A new Iron Chef Detroit has been crowned

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2 days ago

After a successful first event in 2024, the Iron Chef event returned on Thursday, June 12, to Shed 5 at Detroit's Eastern Market.
In the style of popular national and international 'Iron Chef' chef cooking shows, two of Detroit's well-known and finest chefs battled to create a trio of dishes for a panel of judges.
(Full disclosure, I was a judge.)
For this culinary showdown, Anthony Lombardo, chef/owner of SheWolf Pastificio & Bar in Midtown and the winner of last year's inaugural event, battled against Andy Hollyday, executive chef and partner of Selden Standard, also nearby in Midtown.
The competition was intense as the two chefs worked quickly and feverishly to create each course.
In the end, and by a slim margin, chef Hollyday bested defending champ Lombardo.
While the chefs competed, the event was hosted by WDIV-TV's Tati Amare and Kim DeGuilio, along with Carlos Parisi, a Detroit food influencer. Parisi is also the owner and founder of Aunt Nee's, whose products include Detroit-made tortilla chips, salsa and guacamole sold at Eastern Market and several metro Detroit stores. He also founded Detroit's Sandwich Week, which takes place at year-end.Hundreds attended the culinary showdown, which raises funds for Cass Community Social Services, whose mission is to support Detroiters in need through various programs. The organization's programs include food distribution, affordable housing initiatives, health care services, and job training programs. As part of the event before and during the competition, more than a dozen local restaurants provided samples of their signature dishes as guests strolled Shed 5. Restaurants providing sampling included Basan, Café Cortina, Cornman Farms, The Sprout House, Slows Bar BQ and Supino Pizzeria.
The chefs showcased their skills in a friendly, timed competition and 'live broadcast' where each chef and their teams had to create an appetizer, main entrée and dessert dish.
A limited pantry of ingredients was provided, but each chef also had to include a special ingredient – Better Made potato chips – and incorporate it into each course. The chefs worked quickly and deftly chopping vegetables, prepping ingredients and plating their creations.
For the appetizer and dessert course, the chefs had 20 minutes to create and plate a dish for judges and 30 minutes for the main course.
It was Hollyday's entrée and dessert dishes that cemented his win. For the entrée, Hollyday and team created a fresh-tasting and well-balanced dish featuring breaded shrimp. Potato chips were incorporated into the lightly coated breading on the shrimp. Hollyday plated the shrimp in a pool of fresh shucked, well-seasoned creamy corn with hints of lime and garnished with cilantro. Lombardo's entrée featured pounded-thin pork cutlets breaded in a mix of panko and potato chips and topped with crisp-tender broccoli and served with a potato chip sauce.
For the dessert round, Hollyday's crepe dish beat out Lombardo's rice pudding dish. Hollyday's crepe featured a trio of fresh berries and a filling of goat cheese and powdered sugar with crunchy potato chips.
Defending champion Lombardo bested Hollyday in the appetizer round with a dish of grilled peaches topped with crunchy Better Made red hot barbecue chips and drizzled with a sweet sauce with added heat from tiny bits of Thai chile peppers.
For his win, Hollyday's name was added to the Detroit Iron Chef trophy.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [e-mail]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Iron Chef Detroit II: Chefs from SheWolf, Selden Standard compete