Back-to-back Iron Chef Tucson winner Anthony Dromgoole of OBON Sushi Bar Ramen faced off against AJ Mortazavi of The Barnyard Crafthouse & Eatery in the 2026 competition.
This year's event featured tomatoes from Wholesum Family Farms as the secret ingredient.
In the end, Dromgoole emerged victorious. He joins Loews Ventana Canyon executive chef Ryan Clark as the only chefs to have won the competition three years in a row.
As a judge this year, I tasted all four of his courses; here is the quick rundown.
The first course kept it simple with pork and minced olives over a diced tomato salad.
The second course was a more tomato-forward take on ratatouille, topped with a hunk of tomato with mozzarella.
The third course featured a bed of charred corn and whipped ricotta with a pot of tomato soup to be poured tableside.
The fourth course helped seal Dromgoole's victory: silky goat cheese ice cream and a balsamic glaze adorned a fried tomato. It triggered memories of a caprese salad and churro à la mode at once that doesn't quite make sense on paper, but somehow worked harmoniously on the palate. The tomato flavor didn't hide at all in this dessert, and the umami and sour components helped boost the natural sweetness of the tomato. Fellow judge Gary Hickey and I agreed that some finishing salt would have pushed this dish into the next level. Regardless, superb execution from Dromgoole and his team.
Here's hoping that OBON hosts a special dinner event with these courses.
OBON Sushi Bar Ramen is located at 350 E. Congress St. #120.
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.
