'The Next Iron Chef' Season 3 Finale: Chef Marc Forgione Shows Honor, Wins Title

"The Next Iron Chef" season 3 came to a dramatic close on November 21st as finalists Marco Canora and Marc Forgione went head to head in a Thanksgiving Day Honor battle in Kitchen Stadium. By night's end, the understated Chef Forgione overcame the more consistent Chef Canora and claimed the title of Iron Chef. Here's a look at the play-by-play.

The season finale opened in Kitchen Stadium, with host Alton Brown introducing the night's action in his usual dramatic fashion. As the two finalists entered the arena, each had a few thoughts to share. Marc Forgione relished the idea of being known as himself and not just as the son of his father. He planned to just cook his food "and the other stuff will fall into place". Marco Canora called the idea of being an Iron Chef "huge, life changing" and expressed an interest in bringing a simple approach to Kitchen Stadium. Alton went on to reveal that the finale judges included not only mainstays Donatella Arpaia, Mychael Simon and Simon Majumdar, but also current Iron Chefs Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto.

Chairman Mark Dacascos introduced the finale battle theme: The ultimate five-course Thanksgiving Feast. While Chef Canora relished the idea of creating a traditional meal, Chef Forgione opted to buck the norm, refusing to use turkey in his evening repertoire and focusing instead of venison. He backed up his plan by noting that during the first Thanksgiving celebration, turkey wasn't served. Chef Canora weighed in of course, claiming that failure to use turkey represented a "slap in the face" to honor and tradition.

Both men got to work quickly, with Chef Forgione using his fist to pound open a large piece of venison, and Chef Canora inadvertently slicing open his finger and losing valuable minutes as the wound was treated. Floor commentator Kevin Brauch turned to former "Next Iron Chef" season 3 contestants in the audience; Chef Bryan Caswell said he thought it was a difficult challenge, since they'd each need to fit their meals within someone else's schematic in order to win. When Alton turned his attention to the judges, Simon called Chef Forgione "smooth and controlled", while Mychael called Chef Canora "consistent" throughout the season. Donatella summed up the judges' thoughts by noting that it would be a close race to the end.

Thirty minutes into "The Next Iron Chef" season 3 finale battle, both hopefuls were settled into the routine; Chef Forgione even managed to find a light moment. Iron Chef Morimoto said the men were doing well, but that there was "a lot of mess". When Kevin turned to eliminated contestant and "East Meets West" host Ming Tsai, the chef noted that whomever "executes" the best will win the title. With 15 minutes to go, Chef Canora lamented losing time to his finger injury, noting that it had effectively cost him the "luxury" of really tasting and plating his food to his liking.

In the final minutes of the battle, Chef Canora yelled out repeatedly for time updates, demonstrating a smattering of the battle-panic that he usually displays. However, it didn't stop him from effectively plating his dishes. A calmer Chef Forgione used a blowtorch to heat wood chips under a lobster dish, drawing "that doesn't look traditional!" complaints from his competitor. As the final horn blew, both men hugged their assistants and looked very relieved to be finished.

Chef Forgione faced the judges first, explaining that he'd modeled his meal after "the harvest festival", the first Thanksgiving meal. He gained praise for his clam chowder, which Bobby Flay called "a dish with lots of finesse". Donatella called his duck sausage "one of those perfect bites", while Mychael appreciated the "thought process" behind his lobster and spinach offering. Donatella said that his venison "felt like Thanksgiving", and Bobby called it the kind of dish that "separates people". After his dessert course, Simon praised Chef Forgione for cooking "some extraordinary food" and Donatella said that "everything worked out really well".

With Chef Forgione's time on the hot seat complete, Chef Canora presented his five Thanksgiving Feast dishes to the judging panel. He claimed to want to honor not only the holiday, but his family's traditions as well. The panel enjoyed his starter soup, with the exception of the brown color (for some). His pumpkin risotto was "cooked perfectly" according to Mychael, but Simon said that the "sweetness" of the dish didn't suit his taste. Simon appreciated his turkey, but thought that the cranberry sauce was too tart and that it needed a crunchy element. Donatella called his venison "fun and exciting" but noted that the rosemary was "overpowering". Finally, Mychael and Simon loved his pecan pie, with Simon calling it the best he'd ever had.

With tasting over, the judges chatted over what they'd seen and tasted. Donatella called it "the closest" battle she'd ever judged with respect to taste and flavor. Simon and Bobby were surprisingly hard on Chef Canora's venison, with Simon calling it "inedible" because of too much juniper: They weren't near as harsh during judgment itself. Bobby summed up the decision at hand by asking if they wanted "fireworks" via Chef Forgione or consistency via Chef Canora as a mainstay in Kitchen Stadium.

Following one final commercial break, "The Next Iron Chef" season 3 finale came to a close as Chefs Forgione and Canora faced the Chairman for the verdict. After the usual cheeseball monologue, the Chairman turned to reveal a photo of the Next Iron Chef: Marc Forgione. An emotional Chef Forgione embraced his sous chefs and then turned to a smiling Chef Canora, who vowed to "go out with my head up" despite his loss. Chef Forgione said he was very proud to join the Iron Chefs, and that he knew his father was very proud of him.

So that's it for "The Next Iron Chef" season 3. Will Marc Forgione be a formidable opponent in Kitchen Stadium from now on? Tune in to The Food Network's "Iron Chef" to find out for yourself.

Sources

"The Next Iron Chef" season 3 finale, November 21, 2010, Food Network