It’s not his first appearance on Food Network (he competed on “Guy’s Grocery Games” in 2018), but it’s the local chef’s first time firing things up on this beloved competition.
On Tuesday, November 22, chef Travis Peters of The Parish and The Delta will be showing off his skills on Food Network’s “Chopped” at 9 p.m. (Tucson time).
“I was very focused on representing Tucson and its beautiful culinary community, my two restaurants, The Parish and The Delta, and my family,” said Peters. “I want my kids to cheer and be proud of their papa! It was a wonderful time.”
Being on “Chopped” was a surreal experience for Peters because he and his wife have been watching the show for at least 15 years. They’re big fans and it’s quite possible this will be their favorite episode yet.
“The second you step on set, it transports you into the television in your front room,” said Peters. “All I could hear were memories of her and I yelling at the screen saying things like ‘oh my God, hurry up’ or ‘oh man, I know exactly what I would do if I was over on that show.’ The crew was amazing and really took care of us.”
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Peters is actually in the new season’s promotional commercial, which you can see above. In the new episode, each chef has to work with “bizarre ingredients” while racing against the clock.
“I didn’t care what the other chefs were doing,” said Peters. “I knew my real fight was going to be the clock! Once that buzzer hits, the knives stop. You have zero time to plan and 20 minutes to make some of the most important food of your life in a very unfamiliar place against unfamiliar people — in a crowded setting with tons of wires and cameras and chefs all over the place! It’s controlled chaos at its finest.”
So, catch the episode tonight, which is named “Buzzworthy Bizarre Baskets,” on the Food Network at 9 p.m. or however you stream television these days. Peters is still in shock and said that the ingredients are some he’s never worked with before.
“They dug deep and found items I hadn’t ever thought of in my life,” he said. “Aside from the bizarre ingredients, the other struggles were getting to know the kitchen and its ingredients set in a very small amount of time — all while knowing I still had baskets containing secrets.”
The Parish is located at 6453 N Oracle Rd. and The Delta is located at 135 S. Sixth Ave. For more information, visit theparishtucson.com and thedeltatucson.com.
