Local Chef Roy Breiman Kicked Butt on Beat Bobby Flay

Last night's episode of Beat Bobby Flay featured a local competitor, but it might have gotten a bit lost in the shuffle with all the Top Chef shenanigans happening around the same time.

But if you caught the show, you know it featured local chef Roy Breiman, the Cedarbrook Lodge’s Culinary Director. And you know he won.

The episode, Hook, Line & Sinker, first pitted Breiman against chef Vaughn Crenshaw for the chance to battle celebrity chef Bobby Flay. The two chefs crafted a dish using a secret ingredient chosen by Flay: rainbow trout. Breiman felt more confident and familiar with the ingredient than Crenshaw, and his dish ended up being stronger. He then squared off against Flay, choosing the Dutch baby pancake—one of Breiman's specialties—as the signature dish. Breiman's included caramelized apples, vanilla syrup, and fromage blanc with goat cheese, cream cheese, lemon zest, and whipped cream.

Flay seemed really out of his element, and his pancakes weren't as airy and didn't rise as well as Breiman's. After a blind tasting by the judges, chef Breiman's version won.

"It was an honor to have not only the chance to cook against Bobby Flay, but also to beat him with a recipe that I hold so dear to my heart," Breiman said. "I think I had quite the advantage, as this long-time family recipe has gone against some of the most critical critics out there, my family. It was always a special day when we could gather to create this recipe, from picking fresh blueberries to the kids getting flour on their noses as they learned to cook this special treat. I’m excited for the chance to have shared this with the Food Network viewers and soon with guests at Copperleaf Restaurant"

The win adds to Breiman's growing list of accomplishments. He's worked his way through four- and five-star restaurants in San Francisco and New York City, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants in France like La Trois Marche and Restaurant Chantecler. His work at Meadowood Napa Valley earned him inclusion in PBS's list of America's Rising Star Chefs. Esquire Magazine named him a "Chef to Keep Your Eyes On," and Bon Appetit lauded him as one of thirteen "Top Hotel Chefs in America. Breiman moved to the Seattle area in 2003 and has worked at Salish Lodge & Spa, where he was recognized by Condé Nast Traveler Readers Choice Awards as the number #2 dining destination in the USA. Breiman is a member of the James Beard Foundation, sits on the boards of the Chef’s Collaborative and the Puget Sound Regional Food Council, and released a book, "Wine Country Chefs Table," in 2013.