# How prestigious is it to be an Iron Chef? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 22, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843 "2012-11-22T15:44:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/21 "2012-11-24T08:19:42Z")
Forgione is also near the bottom for total number of battles, but a very fair point. Zakarian hasn’t fared that much better, but I’d imagine that he’s one of the best Iron Chefs period. I’d love to see the Chairman get all pissed off at Forgione for losing and making him prove his worth like they used to do on the Japanese show. The Chairman’s fickle eccentricity was definitely one of my favorite aspects to the original show, and they don’t utilize it nearly enough in the US version. ---
**Author:** ![GovernmentMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e9c0ed/32.png) [@GovernmentMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GovernmentMan)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 11:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/22 "2012-11-24T11:37:27Z")
> [@Sinisterniik](#): > > In all fairness, most of the competitions are American cuisine, which is not exactly left field for Bobby Flay. He’s had episodes on burgers, BBQ ribs, meatloaf, fajitas, burritos, and all sorts of items that he’s been preparing in his own award-winning restaurants for years. > > Watching him try to make sushi was a whole 'nother story. > > ETA: If anything, it’s the judging that’s biased. One critic is usually local, and the tie breaker goes to the crowd favorite; people tend to prefer what they’re accustomed to -especially when it comes to comfort food. > > Not most of them (certainly not the chefs that specialize in a single dish), but he’d have a tough time with some of the classically trained or more versatile chefs. Paula Deen comes to mind. That’s gotta be a joke. Bobby Flay is several orders of magnitude better than Paula Deen. ---
**Author:** ![SecretaryofEvil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@SecretaryofEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SecretaryofEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/23 "2012-11-24T13:36:11Z")
> [@chargerrich](#): > > The Chairman cracks me up… namely because he is a C level actor that used to have bit parts on the Stargate TV series. Only the Strong [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/W-C03hEmqO8/hqdefault.jpg "Only The Strong Trailer") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-C03hEmqO8) From what I gather from the trailer, this film is about The Chairman from Iron Chef America inspiring troubled teens and fighting gangsters using the power of Capoeira (Brazilian dance fighting). Props to Beastly Rotter for introducing me to it. ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [November 24, 2012, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/24 "2012-11-24T20:04:30Z")
> [@GovernmentMan](#): > > That’s gotta be a joke. Bobby Flay is several orders of magnitude better than Paula Deen. I think he’s clearly the better chef, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic for her to win. She already has one victory in Kitchen Stadium during a 2 vs. 2 battle. ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/25 "2012-11-25T19:30:44Z")
> [@Sinisterniik](#): > > I think he’s clearly the better chef, but it wouldn’t be unrealistic for her to win. She already has one victory in Kitchen Stadium during a 2 vs. 2 battle. Yeah, but it was for Battle: Sugar, which was a holiday show. It’s not hard to win when the contest is essentially rigged in your favor from the get-go. I think she’d have a harder time in a straight competition. (Her co-chef was Cat Cora, but I can’t remember who the other two were.) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/26 "2012-11-25T19:45:06Z")
All-Star Holiday Dessert Battle (2007) Cora-Deen v Florence-Irvine ---
**Author:** ![MsRobyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/90ced4/32.png) [@MsRobyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsRobyn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/27 "2012-11-25T20:53:19Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > All-Star Holiday Dessert Battle (2007) Cora-Deen v Florence-Irvine Yeah, because when I think about dessert, Tyler Florence and Robert Irvine immediately spring to mind. 😃 Thanks for checking. ---
**Author:** ![pancakes3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ba9def/32.png) [@pancakes3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pancakes3)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/28 "2012-11-25T22:34:23Z")
Who would win Iron Chef Battle: Risotto/Beef Wellington/Scallops? ---
**Author:** ![Sinisterniik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/51bf81/32.png) [@Sinisterniik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sinisterniik)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2012, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/29 "2012-11-25T22:39:05Z")
Gordon Ramsay, duh! ---
**Author:** ![Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Swords\_to\_Plowshares](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swords_to_Plowshares)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/30 "2012-11-26T00:23:27Z")
A friend of mine used to work at one of Cat Cora’s restaurants, and Iron Chef frequently made it in to their marketing. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/31 "2012-11-26T03:11:10Z")
I think Zakarian is one of the best I’ve ever seen and I’m not too surprised that Forgione isn’t doing well. Bobby Flay is pretty good, but isn’t as versatile as Zakarian. And Morimoto is amazing, but he isn’t all that versatile either. The chairman is just a freak. I’d sure love to have his job though. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2012, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843/32 "2012-11-26T20:06:53Z")
> [@GovernmentMan](#): > > Bobby Flay is several orders of magnitude better than Paula Deen. So what if Bobby Flay has a [James Beard Award?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobby_Flay#Awards) Paula Deen won [a daytime Emmy!](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paula_Deen#Awards_and_honors) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-prestigious-is-it-to-be-an-iron-chef/641843.md?page=1)