Fundraising chef challenge Tucson Knife Fight finally crowned its champion last night after a 16-person bracket: Gary Hickey, executive chef at Charro Steak and culinary director for the Flores family of restaurants.
Hickey competed against The Parish’s Tim Marshall for the trophy. The culinary judges included HUB Restaurant & Ice Creamery chef Ben Caballero, Tucson Weekly food writer Mark Whittaker, Edible Baja Arizona’s Kate Selby, and Tucson Foodie founder Adam Lehrman.
“Tim definitely brought his A-game,” said judge Adam Lehrman. “He wouldn’t have been up there if he wasn’t wickedly talented. But Gary pulled out this Asian-inspired soup that I think wowed every judge.”
To learn more about Hickey, read Tools They Use: Charro Steak Executive Chef Gary Hickey.
Tucson Knife Fight pits local chefs against each other in a fun, friendly, Iron Chef-like bracket competition. This year was the first year for the Tucson competition, which took place late Monday nights, beginning in September at various establishments close to downtown, including Johnny Gibson’s, Pasco Kitchen, Charro Steak, and Ermanos.
Last night’s finale took place in the Martin Drug Co. courtyard.
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Article written by:
Jackie Tran
More about JackieJackie Tran is a Tucson-based food writer, photographer, culinary educator, and owner-chef of the now-closed food truck Tran’s Fats. Although he is best known locally for his work for Tucson Foodie, his work has also appeared in publications such as Bon Appétit, National Geographic, and the New York Times.
An adventurous foodie, he enjoys culinary experiences ranging from seasonal omakase to sloppily devouring green chili patty melts in his car afterhours. His favorite foods include aguachile, garlic noodles, and leftover fried chicken illuminated by the fridge light. His favorite drinks include morning micheladas, fireside imperial stouts, candle-lit negroni, and grassy mezcales.
Outside of food, he also loves playing musical instruments, karaoke, Tetris, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and petting Addie’s dog Spaghetti.
If you’d like to stalk him, visit his Instagram @jackie_tran_ or jackietran.com.
