Furture Throwdown with Bobby Flay u'd like to see

[Dio di Romanese]

Im hooked on this show so far every recipe ive tried except for one has been great. Some throwdowns I really hope they'll do are

Sushi
Ravioli
Lobster Roll, or anything to do with lobster

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

Ha! I like to watch to see Bobby humbled a bit or at least act like he's humbled. Anyway, I'd like to see these three as throwdowns:

Enchiladas or Tamales
Latkes
Spaghetti and Meatballs

[sivyaleah]

Latkes! Oy vey, I'd like to see that one. Have him against a bubbe from Brooklyn living in a nursing home, who's been making them since 1899 from scratch on some old rusty box grater (because you know, the rust and bits of finger skin are what give her latkes their characteristic authentic flavor). I can see him pulling out his fancy food processor, doing his usual southwestern spin and trying to do a sweet potato latke, with a chipotle spiced sour cream, it would just be SO wrong!

BTW - I actually like him, and the show, but in this instance, I think I would enjoy seeing him get creamed!

[free sample addict aka Tracy L]

Hee-hee. Now that has potential.

[Vexorg]

For some reason, I'm reminded of one of my favorite Iron Chef episodes here. It's the Potato battle, where some little old lady (who admittedly had written cookbooks and hosted a cooking show) just runs Chen Kenichi ragged all the way through while barely breaking a sweat, and manages to win the battle in convincing fashion. Normally I'd be rooting for Chen in a battle, but that one was just fun to watch.

[yankeefan]

Crabcakes
Pizza
Soft Pretzels

[Dio di Romanese]

They already did a pizza throwdown, i think it was one of the first ones

also Pumpkin Pie would be good

[bards4]

Have they done a chicken and dumplings throwdown yet? That would be fun. Also tacos. or enchiladas -- I'd love to see him break free of his beloved chipoltles. Latkes would be a kick-- that made me giggle! How about reuben sandwiches with potato salad? I do like watching that show -- I think Bobby Flay shows a real respect for the folks he's going up against.

[Richard 16]

I enjoy this show too. I'd love to see him do a vegan throwdown. And Dio mentioned sushi -- it appears in the opening as one of the throwdowns, but I've never seen one.

Hey how about Bourdain and Flay in the vegan throwdown? ;-)

Latkes would be hilarious!

[Hamhock]

I'd like to see one where he decides he can't compete head-to-head with a traditional recipe, so "he's going with lots of flavor". Oh wait....

[Bostonbob3]

I mentioned this before on another "Throwdown" thread, but I think it's a fun idea.

Reverse the whole thing, and have someone surprise Flay with a Throwdown.

It could be set up so Flay gets his "assignment," (say, Pepe's pizza), then Bobby goes through his whole preparation thing, but then a competitor bursts into the Food Network kitchen and challeneges Bobby to a Southwestern Throwndown.

[HungryLetsEat]

I just read an article in the Food section of our local paper this morning (Columbus Dispatch) that Flay was in town yesterday to shoot a Throwdown with the owners of Sugardaddies Sumptuous Sweeties. It's a local brownie bakery that has exploded in popularity over the past 2 years by getting their product into Oscar gift baskets, on the Ellen show, etc. I guess they both baked blondies...which had me wondering how difficult of a challenge that could be. Of course, they didn't reveal the outcome but said the episode whould be airing this fall.

[Elyssa]

Lobster Roll is a great idea!!

Other ideas:

cupcakes
ceviche
A Thanksgiving special---maybe turkey and potatoes or something like that
Has he done fried chicken?
Burritto
Crab Cakes
Various types of pasta- a classic spaghetti and meatballs, or carbonara, fettuccini alfredo etc.
Foot-long sub (or some sort of ultimate sandwich type thing)

[Phaedrus]

How about these to take the Bobster out of his comfort zone:

Soup dumplings
Pot stickers
Tiramisu
Moussaka
Dolmades
Osso Buco
Arroz con pollo
Huitlacoche
Kim chi
Peruvian styled cui (guinea pig)

[Elyssa]

Ooooo all very good ideas. I particularly like the soup dumplings and pot stickers idea, as well as Arroz con Pollo.

[ArikaDawn]

I am pretty sure they did cupcakes. He competed against a punky chick w/a red velvet cupcake I beleive.

[Elyssa]

Ah yes! Now I remember when you said red velvet. I think it was out in LA or something. Mmmmmm red velvet!

[jme1beachbum]

Did the fried chicken thing, and it was really good (I tried the recipe). Although I believe he lost.

