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Guy Fieri: He's Off the Hook

partysugar — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 10:20:27 -0700

Last week I had the chance to speak with Food Network's Guy Fieri. He's the host of three shows — Guy's Big Bite, Diners, Drive-ins, Dives, and Guy Off the Hook — and winner of the Next Food Network Star season two. Filming keeps him incredibly busy, but in his spare time, the celebrity chef — who prefers hot dogs to hamburgers and mustard to ketchup — continues to experiment in the kitchen. He's deeply passionate about food, especially food education for children, and encourages "people to get on the food train." Fieri and I talked about his upcoming appearance at New York City Wine and Food Festival, and I got to see a softer side of the "in it to win it" bad-boy chef.

To see what Fieri had to say when we chatted,

David Chang on Slow Food (and Fast Food)

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 03:00:08 -0700

On hand at this weekend's Slow Food Nation was Momofuku chef David Chang, whose self-described "vaguely Asian" New York restaurants have catapulted him to celebrity status in the past several years. In a guest appearance at the festival's Green Kitchen, Chang showed the audience Momofuku's twist on caprese salad. As he was prepping for his demonstration, he was kind enough to talk to me about slow food, fast food (Chipotle and In-N-Out are his favorites), future plans, and his latest infatuation. To read what he had to say,

Going Inside the Cooking Loft With Alex Guarnaschelli

partysugar — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:00:12 -0700

This weekend the Food Network debuts its newest show, The Cooking Loft. Like Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, the host of the show, Alex Guarnaschelli is the head chef of a popular New York City eatery, Butter. The Cooking Loft is an interactive show in which Alex teaches a group of students how to make several dishes with a specific ingredient. After watching an episode of the show, I was excited to speak with Alex on the phone. To find what she had to say,

Talking With the Great Thomas Keller

partysugar — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 09:00:11 -0700

Last week the world-renowned, award-winning chef Thomas Keller left his Napa Valley restaurant, The French Laundry, to speak at a panel discussion in San Francisco. The symposium celebrated the 100-year anniversary of the discovery of the fifth taste, umami. After the day-long event, Keller took some time out to speak with us.

The food industry's Yoda, Keller is a humble and wise chef devoted to the culinary arts. He prefers the quiet hills of Napa to the glittering nights of New York and when I asked where he would be dining that evening, he selflessly replied, "I have to get back to my kitchen to cook the dinner service." To see what else the inspiring chef had to say and find out why he's never gotten into television, check out our exclusive video!

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Meet Tony Abou-Ganim, the Modern Mixologist!

partysugar — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 15:00:12 -0700

One of my favorite seminars at the Food and Wine Classic was Tony Abou-Ganim's party punches and sangria class. A pioneer in the world of classic cocktail making, Ganim is known for establishing cocktail programs at prestigious bars in San Francisco, New York, and most recently Las Vegas. Referred to as the Modern Mixologist, Tony takes a culinary approach to cocktails and considers himself a "bar chef."

Earlier today I had the chance to speak with Tony over the phone. To see what the fabulous Abou-Ganim had to say in my exclusive interview,

What's Cooking With Lauren Conrad

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 06:00:04 -0700

After compiling over 20 million of your votes, the 2nd annual PopSugar 100 is finally here! To help celebrate tomorrow's announcement of the PopSugar 100, and her debut on the list, we're bringing you this exclusive interview with Lauren Conrad!

It's been a huge year for LC. Between her friendships, fashion line, and hit TV show, this starlet is bigger and better than ever. We had a chance to catch up with her and talk about love, happiness, food, fitness and just about everything else. Check out our interview across the network and be sure to be back tomorrow to see where she lands and see the rest of the list!When it comes to frozen desserts, Lauren prefers ice cream to frozen yogurt. A girl after my own heart she says, "If you're going to do it, go all the way!" She's a vodka drinker and has "a favorite cocktail at every place." When asked if she orders each bar's specialty drink, LC's reply was, "Yeah, I like to try a lot of different things everywhere we go. I’ll usually order whatever their specialty drink is with vodka, but for an everyday drink I usually just drink vodka and soda water."

