Friday, December 21, 2012

ATC Interview with Danyele McPherson, continued

ATC:  This is Laura Kluvo from All Top Chef and I'm on the phone with Danyele McPherson.  Hi Danyele!

DM:  Hello.

ATC:  Have you watched the previous seasons of the show?

DM:  I have watched a few.  I did not watch all of them, I actually just got cable.

ATC:  Did you think it was fair to bring back chefs from previous seasons?

DM:  I did recognize the chefs that were brought back.  At first I thought they had an advantage, but after a couple of challenges I realized that they really didn't know what was going to happen.  They were in the same boat as the rest of us.

ATC:  Did you watch last night's episode?

DM:  I did.

ATC:  It seemed that you never got any momentum going.  Was it nerves?

DM:  I never imagined myself on any TV show.  My nature is to be a planner, a lister.  That is how my life works.  But that doesn't work on Top Chef.  On the show, we have to sort of cook on the fly - that's what makes it fun to watch.  So I was a little out of my element.

ATC:  If you could go back, is there anything that you would do differently?

DM:  I feel like at the Last Chance Kitchen, I was finally myself.  I should have had more fun, and just been myself.

ATC:  Who are your best friends from the cast?

DM:  Eliza, Crissy, Tyler, Bart.

ATC:  Which was your favorite challenge?

DM:  I really liked the Reynolds Wrap challenge.  There have been challenges where some chefs will have an advantage.  I felt like for this challenge, the playing field was even.  So that was the most fun.

ATC:  Tell us about your restaurant.  Are you still at The Grape?

DM:  Yes.  When I started the show, I was a sous chef and now I have been promoted to Chef de Cuisine.  It's just a great place to work.  I returned from the show with a real appreciation for the people who I work with.  It's like a family.  We are celebrating our 40th anniversary and there are people who have been working there for 17 years.  I really love it there.  It's a Texas institution.

ATC:  What is the most popular item on the menu?

DM:  Well we change the menu every month, so it's kind of hard to say.  There are a few "bistro classics" that we keep.  A lot of people order the steak frites.  I would say this month the most popular is probably the redfish.  We are doing the redfish with over a cornbread puree and some ridiculous spicy collard greens with house made bacon-onion jam.  That's probably the most popular item.


ATC:  Danyele, we are almost out of time, is there anything else that you would like to say to your fans?

DM:  Yes, thanks everyone who has supported me.  It doesn't have to be the end for me, please
vote to save me, and get me back in the game.

ATC:  Thanks Danyele!

DM:  Thank you!

Thursday, December 13, 2012

All Top Chef Interview with Eliza Gavin, Continued

This is Laura Kluvo from All Top Chef and I'm on the phone with Chef Eliza Gavin.  Hi Eliza!

EG:  Hi Laura.

ATC:  Did you watch the previous seasons of the show?

EG:  I did sporadically. Season Two and Season Six religiously, but having my own restaurant and a family does not leave a lot of time for TV.

ATC:  Tell us about your family.

EG:  I am very fortunate to have a wonderful and supportive husband as well as a three-and-a-half year old son who is a great skier, great golfer, and an awesome kid.  While I was in Seattle, I wrote him a letter every day.

ATC:  Wait.  Can he read?

EG:  No.  Not yet!

ATC:  What did you do to prepare for the competition?

EG:  I looked at past seasons and thought about what I would do for those challenges, both the Quickfire and the elimination challenges.  I tested new recipes at the restaurant.  I worked on presentation.  I memorized recipes and ratios.  I did everything I could think of, I reviewed my own cookbooks.  There were a lot of notecards involved.  But honestly, there is really no way to prepare for this experience.  It didn't help!

ATC:  Did you watch last night's episode?

EG:  Yes I did.

ATC:  Was there anything that surprised you as you watched?

EG:  Let's see..I was surprised that they were so hard on Lizzie.  I tasted her dish and it was really good, so that surprised me.  Lizzie, Micah and I were way over in the corner, so we didn't see many of the other dishes.

ATC:  If you could go back, would you do anything differently in this challenge?

EG:  With the carrots, I was just trying to add some color to the plate - a little sweetness.  In retrospect I would do something like a watercress salad with maybe some Washington apples for a little tartness.  I still would have sliced the elk.  That was definitely the right way to serve it.  No question in my mind.  I might have done something different with the sausage.

ATC:  Who is your best friend from the cast?

EG:  Lizzie and I were roommates for a while.  She is great.  Once I got to the elim house I became close with Chrissy Camba.  We played a lot of tennis - and Tyler is a fellow Coloradan so we connected too.

ATC:  Tell us about your restaurant.

EG:  I have a small bistro in Telluride Colorado.  Beautiful Telluride.  We have 50 seats.  We do modern bistro cuisine so it is simple food served in an intimate atmosphere.  We have an incredible staff and wonderful support here in Telluride.