I love how real he is on this show, and humble. He doesn't win very often but I think he loves the challenge of something new. Especially something new with the "Flay flavors". Of course that means the judges can figure out his dish most of the time. I liked the breakfast challenge a lot. He should do an omelette throwdown- the ultimate test of a chef!

[piccola]

Did they do an ice cream one yet? I forget.

Chinese dumplings for sure. Ramen. Croissants. Dosas. Cheesecake. Cannoli.

[Elyssa]

They did Cheesecake already. He was in NYC..can't recall at the moment who he competed against but I know they did it.

Another idea would be ribs. Or brisket.

[Bostonbob3]

Did BBQ already, too. Ribs I believe.

[FlyerFan]

He went up against the guys at Junior's in the cheesecake battle but for the life of me I can't remember who won.

[ArikaDawn]

Bobby won that one.

[yankeefan]

They did ice cream.. the guy from minnesota or wisconsin I think. someone responded to mine earlier that they had already done pizza- did I miss that one?

I still think crabcakes would be the best. great idea above about turning the tables on him but I guess that is really the theme of iron chef challenges.

[soupkitten]

izzy's. izzy's won.

[reubensandperrier]

Augh, none! I find the premise of that show so ego-centric and unfair. He always has 2 or 3 sous chefs to help him, gets the person by surprise, and I just think it's a way for Flay to rest on his laurels. He's a great chef, I totally agree, but he doesn't need to rub peoples' noses in it!

[Phaedrus]

Actually its an ego boost for the people who go up against him, he rarely wins.

[yankeefan]

I think he is respectful and has fun with it.

I thought the doughnut guy was very pompous and childish but outside of that, people take it is a compliment to be challenged because they are seen as being the best in the given arena.

[swsidejim]

I do not know what show you are watching,

this show humanizes him, he loses almost every challenge & as others have said, he is respectful & has a good time.. He doesnt rub anyones nose in anything.

[choctastic]

