Magic is in the air at the Enchanted Cottage, the whimsical and wondrous culinary playground that the Scout Elves have created for six teams of hopeful contestants. In round one, host Duff Goldman asks the teams to adopt their own Scout Elf and create a personalized edible shelf for their elf to enjoy. The two bottom teams face off in the Santa Showdown, where they will have to pull out all the stops to impress judges Kardea Brown and Ashley Holt with their snow globe showpieces that embody Christmas memories.
Chester 'Chet' Gerl and Dan Bugge know their fish, and have all their customers hooked on their delicious Salmon Chowder! Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Dan and Chet purchased Matt's in the Market and refined the menu to have a local, gourmet flair. Written up continuously in Seattle's "best of" categories, these two are confident in the kitchen, but what will happen when Chef Bobby Flay shows up to Throwdown his own version of Salmon Chowder? Make sure you tune in to see whose dish ends up swimming with the fishes!
The finale kicks off with an all-out brawl in "Bite Club," where the recruits team up for a high-stakes, no-holds-barred culinary battle royale. In their final skill drill challenge, the last four recruits must craft a composed dish that shows off everything they've learned. Then, it's down to the final two as chefs Jeff Mauro and Tiffany Derry mentor them in preparing a three-course restaurant-quality meal. Judges Judy Joo, Viet Pham and Justin Sutherland decide who takes home the $25,000 charity prize and ultimate bragging rights!
Chef Sean Brock attended Johnson & Wales University and worked in acclaimed restaurants throughout the South before accepting a position with the Neighborhood Dining Group (NDG) as executive chef at McCrady's in Charleston in 2006. In 2010 Brock opened Husk, also in Charleston and named "Best New Restaurant in America" by Bon Appetit in 2011, followed by Husk Nashville in 2013. Husk is a celebration of Southern ingredients, only serving food that is indigenous to the South, with an emphasis on the ingredients and the people who grow them. Brock has been nominated for several James Beard Awards, winning "Best Chef Southeast" in 2010, and was nominated for the "Outstanding Chef" award in 2013. Brock is featured in season two of "The Mind of a Chef" on PBS. In 2014, Brock authored "Heritage," a cookbook focused on Southern cuisine.Sean's Restaurants:Husk Charleston (Charleston, SC) Husk Nashville (Nashville, TN) Sean's Book:Heritage (2014)