Tucson FoodieCelebrating local food, drink, and community.
Want to be the next Iron Chef Tucson? ‘Meet the Chefs’ competition is coming soon

Chef Kenneth Foy (Photo courtesy of Iron Chef Tucson)

Want to be the next Iron Chef Tucson? ‘Meet the Chefs’ competition is coming soon

Apr 27, 20232 min read

Chefs of Tucson will once again have the opportunity to showcase their food and culinary skills at this year’s Meet the Chefs. The event will be held in the Casino Del Sol Grand Ballrooms on Sunday, May 21, and will feature local restaurants from around the Tucson Metro area.

Chefs participating in Meet the Chefs will not only have the opportunity to sample the cuisine prepared at their restaurants but also compete for their chance to be featured in the 15th Annual Iron Chef Tucson. The big event is taking place on Saturday, July 22 and they’ll compete against current champion Chef Kenneth Foy from Dante’s Fire.

Chef Foy’s restaurant Dante’s Fire has been impacted greatly since his Iron Chef Tucson victory last July, which as a prize included substantial marketing provided by Arizona Lotus Corp.

Chef Kenneth Foy (Photo by Jackie Tran)

When asked how it felt to win Iron Chef Tucson and what sort of impact the advertisement from Arizona Lotus Corp had on his business Chef Foy explained, “It was my proudest professional accomplishment to represent Tucson, my staff, and the local culinary community this year as Iron Chef. Print, digital, and social media requests flooded in. Social media impressions exploded. Special events and catering became briskly attended with little to no effort. I look forward to defending my title as Iron Chef in the upcoming competition!”

How To Compete

To compete in Iron Chef Tucson, chefs must participate in and win the Meet the Chefs event. To participate in the event chefs must be either the Executive, Head, or Owner Chef of a full-service restaurant within the Tucson metro area and develop or create portions of the menu for the restaurant.

At the event, chefs will be judged on three categories: taste, creativity, and presentation/visual appeal. The chef that scores the highest according to a panel of three qualified judges will be named the Meet the Chef winner.

Arizona Lotus Corp’s General Manager Debbie Wagner concludes, “Arizona Lotus is excited to create this special event opportunity for Tucson Chefs to come together and show off their unique culinary skills and creative dishes to a large group of Tucson foodies. Join us for this always fun and delicious day of culinary experiences.”

If you are interested in participating in Meet the Chefs, apply online. For more information on all things Iron Chef Tucson, please visit ironcheftucson.com.

Get our free Tucson Foodie weekly newsletter

New openings, events, dish recommendations, and guides — every Wednesday. No spam.

Take us with you.

Discover the best local spots, browse the dish database, build and share your to-visit lists, support local, and join the Foodie Club when you're ready.

Advertisement

Follow @TucsonFoodie136.1K followers
Scratch-made Japanese ramen goes far beyond instant noodles, with rich broths like tonkotsu, miso, and shoyu. Tucson has more specialty ramen shops than you might expect. Here’s where to find them around town.🍜

@ikkyu.tucson 
@jaramencurry 
@kiwamiramenbar 
@kukai___ 
@marujapanesenoodle 
@maruplusaz 
@obonsushi 
@raijinramen 
@theramenbartucson 
@tossfriedchickennramen 

More guides on Tucsonfoodie.comScratch-made Japanese ramen goes far beyond instant noodles, with rich broths like tonkotsu, miso, and shoyu. Tucson has more specialty ramen shops than you might expect. Here’s where to find them around town.🍜 @ikkyu.tucson @jaramencurry @kiwamiramenbar @kukai___ @marujapanesenoodle @maruplusaz @obonsushi @raijinramen @theramenbartucson @tossfriedchickennramen More guides on Tucsonfoodie.com
@Scentedleaf is opening a new location in the former Starbucks at Speedway and Country Club!!🥰

The locally owned tea shop celebrates its grand opening tomorrow, October 10, from 11 am to 9 pm, with 50% off all tea drinks and 25% off loose-leaf tea and merchandise.

📍3025 E. Speedway Blvd.@Scentedleaf is opening a new location in the former Starbucks at Speedway and Country Club!!🥰 The locally owned tea shop celebrates its grand opening tomorrow, October 10, from 11 am to 9 pm, with 50% off all tea drinks and 25% off loose-leaf tea and merchandise. 📍3025 E. Speedway Blvd.
The grand opening is TODAY, Oct. 8! 🎉

@istanbultucson is expanding with a second location, @istanbulmediterraneanexpress, at 5660 W. Cortaro Farms Rd. 

The fast-casual spot will feature about 75% of the original location’s menu, plus two exclusive dishes: build-your-own Turkish stuffed baked potatoes, known as Kumpir, and fresh-ground doner made in-house. The falafel plate and stuffed potatoes can also be made vegan. 

“The first restaurant taught us what our customers love most, so at Cortaro we’re focusing the menu around our most popular dishes while making the experience a little more casual and convenient. Most importantly, we’ve learned that no matter how much we grow, the quality of our food has to stay high every single day.” — Kamran Esar

Daily hours: 11am - 9pm

Read the article on Tucsonfoodie.comThe grand opening is TODAY, Oct. 8! 🎉 @istanbultucson is expanding with a second location, @istanbulmediterraneanexpress, at 5660 W. Cortaro Farms Rd. The fast-casual spot will feature about 75% of the original location’s menu, plus two exclusive dishes: build-your-own Turkish stuffed baked potatoes, known as Kumpir, and fresh-ground doner made in-house. The falafel plate and stuffed potatoes can also be made vegan. “The first restaurant taught us what our customers love most, so at Cortaro we’re focusing the menu around our most popular dishes while making the experience a little more casual and convenient. Most importantly, we’ve learned that no matter how much we grow, the quality of our food has to stay high every single day.” — Kamran Esar Daily hours: 11am - 9pm Read the article on Tucsonfoodie.com
Phoenix bakery @Proofbread is popping up in Tucson! 

Starting Friday, Oct. 9, the Phoenix-based sourdough bakery and stone flour mill will take over the two former @Cafefrancaisaz locations for a Tucson pop-up.

Expect naturally leavened country loaves, chocolate croissants with 81 layers of laminated dough, morning buns, ciabatta and more. 🥐🍞

📍 7831 E. Wrightstown Rd. 
📍 3855 E. Broadway Blvd. 

Both locations will be open 7 am-2 pm throughout October. If the pop-up is a success, Proof Bread says it could become a permanent Tucson operation. 

Read the article on Tucsonfoodie.comPhoenix bakery @Proofbread is popping up in Tucson! Starting Friday, Oct. 9, the Phoenix-based sourdough bakery and stone flour mill will take over the two former @Cafefrancaisaz locations for a Tucson pop-up. Expect naturally leavened country loaves, chocolate croissants with 81 layers of laminated dough, morning buns, ciabatta and more. 🥐🍞 📍 7831 E. Wrightstown Rd. 📍 3855 E. Broadway Blvd. Both locations will be open 7 am-2 pm throughout October. If the pop-up is a success, Proof Bread says it could become a permanent Tucson operation. Read the article on Tucsonfoodie.com