608574 Wed Apr 01 07:20:56 -0700 2009 6 33 Food Media and News 0 4557068 Last night I watched an iron Chef America show from 2005, Battle Cheese between Batali and another NY chef, Scott Campbell. Campbell was highly energetic and entertaining, but his dishes were just too much. Too many ingredients, in particular. Some of the dishes/components bordered on the bizarre -- veal sorbet, anyone? Batali, by contrast, offered versions of classic Italo-American comfort food that had my mouth watering. The secret ingredient -- five italian cheeses, specifically -- was right in his wheelhouse and he knocked it out of the park, scoring 29 out of 30 on taste and winning 53-40. So my question is what is the biggest margin of victory on ICA? Wed Apr 01 07:20:56 -0700 2009 12829 Bob W 1 4564265 Wasn't there a chef (Italian cuisine) that couldn't finish the mandatory 5 dishes? Fri Apr 03 08:53:49 -0700 2009 4557068 56054 dave_c 2 4564515 That was Roberto Donna, from right here in DC. I think that was the first episode of ICA. They let him come back and he won. Fri Apr 03 10:00:50 -0700 2009 4564265 12829 Bob W 2 4565050 Which was particularly egregious since the contestants know way in advance what the secret ingredients are. Fri Apr 03 12:26:46 -0700 2009 4564265 180506 Ericandblueboy 1 4565685 The runner up from Hell's Kitchen season 1 (Ralph Pagano) took on Bobby flay and lost by 14 points, which is the biggest beat down I remember. It was 56 to 42. Fri Apr 03 15:23:23 -0700 2009 4557068 130031 Shane Greenwood 1 4566938 I have no idea what the points were, but David Kinch of Manresa absolutely ran circles around Bobby Flay. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/604067 www.foodforthoughtmiami.com Sat Apr 04 07:56:19 -0700 2009 4557068 35525 Frodnesor 2 4569614 Kinch 52; Flay 42. Both examples above had a wider margin. However, if you look for the widest winning margin by a challenger vs. just the widest winning margin, perhaps Kinch is the winner? Sun Apr 05 14:50:19 -0700 2009 4566938 11277 Paul H