PopSugar also asked LC what's currently in her fridge and Lauren, who was in her house during the interview, made her way over to her kitchen and opened the door, and said, "There are leftover grilled vegetables, berries, and vitamins…yeah that is pretty much it! We don’t have too much in there because it goes bad. We have berries and such to snack on, but if we are really hungry there are tons of restaurants all around us."

Leave it the fabulous Lauren Conrad to have an almost empty fridge and promote eating ice cream!

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Christina on Her Hell's Kitchen Win

partysugar — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 09:15:41 -0700

Yesterday I spoke with Christina, the young culinary school graduate from the Midwest, who won this season's Hell's Kitchen. Elated about her win and eager to get started at Gordon Ramsay's Los Angeles restaurant, Christina was bubbly and confident. She's kept in touch with Vanessa, but isn't friendly with runner-up Petrozza. To see what she had to say and find out what her real job title at the London will be,

Always a Gentleman, Petrozza Bows Out Gracefully

partysugar — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 09:00:26 -0700

Many of you were disappointed by the outcome of the Hell's Kitchen season finale. Gordon Ramsay chose the young, inexperienced blonde over the seasoned, bearded male. I wasn't surprised by his decision, but I was bummed for Petrozza. Over the course of the fifteen episodes, he's the one character who I actually admired and enjoyed. Yesterday morning I spoke with the optimistic caterer, who chatted with me while he sat on his front porch nursing a soda. To see what he had to say,

Meeting Marcus Samuelsson

partysugar — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 12:20:16 -0700

Last week I was invited to a demonstration hosted by Chef Marcus Samuelsson. An awarding-winning chef and cookbook author, Samuelsson is known for his role as chef and owner of Aquavit, New York City's innovative restaurant devoted to Scandinavian cuisine. Taking inspiration from his Ethiopian roots, the chef recently opened his first African restaurant, Merkato 55. His love for African cuisine was illustrated at the demo where he cooked shrimp piri piri in lettuce wraps and rack of lamb with couscous. In San Francisco to promote BlueStar cooking ranges, Samuelsson took some time out of his hectic schedule to speak with me. To see where he likes to eat in San Francisco and hear what he has to say about his buddy Rocco DiSpirito,

Getting to Know Anne Burrell

partysugar — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

Let me introduce you to Anne Burrell. Anne's a multi-tasker with many roles in the food industry. First and foremost, she's the executive chef of a restaurant, Centro Vinoteca, in New York City. She works at the restaurant six days a week and isn't much of a home cook. In her downtime Anne competes as Mario Batali's sous chef on Iron Chef America. However, her latest role is as a hostess of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef, a new show on Food Network. This Sunday (at 9:30 a.m.) Anne's coming to a kitchen near you and she's teaching you how to cook like she does in her Centro Vinoteca. Earlier this week I chatted with the former Culinary Institute of America instructor, to see what she had to say,

"Nice" Girl Corey Couldn't Cut it in the Kitchen

partysugar — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 08:01:05 -0700

While she may not be celebrating a Hell's Kitchen win anytime soon, this week's booted contestant, Corey, is celebrating something: her recent wedding! Corey was in good spirits yesterday when we spoke over the phone. She's enjoying her time out of the kitchen free-lancing and hopes to someday have a cooking travel show. To see what she has to say about HK, Gordon Ramsay, and her fellow contestants,

Jen and Her Attitude Have Left the Kitchen

partysugar — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 09:00:59 -0700

There's no denying that Jen was portrayed as the villain on this season's Hell's Kitchen. The energetic young chef wasn't afraid to lie and cheat to get to the top, and was vehemently disliked by her competitors. I was relieved to see her go, but I wasn't excited to interview her. However, it was interesting to hear what she had to say. An optimistic Jen knows she's hated and she's perfectly okay with it. To find out what happened when we spoke yesterday,

