'Top Chef: Chicago': Stephanie stirs things up!

The chef from Scylla resurfaces -- on Bravo

By Chris LaMorte

March 11, 2008

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Stephanie Izard may not be well-known to nationally, but Chicago foodies have loved her for years. After logging time at Vong (now the more casual Vong’s Thai Kitchen), La Tache (working under last year's finalist Dale Levitski) and Spring, she opened her own place in Bucktown, Scylla. The seafood-focused restaurant was lauded locally and even featured in Bon Appetit magazine last year—about a month before it closed. At the time, Izard told everyone she was going to do some "traveling"; she apparently had other plans. We talked to her to get the real scoop on what she’s been up to recently.

When Scylla closed, we heard that you moving to Hawaii or were going to travel. Was that just a cover story for “Top Chef”?
I actually did go and travel. I've been traveling for the past couple months. But I just sort of put that off for a little bit to do the “Top Chef” thing.

Were you familiar with “Top Chef” before auditioning?

Yeah, I actually started watching it a couple of episodes into the first season. At first I just thought it was another show that wouldn't represent cooking well just like some of the other things on TV. But after watching it a couple times I really got into it.

Do you think being from Chicago gave you an advantage?
I don't think so. The Whole Foods that we shopped at [on Halsted Street] is one that I've never actually been to, so I didn't get an advantage there. Every day when we were traveling around everyone kept asking Valerie and I “Where are we going? Where are we going?”—and we couldn't even figure it out. [The producers] were really good at keeping things a surprise.

What was the audition process like?
Throughout the process there are interviews, and there's also an audition tape. One of my cooks actually helped me film it. We went around Chicago. We went to Green City Market, did some shopping; went back to the restaurant, did some cooking. [We] just sort of [went] around town trying to show what a day in the life of Stephanie was like. Then you interview with the producers. They don't necessarily taste your food. They just want to make sure you have a good personality for TV.

They didn't taste your food?
Actually, I did have the producers come into Scylla one night, so they were able to taste my food, which was nice.

This show can alter the course of your career. How did that weigh on your mind while filming?
I didn't want to … hurt my career by acting like a total idiot on television, but I also wanted to have a lot fun with it. I wore T-shirts that gave little shout-outs to my friends in Chicago. I tried to have a good time by not thinking too much about the fact that millions of people were going to be watching this.

Did you have any sort of strategy? In Chicago, you're known for your seafood.

I didn't want to limit myself to what I was most known for. In my background I've worked with so many different things, including pastries and French cuisine and Asian cuisine. So I wanted to use all thing things I've worked with in my career rather than just representing Scylla with the food that I made. As far as seafood, I think, we weren't flying in fish from Hawaii like I used to do or the same products that available necessarily for restaurants in Chicago so I found it a bit more challenging to work with seafood. And shopping at Whole Foods rather than having my personal fish purveyor, so…

How would the drama meter be this season?
When you're in the middle of it, it's hard to say how it's going to seem like to others who are watching it. I know there were some things going on, so I think there will be a good amount of drama. Again it's hard to see what they were able to catch on film and how it's all going to be portrayed, so I'm actually really excited to find out myself.

Did you feel like you could relate to the past "Top Chef" seasons better after doing it yourself?

When you're sitting home watching it, it doesn't seem as hard as it is in reality. Watching the show I'm like, “Ew. I can't believe that person just made that.” But now that I've gone through it I can see that there’s pressure and not everything might come out perfect.

Some of Stephanie’s favorite Chicago spots:

Arturo's Taco's

Avec

Blackbird

Green Zebra 

San Soo Gap San