Tonight’s episode of Throwdown is a repeat (or a classic!) from the first season. So today we’ll tell you about Bobby Flay’s overall record on Throwdown through last year. Wikipedia has an amazing catalogue of all of his shows dating back to the first season. Whoever are the wonderful souls who put this together deserve foodie sainthood!
It looks like through last season, Bobby Flay had a losing record of 22-47-1. That’s about a 31% winning percentage. If you are wondering what was the 1 tie, well, watch tonight’s episode against Cindy Reed Wilkins in the chili throwdown.
Frankly, we’re surprised Bobby has won that many!! As you know, he usually loses (against the specialty dish of each competitor), but each year he picks up 4 or 5 wins, out of 12 matches. We hope to recount some of our favorites wins and losses here. Stay tuned.
This week, Bobby Flay went up against Lynn Archer, who is famous for her “King of Clubs” lobster club sandwich in Rockland, Maine. Archer owns the The Brass Compass Cafe, which has a Facebook page. Even before the show aired, The Brass Compass boasted on its Facebook page: “Best Lobster Club in town, hands down. Beat Bobby Flay in a Throwdown!” So we guess we know who won!
Anyway, here’s what happened. Sporting Chuck Taylors this week, Bobby took on lobster club sandwich and Lynn Archer. A tough matchup. The New York Times had already described her Triple Decker Lobstah Sandwich as delicious–flavored with bacon for all you bacon lovers! Bobby got advice from a local on what kind of lobster to select–the ideal size is 2 to 2 1/2 pounds, and steam is the ideal way to cook the lobster.
As usual, Bobby decided to add his own special twist to the lobster club sandwich–a single decker chipotle Brioche bread, crispy serrano ham, and saffron infused mayo. For the recipe, see below. Lynn Archer’s classic lobster club had bacon in a triple decker concoction of lobster heaven, in thick slices of white bread. Just by looking at the sandwich it looks yummy!
When Bobby approached for the surprise challenge, Lynn played it straight and asked, “Have we met?” Nice line. She probably knew she was on Throwdown from the start. (That reminds me of the 1 episode in Minnesota where the ice cream maker challenged really had no clue who Bobby Flay was! Talk about clueless!) Lynn was skeptical of many of Bobby’s ingredients–especially the garlic and celery–which were not typical for a Maine lobster club. In critiquing Bobby’s sandwich, she admitted that it tasted very good, but her criticism was that she couldn’t taste the lobster.
Result: Sam Haywood, a local chef from Portland, and Annie Maylie, a local columnist and cookbook auther, were the 2 judges. A new factor to the list of judging criteria on Throwdown was “Must Have Seconds.” The judges said both sandwiches had it! But, in the end, the judges opted for the traditional Maine lobster club of Archer’s. It was simple and what Maine lobster sandwich was all about! Congrats, Lynn Archer.
This week’s episode of Bobby Flay’s Throwdown was BBQ chicken. US Sergeant Brad Turner is the Executive Chef at the Army Executive Dining Facility at The Pentagon. Before a military crowd of hungry soldiers, Bobby challenged the very outgoing and dynamic Sgt. Turner to a BBQ chicken throwdown. Turner accepted and expressed extreme confidence that he “would not accept defeat.”
Well, it didn’t turn out that way. In one of those rare moments on Throwdown, the two judges picked Bobby’s Bourbon hot BBQ sauce chicken over the Sergeant’s sweet mustard sauce chicken. While both judges loved each side’s chicken–cooked to perfection on the grill–it sounded like Bobby’s hot BBQ sauce was what put him slightly over the top. It’s BBQ chicken after all! Of course, Bobby is a master at the grill, so this episode–unlike most episodes–may have given an advantage to Bobby.
Sgt. Turner, though, was a fun and worthy competitor. He’s friendly, garrulous, and funny. He could do well on the Next Food Network Star! He has appeared on a cooking show on the military network. Congrats, Sgt. Turner, you do this country proud!
