Sonoma County’s craze for food-related reality TV continues, with another local chef being featured on the Food Network this week.
Chef Chris Ricketts of the Raise Away Club at the Flamingo Resort in Santa Rosa will appear on Tuesday’s special drag brunch-themed episode of “Chopped,” airing locally at 5 p.m.
“I’m so excited to be on an episode of Drag Brunch,” Ricketts said. “It’s something that they’re promoting and I’m happy to be a part of.”
The special Pride-themed competition pits Ricketts against three other chefs and restaurateurs from Seattle, Nashville and Louisville, Kentucky, whose restaurants have hosted drag brunches, which have become increasingly popular in recent years.
Hosted by Ted Allen, “Chopped” gives contestants 30 minutes to choose ingredients and create a dish. Problem is, some of the ingredients are a little unusual. In this episode, the chefs were tasked with making a peanut butter and jelly pancake appetizer and incorporating a rainbow-themed dessert into their main dish.
“There were definitely moments of panic, like, ‘Oh my God, what do I do about this,'” said Ricketts, who filmed the episode a few months ago at Food Network studios in Brooklyn, New York. Though the chef had participated in mystery basket competitions before, this was his first time competing in this type of competition in front of the cameras, and he called the experience “nervous.”
The Flamingo launched its popular monthly drag brunch in late 2022, shortly after Ricketts became the resort’s executive chef, so he’s been integral to the culinary direction from the start, including the decision to serve the brunch family-style.
“The main reason for doing that is that it reduces the total number of plates that go away. The last thing we want to do is distract the queens from service. The show is the star. The food should enhance the show, not take away from it,” he said, noting that one of the most popular dishes is French toast casserole.
Ricketts said serving families made sense because brunch tends to draw larger groups — he’s had people mention the event at neighborhood barbecues and the whole neighborhood showed up.
Instead of throwing a viewing party, Ricketts opted to watch the TV debut quietly at home with his wife and young daughter.
“It’s already nerve-wracking to be on TV, and on top of that you don’t have to actually be there and have people around,” he said.
In addition to Ricketts’ starring role on “Chopped,” pastry chef Dominique Miller, a Santa Rosa resident, is currently competing on Food Network’s “Summer Baking Championship,” and Andrew Whiting, a Santa Rosa resident and founder of the hot sauce line Hot Drops, is a contestant on Fox’s “Gordon Ramsay’s Food Stars.”
In addition to the 5pm broadcast, the “Chopped” episode will also be re-aired at midnight and 10am on Tuesday, June 18th.
Contact staff writer Jennifer Graue at 707-521-5262 or jennifer.graue@pressdemocrat.com. X (On Twitter): @JenInOz.
