Which Triangle Iron Chefs Have What It Takes?

By Amber Lester Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Nine Williamsburg chefs will find out if they can stand the heat when the Williamsburg Area Restaurant Association hosts its first Iron Chef Competition on Thursday.

While the chefs turn disparate ingredients into culinary masterpieces, attendees can enjoy a wine and food expo. The event is from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday in the Virginia Room at the Williamsburg Lodge. Admission is $90 per couple or $50 per individual if tickets are purchased in advance or $110 per couple and $60 per individual if purchased the night of the event.

The Iron Chef competition is inspired by the Food Network television show of the same name. Three teams of chefs from area restaurants will receive a mystery basket containing challenging or unlikely ingredients. Working together and against the clock, chefs will attempt to invent a new droolworthy dish in one hour. The chefs represent several of the Historic Triangle’s best eateries: Berret’s Restaurant, Black Angus Grille, College of William & Mary Catering, Colonial Heritage, Great Wolf Lodge, LeYaca, Riverwalk Restaurant, Williamsburg Inn and Windsor Meade.

WARA Executive Assistant Leighan White says the organization hosted an Iron Chef competition for members only last year at Great Wolf Lodge. It was such a hit, WARA wanted to open the fun up to the community.

The teams’ dishes will be sampled by a panel of judges, including Patrick Evans-Hylton of Hampton Roads Magazine; Pete Stein, executive chef at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront; Mike Morphew, director of culinary education for the Culinary Institute of Virginia; and David Nicholson, arts critic for the Daily Press. A final judge will be chosen at random from the audience.

While the teams are whipping themselves into frenzies, the audience will dine on food from The Aberdeen Barn, The Cheese Shop, Opus 9 Steakhouse, Second Street Bistro and the Williamsburg Lodge. Wine will be supplied by four distributors.

To purchase tickets online, click here.