Virginia Beach chef tries to ‘Beat Bobby Flay’
Chef Wykle of Aloha Snacks to be featured on show
Maybe it was Chef Wykle’s Virginia blue crab salad with pickled jalapeños and mango.
Or maybe it was his potted duck salad with cured-andsmoked Free Union Farm duck leg confit, mâche, white corn okra chowchow, vidalia onion jam and duck crackling.
Then again, maybe it was his cool-under-pressure while preparing these dishes and quite a few others for 82 folks at the venerable James Beard House dinner in New York City back in 2015.
Whatever it was, it caught the attention of the casting pros at Rock Shrimp Productions. They’re the ones responsible for finding the talent to appear and compete on all the Food Network cooking shows. Jesse Wykle will be on an episode of “Beat Bobby Flay”next week.
First, the casting agents asked if he’d be interested in being a contender on Top Chef. Wykle couldn’t commit to that amount of time away from his family or his restaurant in Virginia Beach, Aloha Snacks.
Then a call came in October 2019 asking if he’d be interested in competing on “Beat Bobby Flay.” Since the time commitment was far less, Wykle jumped at the chance.
He endured the lengthy interview process, which included about 10 recorded live video chats where he was asked questions like, “what makes you special?”
The fact that he was also a musician and wrote a song for Flay that he played on the ukulele could have been what sealed the deal.
Jesse and wife Ashley were flown up to New York the same month as the call. “The city was booming,” Wykle said. “We ate our way around some of the best restaurants. Michelin stars. There was such energy and passion.”
If you haven’t seen the show, it features two chefs competing for the chance to battle Flay himself. The set is a kitchen stadium with a live audience, and the contestants walk out like chef gladiators onto the battlefield.
Wykle competed against the first chef in a round that took 18 minutes. They had no idea what they would be cooking until the mystery ingredient was unveiled. And the dish needed to showcase the ingredient.
The mystery ingredient was cannelloni beans.
So Wykle whipped up a composed salad using his pickling and pureeing expertise. That led to the second round and a battle with Flay.
“This show is usually more about the chefs talking smack to each other. That’s not my style,” Wykle said. He brought his friendly game. And his ukulele.
“I was nervous in the first round. But by the second, I was fine. I even asked one of the three judges for a cold IPA. So we all drank one. And when I played my song, everybody thought it was cool.”
The second round with Flay lasted 45 minutes, but filming lasted from 9 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.
I will not reveal the song he played, nor will I tell you who won.
You’ll have to tune in to the Food Network at 8 p.m. Jan. 21.
Always one to give back to his community, Wykle is selling $10 raffle tickets for prizes that will be given away in an Instagram livestream during the show. All proceeds will raise money for adaptive bikes, which will be awarded through the Noblemen, a charity to help local specialneeds children. Or, if you want to be a big baller for a good cause, you can score a $100 VIP ticket for a sushi dinner and the chance to watch the show live with Wykle from the large covered patio at Aloha Snacks.
“These bikes help specialneeds kids fit in so they can feel like regular kids,” Wykle said. “The Noblemen will match whatever we raise, dollar for dollar. These bikes cost $1,600 each. I hope we can raise enough for three.”
If you miss the initial airing, you can catch it at midnight Jan. 22.