One of the Lehigh Valley’s best chefs to compete on next ‘Beat Bobby Flay’

Can one of the Lehigh Valley’s best chefs top the world-famous Bobby Flay?

Lee Chizmar, the head chef and co-owner of the much-beloved fine dining destination Bolete in Salisbury Township, will compete on Food Network’s “Beat Bobby Flay,” where chefs from around the country try to best celebrity restaurateur Bobby Flay in a cook-off. The show airs Thursday night at 10 p.m. 

Chizmar isn’t the only Lehigh Valley chef aiming for culinary stardom on TV Thursay night. Heather Williams, the sous chef at Marble Head Chowder House in Palmer Township, will appear in the season finale of “Hell’s Kitchen” at 8 p.m. on Fox. 

In the TV cooking competition, two chefs first square off to determine who will get a chance to take on the master. Chizmar will be up against Todd Mark Miller, described in the show’s episode description as “King of the Modern Steakhouse.” Miller has been head chef of the now-closed Zylo Tuscan Steak House in Hoboken, N.J. and Michael Jordan Steak House at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Conn. 

If Chizmar tops Miller, he’ll move on to create a dish of his choice that Flay will have to adapt himself. A blind taste test will determine the winner. 

Chizmar has the credentials to back-up his appearance on the show. In December, Bolete, which Chizmar co-owns with his wife Erin Shea, was named one of the 100 best restaurants in the country by OpenTable, and has been called one of the 10 reasons to drive to the Lehigh Valley. Chizmar was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Award for the Mid-Atlantic region’s best chef in 2015. In addition to Bolete, Chizmar and Shea own the noodle stand Mr. Lee’s Noodles at Easton Public Market.

Andrew Doerfler may be reached at adoerfler@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @adoerfler or on Facebook. 

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