"top chef dc" news and stories

Can we put this one to bed, already? It's only been a week since we wrapped up Top Chef DC with a big, Singaporean bow and a crowned "surprise" winner Kevin (not that much of a surprise, actually, considering Bravo's website leaked the news early).

While season seven wasn't without its drama (manufactured mysteries, would-be romances), all in all this was a lesser season, and that came through in the montages, recaps and reminisces featured in this week's "reunion" special.

Even Tom admitted as much, agreeing with a reader's letter that he seemed "grumpier" this season. His rationale: The food really sucked, at least in the first set of challenges. We'll be sure to remember that the next time he cruelly berates someone -- it's just his palate talking.

We expected a few revelations, but didn't really get them: Did Alex steal Ed's pea puree? (Answer: No. Or maybe.) Was Angelo as much an arrogant ass as he was portrayed? (Yes, although he was on his sunniest behavior during the reunion, that's for sure.) Is Tiffany the fan favorite? (Probably. But just to annoy us, Bravo is making us to tune in to Watch What Happens to find out for sure.)

Earlier today, Slashfood posted an interview with Top Chef: DC Runner-Up Angelo Sosa, now, here's our one-on-one with Ed Cotton.

If you could have chosen to not have a sous chef, would you have?
EC: Well, I definitely knew I needed a body to help me. For the amount of things I decided to do for my menu, if I would've done that myself, they would've just told me to stop cooking. Because it wouldn't have been good.

That would've been a first in Top Chef history: to just say stop.
EC: Yeah, I think so [laughs].

What was the thinking behind your final menu?
EC: Chef Tom and Eric went out to the market and brought back some beautiful slipper lobsters and duck, so I was excited and really wanted to showcase the ingredients and be really seasonal about it. Respect the ingredients. I love clean, straight forward and flavored food with great technique behind it.

From episode one, it was clear that Angelo Sosa was going to be around for a long time -- he just couldn't stop winning. But around the midway point, his cooking started tapering off, just as Ed Cotton started coming on strong. They both couldn't have been more different -- Angelo was the sensual chef, Ed was the jocular one around the kitchen. But they did have a few things in common: both come from prestigious tutelage, with Angelo learning from Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Ed with Todd English. Both are currently based in New York City: Angelo, as the proprietor of Xie Xie and Ed at Plein Sud in Tribeca. And both ended up in the finale and lost to Kevin.

Slashfood spoke with both Ed and Angelo the day after the Top Chef: D.C. finale -- we're happy to report they both were in good spirits.

First , Angelo Sosa.

Top Chef has always espoused an "any given Sunday" approach to the competition, but while we've seen some underdogs make it far in the past, Top Chef: D.C. winner Kevin Sbraga really came out of nowhere to win the title. He now joins the likes of Michael Voltaggio, Stephanie Izard and Hung Huynh in the coveted Top Chef stable. As the final challenge asked the chefs to cook the "meal of their life," Kevin offered four courses -- including a killer dessert -- that showed a wide range of culinary knowledge and a willingness to embrace his local surroundings.

His "Singapore Sling 2010" -- a play on the famous cocktail -- was reportedly so good, Chef Tom Colicchio took to his blog, saying "he arrived with the know-how to dash off a great panna cotta and found a way to integrate it into a dish, allowing himself to be inspired by the fruits he found. It was smart. In fact, it was sensational."

Currently the executive chef at Rat's Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculpture, Kevin received his training from Johnson and Wales in Miami and has worked as the Chef de Cuisine at The Grill at Philadelphia's Ritz-Carlton Hotel. In 2008, he won the Best Meat Presentation at Bocuse d'Or USA -- so he does have some experience with winning.

Slashfood spoke with Kevin about his underdog win in Singapore, how he did the "Singapore Sling" and what he plans to do with his prize money, now that he's reigning Top Chef.

We've seen contenders come and go. We've shed tears for some (Tiffany, we thought you'd go so far!). We've endured others (specifically those of you who constantly mangle metaphors, Angelo). Some, we've been completely indifferent to -- maybe unfairly (sorry, Kevin). Perhaps most importantly, we (and Ed) survived The Quite Possibly Staged Great Pea Puree Heist.

It all came down to three, and we'd be lying if we said they all fit the usual Top Chef mold: Of Kevin, Ed and Angelo, only the latter had the requisite level of camera-ready overblown arrogance. Only Kevin had the now-patented Top Chef Anger Management Problem, and even then it was only rarely -- we got the feeling it was being played up more than anything.

Going into the finale, we were all for Ed: his unpretentious plating, his levels and levels of flavors, his at-times acrobatic techniques (stuffing a duck neck -- impressive!). It helped that he beat resident villain and intermittent frontrunner Angelo -- at his own game, Asian food, and twice! -- in the first part of the finale.