ATC:  Are you open year round?

EG:  No, we close in the spring and the fall.

ATC:  What is the most popular item on your menu?

EG:  Probably my sausage plate.  There are five different kinds of sausage on it.

ATC:  Yum.  Sounds like low-carb too.

EG:  Yeah.

ATC:   What are you working on now?

EG:  Right now we have just opened for the season so we are working on getting everyone trained - We have some new employees - and putting out the best possible food.

ATC:  Have you become a local celebrity?

EG:  You know, it is such a small town, I think half the town already knew me.  Everyone has been very supportive and wished me lots of good luck.  On Tuesday, the mayor issued me a proclamation, so that was really fun.  It was nice.

ATC:  Chef Eliza, we are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

EG:  Top Chef, although it was a challenging experience, I had a great time.  I met a lot of talented chefs.  It has opened a lot of doors for me.   I am doing more stages, including with Kelly Liken.  I am proud to have been a part of it.  Thank you to all of my fans.

Click here to save your favorite chef.

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

All Top Chef Interview with CJ Jacobson, Continued

ATC:  This is Laura Kluvo from All Top Chef and I'm on the phone with CJ Jacobson.  Hi CJ.

CJ:  Hi Laura.

ATC:  How did you learn about the opportunity to return to Top Chef?

CJ:  I was actually cooking for a client in Seattle and I heard rumors from different people that they had been asked to return to the show and I thought, "Hmmmmm I wish they would ask me..." Sure enough they did.  I basically returned home, packed, and came right back to Seattle.

ATC:  How did this experience compare to season 3?

CJ:  This experience compared in many ways.  I figured that since I had already been on, that I would not be caught up in all of the drama, but honestly it was exactly the same.

In terms of production after seven seasons, it was much tighter.  No more eight hours in the stew room. I was happy that the challenges were more culinarily-driven rather than like skeet shooting like last season.

ATC:  Please fill us in on what you have been doing since we last saw you in season 3.

CJ:  I had the opportunity to work at a gastropub in Santa Monica called The Yard.  I was there for three years.  I kind of got tired of that and wanted to learn to become a better chef, so I got an apprenticeship at Noma - voted the best restaurant in the world for three years in a row.    It was exactly what I was looking for.  I was there for three and a half months.

After that I had a lot of opportunities.  Right now I am consulting for three different restaurants in Los Angeles - The Bowery on Sunset, Rosewood Tavern on Fairfax.  I am currently working at The Mercantile.

In about a month and a half, I will be opening a place called Girasol which will be very seasonal, very farmer's market-driven stuff.  My version of California food.

ATC:  What is the best thing that has happened to you as a result of your appearance on Top Chef?

CJ:  Honestly, my favorite thing...I was on the show in LA called Jonesy's Jukebox with Steve Jones from The Sex Pistols.

ATC:  Have you watched all of the seasons of the show?

CJ:  No.  I watched the Voltaggio season pretty thoroughly.  I have probably seen about five episodes of each season.

ATC:  Did you watch last night's episode?

CJ:  I did indeed.  I watched with Stefan and Brooke.

ATC:  Was there anything that surprised you as you watched?

CJ:  One thing - I was sitting with Brooke and she was concerned that she would be shown crying with another guy and she was sitting and watching with her husband - but they only showed that in the preview.... so she was lucky...

I was not at all surprised by my critique, my stupid arrogant critique...

ATC:  If you could go back, is there anything that you would do differently?

CJ:  Absolutely.  I was too confident this time.  It might have clouded my judgment.  In hindsight, of course, the sous vide lamb was a big mistake.  Also I had about 20 different dishes that I could have done with pickles.  I just went with something that Tyler and I could execute well.  I could have something much more creative with the pickles.

ATC:  What do you like to do in your spare time?

CJ:  I love to work out.  I try to go to the gym five days a week.  That pretty much takes care of all of my spare time.  Honestly it's all about food.  In my spare time I keep cooking and developing new dishes.  I read cookbooks....

Ummm... I like shoes.

ATC:  We watched Last Chance Kitchen and saw that you both survived.  Hopefully we will see more from you at the end of the season.

CJ:  Stay tuned.

ATC:  Chef CJ, we are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

CJ:  I would like to say that I appreciate all of my fans.  Please follow me on twitter and Facebook and watch what happens.


Thursday, December 6, 2012

All Top Chef Interview with Tyler Wiard, Continued

ATC:  This is Laura Kluvo from All Top Chef and I'm on the phone with Tyler Wiard.  Hi Tyler.

TW:  Hello.

ATC:  Did you watch last night's episode?

TW:  I did.

ATC:  Was there anything that surprised you?

TW:  To be honest with you, probably not.  It was just as I remembered.

ATC:  If you could go back, is there anything that you would do differently?

