Vitaly Paley Defeats Iron Chef Jose Garces in Battle Radish

Last night on Iron Chef America, Vitaly Paley (of NW stalwart Paley's Place) took on Iron Chef Jose Garces, and the closely-guarded secret ingredient? Radish. Noting that he grew up in the former Soviet Union, Paley said on-camera that he felt "very comfortable around radishes... I feel right at home." And so, Paley proceeded to lay the smackdown in Kitchen Stadium.

With his dream team of current Paley's chef de cuisine Patrick McKee and six-year Paley's veteran Ben Bettinger (currently chef at Beaker and Flask), Paley churned out the following mandated-five-course menu: A four-part appetizer selection featuring preparations like kimchi-style daikon salad with tuna belly, and a refreshing radish sorbet (judge Karine Bakhoum called the latter a "stroke of genius"); gnocchi made with radish greens and served with glazed radishes; poached halibut with radish pesto; a horseradish-and-greens stuffed pork tenderloin wrapped in bacon; and a watermelon radish tarte tatin, stuffed with creme fraiche. In the end, Paley spanked Garces in the taste column, ultimately winning by a score of 51-46.

For video of the dishes and verdict, click through to Eater National (bonus points for the Chairman .gif). Paley will offer some of the featured Iron Chef dishes a la carte throughout this week (with a select few also making appearances throughout the month); for those looking for the complete experience, a tasting menu is available upon request. Congrats, Vitaly! Way to represent.
· Paley's Place [Official site]
· All Previous Paley's Place Coverage [Eater PDX]