Agreed. In fact, I think this show has helped his image, not hurt it. He gets creamed all the time and he bears it with a grin. Just watched the sticky buns battle. I could tell he knew he was going to get creamed even before the buns were in the oven. It's intimidating when your competition went to Harvard.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"It's intimidating when your competition went to Harvard."
~~~~~~
what does that have to do with anything? it's a cooking challenge, not a knowledge bowl.

[Panini Guy]

He has gotten creamed - I don't watch them all, but I don't see him win that often. Last episode I saw (last week?) the guys at A Salt and Battery whupped him pretty good on fish n'chips.

I was skeptical about the format, but the more I think about it, the more the show highlights small places that are worth knowing. I know a lot of folks who think Flay is a butthead, but he does a lot to promote good food and he does know his stuff, so I give him a pass.

I'd imagine Flay could knock a decent arroz con pollo out pretty easily. A soup dumpling? Not so much. That would likely be pretty tough for anyone not practiced in that technique.

Heck, why not make in interesting and do fugu ;-)

[Phaedrus]

Ooh, I like the fugu idea, but who in their right mind would volunteer to judge it?

The reason I threw the arroz con pollo is because Hung in Top Chef got his butt handed to him when he tried to do it in front of latins. So I think arroz con pollo in Puerto Rico would be fun, especially since he will get crucified if he tried to put chipotle in it.

[Elyssa]

I think he also got beat pretty bad in the mac and cheese one.

I recently went to the place in Philly where the winner's mac and cheese is (forget her name) and I nearly fell over from how good it was.

Anyone have a listing of what he has done so far? I've seen the mac and cheese, fish and chips, cheesesteak, cheesecake, donuts, and pizza one. I think that's it so far though. I know there have been more.

[Elyssa]

I decided to answer my own question. Here's the Throwdowns so far:

Chowder
Wedding Cake
Chilli
Jerk Chicken
Steak
Pizza
Breakfast (French Toast and Eggs were made)
Burgers
Jambalaya
Cocktails
Doughnuts
Cheesesteak
Ice Cream
Fried Chicken
BBQ (Ribs, Slaw, Potatoe Salad, Corn, Chicken, Pork, Brisket...you name it. They bad ALOT in this episode)
Chocolate
Chicken Caccitore
Meatloaf
Mac and Cheese (which btw is listed as "Man 'n' Cheese" on Foodnetwork.com lol)
Fish and Chips
Cheesecake
Cuban Roast Pork
BBQ Spare Ribs
Cupcakes
Hot Dogs
Buffalo Wings
Sticky Buns
Hot Browns
Crepes

The bottom ones might be coming up/not aired yet.

[MrsT]

He already did Chocolate and LOST.
He lost to Fritz Knipschildt. The man who makes my very favorite salt chocolate carmel...Hannah.

[ElsieDee]

Wikipedia has a list here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Throwdown!_with_Bobby_Flay (note that this list also names the winners of each competition, so if you've not seen these episodes, the outcomes are given).

Without spoilers, the Food Network has a list of the episodes and their "topics" here: http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/episo... - there's links to the individual episodes but don't give away the winners.

[Phaedrus]

So he has a winning percentage of ~26%. That's better than I thought, given the diversity of the foods.

[ElsieDee]

Yeah, I'm surprised, too.

I've only seen two episodes - the hot dog one (because a regular poster on the L.A. Board was one of the judges) and I caught part of the hot brown episode, too. I just don't have time to watch TV these days, but the show seemed to be interesting and better than much of the other dreck that TFN is pumping out.

[lawgirl3278]

Actually he won the mac & cheese battle...I was there for that. His mac & cheese definitely had more flavor. But I realized after I saw the show on tv is that he used bacon in it...no wonder he won!

[Elyssa]

That other mac and cheese was AMMMMMMAZING though! I recently went to Philly for work. Was there for no more then 24 hours and I made sure to try that mac and cheese. It was so tangy and different. Very good.

Bobby's must have been out of this world to beat it.

[jessicheese]

The mac and cheese is from Delilah's in the Reading Terminal Market and it's awesome!

Although someone was telling me they made his version at home and it was to die for. I was working right next door the day of the challenge and didn't know!!! So bummed..... I would have loved to taste test.

[yankeefan]

I think this post is a prime example on the show being an actual great thing for the competitors and not an insult. I am sure that the competition has done absolute WONDERS for the people that get the publicity on the show, and deservedly so.

I still have a strong dislike for that doughnut guy.

[jme1beachbum]

Yeah- he made me so mad. And kind of cheated. Whatever, I won't eat his doughnuts. Would love to try the Texas girls crepes!

[Bada Bing]

I thought he won the mac and cheese, actually.

[goodhealthgourmet]

he did win that one.

[ElsieDee]

I'll add my vote for a Lobster Roll episode.

Also -
- Beef Stew
- Omelets
- Enchiladas
- Rolled tacos
- Chicken-Fried Steak
- Shrimp n' Grits
- Crabcakes
- Po' Boys
- Stuffed Cabbage
- Roasted Turkey
- French Toast
- Brownies
- Collard Greens
- Split Pea Soup
- Lasagna
- Black Beans and Rice
- Tuna Noodle Casserole
- Chocolate Chip Cookies

[Elyssa]

You know omelet and roast chicken are good ideas because many people say you can judge a good chef by how they make a simple omelet or a home-roasted chicken.

[Elyssa]

Someone above mentioned that he is in the middle of filming brownies right now...although I think he ended up making blondies..but its in the same category.

[ArikaDawn]

I'd be curious to see him compete in an Apple Pie throwdown. Such an all American favorite, but sooooo hard to master. Also, my current obsession is Greek food, so any sort of Greek themed throwdown would be fun.

[choctastic]

Ooh apple pie is a good one.

[janeer]

I don't understand the point of this thread unless you name a specific person/restaurant, because that is the whole point of the show; it's not just a generic throwdown for, e.g., "pizza." He has to go up against someone or something iconic. So, what are your suggestions? For example, for me, the crumbcake at Mueller's Bakery in Bayhead, NJ. I have never quite replicated it, or had anything like it elsewhere (and I have been eating it for 45 years). And I don't see any ego in Bobby Flay; he totally puts himself out there, and frequently loses. And he's amazingly gifted.
