Friday, Apr. 11, 2008

Chefs dish it out in Modesto 'Culinary Clash'

Dewz chef takes top honor

Vincent Alvarado of Dewz Restaurant won the Culinary Clash at Modesto Centre Plaza.

The event Thursday night was a fund-raiser for Doctors Medical Center Foundation. The chefs were given an hour to create four dishes using the secret ingredient -- peppers.

Alvarado also was the "people's choice," beating Marco Alvarado of Bacchus Food & Spirits and Scott Pasco of Clayton's restaurant. The Alvarados are not related.

Judges were Bee wine columnist Tom Bender; chef Stanley Dimond, former general manager of Mallard's restaurant; and Irene Angelo, a longtime foodie and cooking instructor.

"I was real thrown off by it," Vincent Alvarado said of the secret ingredient. "But it's a good ingredient."

The key to victory, he said, was his talented staff, and their trio of appetizers: olive oil poached salmon, cherrywood smoked scallops and ahi tuna tartare.