Portland Chefs 'Represent' on Esquire TV's Knife Fight

The Esquire Network's underground, after-hours culinary competition Knife Fight gets a renewal for its second season, and while the first focused mostly on Los Angeles-area chefs, host Ilan Hall is bringing in many out-of-town chefs for season two, premiering Tuesday, April 15. Like last season, each episode pits two chefs in a head-to-head cooking battle at Hall's Los Angeles restaurant The Gorbals. Unlike last season, familiar names like John Gorham (Toro Bravo), Ben Bettinger (Imperial), Greg Denton (Ox), Patrick McKee (Paley's Place), Adam Sappington (The Country Cat), and Justin Wills (of Depoe Bay's Restaurant Beck) are among the contenders.

"All the chefs that competed, almost every single one was a fan of the show," Hall tells Eater. "They can connect with it. We have some amazing chefs coming down from Portland, all were huge fans of the show and did amazing stuff. Portland really represented this year." (Bettinger and McKee, both famously Paley's alums, will go head-to-head in their battle; Denton and Gorham will take on chefs from Seattle and Los Angeles in their respective episodes.) Also representing PDX: Naomi Pomeroy (above), who will serve as a judge during the season premiere.

Head over to Eater National for the complete line-up and match-ups. >>