The Arkansas Hospitality Association Convention and Trade show is an annual flurry of chefs, hospitality professionals and tourism folk.

It’s kind of my happy place.

Having worked in PR (lots of those folks here), museums and tourism (yep) and now the culinary arts (they’re swarming this place), it’s no surprise.

The highlight of the trade show is the Iron Chef competition, set up right this minute in the very middle of the Statehouse Convention Center floor. Every year, chefs vie for top billing in this highly competitive secret-basket event.

It’s a great learning experience for any cook, seeing how one might take a random basket of ingredients (say, what you might already have in your house on a given day) and make something otherworldly.

Below, I have listed the competitors, the baskets and the single eliminated chef from each round. I will update today as the winners are revealed.

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Wednesday, Sept. 18

Heat #1:

Chef Jackson Bolton of Clinton Presidential Center
Chef Matthew Cooper of Cache
Chef Michael Brown of Simply the Best
Chef Shane Curley of Packet House Grille

Basket: Whole snapper, fresh ginger, English cucumbers, Rock Town Gin

Chef Jackson Bolton was eliminated.

Heat #2:

Chef Jeff Stephens of Simply the Best
Chef Jon Lamb of Verizon Arena
Chef Marc Guizol of Capital Hotel
Chef Justus Moll of River Grille Steakhouse

Basket: Grouper, sea beans, Ritz crackers, Diamond Bear Beer, War Eagle grits

Chef Jeff Stephens was eliminated.

Heat #3:

Chef Michael Brown of Simply the Best
Chef Matthew Cooper of Cache Restaurant
Chef Marc Guizol of Capital Hotel

Basket: Chicken thighs, green lentils, tri-color baby carrots, apple.

Chef Michael Brown was eliminated.

Heat #4:

Chef Shane Curley of Packet House Grille
Chef Jon Lamb of Verizon Arena
Chef Justus Moll of River Grille

Basket: Ribeye steak, orange, fingerling potatoes, A-1 sauce.

Chef Jon Lamb was eliminated.

Thursday, Sept. 19

Heat #5:

Chef Matthew Cooper of Cache
Chef Marc Guizol of Capital Hotel

Basket: Shrimp, linguine, watermelon, watermelon cucumber, dragonfruit.

Chef Matthew Cooper was eliminated.

Heat #6:

Chef Justus Moll of River Grille
Chef Shane Curley of Packet House Grille

Basket: Pork tenderloin, apple, balsamic vinegar, dried fig, sweet potatoes, heirloom carrots

Chef Shane Curley was eliminated.
Final will be Chef Marc Guizol of Capitol Hotel vs. Chef Justus Moll of River Grille. 

Celebrity Heat:

Chef Jamie McAfee, PIne Bluff Country Club and Christina Munoz, KATV Ch. 7
Stephen Burrow, Clinton Presidential Center and Scott Inman, KATV Ch. 7

Basket: Catfish, heirloom tomato, butternut squash, honey, Rock Town bourbon

Winner: Chef Jamie McAfee, PIne Bluff Country Club and Christina Munoz, KATV Ch. 7

FINAL ROUND

Chef Marc Guizol of Capital Hotel
Chef Justus Moll of River Grille

Basket: Trout, arborio rice, cashew, tahini, avocado, red pimento pepper

FINAL WINNER: Marc Guizol of Capital Hotel