Knife Fight

In the series premiere, The Gorbals in downtown Los Angeles is about to become a battlefield. All-Star British gastropub food master Brendan Collins takes on hyper-competitive Frenchman David Feau for Los Angeles-area bragging rights! The problem is they're only going to have one hour to brainstorm and prepare a five-star meal. Chef and host Ilan Hall is joined by celebrity judges Jeanne Kelley, Eric Wareheim and Bijou Phillips for a classic clash between Britain and France. See what the competitors whip up with special ingredients razor clams and live catfish.

Ray's and Stark Bar executive chef Kris Morningstar battles it out with his friend, "Top Chef" cooking competition veteran, CJ Jacobson of The Mercantile. The chefs must tackle white truffles, kohlrabi and ridgeback shrimp. But will one chef be up to the task when he realizes he's allergic to a main ingredient? Guest judges include Lou Amdur and Bad Religion's Brett Gurewitz.

It's Southern California versus Northern California when Wilshire chef Nyesha Arrington of "Top Chef" takes on James Beard Award nominee, Chris Kobayashi of Artisan Restaurant in Paso Robles. In this battle, the chefs must tackle Hawaiian Kampachi and braised lamb neck. Will this one be too close to call? Judging the culinary experience is actor Elijah Wood and food editor at "LAist" Krista Simmons.

Aussie chef Jordan Toft leaves his restaurant Eveleigh on the Sunset Strip to combat pasta wizard Jason Neroni from Venice, California's Superba Snack Bar! The well-traveled duo brings a worldly flair to host Ilan Hall's awesome special ingredients: Hawaiian bigeye tuna, geoduck clams and acorn squash! The contestants seem confident, but it'll all come down to execution when one hour is put on the clock. See who impresses chefs Octavio Becerra and Eric Greenspan and actor Patrick Fugit in another epic showdown at The Gorbals!

Chef Jason Fullilove's artistic cuisine takes on Brandon Boudet's rustic cooking style in Ilan Hall's kitchen at The Gorbals. Which chef will win the bragging rights--and a cheap little knife? Guests Erika Christensen, Amy Scattergood and Eric Koston will be the judge of that!

Chef Trevor Rocco of Red Hill looks to seek revenge on Umami Burger's John Herndon as they tackle Japanese yams and Maitake mushrooms. It's a bare knuckles boxing version of cooking--that may all come down to the presentation! Guest judges include Lou Amdur and Bill Esparza.

Beverly Hills-based Italian chef Mirko Paderno is very confident in the talents that made his restaurant Oliverio a hit. The Latin owner of Laguna Beach's Broadway, Amar Santana, goes back a long way with host Ilan Hall, so he knows how to compete. Big personalities call for big wagers as these two colossi of the kitchen agree to peel potatoes for a week in their competitor's kitchen if things don't swing their way. But chances are the edge will go to whomever can think fastest when the special ingredients are revealed: Santa Barbara uni, Needlefish and whole cooked pigs' heads. Can the accomplished chefs whip up something in an hour, or is this a recipe for disaster? "LAist" food editor Krista Simmons and actor-foodie Elijah Wood will render the verdict.

Short Order executive chef Christian Page is known for cutting up all his beef on-site for the freshest grass-fed burgers in town. His competition is quick-talking up-and-comer James Trees, who offers an interesting challenge: the victor gets to keep his beard! Chef Trees hopes to keep his foot out of his mouth when the special ingredient is revealed--a whole goat! While that may play to Chef Page's strengths, the toughest part of this equation will be tenderizing the chewy main course. Time will be a premium as they race to offer a unique take on the animal. See who wows judges Octavio Becerra and Eric Greenspan and saves his precious goat-ee.

