Dish By NoVA Chef Wins Masters Of Fire​​ National Grilling Competition

VIENNA, VA — A dish prepared by the D.C.-area restaurateur and chef behind the fast-casual taqueria chain Taco Bamba won the chef's choice award Saturday night at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Florida.

Chef Victor Albisu won the award for his charred honey lamb ribs with chimi-chermoula and smoked oyster BBQ sauce, which he prepared and served as part of the Masters Of Fire national grill competition hosted by Chef Tyler Florence of the Food Network.

This isn’t Albisu’s first win at SOBEWFF. In 2020, his beef ribs won the Beach BBQ competition, a grill-off similar to Masters Of Fire.

Albisu’s winning dish, which was chosen by his peers, the 28 competing chefs, as the best of the best, will be served at the Electric Bull steakhouse. The restaurant is slated to open at 176 Maple Ave. West in Vienna this spring.

"Along with Albisu, the South American-style steakhouse and butcher shop will be led by his partner, chef Justin Severino, and executive chef, Adam Hoffa," according to a release. "Severino, a master butcher and charcuterie maker, is also the chef/founder of Morcilla in Pittsburgh. Hoffa, who was named Best Chef 2025 by Arlington Magazine, was most recently the executive chef of Pirouette Cafe & Wine Bar in Arlington."

Electric Bull will be a full-service steakhouse, starting with a raw bar serving crudos, ceviches, carpaccios, and tartares. Oysters will be available raw or grilled. Bread service includes the option for the Argentine specialty fugazetta pizza with caramelized onions and mozzarella. Eggs are on the menu all day in the form of omelets, scrambles, fried egg platters, and steak and eggs, with additions like caviar and truffles.

Electric Bull will be three doors down from Taco Bamba. Albisu was a former award-winning chef of BLT Steak and owner of the former Argentine grill Del Campo. He now owns 15 Taco Bamba locations in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, North Carolina, and Tennessee.

Albisu has been honored as chef of the year by the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington in 2015 and received James Beard Foundation nominations for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic in 2016 and 2020.

In 2015, his steak and eggs signature dish beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network. He has worked on global culinary relief efforts, including with CARE and as a founding board member for World Central Kitchen. Albisu is a co-founder of Smile on the World, a nonprofit group of chefs and doctors providing aid and medical care to communities in need, and co-led relief trips to Peru and Mexico. He is also part of the Department of State and James Beard Foundation's American Culinary Corp and has been a guest chef on Telemundo’s Top Chef Estrellas and the FOX TV series Hell’s Kitchen.

Also See ...

• Taco Bamba Chef To Open Electric Bull, A Steakhouse, In Vienna
• New Taco Bamba Location Coming To Fair Lakes Promenade Next Fall
• Taco Bamba To Open In Ballston With Free Taco Promotion