After a deliciously fierce battle at the 17th annual Iron Chef Tucson on Saturday, reigning champion chef Anthony Dromgoole from OBON Sushi Bar Ramen successfully defended his title against challenger chef McKenzie O’Leary from Tanque Verde Ranch.
Last year, Dromgoole clinched the Iron Chef Tucson title by defeating two-time champion Kenneth Foy of Dante’s Kitchen + Cocktails.
I was one of the three judges at the event, alongside BOCA owner-chef Maria Mazon and Desert Diamond Casino executive chef Jan Osipowicz. We graded the battling chefs on criteria such as presentation, flavor, and use of the secret ingredient, Andouille sausage.
Dromgoole had an edge with his plating, incorporating touches such as tableside broth.
O’Leary’s dessert course, which featured sweet-and-savory fritters with duck fat and Andouille sausage, was the clear favorite course of the entire night for Mazon and me. It was what maple bacon doughnuts wished they could be.
At the end, Dromgoole’s total point count garnered the victory.
For more information, visit ironcheftucson.com.
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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.
