Competing Chefs Announced for This Year’s Iron Fork

This year’s Iron Fork may be virtual, but attendees will still get plenty of bites and entertainment in the comfort of their own homes. The highlight of the 10th annual event is the Iron Fork Chef Challenge, hosted by chef Kent Rathbun, in which two chefs, one in Dallas and...

By Taylor Adams

August 18, 2020

Chefs Matt Staph of Houston (left) and LukeRogers of Dallas will compete in this year's Iron Fork. Julie Soefer / Edilberto Trujillo

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This year’s Iron Fork may be virtual, but attendees will still get plenty of bites and entertainment in the comfort of their own homes.

The highlight of the 10th annual event is the Iron Fork Chef Challenge, hosted by chef Kent Rathbun, in which two chefs, one in Dallas and one in Houston, cook in a throwdown.

As we get even closer to that big day, we now know who those chefs will be: Luke Rogers, executive chef at Savor in Klyde Warren Park, and Matt Staph, chef de cuisine at One Fifth Mediterranean in Houston.

Rogers started cooking as a child, with his first industry jobs being at a pizza cafe in Memphis, Tennessee, and at the James Beard Award-winning Andrew Michael Italian Kitchen. After high school, he attended the L'École Culinaire school in Missouri, then worked in Michelin-starred Ristorante Vespasia in Italy, Le Meridien Hotels in Washington, D.C. and Minibar in D.C. under José Andrés. He has been at Savor since April 2019.

Staph has Dallas connections: He was first inspired to pursue cooking when chef John Tesar hired him at The Commissary. After it closed, Staph moved to the front of house at Central 214 before moving back to the kitchen. He spent five years working with chef Graham Dodds there and at a variety of restaurants, focusing on whole-animal cooking and charcuterie.

Make sure to read all the details of this year’s Iron Fork and get your tickets today.

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Taylor Adams has written about the restaurant industry for the Dallas Observer since 2016. She attended Southern Methodist University before covering local news at The Dallas Morning News.

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