On Saturday, July 22, the highly-anticipated and friendly battle of culinary excellence, Iron Chef Tucson, heated up with chef Ken Foy of Dante’s Fire, who was defending his 2022 title, and chef Devon Sanner of Zio Peppe. This year, peanut butter was the secret ingredient, which impressed the panel of judges, and chef Foy’s culinary masterpieces claimed the top prize.
Tasting the Dishes
Now, it’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: The two chefs will be serving the exact dishes for one night only at each of their restaurants. Dante’s Fire is hosting its Iron Chef Dinner on Sunday, August 13 (tickets are on sale now) and Zio Peppe is serving its Iron Chef Dinner on Tuesday, August 15 (tickets are also on sale).
Chef Sanner is looking forward to recreating the epic meal in his own kitchen at Zio Peppe — a kitchen minus all of the obstacles that come along with the annual competition.
“Being in an unfamiliar kitchen, not having any muscle memory for where your ingredients are — pots and pans — and then having to navigate traffic was a challenge,” said Sanner. “But it was a fun challenge and was part of the excitement!”
Chef Foy and his team, who are all still on cloud nine after the win, are also amped about recreating the dishes they served during this year’s competition.
“Being able to have a repeat victory — it’s something that we wanted really, really bad and we put a lot of effort into it,” said Foy. “But you know, going up against Devon, you know, that’s, that’s a tough competitor! We weren’t sure of anything until our name was announced as the winner.”
“I hope to get the chance to do it again next year and have a rematch with Ken,” Sanner laughed. “That’d be good! Having been through it once and having an idea for things that we could change — strategies and tactics. Yeah, we’d love to get another shot.”
Iron Chef Tucson Dinner at Dante’s Fire
In the meantime, you have the chance to try both Iron Chef Tucson dinners because each of the events are on different dates next week. Talk about a perfect situation, right? First up, is the dining experience at Dante’s Fire.
The multi-course dinner is $125 per person and is taking place at 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, August 13.
“My favorite dish was our dessert,” said Foy. “It was plated elegantly and it looks like an ‘Iron Chef’ dish.”
Menu at Dante’s Fire (Sunday, August 13)
First Course
- PB & J Semi Fredo – peanut butter blueberry semi fredo, churro tortilla chips, apple crisps, peanut butter sate topping
- Paired with a Skrewball Sour
Second Course
- Peanut Butter Ale Risotto – quick tempura shrimp, lobster peanut butter vinaigrette, asparagus
- Paired with Domaine Anderson, Chardonnay 2019
Third Course
- Pan Seared Pork Loin – sweet potato poblano hash, peanut butter molasses demi
- Paired with Molly Dooker, The Boxer Shiraz, 2021
Fourth Course
- Peanut Butter Mousse – chantilly cream, Bacanora brûlée pineapple, hard caramel sauce, caramel shards, crushed macadamia, crushed peanuts
- Paired with Mudshark’s Vanilla Porter
Dante’s Fire is located at 2526 E. Grant Rd. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
Iron Chef Tucson Dinner at Zio Peppe
Zio Peppe’s multi-course dinner is $110 per person and is taking place at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, August 15.
“Our second course is the 5 Spice Pork Gyoza,” said Sanner. “For the sauce, we used peanut butter, soy, ginger, and then incorporated a little bit of Chinese master stock that brings in more Asian flavor profiles — it’s a good part of my repertoire.”
Menu at Zio Peppe (Tuesday, August 15)
First Course
- Ugandan Peanut and Yam Soup – with pineapple, ginger, and chile
- Paired with Laramita Cellars Tres Primas 2021
Second Course
- 5 Spice Pork Gyoza – with spicy peanut and garlic sauce
- Paired with August Kesseler Rheinfau Riesling Kabinett 2022
Third Course
- Shrimp Massaman Curry – with coconut rice
- Paired with Sunora Cream de Bacanora Pineapple Colada Thaitini
Fourth Course
- Vanilla Sponge Layer Cake – with a peanut butter mousse, chocolate mousse, and strawberry compote
- Paired with Warre’s Otima 10-Year Tawny Port
Zio Peppe is located at 6502 E. Tanque Verde Rd. For more information and to purchase your tickets, visit opentable.com.
