The rumors are true(ish), and Nate Appleman is indeed going to be one of the ten contestants on the second season of The Next Iron Chef.
Early Friday, the Food Network announced the new cast of hopefuls, and there's a second familiar face too: Dominique Crenn of Luce.
Luce debuted last year and for the most part, has flown under the local radar since then; it received an average review from The San Francisco Chronicle's food critic Michael Bauer, but did make headlines with its Mariani accolades this fall.
Regardless, the show could provide a nice platform for Crenn—and Nate Appleman, for that matter—to strut their stuff, and hey, some people think it might even be watchable. Appelman just left his San Francisco post to cross the country and work in New York.
The ten contestants; pick your pony:
Nate Appleman (Chef/Butcher, New York, NY)
Dominique Crenn (Chef de Cuisine, Luce, San Francisco, CA)
Brad Farmerie (Executive Chef, Double Crown, Madam Geneva, PUBLIC and The Monday Room, New York, NY)
Amanda Freitag (Executive Chef, The Harrison, New York, NY)
Jose Garces (Executive Chef & Owner, Amada, Tinto, Distrito, Chifa, Philadelphia, PA)
Eric Greenspan (Executive Chef & Owner, The Foundry on Melrose, Los Angeles, CA)
Jehangir Mehta (Executive Chef & Owner, Graffiti, New York, NY)
Seamus Mullen (Executive Chef & Partner, Boqueria Flatiron and Boqueria Soho, New York, NY),
Holly Smith (Chef & Owner, Cafe Juanita and Poco Carretto Gelato, Kirkland, WA)
Roberto Treviño (Executive Chef & Owner, Budatai, San Juan, PR)
