The Iron Chef competition is set to return to Hoover as part of Hoover Restaurant Week by Enjoy Hoover, bringing together local chefs, culinary students, and food enthusiasts for an evening of high-stakes cooking and delicious food.
Scheduled for June 24 at Jefferson State Community College, the event will showcase the skills of professional chefs of different Hoover restaurants while providing a unique educational opportunity for high school students from RC3 (Riverchase Career Connection Center) and college students from Jeff State.
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Photo by Allison Carpenter
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Photo by Allison Carpenter
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Photo by Allison Carpenter
David Cohen, creator of Hoover Restaurant Week, along with Matthew Allen from Enjoy Hoover, started the event last year to support the restaurant community directly after the pandemic. Cohen owns The Whole Scoop Ice Cream Shop, which he opened in 2011.
“There are so many great culinary destinations, international and domestic kind of flavors, that we want people to stay in Hoover and spend their money here,” Cohen said.
Cohen and Allen added Iron Chef to Restaurant Week to showcase four special restaurants and their talents. Brian Mooney, the owner and executive chef of Tre Luna Bar & Kitchen, was the winner of last year’s competition.
This year’s competing chefs have not yet been finalized, but the organizers are currently working to pick four worthy culinarians.
A defining feature of the Iron Chef competition is its educational component. Each participating chef is paired with two sous chefs at random—one from RC3 and one from Jeff State—giving these students real-world experience under the mentorship of industry professionals.
The students, selected as top performers by their respective schools, assist with menu creation and food preparation, learning firsthand the challenges of high-pressure culinary work. The restaurant industry can be brutal,
but learning from experienced chefs in the competition is a great way to learn the ins and outs.
“Writing menus and talking about food, that’s a glimpse into a real kitchen,” Cohen said. “That’s a fantastic opportunity for students.”
The competition takes place in the kitchen of Jeff State, with cooking stations for each chef and their assigned sous-chefs. There is room for 35 spectators at the event, who will be sponsors, influencers, and other Hoover restaurant owners and their supporters.
Each culinarian is given time to write their own menu of an appetizer, entree and dessert with their sous chefs, which is then presented to Cohen and Allen. The competition is partially designed so that these experienced chefs can teach students in a professional and competitive environment.
This year’s panel of judges will include last year’s Iron Chef champion, Brian Mooney from Tre Luna, alongside Claire Huddleston from WBRC and Joseph Mitchell, a retired director of Jeff State’s culinary program.
The event is timed, like all high-stakes cooking competitions are. The chefs are granted access to the kitchen at 3 p.m., and the first course is served at 6 p.m. when each team is tasked with preparing three plates for the judges and 35 sample plates for the audience members.
They will then be scored on appearance, flavor, presentation and originality. “Last year, the winning sous chefs received a $1,000 scholarship, and we’re optimistic that we can offer the same this year,” said Cohen, while emphasizing that sponsorships are still being finalized.
Adding an extra layer of excitement, this year’s competition will introduce a secret ingredient sponsored by Gordon Food Service, revealed only 24 hours before the event.
With continued sponsorships and community support, the event is poised to become a staple in Hoover’s annual calendar.
“As long as I have the energy and the support of our restaurant community, we’ll keep doing it,” Cohen said.
As excitement builds for this year’s competition, local food lovers and aspiring chefs alike are eager to see who will take home the coveted cleaver trophy made by Matthew Allen and, more importantly, how
the event will continue to shape Hoover’s culinary environment in
the years to come.