Hey Good Looking, What's Cooking? Chatting With Rocco

partysugar — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 16:15:36 -0700

After serving the crowd his gloriously spicy lamb chop at the Bertolli booth at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, celebrity chef Rocco Dispirito took some time to speak with me. The chef — whose even more insanely handsome in person! — was charismatic, friendly, and funny. He talked about his upcoming show, Rocco to the Rescue, explained what it's like to be a Top Chef judge, and revealed his guilty pleasure foods. To see what he had to say, watch the video below!

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Hanging With Hung

partysugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:25:29 -0700

Last Friday afternoon at the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen, I had the chance to hang out with Top Chef Season 3 winner Hung Huynh. As part of his prize, Hung was invited to appear at the Classic Cook-Off on Sunday. In between attending seminars and sipping wine, Hung and I met up outside the grand-tasting tent.

An approachable, friendly guy, Hung isn't afraid to say hello to fans or cook dinner for 150 people. Although he was sometimes portrayed as a villain on TC, in real life, Hung is just an ordinary guy who cooks really well. To learn more about Hung,

Oh Hey, Lisa Fernandes Doesn't Really Hate on Bloggers

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:30:04 -0700

Love her or hate her — and I have a feeling I know where most of you stand on this one — Lisa Fernandes is a passionate chef. She showed that her fiery personality and kitchen skills could put her on the path to becoming a Top Chef. Unfortunately for her, she fell just short and had to settle for a runner-up prize.

I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with Lisa. We spoke about bloggers, her bad reputation, and things she would have done differently. Is she rude, or was she just portrayed that way? Find out when you

Top Chef's Richard Blais Waves Goodbye

YumSugar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:01:51 -0700

I've been rooting for Top Chef's Richard Blais ever since we interviewed him back in March. Of course, I was psyched that Stephanie won, but Richard definitely wowed me this season with his clever and cheeky approach to cooking.

Watching Wednesday's season finale, I was shocked when Richard told the judges he "choked" in the last challenge. Thankfully, I had the honor of interviewing him again yesterday and got to hear all about what was going through his head. To read what he had to say about the finale, his fauxhawk, and his next restaurant,

Like a Gentleman, the 4-Star General Leaves Hell

partysugar — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 09:15:13 -0700

I was a little bummed to see Bobby, the self proclaimed "4-Star General," booted from this week's Hell's Kitchen. I'm sick of Jen and would have enjoyed another episode with Bobby. When I spoke to him yesterday his cheerful, gentlemanly manner surprised me. Although he's currently working as the head chef of a grocery store in Buffalo, NY, Bobby is interested in making more television appearances. He had a lot to say about the experience — to hear his eloquent words about Gordon Ramsay —

Girl Talk With Top Chef Antonia Lofaso

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 08:00:08 -0700

On this week's Top Chef, we saw final-four contestant Antonia Lofaso leave Puerto Rico. When I spoke to her yesterday, she was in New York lunching with fellow finalist Stephanie. The two chefs were in town for Bravo's A-List Awards, and Antonia was nice enough to take a break from her meal of gnocchi and sweetbreads to chat about her time on the show.

Antonia isn't just a Top Chef contestant; she's also a fan who has watched the series since the first season. To hear how her experience compared to what she'd seen on TV and find out what her 8-year-old daughter thought of it all,

Mattie Out of Hell, But Working As an Executive Chef

partysugar — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:15:56 -0700

Although he didn't score the job at Ramsay's up and coming restaurant in LA, Matt — the latest cheftestant to be kicked off of Hell's Kitchen — recently started a position as executive chef of Pizzicato in New Jersey. When I spoke with Matt yesterday he was in good spirits and happily expressed his feelings towards the HK experience. To see what the chef — whose now rooting for Bobby or Jen to win HK — had to say,

Spike Mendelsohn Tips His Hat to Top Chef

YumSugar — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:00:23 -0700

Spike Mendelsohn showed off some seriously sharp butchering skills on this week's episode of Top Chef. But in the end, he failed to make the cut for the final four.

