Local cooking competition Knife Fight was full of tight battles this year.
Charro Steak executive chef, culinary director for the Flores family of restaurants, and 2017 Knife Fight champion Gary Hickey battled his way back into the grand finals against PY Steakhouse chef de cuisine Roderick LeDesma.
With dry-aged beef, instant ramen noodles, and field ration ready-to-eat meals as the secret ingredients, LeDesma ended up as the new grand champion.
“So excited about it,” LeDesma said. “It’s amazing, especially being able to do it surrounded by so much love and support. I said from the beginning I was coming back with a vengeance this time. This whole competition has been a blast and I can’t wait to see what next year brings.”
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Charro Steak bartender Alfredo Aguilar won the cocktail battle against Ryne Hoffman from the AC Hotel. While the two initially had a tie with their scores, Aguilar won the tiebreaker battle.
Keep up with Knife Fight on Facebook.
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.
