The contestants on Next Iron Chef from left: Michael Symon, Jill Davie, Morou Ouattara, John Besh, Gavin Kaysen, Aarón Sanchez , Chris Cosentino and Traci Des Jardins.
photo: Food Network
Starting to worry about what food reality show will be around when Top Chef Miami comes to its inevitable close? No worries, the granddaddy of cooking competitions, Iron Chef, is following the lead of its many progeny.
This October, the Food Network's venerable cooking competition, based on the classic Japanese show, is going the way of Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen and the Food Network's own Next Food Network Star. Instead of the usual hour-long battle between a guest toque and an "Iron" chef, the special six-episode season of Next Iron Chef will weed through eight chef-contestants competing to earn the title of "Iron Chef" in that show's upcoming season.
Unlike other reality cooking competitions, all the chefs on Next Iron Chef hail from established, Zagat-rated restaurants. Going for the Iron are: Besh Steak's John Besh, Josie executive chef Jill Davie, Incanto's Chris Cosentino, Jardinière's Traci Des Jardins (who won her battle on Iron Chef America), El Bizcocho's chef de cuisine Gavin Kaysen, Farrah Olivia's Morou Ouattara, Centrico's Aarón Sanchez, and Michael Symon, the executive chef and owner of Cleveland's Lola and Lolita.
Next Iron Chef premieres on the Food Network October 7th at 9 PM and will wrap up just in time for the November 18th premiere of Iron Chef America.