Kevin Gillespie is easily one of the most talked about culinarians in Atlanta. His showing on Top Chef is a big reason why droves of people now lineup at Woodfire Grill to sample his cuisine. Meanwhile, his delicious grub keeps people coming back for more. He’s so popular that I get a near daily report of a Kevin-sighting (the latest being at my beloved Gato Bizco – thanks Lilly!).
Yes, it’s true … people can’t get enough of Kevin. In fact, exactly one-month prior to this posting, Jennifer Brett interviewed KG on her AJC blog. In that postification of insights, innuendos, and implications, Kevin confirmed what many in the foodie circles had already heard: he’s hell bent on opening a barbecue inspired restaurant. As these things tend to go, information has oozed out like jelly from your favorite doughnut.
The James Beard Awards are the United States’ version of the food Oscars. Today, the JB Foundation announced their semifinalists for this years awards.
The winners will be announced in May, so for now all we can do is wait. You can find the full list on the JB website (warning: that’s a pdf). However, we’ll highlight the Atlanta standouts right after the jump!
You could easily go your entire life and never hear the phrase “Bocuse d’Or.” However, if you spend any time in the restaurant world – you’ll inevitably come across this mysterious phrase. Bocuse d’Or is actually the name for a biennial chef contest. Named for Paul Bocuse, the 2-day cooking extravaganza is almost always likened to the Olympic Games.
Those of you who watch Top Chef probably remember the episode from a few weeks ago inspired by Bocuse. Sure enough, Atlanta’s loveable Kevin Gillespie took the challenge and earned his spot on this list. The Woodfire Grill leader will try and take down eleven other hopefuls for a chance to represent our country. Just a few minutes ago, they announced the entire list of US semi-finalists. Here they are in all their glory:
Jennifer Petrusky, Chicago, Charlie Trotter Christopher Parson, Winchester, MA Mark Lieberman, Florida James Kent, New York, Eleven Madison Park Luke Bergman, New York, the Modern Kevin Gillespie, Atlanta, Top Chef finalist Percey Watley, California Michael Klauss, Vermont Danny Circada, North Carolina Andrew Weiss, Las Vegas Jeremy Thomzac, New York, instructor at the French Culinary Institute John Rella, New York
One heck of a weekend if you ask me … lots of football, lots of food, and lots of food news. What else is there? Here are just a few of the rumblings and grumblings that got tossed around this weekend.
Top Chef: Las Vegas Reunites In The Dirty South Several of the contestants on Top Chef: Atlanta Las Vegas were seen in town this weekend. The group, comprised of ATLiens Kevin Gillespie and Eli Kirshtein, included out of towners Jennifer Carroll, Bryan Voltaggio, and Mike Isabella. The gang was spotted at the Falcons game sucking down some buzztastic grub from the new “it” barbecue joint … known round these parts as Community Q. Speaking of which, I grabbed a meal there last week, and I’ll definitely share in the next day or so (if not sooner).
The fun didn’t stop watching our beloved birds get tarred and feathered. To get the full Atlanta experience, the kiddos spent a good amount of time sampling ATL’s food. They took a trip to Flip Burger Boutique to see TC alum Richard Blais, to Holeman & Finch for some libations, to Pricci, and to each of TC:LVC Atlanta restaurants. UPDATE:Atlanta’s best BBQ blogger was kind enough to recap the events on his blog, pictures and all! Enjoy!
Holeman & Finch To Open Liquor Store Speaking of H&F, long-standing rumors seem to be getting a little more traction. Several “reliable foodies” have mentioned that the group behind ATLs most notable “gastro bar” are going to expand into the liquor store business. All signs point to Bottleneck as the name of the establishment. Andy Minchow, one of the proprietors of H&F, is scheduled to take the reigns. For all you mixologists-in-training, this will most certainly be your store of choice. The former Repast barista will be there to help you with recipes, ingredients, and drinking gadgets. Atlanta’s masked videographer Rowdy just posted a clip of Andy … check it:
Some Bar In Some Place Opened Some people just don’t “get it.” They somehow take the idea of underground coolness and screw it up by going the snobby/elitist route. Here’s what I’m talking about:
Everyone wants to be “Milk & Honey” but no one has the balls (or apparently the brains) to actually pull it off the way M&H did. A bar hoping to copy take inspiration from the NYC underground destination is doing its best to do everything Milk and Honey did not. It starts with the press release.
In this waste of digital paper, the owners were kind enough to provide the name of the bar. Then, they told you what area of town to find it (no specific information – just a generic address – it’s a phone booth of sorts btw). Oh, last but not least, they were nice enough to give out the name of their master mixologist (which everyone in the foodie circle already knows). The cherry? There’s a password to get in. However, they won’t give it out.
