by Gina Scarpa

 

On the season premiere of Top Chef: Just Desserts, Lina became the unfortunate chef who was given the boot first. Her team, comprised of Melissa and Vanarin, were tasked with creating a showpiece and plated desserts based on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretl. Lina especially took a lot of heat for the witch's house that her team created and took the fall. Today, we caught up with her in an exclusive interview to learn more about her experience on Top Chef: Just Desserts.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What brought you to try out for Top Chef: Just Desserts?
A. Lina: Well, I've always had a sincere love for pastry and I also have a sincere love for cooking. A few years ago, I auditioned for Top Chef because I had a lot of experience. I didn't get all the way there but I always said that if they had a desserts edition, I'd do it.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: There seems to be a general consensus the show stepped up the caliber of contestants this season. Did anyone stand out to you as competition to watch out for?
A. Lina: Definitely. Orlando, Santos, and Carlos are definitely talented. Those guys are bringing it to the table.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Some people seemed as if they were trying to take over for their teams and tell them what to do. What did you make of that?
A. Lina: I think that it's very difficult when you're paired up in a team dynamic and you don't know the other personalities or their dynamic or work ethic. I think you have general, natural born leaders and people who like to take a step back, do the work, but not really have an opinion.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: In the Quickfire, you were paired up with Craig, who is the least experienced of the group. Do you think he may be in over his head?
A. Lina: I mean, I definitely felt that way but good for him. But how awesome is it to have as little experience as he does and be on the show? That's a real trooper in my book. It was difficult being paired with him, especially in the first challenge. It was a very difficult one. It was a tough team dynamic. Do I like him and think he's a great guy though? Absolutely.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Was it difficult to try to produce so much in such a short amount of time?
A. Lina: Yes! It was definitely challenging. We do it every day but you're trying to work as a team and with everybody's strengths and weaknesses. You're trying to communicate, which is a difficult thing to do in any type of relationship. There's a lot of times that people can be misunderstood or things can be said in a wrong way.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Your team threw you under the bus a little bit at Judges' Table. Did you feel that way?
A. Lina: Quite honestly, I did. I thought that I did a lot of work within the team. I mean, we all did. But I definitely felt that I was thrown under the bus. That's truly how they felt but I had no idea that that's how they felt until Judges' Table. I was totally shocked. I'm an open, honest person. If I feel a certain way about something, I'm going to let you know.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Even though you were there a short amount of time, do you feel like you took something away from the experience?
A. Lina: Oh yeah, definitely! I definitely learned that no matter how good you are or how talented you are, there's always somebody out there that may have different experiences than you and you always need to step up your game and make sure you're always doing the best you can.

 

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: What are you up to now and what are your future plans?

A. Lina: Right now, I'm currently interviewing for some jobs closer to home. I had a job in downtown Dallas and it was a little much so I'm looking forward to spending time with my partner, my dogs, and maybe pursuing some tv stints in the future. Maybe opening up my own place, which is something I've wanted to do. I've been working to push myself but I want to take a little rest and see where I go next.

 

Top Chef: Just Desserts airs Wednesdays at 10/9c on Bravo.

 

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

 

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