Chef Sameh Wadi, owner of Saffron Restaurant and Lounge, will appear on the Food Network’s ‘Iron Chef America’ on January 24, 2010 at 8 pm (CDT). At 25 years of age, Chef Wadi will be the youngest chef to have appeared on the Food Network show as well as the first chef from Minnesota.  In this episode, Chef Wadi will face Iron Chef Morimoto.

Chef Wadi flew to Kitchen Stadium in New York in July 2009 to tape the episode and has been sworn to secrecy about any specifics regarding the competition until now.  Competing on ‘Iron Chef America’ is just the latest in an impressive string of national and local achievements for the chef that opened his restaurant just three years ago at the age of 23. Last fall, Chef Wadi won City Pages’ annual Iron Fork competition. In June, he was invited to participate in the 24th annual Chefs’ tribute to Citymeals-on-Wheels at the Rockefeller Center in New York. Wadi was the only Midwest chef at this event working alongside such other notable chefs as Daniel Boulud, Alfred Portale and Jean-Georges Vongerichten. That same month Chef Wadi also competed in the Walker Art Center’s annual CuisineArt 2009: From Palette to Palate museum fundraiser where his dish won the Duchamp Award for best interpretation and was the overall favorite of guest of honor, Wolfgang Puck.

“I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Chef Wadi while he was attending The Art Institutes International Minnesota for his Culinary Arts degree,” says Anjila K. Olsen (aka Alice the Cook).  “He was a great student and involved with the college’s American Culinary Federation Hot Food Team for several years and still continues to be involved with the college by participating in the school’s Professional Advisory Committee for the Culinary Arts program.  I am really excited for Sameh and can’t wait to see how he does.  It’s nice to know someone in the local food industry who has been getting noticed for their talent.”

Chef Wadi graduated from The Art Institutes International Minnesota in March 2004 and was recently nominated in the “2009 James Beard Foundation Award for Excellence” and was a semi-finalist for the category “Rising Star: A chef age 30 or younger who displays an impressive talent and who is likely to have a significant impact on the industry in years to come.”  Sameh owns Saffron Restaurant and Lounge, located at 123 N. 3rd Street in Minneapolis. Saffron Restaurant and Lounge was recently voted the “Best Middle Eastern Restaurant” by City Pages- the Best of the Twin Cities 2009.  He has appeared in numerous publications including METRO Magazine, Minneapolis St. Paul Magazine, Star Tribune, Minnesota Monthly, Vita.MN, Conde Nast Traveler, Gourmet, and St. Paul Pioneer Press.

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