Orioles' Executive Chef To Appear On The Food Network's 'Chopped'
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- The Orioles aren't the only stars shining in prime time. So is the head chef at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Jessica Kartalija explains he's taking his cooking talents to the hit Food Network Show Chopped.
The Orioles are hot, and so is the food--literally and figuratively. Now the man behind everything you eat at Camden Yards is making his debut on the hit Food Network show Chopped.
"Lot of action, a lot of fast pace. We all move around fast. We work very well together. It's not your typical Chopped where everyone is at each others throats," said Josh Distenfeld, executive chef at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
The special baseball edition of the show, called "Big Hitters," features executive chefs from Delaware North. In addition to Distenfeld, competitors are coming from Busch Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals, Great American Ballpark for the Cincinnati Reds and Globe Life Park for the Texas Rangers.
"We know each other well. We're family. It's kind of a different episode. It's really cool," Distenfeld said.
Until the show airs, Distenfeld is sworn to secrecy as to what happens on the show. We do know that each chef is given a basket of ingredients filled with game day foods and it's up to them to create something spectacular.
But chef already has plenty to be proud of.
"We have probably some of the best food in the bigs. I mean, year in, year out, we're always top five, if not number one. This year, we were rated best hot dog in all the big leagues. And that was out of 60 ballparks, major and minor," Distenfeld said.
Chef says ballpark vendors do well because they serve what the fans want.
"We do local. We understand local, we do what we like, our people know what they like and we stick true to that," he said.
The special edition of Chopped airs Wednesday at 8 p.m. on Food Network.
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