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Though the casting directors approached you first, you still had to put together an audition tape. What did you do?
My audition tape was rather silly, I suppose … my brother helped me as we filmed some clips of me around town showing some of the things I like to do and some of the places I like to hang out … kickboxing, traveling, my local bar—and cooking, of course. [I also took] a bit of a stab at Padma and Tom for some humor.
Do you think that’s why the producers chose you?
Honestly, I don't know why I was chosen. I like to think it was partly because they felt I have a great balance between culinary talent and a very outgoing personality.
There are more contestants with
Yes, Stephanie and I have been friends for years. We worked together about 7 years ago in a Chicago restaurant (Spring) and have been great friends ever since. [We were both surprised] to walk in the first day and see [Season 4 contestant] Dale [Talde], who is from Chicago originally [and also worked at Spring]. The three of us all worked together in that same restaurant all those years ago. A strange coincidence, I suppose.
Head judge Tom Colicchio has said this is deepest talent pool he’s seen on “Top Chef.” Were you nervous or intimidated?
Absolutely. I know for a fact that everyone was nervous. I think it's impossible not to be simply because everything is so secretive and we never knew what we were going to have to do from one minute to the next. I think we all just had to channel that nervous energy in our food. I also think nobody really knew what to expect going into this competition—what were the other chefs going to be like and how difficult were the challenges going to be.
Did you have a strategy?
I had no strategy except to cook my tail off, to try not to screw anything up and not to humiliate myself on television—which I think was a common theme among the chefs. Everything is so spontaneous that it’s difficult to plan anything; it’s all one big surprise to us … It's so much more difficult than it looks.
Argyle Street in Uptown (various Asian restaurants)
Avec
Blackbird
La Scarola
Restaurante Nuevo
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[ M. Kathleen Pratt is the Metromix print editor. ] metromix@tribune.com
