Home Cook's Chicken Parm Nearly Beats Michelin-Starred Chef

A food writer's creative twist on the classic dish almost won a cooking competition against a renowned Denver chef.

Apr. 14, 2026 at 11:05pm

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A brightly colored, high-contrast silkscreen print of a single, iconic chicken parmesan dish repeated in a tight grid pattern, utilizing flat, vibrant, and unnatural neon color palettes overlapping with heavy black photographic outlines to turn the classic comfort food into modern pop art.A playful pop art interpretation of the chicken parmesan dish that nearly beat a Michelin-starred chef in a Denver cooking competition.Denver Today

In a cooking competition hosted by EatDenver, food writer Molly Martin took on Michelin-starred chef Johnny Curiel in a battle to make the best chicken parmesan. While Curiel put his own spin on the dish, Martin's version featuring a Caesar gremolata topping narrowly lost by just 5 points. The event showcased the culinary talents of both the professional chef and the home cook, with the audience getting to enjoy two delicious takes on the classic Italian-American favorite.

Why it matters

This cooking competition highlights the growing popularity of food-focused events that pit amateur cooks against professional chefs. It also demonstrates how home cooks can sometimes hold their own against culinary experts by putting a creative twist on traditional recipes. The event brought together Denver's food community and celebrated the city's vibrant independent restaurant scene.

The details

For the competition, Martin chose to make chicken parmesan, a dish outside of Curiel's Mexican-focused culinary expertise. Martin brought her partner, a professional chef, as her sous chef, while Curiel partnered with his wife Kasie. The two teams cooked side-by-side at Food Lab's new event space, using ingredients provided by Ben E. Keith. Martin's version featured a Caesar gremolata topping, which helped her nearly beat Curiel's take that was inspired by tri-sauce pizza. In the end, Curiel's dish edged out Martin's by just 5 points, with both teams impressing the judges and the audience.

  • The cooking competition took place on April 13, 2026.
  • Curiel and his wife Kasie opened their first restaurant, Alma Fonda Fina, in December 2023.

The players

Molly Martin

A food writer who participated in the cooking competition against a Michelin-starred chef.

Johnny Curiel

The chef/owner of Fonda Fina Hospitality, a group of acclaimed restaurants in Denver, including Alma Fonda Fina which earned a Michelin star.

Kasie Curiel

The business partner and wife of chef Johnny Curiel, who served as his sous chef for the competition.

Matt Baez

Molly Martin's partner, who is a professional chef and served as her sous chef for the competition.

Kip Wilson

The membership and partnership coordinator for EatDenver, the nonprofit that organized the cooking competition.

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What they’re saying

“Are you perhaps free for a call today? Wanna propose an idea to ya.”

— Kip Wilson, Membership and Partnership Coordinator, EatDenver

“Flip them more often than you think you need to for a more even result.”

— Kelly Whitaker, Chef and Restaurateur

What’s next

The cooking competition was a one-time event, but EatDenver plans to host similar food-focused events in the future to showcase the talents of both professional chefs and home cooks in the Denver area.

The takeaway

This cooking competition demonstrated that home cooks can sometimes hold their own against culinary experts by putting a creative spin on classic dishes. It also highlighted the vibrant independent restaurant scene in Denver and the growing popularity of food-focused events that bring together the local community.