www.littlecomptonmornings.blogspot.com

[Bostonbob3]

He doesn't always go against something "iconic." His BBQ Throwdown was against some guy in New Jersey. His hamburger show was against an opera singer. Yeah, the best in their class. :)

I said pizza as a possible show topic because, well, he could go up against whomever the producers wanted him to go against. Pepe's, Regina's, Patsy's, John's. Or, considering how the show goes sometimes, Joe-Joe Pizza from Des Moines.

[Drew E]

Both the 'guy from New Jersey' and the 'opera singer' were big-time prize winning cooks. The opera singer having both won and placed second in some company's national search the past two years. Her winner ( the greek burger which was on the show) netted her a $10,000 prize. Don't try to make it sound like he was going up againsst some people with Weber grills in their yards.

[Elyssa]

Ya but that gets very difficult and gets into a regional thing.

I live in DC so chances are my idea of the best pizza (which I've had possibly in Chicago) is proabbly not actually the best pizza but the best I've had.

Same with a lot of the other items. I mean I could take guesses. I would hope that if the theme was crab cakes he would go somewhere in Maryland, lobster roll my home town of Boston etc. But its really hard to say for each item.

Even the items I listed I don't know who he should compete against. But I would love to find out who the best apple pie maker or roasted turkey maker is in the country and then have them go at itl.

[AlyKen]

I'm on board with the sushi and crabcakes (being from Maryland).

I'd like to see Key lime pie or po' boy sandwiches.

[Hamhock]

I just want to see more of the people already know who he is so that when he walks in it has more of an impact, rather than reactions like the Izzy's Ice Cream guy (who was basically confused and slightly put-off.)

My favorite reaction was the firefighter chicken cacciatore guy, who responded to the challenge with "Oh, I hardly think this is the time or the place", followed by Bobby's awkward "You don't want to accept my challenge?", a blatant edit (covering the explanation of "Dude, you aren't actually going to be featured in a Food Network show. This entire thing was an elaborate charade. Ready?"), and then the guy accepting the challenge.

I'm glad he loses most of these; the majority of the challengees are small/individuals who could be impacted by a loss or humiliation. Flay beating Junior's at cheesecake is fine; they're a long-lived institution. But if he had beaten that poor girl at the Wedding Cake throwdown (she was just establishing her local reputation in Manhattan, and was at Tavern on the Green in front of friends, family, and bigwigs), that would have crushed her.

[susancinsf]

Why would getting beat by a very well-known chef crush her or anyone? Doesn't mean she didn't do well! The publicity would have helped her business (and perhaps she could then advertise "as seen on the Food Network"...

[dave_c]

Dim Sum - Dim Sum may appear simple, but is kind of complex and will be a stretch for Bobby Flay.

[aurora50]

What about those Asian style noodles - you know, the kind that have to be stretched way out and handled in a certain way? That would be funny to see!! : )

[Phaedrus]

Ooh yes!!!!! That would be funny.

Looking over this list of foodstuff makes me think that if Flay tackled this list, he would really have my respect as a chef. He has already done wonder in my book with this show, no matter how contrived the premise is by putting his butt on the line and potentially making an ass of himself.

[Jacey]

chocolate cake
veggie dish
omlettes
cocktail
coleslaw
crabcakes
cookies
pumpkin or peanut butter inspired soup
sea bass

[goodhealthgourmet]

they already did crab cakes. it aired over the summer...bobby won.

[stellamystar]

Chipotle aioli

Just kidding. I think he puts that on everything. or chimichurri sauce.

I would like to see latkes, marinara (or an Italian sauce of some kind), sausage making, or biscuits and gravy.

[Dio di Romanese]

arancini

that would be a great one

[Diane in Bexley]

I just have this vision of Bobby Flay trying to cheat against some Eastern European ancient woman in a stuffed cabbage/pierogi/sauerbraten contest. I actually do like his BBQ and grilling foods but the women assistants he employs (and hardly ever credits) seem specious, like somehow they pull off the Throwdown. He just has the face of a 12 year old little boy and when he loses it is fun to watch!

[melly]

Bobby against a Greek Chef...making roast leg of lamb.

[Dio di Romanese]

melly that is an awsome idea

[Dio di Romanese]

Some new ideas:

Shepards Pie - I never liked this till I recently tried a Gordan Ramsay recipe which was amazing. Always reminded me of my elementary school lunches which were so sterotypically bad its ridiculous.

Pot Pie - Ive had Chicken, Beef, and Lobster version all I love but I have to be in a real "hearty" mood

and im still waiting for my long loved Sushi throwdown

[nbermas]

Pasta and Meatballs with sauce
Beef Brisket
Popovers
Chicken Pot Pies
Crabcakes
Lobstercakes
Any anything Chocolate

[Phaedrus]

How about field dressing a deer and making deer sausages.

[Dio di Romanese]

They already did a meatball and crabcake battle

[shesallthat]

When Bobby did the cheesecake throw down at Juniors and beat Alan Rosen...you should have seen Alan Rosen's face drop to the floor in disbelief. I felt bad for the guy. Junior's is my favorite, however - Bobby prepared an apple caramel topped chhesecake (something like that) and Alan made a devil's food cheesecake which is where I think he went wrong. Alan should have gone with his tried and true strawberry pie and not an overwelming flavor like chocolate cheesecake.

[sand12]

TAMALES
ANGEL FOOD CAKE

[HillJ]

Are they still producing Throwdowns? I thought the show ended last summer and only reruns remain...

[Bob W]

I'd like to see him do a rugelach throwdown with my brother, Lurker W.

Unless he has our family recipe, there is zero chance he could win, because there is a secret ingredient.

If you love rugelach, please encourage Lurker W to follow his dream and open a rugelach truck in NYC.

[Diane in Bexley]

So Bob, how come you never shared the secret? No fair to tempt and not deliver.