Curtis Stone Reveals Who He'd Like To Compete Against On Iron Chef - Exclusive

Curtis Stone may be one of the newest Iron Chefs to join the chairman's lineup, but he may well be the most enthusiastic of the bunch. Chef Stone is a fierce competitor, as he has already proven on "Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend." He's always ready to do battle in Kitchen Stadium, and he's not afraid to go up against anyone who's willing to face off in the competition, or so he told Mashed.

Speaking exclusively with Chef Stone, we asked him who he'd like to go up against in Kitchen Stadium. Without hesitation, Stone said, "There are so many." He added, "I've got lots of chefs that I admire." For Chef Stone, it seems the truest form of flattery is an invitation for a food fight. While he may be throwing down the gauntlet for any chef who wants to pick it up, we convinced him to narrow down some of his top contenders, and he revealed who he's ready to take on in the "Iron Chef" kitchen.

Curtis Stone wants to meet his food heroes in Kitchen Stadium

There are many ways to answer when asked to name your ultimate challenger in an "Iron Chef" battle. Just ask Curtis Stone. 

"The vain part of me says, 'I want to compete against people I can beat because then I look better,'" he jokingly told Mashed. But on a more serious note, Stone said he wouldn't mind facing off against one of his "food heroes," Grant Achatz. "He's such a creative dude, and he creates such brilliant stuff," said Stone, "but I wonder what he could do in 60 minutes. I would love to cook against him — what an honor."

Another culinarian that Stone is itching to take on is actually one of his fellow Iron Chefs this season. "To be honest, I've always had a crush on Dominique Crenn," Stone admitted. Crenn is a juggernaut of classical French cooking and the only woman in the U.S. to hold three Michelin stars. As Stone put it (rather poetically), Crenn is "the most incredible chef. She cooks the most beautiful food, and she's so soulful and artistic, and she can dance and she can sing and her food's just magic." 

Stone has already had the fortune to team up with Chef Crenn during an epic "Iron Chef" cook-off in the newest season, but he's yet to actually challenge her head-on in a culinary competition. We're holding out for what would surely be one of the toughest "Iron Chef" matchups we can imagine. As for Stone, he's just happy to be in the same kitchen. "To be cooking beside her or against her or whatever, it's a dream come true."

"Iron Chef: Quest for an Iron Legend" is now available to stream on Netflix.