Food Network Serves Up First-Ever After-Hours Culinary Poker Game in “Wildcard Kitchen”

All bets are off as Food Network’s test kitchen opens up its doors late night in the new eight-episode series 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. 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. From surf-and-turf with peanut butter to live crab with kimchi, anything can happen in Wildcard Kitchen as mystery guest judges use blind taste tests to determine who walks away the high roller with bragging rights and cash from their fellow chefs. Wildcard Kitchen premieres Tuesday, March 12th @ 9PM ET/PT on Food Network.

“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.”

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.

Viewers wanting more can follow Food Network’s social pages to get Eric’s exclusive late-night guacamole recipe. Plus, fans can check out each judge’s Wildcard food hacks using the trickiest cards from the show. Get more information at FoodNetwork.com/WildcardKitchen and join the conversation using #WildcardKitchen.

Wildcard Kitchen is produced by Lando Entertainment for Food Network.