August 19, 2009 — Five National Restaurant Association members are competing on the latest season of Bravo’s "Top Chef" series.
The show, which airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET, features 17 "cheftestants" who will compete in cooking challenges for the "Top Chef" title. This season will take place in Las Vegas, home to some of the biggest names in the restaurant industry.
The NRA members competing are Eve Aronoff, chef/owner, Eve, Ann Arbor, Mich.; Ash Fulk, Trestle on Tenth; New York City; Kevin Gillespie, chef/owner, Woodfire Grill, Atlanta; Michael Isabella, executive chef, Zaytinya, Washington, D.C.; Bryan Voltaggio, chef/partner, Volt, Frederick, Md.
Will one of the Association members take home the title? We hope so.
The Hospitality Careers Training Center will post each Chef bio in our blogs. To see all blogs visit http://www.hospitalitytrainingcenter.com/
Kevin Gillespie is used to competition. As a high school student, he received a scholarship to attend culinary school after winning the Art Institute of Atlanta’s Young Teen Chef Contest.
Fascinated by cooking at an early age, Gillespie preferred to watch cooking shows than cartoons when he was a child. Later, he decided he "couldn’t fathom doing anything else" for the rest of his life.
Fascinated by cooking at an early age, Gillespie preferred to watch cooking shows than cartoons when he was a child. Later, he decided he "couldn’t fathom doing anything else" for the rest of his life.
Since then, he has focused on becoming great, even if that means trying something he’s not familiar with. "One chef told me I should leave his restaurant and work somewhere I could learn more," he says. "If I wanted to be great, I needed to work for people who were great."
His advice: Never be afraid to leave your comfort zone if that means you’ll come out a better person and chef. "Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion," he adds.
His advice: Never be afraid to leave your comfort zone if that means you’ll come out a better person and chef. "Don’t be afraid to voice your opinion," he adds.
That’s why he says he thinks he’s an ideal Top Chef contestant. "Top Chef seems to look for people who are charismatic and have strong opinions but aren’t afraid to share them. That did well for me in my life and on the show."
So, don’t be surprised if he ruffles a few feathers on Top Chef this season. "For the most part I say nice things, but I might say something that someone doesn’t want to hear," he says.
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(612) 216-3987
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