Shannon Bard wasn’t too sure if she wanted to compete against other chefs in the high-pressure environment of food TV, especially not against Bobby Flay.
But when she was asked to appear on Flay’s new show, “Beat Bobby Flay,” she decided to go for it.
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“I was really hesitant because I’m very much someone who needs to process things,” she said. “I’m not the person that can really be quick on my feet and come up with something. So I was very, very hesitant, but at the same time, I think it’s great for the restaurant and I think it’s a good experience for me.”
Bard will appear in an episode called “Up in Smoke!” at 10 p.m. Thursday on the Food Network. On the show, two chefs go head-to-head, creating a dish with a secret ingredient chosen by Flay.
Judges choose which dish they like best, and the winning chef gets to challenge Flay with his or her signature dish.
The judges for Bard’s episode will be Iron Chef Michael Symon and comedienne Ali Wentworth.
Bard, chef and co-owner of Zapoteca in Portland, is sworn to secrecy regarding the outcome of her episode.
But the network’s website has already announced that she will be competing initially against Kamal Rose, executive chef at the Tribeca Grill in New York City.
Bard said she’s not sure how the Food Network heard about her, but she received a phone call in November gauging her interest in doing the show.
For the next two weeks, she went through numerous telephone and Skype interviews.
She also had to submit several recipes that could be completed in 45 minutes.
Filming took place Dec. 10 in New York City.
Bard won’t be able to watch the episode herself because she will be in Spain, working at Arzak in San Sebastian for three weeks and traveling with her husband, Tom, for 10 days as the couple prepares for the opening of their new Spanish restaurant in Portland.
Bard’s episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” will air four other times after it debuts on Thursday: at 1 a.m. Friday; 10:30 p.m. April 17; 1:30 a.m. April 18 and 1 p.m. April 19.
Staff Writer Meredith Goad can be contacted at 791-6332 or at:
mgoad@pressherald.com
Twitter: MeredithGoad
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