One of the reasons why M&H succeeded is because they played the game. They weren’t pretentious about what they were, and they didn’t try to have their cake and eat it too. This establishment seems to want its feet on both sides of the line. Not gonna happen here … You want to put out something in a press release … than do it … but don’t half ass it. As such … not even a name mention from yours truly. If you’re reading this and don’t know the story behind Milk and Honey … feel free to email me and I’ll elaborate. And if you’re dying to know what I’m talking about … search some of the more notable food blogs here in town … you’ll find the 205.5 without too much difficulty. They have a website already and … of course … A FACEBOOK PAGE!!!!!! The website actually tells you where it is. Grrrr …
Little could pull me away from my television on this day of “Win and You’re In.” However, 10-year-old Grace … who rocks it with her parents in Morningside, did just that. Apparently, the young fan of Top Chef took a trip to Woodfire Grill this past evening. Ya’ll know that’s where Kevin Gillespie hides out and cooks up hella killer food. Anywho (I love that non-word), after enjoyed her tasting menu meal, the young foodie in the making presented chef Gillespie with a little treat.
To show her support for ATLs last man standing … she put together one hell of a collage, complete with a fantastic little poem that basically says: SUCK IT VOLTAGGIOS, but in super nice and cute terms. ENJOY! Grace, if you’re out there … please contact me!! (for serious!!!)
If chef Kevin Gillespie is still an unknown to you at this point – I’d be shocked. Even if you don’t find yourself wrapped up in all things food – he is hard to miss. Complete with a pig tat and a stunning resemblance to Yukon Cornelius, he’s got a style that’s distinctly his own.
Outside of the 404, he’s probably best known as one of the studs on this season of Top Chef. In town, we all know him as the loveable legatee of Woodfire Grill. With his pension for seasonal ingredients, farm to table cooking, and simplistic excellence, Kevin is one of the many people trying their best to make Atlanta something other than an afterthought on the national food consciousness. Still in his mid-20s, the guy cooks and speaks with a confidence beyond his years.
Those are just some of the reasons why I’m pleased as pork to have one of the magnanimous leaders of Atlanta’s culinary scene take the time to chime in here. Anyone who has ever heard Kevin talk will probably find some of these answers predictably comforting (the guy loves him some pig!). If you haven’t had the opportunity to check out Gillespie’s food … GO NOW!!! In the meantime, sit back and enjoy his. And with that, welcome to ITCK!
It’s a busy couple of days in the real world for one Foodie Buddha. So while I didn’t have the time or energy in the past 12-hours to write my post on Café Istanbul, I did want to stop in for this quick little tidbit. The writer responsible for Blog Soup is packing up and moving to Kansas City. In what appears to be her final post, she mentioned that Blog Soup will remain in the Dirty Dirty. Meanwhile, she recapped her visit to Kevin Gillespie’sWoodfire Grill, her final foodie stop, on the blog’s penultimate post.
Though I never met or even interacted with BS, it always bums me out when people go away. Bon Voyage Blog Soup, best of luck in the land of barbecue.
By now, you almost certainly know that Atlanta’s own Kevin Gillespie, the chef/partner at Woodfire Grill, is kicking ass and taking name on Top Chef: Las Vegas. His latest accolade came on the heels of an impressive quickfire performance in which he prepared snail fricassee with bacon jam, parsley puree, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. Lucky for us, Bravo posted an instructional video on their website. So here it is in all it’s glory:
Looking for something to do this weekend? Head down to Grant Park for the 7th annual Corks And Forks event. The event runs Saturday, August 29th and Sunday, August 30th (1-5pm both days). For $45/day, you have an opportunity to taste a lot of food and drink from a number of Atlanta restaurants. When you show up, you are given a bag of color-coded chips. The chips give you an opportunity to sample each eatery. However, food is limited, so get there early. Complete list after the jump!
Ah, the joys of being an independent blogger with no editor, no boss, no financial obligations, and nobody to answer to but myself … let’s embrace it!
If you haven’t figured it out yet, let me tell you that I am indeed a fan of Top Chef. While there is plenty of bullshit that goes on behind the scenes, it seems to be one of the only (if not the only) reality show with some actual street cred. That it’s about food is just an added bonus. Actually, scratch that – because it’s about food AND since it seems at least quasi legit – I like it. Because it’s “usually” well done means I really like it.
As luck would have it, it seems that I’ve stumbled upon a little bit of information about the upcoming season. Before we begin, let us get a few things straight. A) I’m not going to tell you how I found out. B) I will tell you that this information did not come from anyone in the restaurant biz nor from one of my fellow bloggers. C) I wouldn’t be writing this post if I was completely full of crap. That said, I may be wrong here. So proceed at your own risk. If it turns out I’ve been misinformed, well – I warned you.
Keeping that in mind, if you want some “off the record dirt,” then read read on. If you like surprises, well, I suggest you stop reading now.
