Local chef to appear on 'Cutthroat Kitchen'

Local chef Mike Florea hosts an occasional cooks' competition at his restaurant, Maribelle's, where local chefs compete against one another using surprise ingredients.

Now, Florea himself will be in a much higher-profile competition. This Sunday he'll appear on Food Network's "Cutthroat Kitchen."

The show, hosted by Alton Brown, is a cooking competition, but also a game show. Contestants have to strategize, sabotage and cook with unreasonable restrictions.

Florea said he went through six months of interviews to be selected as a contestant. Then he spent two intense days filming the show. "It was amazing. I got to meet Sir Alton Brown, some cool chefs and got to see the production that is mainstream television," he said.

He cannot, of course, say whether he won or even what he cooked or how well he did. He did say it was very cutthroat. "I'm excited to see 'the character' they make me into," he said. "Should be a good show of excitement and cutthroating."

It will run for this first time this Sunday at 10 p.m. Florea is in Spain, so he won't be having a viewing party.