He's certainly been one of the more colorful chefs this season, so I was excited to chat with Spike yesterday about the whole frozen scallops incident, the recent rumors about his job, and his affinity for fedoras. Oh, and in case you're curious, the 27-year-old chef is currently single. For all the juicy details on Spike,

Little Louross Leaves Hell

partysugar — Thu, 29 May 2008 09:00:20 -0700

On this week's Hell's Kitchen, Louross — the self proclaimed "little Filipino kid who no listens to" — was asked to hang his chef's coat and leave the competition. I was bummed to see Louross go, but looked forward to speaking with the quick chef. Yesterday morning we chatted about Ramsay, Jen, and everything in between. To take a look at our conversation,

Come Holler at Top Chef's Dale Talde

YumSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 08:00:46 -0700

A lot of you were disappointed with the outcome of last night's Top Chef. While you were thrilled to see restaurant wars return, you weren't all ready to say goodbye to Dale Talde. The frustrating interaction between Lisa and him may have ended on the screen, but that doesn't mean Dale likes the gal. I spoke with Dale yesterday and there's no love lost between them, there just was never any to begin with. To read what he had to say about his time on Top Chef, and what he's working on next, just

Rosann Can't Hang in Hell With Only Three Years Experience

partysugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 09:05:22 -0700

After several mediocre dinner services, Rosann — along with her Brooklyn accent — was kicked off this week's episode of Hell's Kitchen. An appropriate unsurprising cut, Rosann didn't have the confidence to cook under Gordon Ramsay. Yesterday Rosann and I had the chance to chat about her experience on Hell's Kitchen.

To find out what she thinks of Ramsay, Matt, and Corey,

Waking Up With Top Chef's Andrew D'Ambrosi

YumSugar — Fri, 16 May 2008 08:00:45 -0700

Yesterday morning, I got up pretty early to chat with outgoing Top Chef contestant Andrew D'Ambrosi. Just like the last time I chatted with him, he was delightful, fun, and full of energy. I wasn't fully awake yet, but talking to Andrew was like getting a shot of adrenaline. I went from nearly asleep to wide awake as I tried to keep up with everything he was saying.

I know a lot of your were rooting for him — he's got words for those of you who were! — and those that weren't, you have to admit he was enjoyable to watch right? To find out what we chatted about,

It's Out of Hell and Back to His Day Job for Ben

partysugar — Thu, 15 May 2008 09:45:53 -0700

Ben was this week's booted contestant on Hell's Kitchen. When the season started, I honestly liked him and was hoping he would go a long way. However as the competition heated up, Ben's bullying, bickering attitude started to wear on the other chefs, Gordon Ramsay, and the viewing audience. Yesterday I had an interesting telephone conversation with the electrician — he's currently not cooking professionally in any way, shape, or form — to see what he had to say,

Back Off Bloggers, Nikki Cascone Doesn't Want to Fight

YumSugar — Fri, 09 May 2008 07:16:00 -0700

Say what you will about Nikki Cascone, the girl has got heart. She was the latest chef to leave the Top Chef kitchen, but you've not heard the last of her. With one successful restaurant under her belt, she's got another one in the works, as well as a line of service hospitality wear on the way.

