to the ring to battle for the title again. Joining the talented trio will be two chefs from the “I can’t believe these guys haven’t already done this before!” department: Hadley Long of Margot Cafe and Julio Hernandez of Maiz de la Vida. The contestants can bring one sous chef with them — plus a few secret weapons from their home kitchens — and culinary students from Nossi College of Art's Culinary Program will also be on hand to assist the chefs.
Charles Hunter III
Your hosts will be Scene editor-in-chief D. Patrick Rodgers and comedian and Scene fave Josh Black. The judging panel will be made up of Ed Butler (U.S. Foods lead chef), Mike McCloud (World Food Championships), Erin Murray (Les Dames Nashville president and editor of The Local Palate), Jess Benefield (owner/chef Two Ten Jack and two-time Iron Fork Champion) and yours truly. In addition to bragging rights, the winning chef will receive a trophy and a Golden Ticket invitation to compete at this year’s World Food Championships.
Attendees will be right in the middle of the action as the cooking takes place at stations spread around the museum, so you’ll be able to feel the heat coming off the cassette burners (and chefs' heads) as they scramble to show off their chops within the hour time limit. Past secret ingredients have included exotic items like fiddlehead ferns, green almonds or purple asparagus as well as more mundane but tricky options such as maple syrup and yogurt — every year is a different challenge.
The 2022 Iron Fork chefs gear up to compete
Other than the aforementioned early entry, VIP tickets are a fantastic option if you want to be treated like a P who is VI. The premium ticket level entitles attendees access to the Security Insurance lounge, where Season 21 Hell’s Kitchen winner Alex Belew will put on a VIP chef demo — he is promising to bring the heat. After the demo, Belew will pass out samples of his special dish to the VIPs.
The Mixology Competition is another VIP perk, where three local bartenders hope to shake and stir their way to victory. Competing this year will be Thistle & Rye’s Max Nishida, Rachel Ramirez of Nelson's Green Brier Distillery and L.A. Jackson’s Paul Morrison. The mixologists will pass out samples of their creations to VIP attendees after the competition is over.
Don’t dawdle, because tickets may sell out to this 21-and-up event. Buy yours today at the official Iron Fork website! You can also register until March 25 for the chance to win a pair of VIP tickets.
