Seattle's next Iron Chef?

Sabrina Tinsley making gnocchi

Sabrina Tinsley isn't as well known as, say Tom Douglas, the only Seattle chef (so far) to have won a round, against Masahara Morimoto, on Iron Chef America. (Tamara Murphy of Brasa lost narrowly to Mario Batali.) But tomorrow, in a show taped last June, Tinsley goes head-to-head against Bobby Flay. The secret ingredient: fresh beans.

Tinsley runs the kitchen at Osteria La Spiga on Seattle's Capitol Hill. Essentially self-trained, she lived in Italy for five years with her husband, Pietro Borghese, absorbing the flavors and culture of its regions and people. They settled in Seattle ten years ago.

When the call came, out of the blue, inviting Tinsley to compete on Iron Chef, it was a complete surprise. She and Pietro flew to New York, along with two sous-chefs, for the preparation and taping. The two months leading up to the contest were stressful, but once the clock started (a real-time, 60-minute smackdown), Tinsley was in her element. "Poor Pietro, sitting in the audience, was tearing his hair out."

The restaurant is, naturally, hosting an Iron Chef viewing party on Sunday, and will replay the show (with Tinsley repeating items from the menu) four more times in January. The decision of the judges (food critic Jeffrey Steingarten, TV personality Jenna Wolfe, restaurateur Joe Bastianich) is almost unimportant; the publicity is what counts. "It was an awesome experience," Tinsley says.