If you're wondering what she thought of her time on Top Chef, and more importantly, what she thought about all the comments on the internet, then you're in luck. I got to chat with her yesterday morning, and while she was a bit defensive — did you know her cooking style isn't rustic Italian? — she was definitely lovely. To hear what she had to say,

Mark Simmons Monotonously Packs His Knives and Goes

YumSugar — Fri, 02 May 2008 07:14:28 -0700

On the last episode of Top Chef, we said farewell to Mark Simmons. All of his midnight musical serenades and bubble bath hi-jinks couldn't convince the judges to keep him there.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to engage in a funny conversation in which Mark told me what he's been up to and what he thought of the whole process. He's not bitter, but he's not rooting for anyone, only himself. To find out what he had to say,

Vanessa Walks Out of Hell on Her Own

partysugar — Thu, 01 May 2008 09:45:51 -0700

No one was eliminated on this week's episode of Hell's Kitchen. Instead, Vanessa decided to leave the competition. The pressure of successfully performing with only one hand — the other was severely burnt — was too difficult so she asked Ramsay for permission to leave the show. I spoke to her on the phone yesterday and found out how she is doing. To see what she had to say about her decision to leave and her experience working at Hell's Kitchen,

What Does Jen Biesty Have to Say About Top Chef?

YumSugar — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 06:28:31 -0700

This week we bid farewell to the final San Francisco-based Top Chef candidate, and while it was a bit of a shock — many of you thought Jen's recent departure from Top Chef was a bit untimely — it was definitely a fun episode. The stakes are high, and there's no room for error. Yesterday I got to sit down and chat with Jen Biesty and found out what she thought of her elimination, her fellow contestants, and her new upcoming restaurant. To see what she had to say,

Craig's Out of Hell and Into His Chef's Hat

partysugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:59:10 -0700

Craig was this week's eliminated chef on Hell's Kitchen. His pasta making skills couldn't cut it and Ramsay sent him home. Yesterday I had the chance to chat with Craig — he was openly honest and incredibly nice — about his experience. To hear what he had to say about it all,

Hanging With One of LA's Hottest Nightclub Owners

partysugar — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:28:33 -0700

Les Deux is undeniably one of Los Angeles' most trendy bars. Paris and Nicky Hilton have a private table, and so does Jamie Foxx. The Hills girls kick up their heels on the dance floor and everyone from TV Guide to Tom Hanks has hosted parties inside the famed house's walls.

While in LA for the Sugar Party, I had the chance to slide behind the velvet ropes, check out the party scene — more on that later! — and chat with one of the owners, Sylvain Bitton. To see what Sylvain had to say about his party lifestyle as a nightclub owner,

Is Ryan Scott Ready for Some Football?

YumSugar — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 07:28:33 -0700

Some of you are lamenting the fact that San Francisco's Ryan Scott had to leave the competition already, while others are glad to see him gone. I was actually bummed to see him leave already, I think he's a really fun guy, and besides, it was tough to see another San Franciscan say farewell. Yet, no matter what you think of the guy, he's quite charming and is a lot of fun. We had a chance to speak with him yesterday afternoon. He chatted about football, future plans and putting himself up for auction. To find out what he had to say,

Out of Hell: Jason Swears He's Not Sexist

partysugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 09:57:19 -0700

This week Gordon Ramsay asked Jason to hang up his chef's coat and leave Hell's Kitchen. Jason's obnoxious attitude towards females has bothered me since day one so I wasn't too upset to see him sent home. However, it was incredibly interesting to speak with him after the fact. He felt relieved to be out of Ramsay's hellish kitchen and continues to work at a restaurant off the strip in Vegas. To see what he had to say when we chatted — he swears he's NOT sexist —

Dishing with Zoi From Top Chef

YumSugar — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 10:45:39 -0700

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to talk to Zoi, the latest Top Chef cheftestant to pack her knives and go. She was one-half of the San Francisco couple — the other half being Jen — and was sent home because of some under-flavored — or was that over-flavored — mushrooms. To find out what she had to say about everyone's angry outbursts and what she's up to these days, then