We have a face-off between a self-taught sorceress and a culinary school golden child in this episode! Brazilian chef Natalia Pereira has built a sterling reputation through her restaurant WoodSpoon in Los Angeles from the humble beginnings of her mother's kitchen. Her competition is cooking battle veteran Phillip Lee, who had a shelf's worth of hardware before he even started running Scratch Bar in Beverly Hills. Chef Lee thinks he has an upper hand when Chef Pereira reveals she's never worked with the special ingredient, foie gras--but don't bet against her instincts! See which contestant makes the most of the time allotted and wins over respected judges Evan Kleiman and Stephane Bombet. Tough crowd.

Los Angeles born-and-raised Jeremy Strubel is SoCal through and through. The neighborhood guy will match up against BierBeisl chef-owner Bernhard Mairinger, whose talents are just as imposing as his six foot seven inch Austrian frame. But their abilities will be tested by probably the most disparate collection of ingredients to date--haggis, chestnuts and jackfruit! Chefs Strubel and Mairinger will need every second of their 60 minutes to plate dishes for judges Lisa Arch and Quinn Hatfield and celebrity timekeeper Jason Lee. The contenders are in their corners. Ring the bell!

We have a grudge match on our hands. Chris Oh of Seoul Sausage Co. and Wes Lieberher of Beer Belly faced off once before in a Korean barbecue contest and there is no love lost between these two fierce competitors. When host Ilan Hall unveils Brussels sprout and beef tongue as the special ingredients, it's Chefs Oh and Lieberher whose tongues won't stop wagging. Chef Oh thinks he has it in the bag until he realizes The Gorbals is missing the tools necessary to make his signature sausage. Will going back to his Korean roots pull him back even, or will he suffer defeat at the hands of Wes Lieberher for a second time? Judges Michael Midgley and David Feau are giants in their field. See which dishes earn their favor!

It's a high-stakes match between chefs and friends Neil Shuman and Tim Abell for the prize of saying "Look mom, I won!" Will Neil's professional culinary training beat out Tim's time spent as a gourmet truck chef? All bets are on as actress Erika Christensen and Amy Scattergood judge their kitchen battle with manila clams and Berkshire pork loin.

Will the competitive spirit of chef Amanda Baumgarten earn her the win against "L.A. Magazine's" 2012 Chef of the Year Micah Wexler? Judges Lisa Arch and Quinn Hatfield will have the final say.

Chef Octavio Becerra goes to bat against chef Ricardo Zarate. Tonight they work with turkey, monkfish liver and spiny lobster. Guests judges Elia Aboumrad and Eddie Lin will taste their concoctions and determine the underground kitchen winner.

"Chopped" champion Bruce Kalman takes on "Top Chef" runner-up Stefan Richter to make two dishes incorporating shibumi and naked cowboy oysters, nasturtiums and quails. Can Kalman's rustic flavors and cool confidence compete with Richter's elegant cuisine and Nordic bravado? Watch these two chefs square off.

It's old school versus new school when veteran chef Jason Travi takes on Zagat's 30 Under 30 chef John-Carlos Kuramoto. Can Travi's New England roots compete with Kuramoto's Japanese and Mexican-influenced upbringing? See what the two chefs come up with using trout roe, acorn fed Berkshire pork loin and wild clovers.

Dustin Trani grew up in his parents' restaurant in San Pedro and Vartan Abgaryan spent his classtime day dreaming of what he'd cook when he got home. These two child prodigies grew up to run the kitchens at DOMA and Cliff's Edge in Los Angeles--but their talents will be tested by the secret ingredients. Lamb belly is extremely difficult to tenderize in 60 minutes and live crawfish are, well, pinchy. See which competitor wows executive chefs Mark Peel and Michael Voltaggio to obtain the ultimate bragging rights.

We don't need Emeril Lagasse in the kitchen to finish off this season with a "bang"! Dear friends and Los Angeles legends Raphael Lunetta and Neal Fraser take their strikingly different personalities into one of our most manic competitions ever. Fraser comes out of the gate plating dishes left and right. Meanwhile, Chef Lunetta has judges Mark Peek, Drew Barrymore and Michael Cimarusti biting their nails as they watch the clock. Will his aged rib eye, abalone and Pacific Ocean trout dishes be done in time? See who's raving when their hour expires!