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The Hyatt Regency Miami was buzzing with excitement as chefs gathered to give food enthusiasts a heck of a show. MC Kitchen’s Chef Dena Marino took home the Iron Fork Skillet of Excellence last night at the highly anticipated Miami Spice kick-off event. Hosted by James Beard Award-winning Chef Allen Susser, the evening was full of delicious bites, cocktails and a fun atmosphere.

Dena went head-to-head against Chef Eileen Andrade of FINKA Table and Tap. Both chefs brought their absolute best to this epic cooking competition. What made this competition interesting is that both chefs focus on completely different cooking styles. The competition was judged by Chef Jamie DeRosa of Tongue & Cheek & soon-to-open Izzy’s Fish & Oyster, Chef Adrianne Calvo of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaruant and Wine Bar, Daniel Serfer of Blue Collar and Mignonette and Ralph Pagano of Naked Taco and Naked Lunch. Chef Andrade’s duck breast dish was a pleaser, but Chef Dena’s Angry Shrimp with Caviar took home the Fork. Maybe it was the mystery ingredient, bacon fat, courtesy of Miami Smokers that did it!

Did you catch the Shuck It competition before the main event? Chefs from Mignonette, J & G Grill, Lure Fishbar, Oceanaire Seafood Room shucked their hearts out to see how many oysters they can open within a set time limit. Mignonette’s Lisa Chadwick took home that win, shucking a dozen oysters in an impressive 1 minute and 36 seconds!

Overall, Iron Fork 2015 was a fantastic experience. More than 50 Miami restaurants served delicious bites and cocktails as our powerhouse of female chefs took home wins. This was an excellent way to kick off Miami Spice!