For eight years in a row, Chef Allen Susser has scoured Miami’s culinary scene to choose the fiercest competitors for the annual New Times Iron Fork Chef Competition. This year, with so many new and seasoned chefs to choose from in Miami, Susser found himself a little stuck. And then it hit him. “I realized that in all the years we’ve had this competition, we’ve yet to feature two female chefs at once, “says Susser. So he invited Eileen Adrade from FINKA Table and Dena Marino from MC Kitchen to join the fun.

Hailing from Colorado in 2010 – and a large Italian-American family – Dena Marino has brought a mix of rustic Italian methods mixed with modern techniques to MC Kitchen to produce dishes any Italian mom would be proud of.

Eileen Andrade – a native Miamian – opened FINKA Table and Tap with her brother Jonathan in 2014. Their blend of Latin and Asian sabor (Peruvian, Cuban and Korean, to be exact) has created a feeding frenzy of demand at their location in South Miami.

In addition to the Fork Off Chef Competition, Susser has also curated the Shuck It Oyster Competition. Chefs from select Miami Spice restaurants will be timed to see who can shuck a dozen oysters the fastest.

The theme of both of this year’s competitions is all about fresh local produce and sustainable seafood. Having started a weekly Farm-to-Table dinner menu at Books & Books Café at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Susser believes firmly in the idea of using local resources to create the freshest, best meals possible. The chef also recently served on a panel for sustainable seafood in Monterey, California, and came back inspired to promote that concept in South Florida.

“We’re finally catching up down here with farmers’ markets popping up all over the city. Both professional chefs and at-home cooks have access to some of the best seafood in the world…It’s about time we focus on all the good ingredients we have to choose from down here,” says Susser.

At-home cooks, South Florida foodies and seasoned chefs alike will have the chance to view these culinary competitions at New Times Iron Fork, presented by the Downtown Miami Development Authority, on Thursday, July 30, 2015, held at the Hyatt Regency Miami and the James L Knight Center in Downtown Miami. The event opens to VIP ticket holders at 6pm and to General Admission ticket holders at 7pm.

For more information, visit NewTimesIronFork.com.

Tickets:

VIP: $70 Early Bird Now – June 14

$75 Advance June 15 – June 30

$85 Regular Price July 1 – July 29

$100 at the door

GA: $40 Early Bird Now – June 14

$45 Advance June 15 – June 30

$50 Regular Price July 1 – July 29

$65 at the door

Tickets can be purchased at NewTimesIronFork.com.