What the “Fridge” is Going On? The winner of the Sears Chef Challenge!

Oh, what a night! The Sears Chef Challenge was an incredible battle down to the last moment. Months of cooking demonstrations, videos and on line voting came down to a battle of four fabulous chefs from across the country last Thursday night. The event was at the Kenmore Live Studio in downtown Chicago and it was rocking from the start. Luscious seasonal beverages flowed and hors d’ oeuvres appeared from every direction. Here are some blood orange cocktails and Smoked Salmon on Potato Crisps. It all looked incredible, but I was so busy, I missed most of the goodies, I had a job to do!

Speaking of jobs, here are some of the visionary leaders that helped make this all happen, Sears CEO Bruce Johnson and his wife with Shawn Pauli, Vice President Appliances, pictured here getting ready to watch our chefs in action. They were so excited to support the chefs and their charities.


My culinary partner and event co-host, Chef Billy Parisi, is pictured here with Chef Alex Dino, Chef Lovely, guest host Michelle Allegria, Chef John Murphy and Chef Tiffany Friedman. Billy briefed the group on the camera angles and timeline. Look at the focus, they were nervous!  I was upstairs as the “eye in the sky” hosting the VIP Tweet Up Group and adding commentary on the action below.


The chefs battled it out in a “Quick Bite Challenge” called the “Prep Rally” by dicing onions, peeling/chopping potatoes and cutting red pepper, Chef Alex won by a hair over Chef Tiffany. The chefs then took on the main challenge with 30 minutes to finish their original dish with all 4 mystery ingredients from the previous day’s prep session: Brussels sprouts, fresh nutmeg, acorn squash and Granny Smith apples. Chef Alex soldered on with immunity as the other chefs had to stop cooking and do crazy things such as carve a face into a pumpkin! They did great, Lovely had a tender, comforting Stuffed Chicken Breast with an Acorn Squash Puree and Brussels Sprouts. Tiffany cooked a perfectly seared Lamb Chop with Fingerling Potatoes, Acorn Squash, Brussels Sprouts and Apples. John had a Nutmeg Brined Pork Chop with Acorn Squash, Brussels sprouts and Apples and Alex created a Nutmeg and Panko Crusted Halibut with a Tamarind Orange Scented Broth alongside a Ragout of Acorn Squash, apple and Brussels sprouts drizzled with a BACON CANDLE! Yes, you heard me. He rendred bacon fat, put a wick in it, froze it and then lit it on his final plate. The bacon fat melted into a small pool of flavor which he drizzled onto the ragout!


Judges tasted, deliberated and announced the winner, Chef Alex Dino! His innovative, world cuisine inspired dish won the judges hearts. Chef John Murphy was just a half a point behind Alex! It was an incredible evening!

Here is the Sears Chef Challenge round two winner Chef Alex Dino posing outside with the gorgeous custom, spray painted refrigerator being done on site by a top Chicago artist. All the chefs wanted to take it home!


As our winner, Alex goes home with a full $10,000 dollars for his charity, the Food Bank of New York, a full suite of Kenmore appliances and the chance to return in just two weeks for the Sears Chef Challenge FINALS on Thursday, November 4th at 8 pm central. Join us at www.searschefchallenge.com to watch us live!

Chef Alex Dino of New York v.s. Chef Mark Maassen of Chicago, who will take the Grand Champion title and a full $20,000 for their charity and a FULL top to bottom kitchen make over?

Here is the whole beautiful group (they are all BFFs) at the night’s end. Congratulations to all of you!