Food Network Hopes Viewers Will Place Their Bets On New Culinary Poker Game ‘Wildcard Kitchen’

EXCLUSIVE: Food Network is placing its bet on a new eight-episode series called Wildcard Kitchen, where fan-favorite chefs put their money where their mouth is during a high-stakes culinary card game. 

In each episode, host Eric Adjepong takes over the test kitchen after hours with an exclusive invitation for three chefs to bring $5,000 to play across three hands of his underground culinary poker game.  The competitors, who all know each other well, have scores to settle and personal stakes to lose as they battle to create dishes based on the cards they are dealt and bet using their own instincts and cold hard cash. 

Chefs competing against each other include Chopped judges Maneet Chauhan, Brian Malarkey and Marc Murphy; Italian cuisine masters Gabriele Bertaccini, Rocco Dispirito and Antonia Lofaso; and best friends Stephanie Izard, Joe Sasto and Justin Sutherland.  Guest judges include Anne Burrell, Esther Choi and Scott Conant.

The luck of the draw determines the dishes and cooking time, while wildcards deal unpredictable challenges into the mix that test the chefs like never before. Wildcard Kitchen premieres March 12 at 9 p.m. ET.

“Wildcard Kitchen makes viewers feel like they are behind-the-scenes for an exclusive late-night poker game with their favorite chefs,” said Betsy Ayala, Head of Content, Food, Warner Bros. Discovery. “The competition and good-natured trash talk is fierce, funny and unlike anything Food Network has offered.”   

Wildcard Kitchen is produced by Lando Entertainment for Food Network.