America's 'hottest chef' is right here in Milwaukie

By Mary Loos, KATU News and KATU.com Staff Published: Feb 20, 2013 at 1:39 PM PDT Last Updated: Apr 26, 2013 at 1:42 PM PDT
America's 'hottest chef' is right here in Milwaukie »Play Video

MILWAUKIE, Ore. -- Step aside, Channing Tatum.

There’s a new hot guy of America and it’s Milwaukie’s own chef Pascal Sauton. The chef was crowned “hottest chef of 2013” on Wednesday by Eater, a national food blog.

The coveted title was decided from thousands of votes of chefs from more than a dozen major U.S. cities.

Sauton, the chef of Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine, was chosen as the sexiest based on a hilarious photo of him posing in a kitchen holding a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. He’s wearing an unbuttoned chef’s coat.

Sauton told KATU he was surprised by the popularity of his photo.

 "I had no idea this was gonna go so big. I just wanted to make fun of it and just let it go," he said. "And then I won the Portland contest. So I was like, 'whoa. People really have a sense of humor and they're embracing it.'"

Sauton said he believes it was the humor that won him the title.

"Don't take life too seriously," he said. "There's always a good time to have with, you know, pretty much anything, and surround yourself with good people."

The designation has already given Sauton a boost in business, he said.

It should get even busier later this week. The hunky chef will be serving complimentary Pabst Blue Ribbon-inspired cheese soup between noon and 4 p.m. Friday.

Milwaukie Kitchen & Wine has been opened a little more than a year. Dinner service started a few months ago.

We’ve kept the best detail for last: Ladies, he’s single.