Out of Hell: Sharon the Barbie Sent Home

partysugar — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:55:15 -0700

Sharon — who was affectionately called Barbie by her fellow Hell's Kitchen contestants — was this week's eliminated chef. It was a "first time in Hell's Kitchen history" moment when Ramsay kicked Sharon to the curb because she was not up for elimination. Two other girls — Jen and Christina — were on the chopping block, but since Gordon didn't believe in Sharon or her culinary skills, she was the lucky one sent home. To see what Sharon has to say about her time in Hell's Kitchen,

Chef Roy Yamaguchi Talks About Life, TV, and Celebrating 20 Years of Roy's

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 13:28:31 -0700

This year, award-winning Chef Roy Yamaguchi is celebrating 20 years of Roy's, his eponymous high-end restaurant chain. He's throwing himself a big party and is celebrating at his restaurants around the globe. I recently had a chance to talk with him, and he was such a delight! He has morning breakfast rituals with his son, and got into cooking to meet ladies! To find out more about Chef Roy, including what he thinks of the current celebrity-chef trends,

Eric Dela Cruz: My Life As a Google Chef

partysugar — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 10:03:31 -0700

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, it's a known fact that the employees at Google live a charmed life. Besides massages and Internet-wired shuttles, Googlers are invited to free breakfast, lunch, and dinner each and every day. The Google campus has 17 gourmet cafés, complete with 700 culinary staffers and 20 chefs. Last Friday I was lucky enough to check out some of the cafés — more on that later! — and speak with Eric Dela Cruz, a chef at Cafe 7. To see what his life as a Google chef is like

Good Morning Manuel — A Chat with the Eliminated Chef

YumSugar — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 08:27:11 -0700

On the last episode of Top Chef, Manuel Trevino had to pack his knives and go. I had a chance to chat with Manuel yesterday and I asked him about his time on the show, and what it was like to say goodbye. To learn more about Manuel and find out what he had to say,

Out of Hell: Dominic the Dad Dishes

partysugar — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:57:51 -0700

On the premiere episode of Hell's Kitchen, Dominic, the stay-at-home dad from South Carolina, was sent home. I had the chance to speak with him over the phone yesterday and I learned that he does indeed know how to cook scallops and was completely fooled by Gordon's disguise.

Although it might not seem like it from the first episode — which was full of stumbles, spills, and kitchen mishaps — according to Dominic, ALL of the contestants have had experience working in a kitchen. To see what else Dominic had to say about being the first contestant kicked out of the kitchen,

Erik Hopfinger Top Chef? No, Try Pirate Chef Instead

YumSugar — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:29:11 -0700

He's learned that soggy corndogs won't get you too far, but chef Erik Hopfinger has no regrets. We chatted with Erik yesterday afternoon and asked him about his experience on Top Chef and what it was like to have his food torn apart by the judges. We also discovered what the self-proclaimed Pirate Chef has up his sleeve, as well as his thoughts on high-end Mexican cuisine. To find out what he had to say,

Gordon Gets Chatty About Hell's Kitchen 4

partysugar — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:01:15 -0700

Although the fourth season of Hell's Kitchen doesn't begin until Tuesday, April 1, Gordon Ramsay has already begun hyping the show. This season the stakes are high and the competition is the most stressful to date for both the competitors and Ramsay. Unlike previous seasons, the wannabes are not competing to cook at some restaurant in a Vegas casino resort. This time around the winner will become the chef at Gordon's own, much-hyped restaurant, London West Hollywood in LA. I recently sat in on a conference call with the bad-boy chef. To hear what he had to say,

Valerie Bolon Says Bye-Bye Blinis!

YumSugar — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 10:03:51 -0700

Wednesday night we watched as the second cheftestant left the Top Chef house. And while Valerie Bolon may never look at blinis the same, she was able to look back and cherish the time she spent on the show. Yesterday afternoon I got to speak with her about her experience. To see what she had to say, including her pick for the win and who she would like to see leave,

Talking Top Chef With Jennifer Biesty

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 14:28:31 -0700

This year Top Chef threw a new twist at us. For the first time there's a couple participating on the show. Will they have an advantage? Will they mess with others heads? And will they still be together when it's all over?