TW:  I've had a long time to think about this one and No, I don't have any regrets.  I have friends who have said that we should have gone with the chowder instead of the pork burger, but it's like Vegas you know?  You can't go back, you have to play the hand that you are dealt.

ATC:  You were in the top four for the previous challenge and it seemed like you had some creative ideas for this challenge.  Did CJ listen to your ideas at all?

TW:  His energy and his confidence about the pork burger were so positive that I just said, "Okay, let's do it."

ATC:  Did you watch the previous seasons of Top Chef?

TW:  Some of them, not all.

ATC:  Did you recognize CJ and the other returning chefs?

TW:  Absolutely.  I recognized CJ, Josie and Stefan.

ATC:  Do you think it was fair to bring back chefs from previous seasons?

TW:  Fair or not fair, it doesn't matter.  This is Top Chef.  There are going to be twists and turns and unexpected events.  Honestly I loved it.  I was like, "Okay, this is fun.  This is different and I get to be a part of it."

ATC:  Who is your best friend from the cast?

TW:  Eliza Gavin and CJ.  Especially Eliza.  We both live in Colorado and it is just nice to have someone from my state to talk to.

ATC:  Tell us about Elway's.

TW:  Elway's is a steak house.  No two ways about it.  That is the brand.  We don't consider ourselves to be the typical classic steak house though.  We certainly will give you a great steak, asparagus and a shrimp cocktail but we also have some very innovative side dishes that are not only seasonal and local but you will see that these items are much more creative than the typical steak house.

ATC:  What is the most popular item on your menu?

TW:  To be honest, it is the 8-oz filet.  It has been the favorite for a long time.  People still enjoy red meat and it is a prime piece of steak.  Also, you want to save room for our delicious sides.

ATC:  In addition to cooking, what are your other interests?

TW:  I really enjoy being a father.  My daughter Liliana, is 22 months.  I consider myself to be an "old dad" but I am enjoying the rewards of fatherhood.  There is nothing better.

ATC:  Chef Tyler, we are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

TW:  I definitely want to thank all of my friends, my family, my fans and the fellow chefs who have supported me.  Thank you for all of the positive feedback - not only in my career but also in my personal life.  Thank you all.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

All Top Chef Interview with Carla Pellegrino

ATC:  This is Laura Kluvo from All Top Chef and I'm on the phone with Chef Carla Pellegrino - Hi Carla!

CP:  Hi Laura, How are you?

ATC:  Did you watch the episode last night?

CP:  Yes, I did when I got home last night, because I knew I had these interviews!

ATC:  Was there anything that surprised you as you watched?

CP:  No, it was pretty much how it happened.

ATC:  Have you watched the previous seasons of Top Chef?

CP:  Never.  I have never watched.  I know it was a big problem, and I know it was my homework.  I was opening up two new restaurants and I know I should have watched.  They actually sent me the videos, but I did not have time to watch.

ATC:  Who were your best friends from the cast?

CP:  Kuniko and Jeff.

ATC:  If you could go back, what would you do differently?

CP:  I would have done my homework.  I don't like the competition side of anything.  This was more of a business decision.  If I had watched, I would have realized that this is a game.  You need to strategize There is a lot of game playing.  I am a horrible player.  I don't gamble.  I thought, "I can cook, that will be enough."

ATC:  And what about the squab?  Is there something you would do differently?  How did you end up with the squab?

CP:  Actually I was avoiding the squab.  I tried to get the steak and then the onion soup.  CJ was really playing the game  They decided to give me the squab and I didn't stand up to them.  I actually hate to cook small birds and I know that you can't serve it on the bone, but there is no time to bone all of these birds.  So I did the best I could.

ATC:  Tell us about your restaurants?

CP:  I have opened The Meatball Spot.  I think I might have too many locations.  We have been serving about 1000 people every night.  We have been getting a lot of celebrities.  It is located out in the middle of nowhere.  It is hard to get there.  I think the show has helped to get the word out.  So, I have to thank Bravo.

This restaurant is going to be the first of many.  Now I just have to learn to roll meatballs faster.

ATC:  What was the best thing about appearing on Top Chef?

CP:  Well television is a very powerful tool.  It is so soon, but I can definitely see that this is bringing more business to my restaurants.  I expect that there will be even more opportunities in the future.

ATC:  Have you been recognized in the street?

CP:  I was a little bit of a local celebrity already.  Now it is much more though yes.  I have been posing for alot of photos and signing autographs.  A lot of kids actually.  And my followers on twitter are unbelievable - I picked up 20,000 followers since appearing on the show.  So I know that appearing on the show has brought a lot of popularity.

ATC:  Chef Carla, we are almost out of time, is there anything else you would like to say to your fans?

CP:  Yes.  Please vote for me!  Hopefully you will see me back on Bravo.  Thank you to all of my fans.