Local fans of the popular and long-running “Iron Chef” show on the Food Network now have their chance to see the excitement and drama of the show unfold before them as the inaugural “Battle of the Chefs” will be fought out on May 10 downtown.
Taking place at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, 200 Harbor Drive, the event pits San Diego’s version of the Bobby Flays and Mario Battalis, with Brian Malarkey, executive chef of The Oceanaire Seafood Room against Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse executive chef Christopher Gardner in a surf vs. turf battle. Accompanying these local masters are San Diego Chargers Kassim Osgood and Mike Goff. Wide receiver Osgood will assist Gardner, while offensive lineman Goff is to assist Malarkey.
Though it’s his first competition in this sort of format, Malarkey shrugged off any notions of nervousness.
“I’ve been cooking for 13-14 years, and I’ve been a chef in the capacity of a sous-chef or executive chef in the last 4 or 5 years, and every restaurant I’ve worked at has a daily changing menu. I have a huge amount of confidence because that’s what we do every single day. We go into the kitchen and figure out what we’re going to make for a special. I actually am fortunate enough to have Mike Goff of the Chargers, and he’s considered the chef of the Chargers,” Malarkey said.
Malarkey and Gardner actually know each other. In addition to working just down the street from each other and sharing employees, they both relocated to San Diego from their respective restaurants in Seattle.
As in the TV show, the duel revolves around one secret ingredient as the core element of each team’s meal, which is revealed at the beginning “” to each team and to the audience. With only one hour to prepare four dishes, the event calls for creativity, flawless preparation and top notch cooking skills. To add to the drama, C.S. Keyes of Fox6 and Lynn Stuart of NBC will provide the audience with play-by-play of all the action.
“It’s really friendly competition. For the foodies, for the people that enjoy this sort of thing, they just like to see what the chef’s gonna come up with, and what little tricks they do in the kitchen,” Malarkey said.
While four judges will determine the winner of the competition, the real beneficiaries are several charity foundations: the It’s All About the Kids Foundation, Athletes for Education and Team KO. The first is a nonprofit organization which creates new and innovative programs to benefit other children’s charities. Athletes for Education is another nonprofit organization made up of professional athletes, entertainers and community leaders to serve as positive mentors for the youth. Osgood himself created Team KO with Athletes for Education in order to get involved directly with as many children in San Diego as possible.
The 250 guests on hand from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. will also have the opportunity to bid on auction items and listen to live music from The Andy Krier Duo. NFL friends of Osgood and Goff will be on hand, Skyy vodka is hosting a martini bar, and of course food will be provided by The Oceanaire, Fleming’s and the Wine & Culinary Center. The event is open to the public, and tickets, which run from $100 to $250, can be purchased by visiting www.ItsAllAboutTheKids.org.