Acclaimed Kentucky chef to compete on Food Network show with Bobby Flay

An acclaimed Kentucky chef will soon appear on Food Network to face what could be her “toughest culinary competition yet.”

Chef Sara Bradley, a James Beard Award finalist who owns freight house in Paducah, is no stranger to the heat of cooking competitions, and crushing them.

Bradley’s list of impressive performances includes being crowned a “Chopped” grand champ in 2023. She also took home the title of the first-ever “Chopped Legend” in 2024, is a two-time runner-up on Bravo’s “Top Chef” and a runner-up on season six of “Tournament of Champions.”

Kentucky’s queen of TV cooking contests returns for a turn on “Bobby’s Triple Threat,” a show hosted by celebrity chef Bobby Flay deemed “the toughest culinary competition yet,” on Food Network’s site.

“To win, one highly skilled chef takes on Bobby’s three culinary Titans − Brooke Williamson, Ayesha Nurdjaja and Michael Voltaggio,” the description continues. “The chef competes against a different Titan in three head-to-head cooking rounds featuring surprise ingredients. If the competitor can beat the Titans’ combined score, they’ll walk away with $25,000.”

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So far in the show’s fifth season, Flay and the “Titans” have hosted chefs such as Angelo Sosa, Yia Vang, Danny Garcia and Kenny Gilbert. For episode nine, airing in Oct. 20, Bradley will also have to impress judge Melissa Clark, The New York Times food columnist.

“I guess I’m a glutton for punishment … decided to press my luck against Bobby Flay’s titans,” Bradley wrote in an Oct. 14 Facebook post about her upcoming appearance. “I’m bringing my Jewish, Southern, and Appalachian roots to their kitchen, and Melissa Clark is letting us know exactly what she thinks. No pressure.”

Kentucky chef Sara Bradley will appear on Food Network’s “Bobby’s Triple Threat” on Oct. 20.

The episode, titled “Titans vs. Sara Bradley” premieres at 8 p.m. EST Oct. 20 on the Food Network.

The appearance will continue a busy season for Bradley, who joined Gov. Andy Beshear on the Bourbon & Beyond culinary stage in front of a roaring crowd on Sept. 25. And Bradley’s first cookbook, “The Kitchen I Came Home To: Big Flavors and Tall Tales from My Corner of Kentucky,” debuted on Sept. 29.

Reach food and dining reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Acclaimed Kentucky chef to compete on Food Network show with Bobby Flay