Chef Matthew Cooper of Lulav displays a black truffle earlier in the week at the AHA Culinary Classic.
Congrats to Chef Matt Cooper of Lulav Modern Eatery, who won this week’s Iron Chef Arkansas competition at the Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention and Trade Show.
I have a particular fondness for this guy because he was one of my instructors at Pulaski Technical College Arkansas Culinary School. He wasn’t a regular instructor, brought in from the field, so to speak, to teach our American Regional Cuisine class in my last semester. He brought a refreshing perspective, still being full-time in a professional kitchen and having an interesting range of experience.
The Iron Chef event was constructed a little differently this year, allowing more than two chefs to compete at a time, eliminating one from the group each round. The much-larger stage was moved to the middle of the trade show floor for the first time.
I’ve worked, learned, or otherwise hung out alongside many of the competing chefs, so I tip my toque (if I had one) to all of them.
The heat-by-heat results, via the amazing Holly Heer of AHA:
First Heat:
Stephen Burrow with the Clinton Presidential Center
Seth Harris with Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Jon Lamb with Verizon Arena
Michael Jaschke with 1186 Crescent Hotel & Spa
Michael Jaschke was eliminated.
Second Heat:
Rob Nelson with Tusk & Trotter
Matthew Cooper with Lulav Modern Eatery
Brandon Douglas with Big Rock Bistro at Pulaski Tech
Robert Hall with Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Rob Nelson was eliminated.
Third Heat:
Stephen Burrow with the Clinton Presidential Center
Matthew Cooper with Lulav Modern Eatery
Seth Harris with Southland Park Gaming & Racing
Seth Harris was eliminated.
Fourth Heat:
Brandon Douglas with Big Rock Bistro at Pulaski Tech
Jon Lamb with Verizon Arena
Robert Hall with Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Brandon Douglas was eliminated.
Fifth Heat:
Robert Hall with Winthrop Rockefeller Institute
Matthew Cooper with Lulav Modern Eatery
Robert Hall was eliminated.
Sixth Heat:
Stephen Burrow with the Clinton Presidential Center
Jon Lamb with Verizon Arena
Jon Lamb was eliminated.
Celebrity Heat:
Donnie Ferneau with Rocket 21 and Alyson Courtney with KATV Channel 7 against Dan Capello with Chenal Country Club and Melinda Mayo with Channel 7 KATV. Dan Capello and Melinda Mayo won.
Final Heat:
Matthew Cooper with Lulav Modern Eatery
Stephen Burrow with the Clinton Presidential Center
Matt Cooper won Iron Chef.
Due to a beyond-crazy week, I wasn’t able to get photos of the competition plates. I’ve been promised images from the AHA, however, and will post a slideshow as soon as they’re available.