Lehigh Valley chefs had rough night on television Thursday.
About 70 minutes after Easton’s Heather Williams lost in the season 16 finale of “Hell’s Kitchen,” Bolete head chef Lee Chizmar was knocked out in the first round of Food Network’s show “Beat Bobby Flay.”
In the show, two chefs from across the country compete against each other for the chance to take on celebrity chef Bobby Flay in a cook-off.
Chizmar, a James Beard Award semifinalist, is one of the Lehigh Valley’s most acclaimed chefs. Bolete, which he co-owns with his wife Erin Shea, is frequently cited as the best restaurant in the area. The couple also owns Mister Lee’s Noodles in the Easton Public Market.
Described as he entered the show’s kitchen as “the culinary MVP of the Lehigh Valley,” Chizmar took on steakhouse maven Todd Mark Miller in a Super Bowl-themed episode. Miller is currently the head chef at Dazzler Hotel in Brooklyn, N.Y.
This Lehigh Valley restaurant was just named one of the nation’s 100 best
The two were challenged to make their best jalapeno dish.
“When I think of Game Day, jalapenos take all of those dishes to the next level,” Chizmar said.
Chizmar prepared a sweet-and-sour chicken wing with pickled jalapenos and gastrique, barely finishing in the allotted time. The judges enjoyed the dish, but found elements to quibble with.
“It feels a little like the jalapeno is divorced from the other ingredients on the plate,” judge Alex Guarnaschelli said.
They thought Miller’s dish had too many ingredients, but ultimately preferred it to Chizmar’s chicken wing, sending the Lehigh Valley chef packing before he could take on Flay.
“I’m going to go back home and keep on cooking,” Chizmar said.
Miller went on to lose against Flay in a cheesesteak competition.
Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook.
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