by Michael J. Lamp

 

Restaurant Wars takes no prisoners on Top Chef, indeed. After being eliminated in this season's most shocking dismissal yet, Kenny spoke to RealityWanted and other reporters about his rivalry (and friendship?) with Angelo, his annoyance with Alex and what he really thinks of Frank Bruni.

 

Q. Michael, RealityWanted: So, I'll be honest. I'm shocked to be talking with you this week. Did you think there was a real chance the judges would send Alex home, even though he was on the winning team?

A. Kenny: That would've been the correct decision, based on him not completing a dish. They just didn't want to follow through with the rules - that's what it boils down to. It wasn't about restaurant wars; it was about the food they put out. They thought their food was better than ours. But, we signed up for Restaurant Wars. It was very clear before they even went shopping that he [Alex] didn't conceptualize a dish. He didn't even know what he wanted to do. It was interesting. We didn't know a lot of what was going on. The right thing would've been to do that [send Alex home]. I think everyone watching the show would've had a level of respect for the show.

 

Q. Michael, RealityWanted: I think a lot of people expected Amanda to get the boot. She was responsible for one dish and she overcooked the meat. Do you think you were sacrificed as Executive Chef?

A. Kenny: Oh 100%, yeah. I defended Amanda at Judges' Table, and I let them know that, hey, as Executive Chef, I'm a leader. I let them know that my shoulders are big enough to take on everything [they] didn't like. I know that we put together a great team and great concepts, and we executed some really nice foods. It was just different than what the other team did. Ultimately, I was fine with the decision, because I was supportive of my team.

 

 

Q. At judges' table, from what we saw, instead of defending your dishes and your teammates, you threw Alex under the bus. Is that what went on?

A. Kenny: Well, it's interesting. They asked if there was anything we wanted to go over. And Kevin said, ‘Yeah.' That's when the whole explosion went down. We were all being supportive of each other and what the rules had implied. I think it was a quick shot of Kevin bringing it up and then me. When it was all said and done, we knew that we put on the better restaurant experience as a whole. This is Restaurant Wars. It's the whole package. Ultimately, the [other team should've been disqualified. He [Alex] should've been the one to go home.

 

Q. What were your first thoughts while watching the show? Accurate?
A. Kenny: You know what, it is. I have no complaints. I think the editing was spot on, as to how it took place. And I was actually happy to hear and see the conversation that took place in the other vehicle. The way, you saw exactly what happened. I think there are gonna be lot of mixed feelings out there. I didn't see the competition when Trey was eliminated in Season 3 of Restaurant Wars, but I think it'll be the biggest upset since then.

 

Q. Was the rivalry between you and Angelo that aggressive? Or just played up for TV?
A. Kenny: I don't think it was really played up. In the house, when we were hanging out, we were cool. [When we entered the kitchen], we were ready for battle. I think he was most intimidated by me. He told me that later. He was nervous. Likewise, I had a lot of respect for him, as well. I love his flavor profiles. I wish they had shown more of [our] side conversations. He was one of the first people to taste my eggplant [at the farm challenge]. He said it was slammin'.

 

Q. If you were able to cook for the First Family, what would you have made?
A. Kenny: First course, I would do a beautiful heirloom tomato salad - extra virgin olive oil. Second course, I would probably do a sweet potato cappuccino. Third course, I would do barbecue Mississippi quail with aged white cheddar grits. Main course, I would probably do a duo of braised short ribs and garlic shrimp. And then for dessert, I would probably break out and just do an Oreo cookie soufflé - cream cheese glaze, with some white chocolate ice cream on the side.

 

Q. Can you talk about cooking for Pelosi, or if you met any other exciting politicians?
A. Kenny: Cooking for Pelosi was pretty cool. When she was doing her introduction, I was like, "Man, I couldn't have picked a better dish." It was totally her comfort zone. When I saw her take her first bite, her eyes lit up and I said, "Ok, that's money."

 

Q. Frank Bruni made a comment, comparing your dish to hamburger helper. Was that the harshest criticism you've received?

A. Kenny: I felt like he was getting his Simon Cowell time of fame on Top Chef. To me, it was a very ignorant response. Not one of the judges could articulate what was wrong with the dish. I thought the critique was terrible. To have Chef Ripert or Jose Andres, some of these other judges we had, I thought they would have made a fair critique, not just a blanket statement [that is] good for TV.

 

Q. What's next for you? Staying in Telluride?
A. Kenny: I'm actually in Florida now. I'm in Palm Beach Gardens with the PGA National Resort and Spa. I've been there for about a month now. I'm looking at getting my book published. It's a chef's journal - From Fire to Redemption, Volume 1: Bad Fruit. It's a true, real story. Right now, we're just trying to find the best publisher to get it out there. I have G's sauce and spice line that's gonna be coming out, featuring a lot of my marinades and spice blends. A lot of the spices I used on the show will be marketed here soon.

 

 

Top Chef: DC airs Wednesdays at 9/8c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

 

Follow Michael at twitter.com/mjlamp

 

For more Top Chef: DC links, visit SirLinksALot.net