On June 28th, the 2014 Iron Chef Tucson Culinary Experience will take place at the Westin La Paloma Resort.

This is a special year for hopeful Iron Chefs. It’s the first year that three-time consecutive winner Ryan Clark won’t be competing. The competition, which begins with 16 nominated chefs, will ultimately be between two nominees that have made it through elimination by public vote (You can vote here). Voting started May 12th and ends June 6th.

For those interested in meeting the chefs prior to voting, Desert Diamond Casino will host a Meet the Chefs event May 29th from 5:30 – 7:30pm. This free event, as opposed to the actual competition which requires a ticket purchase, includes samples from the chefs.

The current lineup of nominated chefs includes:

• Nicholas Bamford – Harvest Restaurant
• Jimmy Belden – Tohono Chul Garden Bistro
• Michael Bujold – Desert Diamond Casino
• Wendy Gauthier – Chef Chic
• Ken Harvey – Loews Ventana Canyon
• John Hohn – Bob’s Steak & Chop House
• Stephen Hurd – Relish Kitchen and Wine Bar
• Edgar Lagazppy – BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse
• Sergio Rocha – Tanque Verde Ranch
• Erik Savin – PY Steakhouse
• Ramiro Scavo – Pasco Kitchen and Lounge
• Jared Scott – Maynards Kitchen
• Pablo Valencia – Caruso’s
• Marcus van Winden – Lodge on The Desert
• Brian Watiker – Skybox Restaurant
• Bruce Yim – Hacienda Del Sol

Tickets for the actual competition are $30 for General Admission and $75 for VIP Admission.

For more information, to buy tickets, or to vote, visit the Iron Chef Tucson website.