The link didn't work for me but I'll watch tonight. We love cioppino & I make it frequently. My recipe is very good but always open for improvements...

Thanks for the heads up.

/tricia

CIOPPINO THROWDOWN
Judges weigh celeb chef's dish vs. Phil's famous stew
By MIKE HALE
Herald Food Writer
Updated: 01/28/2009 01:31:38 AM PST

There's no way an Irishman is going to win a cioppino contest."

Those words of certainty come from my fellow food judge, local TV chef and restaurateur John Pisto, a Sicilian who bleeds marinara and considers the proceedings a personal attack on his heritage.

"We need to reflect impartiality ... some credibility. This isn't just any Irishman," I inform the wild-eyed Italian. "We're talking about Bobby Flay of the Food Network TV host, chef, author, restaurateur. What if the guy makes great cioppino?"

"Michael. He's up against a Sicilian. It's over."

He may have a point, I surmise, but I find it hard to relate to his fierce nationalistic fervor.

We agree on one thing: This is home cookin' for the Sicilian in the red, white and green corner. He's Phil DiGirolamo, owner of Phil's Fish Market in Moss Landing and the center of attention on this October afternoon as the Food Network films "Throwdown with Bobby Flay." Flay, the Irishman from the Big Apple, stands on hostile territory, within short range of the birthplace of cioppino, that iconic fisherman's stew that originated in San Francisco in the late 1800s among Italian immigrants who made their living from the sea.

We're quickly prepped (but no makeup; "It won't really make much difference," we're told  huh?), miked up and led into the restaurant's tiny side room. The partisan crowd erupts with chants of "Phil, Phil, Phil" as we take our seats at the judges' table.

It was already a
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long day. John and I had been held in seclusion, each in our own automobiles, for two hours outside Phil's while a crew of 24 filmed what everyone (including DiGirolamo himself) thought was a one-time documentary-style show called "Catch of the Day."

I knew better. I sat in my car convinced this would be a "Throwdown," the network's top-rated show that pits Flay against iconic cooks from around the country. As a fan of the show, I'm aware of the subterfuge: Unsuspecting cooks are ambushed by the charismatic chef who crashes the festivities and challenges them to a cooking contest  a throwdown.

DiGirolamo was chosen because of his reputation as a personable, fun-loving restaurant owner and fish monger  and the almost cult status that has followed his cioppino. Especially on holidays, fans form a queue outside this idyllic eatery (some carrying their own empty pots) to receive ladlefuls of the stew. DiGirolamo ships buckets of the stuff around the globe.

The lights go up.

"Hi, I'm Mike Hale, food writer for the Monterey Herald."

Pause.

"Can we get a little more enthusiasm?" comes the director's retort. "Show us you're excited to be here."

"I can't wait to eat some cioppino!" I scream, looking to the director for affirmation. "You're going to have to hose me off when I'm done!"

I'm nervous, and grateful that some forward-thinking person gave each judge a large glass of vino. Big swig. Deep breath. Keep the gut sucked in. Let's eat.

Dish A appears  a deep, white bistro bowl full of a tomatoey broth with tips of shellfish poking through the surface. We find black mussels, clams, huge prawns, scallops, cracked Dungeness crab legs, chunks of white fish and tender squid rings. The broth is rustic, very tomato heavy, but with hints of saffron and cinnamon in the background.

We taste, jot down notes, nod, confer and blurt out our opinions to the camera. Pisto, a longtime TV chef on "Monterey's Cookin' Pisto Style," is a natural  calm and composed  while I blank out at times in search of exciting adjectives. Behind us, an anxioius DiGirolamo shuffles his feet while nursing a glass of red wine next to a smiling Flay, who often loses these television challenges with grace and class (defeat actually makes for better television).

Dish B arrives to much less fanfare. The bowl is only half full, and the crab meat has been taken out of the shell for us. The broth is delicate yet perfumed, perfectly balanced and seasoned  more of a bouillabaisse than a stew.

"Dish A is a real Italian portion," Pisto pronounces. "Dish B is more of a white-tablecloth, fine-restaurant cioppino."

Although this is a blind tasting, it's obvious to everyone whose dish belongs to whom.

They give us a few short minutes to make our decision.

There are three judging categories: flavor of the broth, freshness of the fish and authenticity. They film us conferring, whispering to each other.

The flavor of the broth we give to Dish B, obviously Bobby's. Freshness of the seafood goes to the old Monterey fishmonger. The tie will be broken in the category of authenticity. I look John in the eyes.

"Michael," he whispers. "No Irishman is going to win a cioppino contest."

The pressure builds, the room is silent.

"OK, Mike," the director says, "announce the winner in three ... two ... one ..." On TV ·"Throwdown with Bobby Flay" can be seen at 9 tonight on the Food Network (Comcast channel 35). Phil's Fish Market has set up a large screen and will host a "Throwdown" party tonight at the restaurant, 7600 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing. Information: 633-2152.

Is this the episode that features your friend?

Sally

Yes, we've known Phil and Judy for ages. They raise and show Scotties.

I'll be watching! Do you know who won?

Cool, I'll have to watch it or tape it.

Sally

Not a fan of Flay but I'll be watching to check out one of your favorite places. Go Phil!!!

