Bethenny Frankel is elevating her popular "Chicken Salad Olympics" with a "Professional Chef Edition," formally inviting a host of culinary titans to showcase their skills. The television personality and entrepreneur announced the event in an Instagram video, challenging figures such as Bobby Flay, Martha Stewart, Giada De Laurentiis, Cat Cora, Michael Symon, Scott Conant, Sam Talbot, and Billy Durney.
Frankel, who has gained a following for her social media reviews of chicken salads from delis and markets nationwide, described the competition as a way to inject humor and levity into current events. "In a time of so much stress and sensitivity, placing the utmost importance and severity on something with absolutely no stakes is my sense of humor," Frankel told Page Six.
She specifically called out Bobby Flay, referencing her past appearance on his show "Throwdown!" and urging him to "really throw down." Frankel also humorously suggested Giada De Laurentiis "can say chicken in Italian" and Michael Symon, whose son's donuts she promoted, to "make the donuts."
Within hours of Frankel's announcement, chefs Cat Cora, Sam Talbot, Rocco DiSpirito, and Billy Durney had accepted the challenge in the comments section of her post, with some referring to Frankel as the "Chicken Salad Queen."
Frankel reflected on how her personal interest in chicken salad has evolved into a broader culinary trend. "Chicken salad was a dying delicacy when I first talked about it," she stated. "Now it’s a modernized popular market and deli staple. Heavy is the Chicken Salad Queen title … but someone has to wear it."