By Marlane White
The Grand Strand's culinary scene is on fire! With over 2,000 restaurants, the area offers international flavor as well as fresh local food and of course ... seafood.
Highlighting some of these restaurants on the big screen is the second season of Chef Swap at The Beach. The show premieres Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. EST on The Cooking Channel.
Visit Myrtle Beach, in partnership with The WorkShop Content Studios, is producing the show. It will showcase an all-new cast of 14 skilled and innovative chefs from the region.
About The Show:
As the name implies, each chef will swap kitchens in an exciting twist to your average cooking show. The chefs show us their true skills when they're taken out of their familiar surroundings and placed in unfamiliar kitchens. They not only have no knowledge of their destination, but are unaware of the dishes they'll be preparing nor the ingredients they'll have at their disposal.
With only 60 minutes on the clock, they must create an impressive dish that will earn them the coveted title of Chef Swap champion as judged by esteemed culinary experts Dylan Foster and Johanna Wilson Jones.
This season’s host is Chef Mason Zeglen, two-time winner of Food Network’s Guy’s Grocery Games, previous contestant on HBO Max’s The Big Brunch and owner of Milk & Honey Coffee Café in Surfside Beach, S.C.
“This series is not only foodie entertainment at its finest, but also a chance to shine a light on these diverse, passionate, dedicated chefs that are helping fuel our community," Zeglen said.
The 14 distinguished chefs competing this season represent the diverse culinary scene of the area, from the North and South Strands to West of the Waterway and the heart of downtown Myrtle Beach. This season’s chefs are:
- Ben Flores, Crafty Rooster
- Casey Blake, Drunken Jack’s
- Dan Sheppard, Inlet Prohibition Company
- Danny Jira, Hop N’ Wich
- Derick Carrozza, Filet’s
- Gabriel Hernandez, Fiesta Mexicana
- Jerrett King, O.A.K. Prime
- Jordan Lazarus, Lekker Eats
- Jonathan Glass, Nonna’s Taste of Italy
- Justin Feasel, Fire & Smoke
- Michael Mammola, Zardin
- Rex McKinney, Dead Dog Saloon
- Terry Flores, Rivertown Bistro
- Vinny Tumminello, Bar 19 Twelve
Seven episodes air weekly until the finale on April 13.
For more on Chef Swap at the Beach, including behind-the-scenes photos, featured restaurants, chef tips and more on the destination’s culinary scene, visit www.ChefSwap.com and follow on Facebook (@chefswapshow), Instagram (@chefswapshow) and TikTok (@chefswapshow).
