(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams and Food Network executives announced the winner of Washington, DC’s Iron Chef America preliminary competition at Ristorante Tosca on October 5, 2005. Signatures Chef Morou emerged as the winner of  the tight competition which featured three of DC’s top RAMMY Award “Chef of the Year” nominees, including Ristorante Tosca’s Cesare Lanfranconi and 1789’s Ris Lacoste.

Mayor Anthony Williams with Iron Chef Winner Chef Morou and Bruce Seidel of the Food Network

DC’s Office of Motion Picture Television Development will send Chef Morou to New York in January to represent Washington, DC in“Kitchen Stadium,” on the nationally televised Iron Chef America.

Judges visited the three competing chefs at their individual restaurants, where each chef presented a dish prepared with pumpkin as the “secret ingredient." Each chef’s plate was judged on presentation, taste and the creative use of pumpkin. Chef Lanfranconi prepared a stunning presentation of Pumpkin Soup “Cappuccino” with Rabbit Sausage and Amaretto, Grandma’s Pumpkin Gnocchi with Truffled Fontina Cheese Sauce, and Strudel Tosca with Pumpkin, Apples, Pinenuts and Chestnut Croccante Cream. Chef Lacoste wowed judges with her Pumpkin Ravioli with Lobster and Fall Mushrooms. But Chef Morou ultimately won out with his creative tribute to New Orleans:  A Black Eyed Pea and Pumpkin Beignet, plated as a Small Tree with Caviar “Soil”, Pumpkin Sour Cream and a special tea made with Lobster, and of course, pumpkin.

The judges for the competition included: Mayor Williams; Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Stanley Jackson; Bruce Seidel, Vice President, Program Planning for Food Network; Susan Stockton, Vice President, Culinary Production for Food Network; Marge Francese, Office of Council member Sharon Ambrose; and Executive Producers,  Steve Kroopnick and Eytan Keller from Triage Entertainment. Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington Executive Director Lynne Breaux participated in the tasting but did not serve as a judge.

Sponsors of Washington, DC’s Iron Chef America Preliminary Competition included the DC Office of Motion Picture Television Development, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington and Hisaoka Public Relations.

Food Network continues to be one of the most watched cable stations throughout the United States. Their hit series Iron Chef America is based on the format of the Japanese sensation, and carries on the legend of Kitchen Stadium and the famed "secret ingredient." Each week, world-class chefs battle the legendary Iron Chefs of America: Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Masaham Morimoto. Alton Brown serves as commentator and Mark Dacascos is chairman.