One of Houston’s own, chef Kevin Naderi of Roost, will be featured on Food Network’s Beat Bobby Flay as he attempts to take down the famous show host and chef-restaurateur. The episode, titled “Stop, Drop & Roll,” airs on July 28 at 9 p.m. There’s a viewing party from 7 to 10:30 p.m. that evening at 8th Wonder Brewery. If the weather is good, local band Muddy Belle will perform. Admission is free and the first beer is on Naderi. Bring money for food from the Eatsie Boys truck and extra beers.
Naderi is no stranger to food battles. In fact, he’s the four-time winner of Houston Press’s own Iron Fork Competition at the annual Menu of Menus extravaganza. This past April, he took a seat at the judges’ table as the retired champion.
It’s also not the first time Naderi has appeared on Food Network. Back in 2014, he was a finalist on Guy’s Grocery Games.
The episode also features chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian and television personality Donny Deutsch. The judges are celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan, chef Franklin Becker of The Little Beet in New York City, and Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder and CEO of the International Culinary Center.
It’s been a good year for Houston chefs as far as Food Network appearances go. Chef Erin Smith (former executive chef at Main Kitchen at J.W. Marriott and Plonk! Bistro, who’s currently upping her wine game at Camerata), Craft Burger food truck chef Shannen Tune and chef Justin Turner of Bernie’s Burger Bus have all had their winning moments on Food Network’s Chopped this year. Several other Houston-area chefs have been featured on Chopped, as well as on Cutthroat Kitchen.
Before getting to Flay, Naderi is going to have to get through chef Mark Vecchitto of Blue Shallot Gourmet in Connecticut. There’s no idea at this point whether Naderi even succeeds in making it through the first round since no one wants to spoil the surprise.
That said, we know who Houstonians are likely to bet on.
This article appears in Jun 23-29, 2016.