Baltimore-based chef Kiran Patnam will be competing against celebrity chef Bobby Flay in a cable-televised cook-off late next week.
Patnam, currently executive sous chef for Apropoe’s at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront hotel in Harbor East, will battle Flay on his namesake Food Network show, “Beat Bobby Flay,” on Thursday, Jan. 11. The episode, titled “Clamming Up,” will air at 10 p.m. and again three hours later.
An episode description from the cable channel refers to Patnam as an “Indian spice master,” and says he and Jonathan Wu, chef and owner of Fung Tu in New York, will need to impress two judges from the Food Network’s “Chopped” in order to beat Flay.
Now in its 15th season, Flay’s show pits him against two professional chefs in a two-round competition with a live audience. Flay picks a key ingredient during round one. The winner then gets gets to pick the dish for the second round, and the judges crown the champion.
Patnam wasn’t available for an interview before the show, per Food Network media policy, a spokeswoman said. He’s been working as a chef in North America and Asia for 13 years, including at luxury hotels like the Ritz-Cartlon, JW Marriott and Gaylord franchises.
Patnam will join a growing roster of local chefs who’ve graced the cable TV circuit. Just last year, Charleston chef and James Beard award nominee Cindy Wolf competed (but lost, unfortunately) to Flay. Laurrapin Grille executive chef Kristina Sciarra and La Chuchara sous chef Sarah Murray also appeared on “Chopped” in 2016, and local pastry chef Jason Hisley managed to win an episode of the Food Network’s “Cake Wars.”
