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INTERVIEW: Stephen Starr discusses the Top Chef Las Vegas Final Table
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INTERVIEW: Stephen Starr discusses the Top Chef Las Vegas Final Table
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Stephen Starr made his first appearance on Bravo's Top Chef during Season 5's Restaurant Wars episode. For Top Chef Las Vegas, he sat at the Final Table during last night's finale episode. Meal Ticket caught up with the restaurateur today to get his thoughts on the experience.
Some Top Chef fans here in the city are sore over the fact that they always identify you as the owner of Morimoto and Buddakan in New York, but gloss over all your restaurants in Philly. What's up with that?
The first time I was on [Top Chef New York], it was a totally new experience, and I had no idea what they would do. I had barely watched the show and I didn't know much about it. I don't know why they didn't say that. If I do it again, I would make sure they say that I'm the owner of restaurants in both Philly and New York. My guess is they're sort of not giving us the respect we deserve, just honing in on New York. And of course, that's ridiculous. Philly is our home, and most of what I do is here.
Did you feel as though the format for this final table �� mandatory dessert, the "mystery box" � damaged the finalists' ability to showcase their strengths?
It probably hurt them. It's like playing in the World Series in 60-degree temperatures or 40-degree temperatures. What's easier on the pitcher and batter? It's better when things are controlled. If they figure out how to do their best and plan it in their heads, I think it'd be much easier and better.
Now I don't know when Tom Colicchio actually told them [about the various twists]. It might have been 7 in the morning. So if they were told that at 7 a.m., it's not as much as a curveball, since we taped until the late afternoon. But generally speaking, my answer would be that those curveballs would only hurt the chefs.
How long did the taping for the Final Table actually last?
Five or six hours? I don't know. I have all these confidentality agreements so I can only give you the broad view.
Based on what you tasted, do you feel as though the right chef came out on top?
It was really close. And at the end of the day, I was not the judge who made those decisions. I really liked that dessert with the pumpkin seeds. It was really good. People said it was dried out, but it didn't matter � the flavors and consistencies were really good. I think that dessert was from the guy that won [Michael Voltaggio]. Bryan [Voltaggio] did the venison � that may have been the best [entr�e]. But if memory serves me well, I think that the right guy won.
I don't watch these things very often. I'm really way too busy to watch them every week, but I read on the Internet when people are like, "So and so should've won." But there's no way you can know who should've won by watching TV. You gotta eat it! I think that people really develop a fondness for the characters, like that guy with the beard [Kevin Gillespie]. He was a very folksy, likeable guy.
With so many palates at one table, there was bound to be some disagreements about specific dishes, right? Any disputes or differences in opinion that didn't make it onto the show?
Not really ... there were no major disagreements on this one. Tom Colicchio is excellent, by the way � he really is almost a professor with his analysis of food. My opinions are very basic � which may be better � but Tom's are so much astute and prolific. He's really good.
Taking their styles and cooking in consideration, which of the three chefs would you most like to hire for one of your restaurants?
If you really want me to be very honest with you, the conditions by which we eat this food, the number of dishes we have � it's not even close to being enough for me to determine if I would do a restaurant with them. If I were a judge the whole time, sure, I could figure it out.
Funny you say that, because leading up to the Final Table, they had the contestants saying stuff like, "This could make or break our careers!"
It's a television show, you know? It's a very well-done and successful one. It's inspired a lot of people to not only watch, but to want to cook.
You said you didn't care for the inclusion of bacon in Kevin's dessert. Safe to say we'll never see a bacon-laden dessert at a Starr restaurant?
Chefs are experimenting with lots of stuff, and pork has become a very important ingredient in cooking. Of course, it's always been. [That type of dessert] is being done a lot now ... but putting pork in a dessert for me is just gross. I don't want pig ice cream.
So are you not into that vein of experimentation?
When you're a young chef and you just start doing stuff for the sake of doing stuff ... your foundation needs to be strong. Your knowledge of classic techniques needs to be awesome. Then I think you start to play. That's the danger in cooking shows and things like this. Maybe a lot of people are going too quickly to the experimental stage before they have the basics down pat.
What are the chances of seeing a Top Chef season set in Philly in the future?
I don't know. Of course I put my two cents in that they should do that. I've pushed the producers. I told them they need to come to Philly, it's a great culinary town. I think they are considering it.
I, for one, have been miffed that Starr has been solely identified with New York in his TC appearances (I mean, I know he's a mogul, but he's OUR mogul, right?), but I certainly believe him when he says he'll make sure he's associated with Philly next time out. Thanks for asking him about it, Drew! And Mr. Starr, you are a terrific judge so don't forget us next time they ask you to appear!
Great Questions! Stephen Starr sounds hilarious! I think my favorite part is when he refers to Kevin as "that guy with the beard" and "folksy"
Top Chef Philadelphia would be awesome!!!
[...] Tom Colicchio Wants To Open A Restaurant In Philadelphia And *GASP* Maybe Even Film Top Chef Here [The Illadelph] Interview: Stephen Starr discusses the Top Chef Las Vegas Final Table [Meal Ticket] [...]
The great thing about acquiring NBC Universal is that Comcast just needs to command Bravo to film Top Chef here.
When I hear "Stephen Starr," I automatically think about Philadelphia. Maybe it's because I'm from Baltimore, and Philly is closer to me? And I have only eaten at Morimoto in Philly, but never in his NY outposts.
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