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Local Chefs Throw Down On 'Knife Fight' Tuesday Premiere
Elijah Wood, Ilan Hall, and LAist Food Editor Krista Simmons chow down on the set of "Knife Fight"/ Photo courtesy of Esquire
Ever wondered what happens at a restaurant after hours? It's not just the gritty grossness divulged in Anthony Bourdain's "Kitchen Confidential," though there admittedly is some of that. Mostly there's drinking. Lots of drinking. Which in turn leads to the drunchies, trash talking, and sometimes culinary play time, where chefs get to experiment with ingredients and cook for their friends, who, because of their whacky schedules, also happen to be chefs or industry professionals.
"Knife Fight," a new show on the recently launched Esquire Network, captures a glimpse of this, giving viewers a peek at what goes down at "Top Chef" champ Ilan Hall's restaurant behind closed doors.
The show premieres on Tuesday, and is basically a "Fight Club" version of "Top Chef." Hall invites his chef buddies to throw down at the Gorbals, located in Downtown L.A. He picks whacky ingredients to work with -- usually it's some sort of off cut protein or offal -- and they get wild. There's an audience there and guest judges taste things and make big decisions after drinking lots of Scotch. Things get loud and rowdy. This is not your conventional cooking show.
Most of the competitors are L.A.-based. Brendan Collins (Waterloo & City), Jason Neroni (Superba Snack Bar), David Feau (Le Ka), Jason Fullilove (Patina), and Nyesha Arrington (The Wilshire), are just a few of the guests. They're not competing for grand cash prizes though; all the winner gets is a cheap cleaver as their trophy. Which is totally cool. This show is not about the prize money or the title or product placement or awkward brand partnerships. It's just about cutting loose in the kitchen and trying new things with food. Which we can totally get behind.
To get a feel for the show, you can check out the clip of Hall on Fallon below. Or just tune in on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. on the Esquire Network.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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