Anyone who's ever been to The Gorbals in Los Angeles has borne witness to Ilan Hall's genius in action. With dishes ranging from bacon-wrapped matzoh balls to the truly irresistible bánh mì poutine, it's little wonder why this guy won the top prize on Top Chef's second season.
Premiering this Summer, Hall returns to the small screen to present Knife Fight, an all-new take on the "chef battle" genre that emphasizes pride and populism above all else. Each episode features two head-to-head battles, an undercard and a main event, with gifted chefs competing one-on-one for the coveted prize of bragging rights amongst their peers. These battles will unfold before a panel of celebrity judges and timekeepers, as well as a crowd of some very vocal foodies, who have gathered to drink, heckle, and cheer the chefs on.
The roster of incredibly talented chefs appearing this season includes: Brendan Collins (Waterloo & City), Octavio Becerra (Palate Food & Wine), Brandon Boudet (Little Dom's), John Herndon (Umami Burger), Jordan Toft (Eveleigh), Micah Wexler (Mezze), Jason Travi (Littlefork), and Vartan Abgaryan (Cliff's Edge).
The lineup of celebrity judges and timekeepers includes: actress/foodie Erika Christensen, Eric Wareheim of Tim & Eric, Bijou Phillips, Elijah Wood, Jason Lee, Evan Kleiman of KCRW's Good Food, comedian Bobby Lee, Drew Barrymore, and Ilan Hall's fellow former Top Chef winner, Michael Voltaggio.
Be sure to tune in this summer, when Knife Fight hits the airwaves. The show airs this summer on the all-new Esquire Network.
