by Gina Scarpa

On last night's Top Chef: Texas, not even Whitney's former employer, Hugh Acheson, could save her from the rest of the panel. Her undercooked potatoes were inexcusable to Tom and she was told to pack her knives and head to Last Chance Kitchen.  There, she proved why she made it into the competition in the first place and defeated Chuy in a head to head cookoff.  Today, we caught up with Whitney to talk more about her cooking and Top Chef experience.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Tell us a little about your cooking background.
A. Whitney: I've been working in restaurants since I was 19. I started off in Oakland. I started in a little French restaurant and I learned the foundations of what I needed to know. Then, I worked in San Francisco and San Diego and then, I moved to Georgia and that's where I buckled down and focused on cooking. I went to school. Most of my real cooking experience was at 5&10. I took over my own kitchen and now I have Farm 255.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Were you a fan of Top Chef?
A. Whitney: I mean, I've definitely been a fan of Top Chef. I think it's the best reality based cooking show. It wasn't something that I thought I'd do, but it happened and I got on!

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Which chefs stood out to you this season?
A. Whitney: I had respect for everyone. Paul has awesome knife skills, Lindsay is very talented, Nyesha ... I just have a lot of respect for everyone.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Were group challenges tough? You have to rely on others and not just your own cooking skills.
A. Whitney: Group challenges... I was just like, "Crap!" We're all very dominant personalities. I didn't have any interest in trying to lead them. I really did not like group challenges.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: Are you surprised that Ty-Lor wasn't eliminated on this week's episode instead of you?
A. Whitney: When they told me my potatoes were undercooked, I knew. It's such a basic thing. It wasn't executed properly. It comes down to technique. I couldn't argue against that.

Q. Gina, RealityWanted: You must've felt a little redemption when you beat Chuy in Last Chance Kitchen. Now you're just waiting for the next chef...
A. Whitney: Absolutely! I mean, Last Chance Kitchen is a lot more fun. It's your own dish.

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

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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