Celebrity Chef Rathbun Brothers Battle Bobby Flay on 'Iron Chef America' and Prevail!

Celebrity Chef Rathbun Brothers Battle Bobby Flay on 'Iron Chef America' and Prevail!

Executive Chef and Owner of Abacus and Jasper's in Texas, Kent Rathbun, along with Brother and Executive Chef of Kevin Rathbun Steak, Rathbun's and Krog Bar in Atlanta, Kevin Rathbun, Face Grill Master Using Elk as the Secret Ingredient

DALLAS, Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- On February 24, 2008, celebrity chef brothers, Kent and Kevin Rathbun, competed on Food Network's hit series "Iron Chef America" and faced-off against the grill master, Iron Chef Bobby Flay, in a frenetic culinary battle unlike any other. As the secret ingredient of Elk was revealed, the cameras in Kitchen Stadium were rolling and both teams were fearlessly working to create culinary masterpieces of which the Rathbun Brothers victoriously accomplished.

The first brother team to compete as co-challengers in Kitchen Stadium, Kent and Kevin had 60 minutes to prepare a minimum of five delectable dishes incorporating the secret Elk ingredient. After 60 minutes had passed, a panel of three guest judges were there to witness this epic battle between the Rathbun Brothers and Flay: Ted Allen, food expert of Bravo's Queer Eye for the Straight Guy; Alexandra Guarnaschelli, executive chef at Butter, a New York hot spot; and Bone Crusher, Atlanta rapper. Like the original "Iron Chef," each chef is awarded up to 20 points by each judge consisting of up to ten points for taste, five for plate presentation and five for originality of their dishes. Ultimately, the Rathbun Brothers proved unbeatable in the eyes of the judges with a claimed victory over Flay by four points.

"When we first found out that we were going to battle on 'Iron Chef America', no matter what the outcome was, our goal was to show well," said Executive Chef and Owner of Abacus and Jasper's in Texas, Kent Rathbun. "Bobby Flay is a personal friend of both of ours and we have actually worked together in the past so to face him in Kitchen Stadium was incredible," said Executive Chef of Kevin Rathbun Steak, Rathbun's and Krog Bar, Kevin Rathbun. "The outcome of this challenge was a result of our entire team and we couldn't be more thrilled with the winning result," continues Kent Rathbun.

The Rathbun Brothers' "Iron Chef America" winning menu included the following:

   -- Elk Carpaccio with Cilantro Pesto Paint and Dried Peaches   -- Elk-Fennel Meatballs with Cabbage Carbonara, Red Pepper Vinegar and      Crisp Pancetta   -- Fajita Grilled Elk Loin with Chili Sweet-Potato Sope and Achiote      Hollandaise   -- Chili Seared Elk Striploin with Shaft's Blue Cheese Grits and Shiner      Bock Barbeque   -- Elk Sausage - Manchego Grougere with Pimenton Honey and Candied Marcona      Almonds    

In honor of the Rathbun Brothers battle, Chef Kent Rathbun will feature the "Iron Chef America" menu in all of his Texas locations, including Abacus in Dallas, Jasper's in Plano, Jasper's in The Woodlands and Jasper's in Austin.

Based upon the format of the Japanese cult sensation, "Iron Chef America" carries on the legend of Kitchen Stadium and the famed "Secret Ingredient." Every Sunday at 9 p.m. ET/PT, world-class chefs battle the legendary "Iron Chefs of America": Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Masaharu Morimoto, Cat Cora and Michael Symon in a 60-minute showdown for the best dish based on taste, presentation and originality. The Flay vs. Rathbun Brothers episode will air again on the following dates:

   -- Thursday, February 28 at 9 p.m. ET/PT   -- Friday, February 29 at 12 a.m. ET/PT   -- Saturday, March 1 at 5 p.m. ET/PT   -- Saturday, March 1 at 11 p.m. ET/PT   -- Saturday, March 1 at 2 a.m. ET/PT     ABOUT KENT RATHBUN  

Executive chef and owner of Abacus in Dallas and Jasper's in Plano, Austin and The Woodlands, Kent Rathbun has cooked at the James Beard House in New York on several occasions and was nominated as the James Beard Foundation's Best Chef: Southwest in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004. He has repeatedly appeared on a number of TV shows, including the Food Network's "Chef du Jour", Cooking Live with Sara Moulton, "Ready Set Cook", the CBS Early Show, the Rosie O'Donnell Show and NBC's Today Show. Rathbun has been featured in Esquire Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, Rosie Magazine, Bon Appetit, Southern Living Magazine, Nation's Restaurant News, Elle, Veranda Magazine, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. He was honored to be one of the featured chefs for the Bush 2001 Inaugural Ball and has participated in the Pre-Super Bowl Event, "Taste of the NFL" for the past four years. Passionate about charitable organizations, Rathbun is actively involved in the American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, Zoo to Do, the North Texas Food Bank and the American Heart Association. To learn more about Kent and his culinary concepts, please contact Ariana Hajibashi at 214-654-0402, via e-mail at ariana@kmccrory.com, or visit http://www.kentrathbun.com/

ABOUT KEVIN RATHBUN

Kevin has worked with renowned chefs like Bradley Ogden, Emeril Legasse and Stephen Pyles. He brought Atlanta Southwestern cuisine with NAVA and then introduced Fusion to Atlanta as the opening Executive Chef of Bluepointe. From 1999-2003, Chef Kevin was the Corporate Executive Chef for the Buckhead Life Restaurant Group and oversaw many of the restaurants. In May of 2004, Chef Kevin opened his signature restaurant, Rathbun's, in the Inman Park area of Atlanta. In October 2005, Kevin opening Krog Bar only 200 feet from Rathbun's. Now, he brings his newest restaurant to Atlanta, Kevin Rathbun Steak. To learn more about Kevin and his culinary concepts, please visit http://www.kevinrathbun.com/

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Kent Rathbun

CONTACT: Ariana Hajibashi-Martin of McCrory & Associates,
+1-214-654-0402, ariana@kmccrory.com, for Kent Rathbun

Web site: http://www.kentrathbun.com/
http://www.kevinrathbun.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment