Charlotte’s Goodyear House chef takes on Bobby Flay on Food Network — and wins

Watch out Bobby Flay, Charlotte chefs keep coming at you.

“Chopped” champion Chris Coleman, the executive chef and partner at Goodyear House in Charlotte, came out on top in an episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” that aired Thursday night. In the show, two chefs prepare meals for celebrity judges featuring a secret ingredient, and the winner moves forward to challenge Flay.

In the episode titled “Best Dressed in TV,” chef Geoffrey Zakarian and TV star Carson Kressley pit Coleman against Siddharth Krishna, the executive chef of Rosewood Baha Mar in the Bahamas — with customers and staff watching on all screens at Goodyear House as the show aired. (If you missed it, the show replays Friday at 12:30 a.m.)

Coleman won the opportunity to take on Flay, making arancini with stewed tomatoes, basil and micro chive to highlight the secret ingredient chosen: cottage cheese.

The Charlotte chef challenged Flay to compete with the signature dish of his choice: chicken and rice stew. Coleman’s version included shiitake mushrooms, kale pickled with rice wine vinegar and Sambal, and Carolina Gold rice. Flay used his signature Southwestern flavors, along with a coconut milk and peanut butter sauce.

The judges praised Coleman’s “outstanding” chicken and kale, but enjoyed the crispy rice in Flay’s dish. In a decision that was not unanimous, Coleman won the day.

Actually beating Bobby Flay in his Food Network kitchen is tough, but it does happen. Charlotte chef Sam Diminich won the day when the chef with Lowcountry roots took on Flay in an episode that aired in January 2020. Diminich took down Flay with a Lobster Risotto he mastered at Upstream, which closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Diminich now owns the gourmet meal delivery service Your Farms, Your Table.

Coleman — known for elevated comfort food — is no stranger to Food Network competitions, either. In 2019, he appeared on “Chopped,” and came out ahead of three other chefs to be crowned the “Chopped” champion after three rounds in the culinary battle. On that show, each chef prepares an appetizer, entree and dessert from a mystery basket filled with challenging ingredients, with one chef getting “chopped” out of the competition in each round.

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