Two well known Louisville chefs will compete together on Food Network’s Chopped this month. While Louisville’s chefs seem to be popping up everywhere on Food Network, this is the first time two have competed side by side on the same show. Partner and Executive Chef Peng Looi (August Moon, 2269 Lexington Rd) and Owner and Executive Chef Dallas McGarity (The Fat Lamb, 2011 Grinstead Dr, and Portage House, 117 E Riverside Dr in Jeffersonville) will face off alongside other competitors in episode 37, which is titled “Chicken Challenge.” There will be a viewing party at Milewide Beer Company, 636 Barret Ave, February 19 at 9 p.m.
Chopped has all of the chefs sit together in a room at the beginning of the day before the competition gets underway, and when Chef McGarity saw Peng Looi, he says he was “totally surprised.”
“We were both shocked to see each other. I thought, ‘Thank goodness I know someone sitting in this little room talking about the competition.’ I felt relieved I knew someone.”
Fat Lamb and Portage House will be providing free appetizers at the viewing party and drinks will be available for purchase. Free tickets are available at Eventbrite, but a donation is suggested. All donations will go to to Apron, Inc, an organization who aids restaurant workers in times of crisis.
This episode was filmed in October 2017 and McGarity says, “I forgot about a lot of it. I couldn’t talk about it, so I let it slip out of my mind. It’s been a relief now that I can talk about it.”
He then admitted,”It’s a little daunting. It’s national It’s kind of scary. National TV is a big deal I guess. I haven’t seen the episode either, so I don’t know what they’re going to splice together and how they’re going to make everyone look. We said so much in such a little time.”
Chef Looi was unavailable for comment at the time of this article.
Photography: Chef Peng Looi and Chef Dallas McGarity Courtesy of Food Network
