Salt Lake City chef beats Bobby Flay with chile relleno win

Driving the news: The "Beat Bobby Flay" episode — "Is It Getting Chile in Here?" — aired last Thursday.

Catch up quick: Zocco, a two-time James Beard Award nominee, told Axios the toughest part was inventing standout dishes under the clock — and ignoring noisy judges.

• Zocco said a show recruiter contacted him in January. He filmed in New York soon after, giving him less than a week to prep.
• The morning of the show's taping, Zocco said he confidently turned to his wife and said: "I'm winning this competition."

Spoiler alert: Zocco won the competition's first round against Austin-based cook Stefanie Torres with his pork albondigas.

• In the end, Zocco blew away judges with his signature dish — lump crab chile relleno with black bean and New Mexico red chile sauce — defeating Flay's chorizo version.

Flashback: It wasn't Zocco's first interaction with Flay. Zocco formerly worked as a sous chef for Flay's Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, which gave him an advantage.

• "I came up with something that wasn't necessarily traditional, but I know the flavor profiles were there and I didn't follow suit to what Bobby's style was," he noted on what tipped the scales to his victory.
• Zocco noted the show's competitive nature reflected the constant demands he faces in the kitchen.

The bottom line: Zocco's win — and Pretty Bird's Viet Pham's before him — signals Utah's rising profile in national culinary circles.