Anguilla’s National Culinary Team, still celebrating their success at the recent 2012 Taste of the Caribbean Culinary Competition in Miami, have had the opportunity to meet America’s Iron Chef, Marc Forgione, at Viceroy’s Sunset Restaurant several days ago.
Forgione, who recently won the Iron Chef Competition in theUnited States, is a television personality on the Food Network Show. He owns two restaurants – Marc Forgione Restaurant inNew York Cityand American Cut in Atlanta City. He was in Anguilla as a guest at Viceroy, where he is planning to have his wedding next year.
“I became an Iron Chef having won a competition called The Next Iron Chef,” he told The Anguillian. “It was me against ten other chefs from around the world and theUnited States. Every week we battled and battled and if you lost you went home. It was like a tournament and at the end of it, I won and became an Iron Chef.”
Commenting on his visit to Anguilla, Forgione said: “I am planning on getting married here. I have been visiting for three or four years now. My fiancé’s family have been coming here for quite some time. They have friends on the island and I just love it. It’s paradise.”
He was not certain how he could assist the Anguillian chefs, but noted: “It is something that could be worked on. I am always willing to help in whatever way I can.” Asked about his meeting with them, he replied: “It was just to say hello and answer any questions they might have about the [culinary] business. I know they have seen me on television and they wanted to have a conversation.”
He thought Viceroy was a beautiful hotel. “We are staying in a gorgeous villa and the view is Anguilla and I love it,” he added.
Meanwhile, Viceroy’s Food and Beverage Director, Martin Kipping, was pleased to have the celebrated Iron Chef as a guest at the hotel and restaurants. “We are looking at partnering not just with celebrity DJs, as we have had this week, but …[also] at possibilities of working together with very talented and interesting chefs. I think Marc would fit in very well with us. He is young, entrepreneurial, very down to earth and a strong culinary person.
“He loves Anguilla and we are looking at possibilities to work with him. There might be some promotions or a culinary week and that is the second part why he is here. It is for us to understand what he would like to do with us, what we can do with him, and see if we can bring him down here on a professional level as well – other than just on his marriage.”
Mr. Kipping, who was at the chef’s meeting at Viceroy, observed that it was a useful one which provided an opportunity for the Anguillian Chefs and the American Iron Chef to share experiences. “I think it was interesting for the young talent on the island to speak to a professional who made a name for himself at a young age in a city like New York,” he added.
