Cimarusti, you the man!
I'm sure the local blogosphere will be all atwitter about this soon enough, but let me be the first (namely, because I have wicked insomnia right now) to give Chef Michael Cimarusti of Providence a big e-shoutout for his win on Iron Chef America this past Sunday.
Granted, the episode was probably taped months ago, but the victory must still taste sweet now that everyone's in on it. Even sweeter still: Cimarusti handily beat the formidable sushi master Morimoto in a fish contest.
Winning in Kitchen Stadium is no easy task, especially considering that ICA is rigged. (No, no. I don't mean the-mob-break-your-kneecaps variety as much as the setup is more like the wink-wink-we-all-know-who's-best predetermination that you see in, say, Olympic figure skating.) So, if a challenger manages to outperform one of the snazzy blue coats, then you know s/he really impressed the collective pants off the judges.
Despite all the insipid chicanery (when did the Nephew-to-the-Chairman start needing knife-swishing sound effects to accompany his movements?), I can't turn away from the pure, nitty-gritty display of technique—which Cimarusti showed off in spades, beautifully scoring squid, blazing through a fine dice of carrots and scallions as if he still did his own mise en place every night, even having to fish out the live ingredient from a gigantic tank. Of course, his team (which included Providence's pastry chef Adrian Vasquez) rocked the house too.
But what really sealed the deal was Cimarusti's ability to rise above all the silliness, matching the N-to-the-C's comical gravitas and excessively deferential bowing with an iron-will handshake.
That totally cracked me up! Because the dude ain't fo'real. (Seriously, IMDB Mark Dacascos and you'll see his non-relations to the original Chairman.) Lest you think he was straight disrespecting or something, Cimarusti walked over to Morimoto's crew and gave them "proper" respects.
Cimarusti, you the man! Thanks for representing L.A.—that was a long dry spell since Neal Fraser showed 'em who's hog boss. Now when are we invited for the Iron Chef prix fixe dinner at Providence?**
—Jiyeon Yoo
If you missed it because you actually had holiday weekend plans, Food Network is replaying the episode throughout the week.
**Update: Well, that was quick. The winning dishes from Battle Blackfish will be offered at Providence as specials throughout July. See y'all there—I'll race you for that first course of blackfish tartare. Heck, they all looked good!