Guy Fieri was at one of the local diners up at the lake a couple of years ago doing his show. It was cool to see one of our little local joints on TV. They made Gourmet for best chicken fried steak on Route 66 the year before.

David

You'll be a fan of Phil's! Yes, we go there almost every week, so it's a thrill to see the local sights on TV.

Phil was too cool! I've never watched this show but will in the future....Flay was cool too.... so I have a different view of him and his personality....he use to get on my nerves big time..LOL! I kept looking for you and Jim in the crowd.....were y'all there for the show?? TFN has been a little boring for me as of late but I'll try and catch this show when time allows. Congrats to Phil!!! It was great seeing your part of the world too!

David

No, we weren't there. Wish we could have been there, but no. The show was filmed in the outside covered patio (with year-round heaters). The shots of Phil on the beach? Directly behind the building, there's a path on the side. They have bluegrass bands a couple of nights a week. We are about 6 miles straight inland from Moss Landing, nothing but a few houses and farm land and Elkhorn Slough between us and the Monterey Bay.

As good as Phil's is, it's not the only joint in that teeny town. The Whole Enchilada with great Mexican seafood, and a real dive of a breakfast place next to it, the more respectable Moss Landing Cafe for breakfasts, and the new Thai place. Plus a slew of antique stores. All surrounded by artichoke fields.

Many of the people who come into the restaurants are marine scientists... there are more than a dozen research institutes in the town, and even Princeton University has office space upstairs from Phil's.

Neat place, we feel blessed.

The show was great fun, I didn't know that Phil could sing so well!

I just finished watching it. It was neat to know somebody that knew somebody. In the past I did not like Bobby Flay, but I like his Throwdown's!
Congratulate Phil!

I only caught parts - Phil seems like a real nice guy. I'll be looking for the rerun.

My wife turned me on to Throwdown quite a while back, and like lakeguy and trixietx it completely changed my view of Bobby. He used to annoy me somehow, but not now.

Would have loved to have seen it. We don't get the same time as you on Food Network Canada but they do run Throwdown on the weekends ( but different shows) so I'll watch for it!

Phil was the perfect type for a throwdown. Plus he can sing. It was obvious that he was going to win with his being more authentic. Loved the show. Have you noticed that Bobby Flay doesn't win many of the throwdowns?

Linda

I didn't get to see it. Phooey. So Phil won? Great! I too disliked Bobby's earlier hubris. I think he's just settled down some. Maybe age. Maybe marriage? He did marry didn't he? But he doesn't often win, but does lose well. Much nicer now. I totally miss Moss Landing. The best crab ever. And seeing the artichoke fields every weekend. That's a great place you have there, enjoy it enough for me.

"Have you noticed that Bobby Flay doesn't win many of the throwdowns?"

It wouldn't be a very nice show if he did, would it? I don't recall which I've seen him win but I do recall him acting real embarrassed about it. He goes against a real traditional fare - meatloaf, pies, eggplant parm, etc. - and puts his own spin on it which will count against him when it comes to authenticity. I think it's by design that he loses.

Actually, when I looked it up, Bobby wins about 25% of the time. It takes something for the other chef to lose graciously!

Rob, are you from around here?

Yes, I spent my early childhood gawking at the gorgeous young men at the Naval Postgraduate school, the Presidio and traveling over the bay bridge to Treasure Island. Daddy was an XO for a Naval Investigators unit.

Carp! I forgot about it and I missed it. Thankfully, Food Network runs a LOT of re-reruns, so I'm sure I can still catch it.

Annie

going back and reading I realized, you may or may not remember I am female. Robin. A girl gawking at guys ;)

LOL! And there is something about those young military men students at the NPS, isn't there? For some reason, they are all handsome, right out of Central Casting. I've never understood how there is such a concentration of handsome men at that school!

LOL Rob(in)

"Not that there's anything wrong with that!" - Seinfeld

I heard Bobby Flay on an interview and he basically said he is pleased he doesn't win most of them. It is much harder to win.

Jo

Is that the one with Dr. Phil? Should be interesting.

How fun. My Dad used go down from the Bay Area,when he worked for Kaiser, to the place with the the big smoke stack in Moss Landing. Not sure what it was called, as it has been so many years ago. We have eaten at your friends place. Living in Idaho now, we always head to Monterey for fresh seafood when we are down. We should stop at your friends place more often, because the places on or near cannery row or the warf are sure not as good as they used to be. Not much better eating than "sopping up" the broth of a good cioppino with some great crunchy sourdough! One of my DGD's is living in Seaside, married to an officer that is attached to the NPS. They just welcomed our newest great-grand baby on January 3 so we will be headed down there, when there is a break in the weather. Glad you posted this, but sorry I missed it. Those shows always repeat, so I will watch for it.

Cathy, just give a holler when you come down, and we'll meet you at Phil's. Yes, it's better than most places at the Wharf. Did you see my note about all the handsome men at NPS? LOL!

The smoke stacks are a PG&E plant, now run by Duke Energy. Right across Highway One from Moss Landing. We live straight down that road at the power plant.

food, I agree. Nothing wrong with it, but it sure put a different spin on it than I intended!

Yep, yep. Just smelling Coppertone brings back memories of that pool dipped bronze god-like men. Where do they get them from? Mmm.