A popular Chapel Hill chef faces off against Bobby Flay on the Food Network
A Chapel Hill chef will square off against celebrity chef Bobby Flay in a fish stew showdown on Food Network.
The May 18 episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” will feature chef Dan Jackson of Chapel Hill Italian restaurant Osteria Georgi.
Now in its 30th season, “Beat Bobby Flay” pits the celebrity chef against talented chefs around the country, each cooking a specific dish, with judges determining a winner. Barbecue legend Ed Mitchell prevailed against Flay in an earlier iteration of the show, winning a 2009 episode of “Throwdown With Bobby Flay” centering on pork ribs.
Smoked ribs are certainly in the North Carolina culinary wheelhouse, but Jackson will compete on a dish a bit more unexpected. Flay and Jackson will each make their takes on bouillabaisse, the saffron-tinged French seafood stew.
Jackson has already starred under the bright lights. In 2021 he competed and (spoiler!) won on an episode of Food Network’s “Chopped.”
In Thursday night’s episode, Jackson must first defeat chef Camila Rinaldi in order to face Flay. And since the name of the episode is “Bouillabaisse-ic Instinct” and that happens to be a signature dish for Jackson, he might stand a good chance of facing the Big Boss.
For Jackson, bouillabaisse tracks his career, he said. From working in a small popular French restaurant in Charlottesville, Va., to cooking at Eleven Madison Park in New York, one of the top restaurants in the world.
“I love making soups and working with seafood,” Jackson said.
The ultimate result will be revealed in prime time, but Jackson said he’s proud of the appearance.
“I know I represented myself well and represented the area well,” Jackson said. “I tried to keep it classic in the fundamentals but added a few ingredient tweaks.”
Having done well on two Food Network cooking shows, Jackson hopes more TV is in his future, believing the appearances have helped boost the brand of the restaurant.
“I think Chopped really helped the restaurant,” Jackson said of his appearance and win on the show. “I like doing these kinds of shows, I’d like to do more competitions or appear as a judge.”
There will be a watch party at the Casual Pint in Chapel Hill, next to Jackson’s Osteria Georgi restaurant. Jackson said he picked a nearby sports bar because the show is kind of a sport after all.
“I think of (The Casual Pint) as a sports bar and I think of this as kind of a competition,” Jackson said. “So come watch the ‘game’ and see if I win or lose.”
Jackson’s episode of “Beat Bobby Flay” airs at 9 p.m. on the Food Network.
This story was originally published May 18, 2023 at 4:35 PM.
