Bicyclette Cookshop Executive Chef Kayla Pfeiffer of Naples won the “Chopped” championship on the Food Network’s season finale show that first aired Tuesday night. The local chef watched the final episode with her staff and guests at her new restaurant, Bicyclette Cookshop, in The Pavilion shopping center on the northwest corner of Vanderbilt Beach Road and U.S. 41 in North Naples.
“I am overwhelmed with gratitude and excitement,” Pfeiffer said. “This journey has been one of the most intense culinary challenges I’ve ever faced. Each basket was a mystery, each round a battle against time and creativity. Winning this competition is a testament to the long hours of training, the sacrifices made and the support of my loved ones.”
Pfeiffer and her three chef competitors had 15 minutes to figure out what to do with diverse ingredients, such as alligator hearts and marshmallow and prepare them in a way that would appeal to the show’s three-member judging panel, which included Iron Chef Esther Choi of Mökbar, a Korean eatery in New York City.
Pfeiffer is used to turning heads with her culinary creations, pairing caviar with Bugles corn snacks at Bicyclette Cookshop, a New American restaurant she launched in September as executive chef and co-owner. Every dish and detail reflects Pfeiffer’s distinctive style and culinary commitment at Bicyclette, named by Gulfshore Life as one of Southwest Florida’s best new restaurants in 2023.
Pfeiffer, 28, had executive chef positions at The French and Bar Tulia Mercato before partnering with Paul Fleming Restaurants to create a new coastal Chinese concept, PJK Chinese, which opened in downtown Naples in early 2023. She then teamed up with Louie Mele, an industry veteran and longtime mentor, to reimagine his Fit & Fuel Cafe, which they renamed and reopened as Bicyclette Cookshop last fall.
A native of Greenwich, Connecticut, Pfeiffer found herself helping out at her family’s restaurants before she was even old enough to reach over the bar. After attending the prestigious Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York, Pfeiffer worked under several Michelin-starred chefs, including Andrew Carmellini and Terrance Brennan, before moving to South Florida in 2015.
