A Naperville chef has represented the city on national television. Alonso Beckford, chef for The Matrix Room and Meg’s Lounge at The Matrix Club, competed on the newest season of the Food Network show “Chopped.”
Cooking up inspiration from family
“It was a great experience, definitely a lot of stress,” said Beckford, whose passion for cooking started when he was just five years old, taking inspiration from two influential women in his life.
“My godmother was the first person to sit down and teach me how to read recipes and we baked a cake together,” he said. “I used to watch [my grandmother]. She had her own gardens. She used to pick her own vegetables. Every time I went over there, she was always cooking.”
He would go on to culinary school in Miami and has cooked professionally for restaurants all over the country. He came to Naperville two years ago to be the chef for The Matrix Room and Meg’s Lounge, which is open six days a week.
Casting for “Chopped”
When Beckford saw a casting call for chefs to be on “Chopped,” he got fired up at the opportunity.
“I just took a chance. I wanted to see where it’d get me and I got a reply back, saw the interview process, which took about six months,” said Beckford. “I was happy they liked me and asked me to be on the show.”
In October, he flew to New York City for production. Beckford and three other contestants competed to cook up the best dishes they could using several surprise ingredients for a panel of judges.
“Judges were great. I had a great time, [but] definitely brutal,” said Beckford. “I met some very talented people from across America. It definitely humbles you a lot!”
This season’s twist
Folding into the mix was this season’s newest twist, “Name Your Price,” in which the contestants start with $10,000 and have a bidding war for a fourth item to use, with the remaining cash being prize money for the winner.
“That really threw a big curveball into the situation and made it interesting,” said Beckford.
Friends and family gather for a watch party
The Matrix Club hosted a watch party Tuesday night for the debut of Beckford’s episode inside The Matrix Room and Meg’s Lounge. Ultimately the judges put Beckford on the chopping block after the second round, the entrée, but friends and colleagues say they were proud of him for having the courage to take the national spotlight. Beckford himself says he was grateful for the opportunity and hopes to make more television appearances in the near future.
If you have a story idea, we want to hear from you!
