Omnivore - What is the Atlanta Chicken Experiment?

Once upon a time there were two guys who liked to cook. They were pretty good at it and really competitive, which makes sense because both guys were serial cook-off competitors. They were not friends. In fact, they were epic rivals in constant competition. But in the name of "GLORIA CULINARIUS" i.e. culinary glory, New York City cook-off kings Nick Suarez and (Emory alum) Theo Peck joined forces to create the the Food Experiments cook-off tour:
The Experiments are a series of cooking competitions that challenge amateur chefs to create around 300 samples of a dish featuring an “experimental” ingredient or theme. Over twenty Experiments have taken place involving beer, cheese, chocolate, tacos, brunch, Brooklyn roots, holiday and booze themes.

Peck, who now sits on the other side of the judging table, values a competition where everyone has a fair shot at winning. But he thinks the most valuable part of the Experiments is the resulting sense of community. "For some people, it is not about winning. It is about finding a room full of like minded people who love food and more importantly, love to eat!" Peck says. "We usually leave a close knit community in our wake."

Next month, with the help of Brooklyn Brewery, Suarez and Peck will bring their cook-off community to our neck of the woods.

More after the jump