Local chefs competing Saturday at Old Town Farmers’ Market
.jpg "This nifty collage created by the Old Town Farmers’ Market shows the chefs that will be competing on Saturday morning. Center, Wesley Medical Center’s executive chef Curtis Isley; top left, Ambassador’s Ben George; bottom left, Taste & See’s Jason Febres; to right, Eurest Dining Service’s Jeremy Pacacha; bottom right, Travis Joy from Harvest Kitchen/Bar.")
This weekend is Labor Day weekend, meaning that it’s time for the annual Iron Chef Competition at the Old Town Farmers’ Market. The event, now in its 12th year, is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Saturday at the market at First and Mosley. The competition pits local chefs against each other, cooking live with a secret ingredient they learn about just as the competition begins.
This year’s contestants are Taste and See’s Jason Febres, Wesley Medical Center’s executive chef Curtis Isley, Travis Joy from Harvest Kitchen/Bar in the Hyatt, the Ambassador Hotel’s executive chef Ben George, and Jeremy Pacacha, a chef with Eurest Dining Services.
I’ll be on a panel of judges picking the winner. My co-judges will be John Michael of the Butler County Community College culinary program, and Travis Russell from Public at the Brickyard. Piper Leigh and the Smokin' Section will perform following the competition, and the morning also will include kids’ activities. The hours for Saturday’s market are 8 a.m. to noon.