'Alma' coming to former Ludivine space, owners announce on heel's of chefs 'Chopped' win

As a crowd gathered to watch as Zach Hutton took on three competitors and the mystery baskets in a zero-waste themed episode of the popular Food Network show called "Trash into Treasure," you could feel the emotions hanging thick in the room.

Of course Hutton already knew the results of the show. He'd lived the experience first hand. Then, he and his wife Kayla had been required to sit on the knowledge for months, keeping the information from everyone, including those closest to them.

When the pair flew to New York last year for Hutton to compete on an episode of Food Network's "Chopped," it went the best way it possibly could have.

Now, Oklahoma City is home to a new "Chopped" champion, a champion who will soon be reviving the kitchen at a beloved local space with a brand new concept.

What happened when Hutton appeared on 'Chopped'?

Contestants were tasked to use leftovers and scraps, including everything from shrimp shells and baked ziti to lamb neck and expired milk. Hutton showed how his work through the years cooking sustainably in his own restaurant kitchens has paid off.

Ted Allen hosted the episode, part of the show's 58th season, as Hutton competed against other chefs known for their no-nonsense attitudes when it comes to zero-waste: Jamisen Booker, Shanel Dewalt and Christian Izquierdo.

In the end, Hutton survived through all three rounds of competition — appetizer, entrée and dessert — against his fellow chefs, impressing judges Marc Murphy, Tiffany Derry and Fariyal Abdullahi with his use of ingredients many would consider worthy only of the trash can or compost bin.

More: OKC chef Zach Hutton wins Chopped 'zero-waste' episode

When recounting dishes from throughout the day, judges found multiple highlights in the courses served by Hutton.

Abdullahi praised Hutton's brain for sussing out the umami components in the appetizer and choosing to make a dashi.

"He cooked the shrimp perfectly," Murphy added of Hutton's appetizer. "And then, in the main course, it was basically the battle of the lamb neck meatballs. Zach's were light and fluffy."

Derry raved over Hutton's "really, really cool" treatment of leftover hotdog buns in the dessert round, saying he gave them the "perfect texture."

For winning the episode, Hutton earned a $10,000 prize and the title of "Chopped" champion.

What's next for Hutton?

As the crowd at the watch party erupted in cheers, Trent Ward, owner of the property Hutton serves as executive chef at, joined him onstage. The Huttons and their entire team came to work with Ward when they made the difficult decision to close their beloved Paseo restaurant Scratch last fall.

Ward and Hutton capitalized on the high of the "Chopped" victory to share even more news with the crowd — the next steps in their partnership. Having signed a lease on the space formerly occupied by Ludivine, 320 NW 10 St., Ward is entrusting the Huttons and their team with developing a new concept.

"He's done nothing except for stun me with everything he does," Ward said of his executive chef. "We brought everybody that left Scratch over and I've been impressed. I can truly stand on the stage and say we found a gold nugget in this crew, we found a gold nugget in the space. This is going to be one of the best restaurants in Oklahoma."

It was announced that the restaurant will be called "Alma," named for Hutton's maternal grandmother, as Ward gifted Hutton a custom art piece made from an image of a page from Hutton's notebook, scrawled in his handwriting, with the words "This page is for the beginning."

"I'm absolutely over the moon to have won this because it feels really like the means to an end to expansion, but also getting back to the things that we were really focused on with Scratch," Hutton said. "We are going to focus back on our mission of turning trash into treasure — localized food, high-end dining and sustainability — in the restaurant industry."

Want to watch the full episode? Stream it now with Food Network's On Demand services via your television provider, or with a Discovery + or Max subscription.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Chef Zach Hutton wins 'Chopped,' team announces new restaurant Alma