Sappington named Portland's 2009 Original Iron Chef
The Country Cat Team Unseats Reigning Champion in Head to Head Cooking Duel
Portland, OR (May 20, 2009) - And the secret ingredient is�mustard! On May 16th, Adam Sappington, executive chef and owner of The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar, took home the 2009 Original Iron Chef title in Portland's 8th annual competition benefiting the Children's Relief Nursery, a non-profit organization dedicated to child abuse prevention.
"The Original Iron Chef competition is my kind of event," says Sappington. "The cause, friendly competition and the adrenaline rush that comes with cooking in front of an audience - you can't get much better than that."
Sappington, the 2008 People's Choice Award Winner, teamed up with wife and pastry chef Jackie Sappington to go head to head with the 2008 Iron Chef reigning champ David Anderson, executive chef of Vindahlo, and his twin brother Ray Anderson, in the University of Portland's Chiles Center last Saturday. Each top chef team was allotted 40 minutes to devise one dish, gather their ingredients from the different themed tables around kitchen stadium and cook up five plates - one for each judge.
Sappington, a true performer in the kitchen, thrived on the energy of the kitchen stadium and wowed the judges with his stewed leeks in a mustard broth with preserved lemon favette pasta, manila clams and prosciutto cracklings. The 2009 judges included: 2003 & 2004 Iron Chef Leather Storrs of Noble Rot, Personal Chef Emily Crumpacker, Chef Chris Israel of 23 Hoyt and Saucebox, Cole Danehower, Co-Publisher & Editor-In-Chief of Northwest Palate Magazine, and one guest judge.
In 2010, Adam Sappington will return to Kitchen Stadium to face the 2009 People's Choice Award Winner, Executive Chef Andrew Garrett of Caf� Nell.
About The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar:
The Country Cat Dinnerhouse & Bar is a family-friendly, neighborhood restaurant located in Montavilla that serves up down-home fine dining seven days a week. The Country Cat is open for dinner every night from 5 pm to close, and serves weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Committed to supporting local families, kids under ten eat dinner for free on Sundays at The Country Cat. The Country Cat is located at 7937 SE Stark Portland, OR 97215. For more information, please call 503.408.1414 or visit www.thecountrycat.net.
Media Contacts:
Watershed Communications
Lisa Donoughe / 503.827.6564 / lisa@watershedcom.com
Katie Burnett / 503.827.6564 / katie@watershedcom.com