Recently we had a chance to talk with Jennifer Biesty, one half of the dynamic duo and executive chef at the popular Coco500 in San Francisco. To find out what she had to say about her experience on Top Chef, as well as what's next for her,

Stephanie Izard Wants to Be Top Chef

YumSugar — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:59:51 -0700

Based on the first episode of this season's Top Chef, chef Stephanie Izard looks like someone to beat. Her version of duck l'orange looked so delicious I wanted to reach in and grab it through the screen.

Recently we had the opportunity to talk to Stephanie. This Chicago-based chef talked about her audition, a hometown advantage and what it was like to be a Top Chef contestant. Check out our interview, just

Ryan Scott Is Much More Than Botched Chicken Piccata

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 10:15:19 -0700

At this point, all you Top Chef fans probably know him as the guy who can't make Chicken Piccata. However you'd be wrong to dismiss him so quickly; Chef Ryan Scott is much more than that. We recently had a chance to talk to Ryan about his time on Top Chef, his departure from the popular Myth Cafe, and what life after Top Chef is like. To view our interview with Ryan, just

Meet Top Chef Hopeful Richard Blais

YumSugar — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 15:28:31 -0700

We've introduced you to the next set of Top Chef hopefuls, however we've been lucky enough to get to know a few of them better. You already met Andrew, and today we'd like to present Richard.

Richard Blais is already known in the industry as being innovative and adventurous. He's got a penchant for molecular gastronomy, but he's got the résumé to go with it. He's worked along side Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Ferran Adria, plus he's helmed several restaurants including One Midtown Kitchen in Atlanta. And if he looks strangely familiar to you, it might be that he recently battled Mario Batali on Iron Chef America.

So, what should we expect from him? And why would someone with such a fantastic résumé even bother with Top Chef? To find out what he had to say,

Talking Top Chef With Padma and Tom

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:35:11 -0700

As you probably know, the next season of Top Chef starts this Wednesday, Mar. 12. The contestants look — if I can borrow a word from Project Runway — fierce and the competition should be exciting.

We recently had the opportunity — along with a large group of other folks — to sit down and chat with Padma and Chef Tom. They talked about the talent during this season, their interaction with past contestants, the producers, and their food pet peeves. To find out what they had to say,

Meet Andrew, One of Sixteen Top Chef Hopefuls

YumSugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 14:38:11 -0800

This afternoon we were able to chat with upcoming Top Chef contestant Andrew. He hails from Fort Lauderdale, FL, but is currently a sous chef in New York.

I've seen the screener — don't be jealous, the season opener is worth the wait! — and while Andrew may end up as the quirky one, or the talky one, or the mean one (you never can tell with Bravo's tricky editing) he was nothing but fun over the phone. To learn more about Andrew and check out what he had to say, just

A Chic Coffee Break With Colin Cowie

partysugar — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:01:31 -0800

Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with one of my idols: the extraordinary event planner Colin Cowie. We met for coffee on a sunny California afternoon and discussed his new book Chic, the do's and don'ts of being a fabulous hostess, and the formula for a successful and memorable party. Colin oozes chicness in everything he does, whether it's working as creative director of a yet-to-be-opened hotel in Hong Kong, planning a wedding for Middle Eastern royalty, or simply making dinner for a few friends in his stylish home.

To see what Colin had to say when we sat down together and to watch a video of our conversation,

Speaking With Renaissance Man Danny Boome

partysugar — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 11:01:31 -0800

Earlier this week I got a call from Food Network's latest star, the British charmer and self-proclaimed renaissance man, Danny Boome. Danny's new show, The Rescue Chef, debuts tomorrow at noon and I'll be watching. The show pairs Danny with home cooks who are desperate to overcome culinary obstacles. And according to Danny, there is no problem he can't solve, no dish he can't make. To see what he had to say when we spoke over the phone,