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And what's our plan for
pacing?
I'm just curious.
Because I truly-
I do think we need to
pace tonight.
That's true.
Because usually
when we go out,
it's basically
a lot of drinking.
No eating.
Right.
And then
eventually we eat.
That's kind of similar
to what's going to
happen tonight.
I mean holy shit.
You think I've
done that before.
I did not think that
was going to be a whole
fucking bottle.
I'm Gail Simmons, special
projects director at
Food Lion magazine, judge
on Bravo's Top Chef.
It was a long road
to get here and
it actually started 20
years ago discovering
that I wanted to work
in the food industry.
I moved to New York and
I went to culinary school
and when I felt like I
had gotten some good
experience I left
the kitchen and
went to work for
Jeffrey Steingarten,
who is the food critic
at Vogue magazine.
It was through Jeffrey
that I came to know so
many of the most
talented chefs and
food people around
the country,
because he worked
with them on so
many different projects.
And one of the people I
came to know was
Daniel Boulud.
So Danielle only had
three restaurants at
the time, but
was opening many
more around the country,
writing books,
had tons of events, and
his marketing director
needed some help, so
he offered me the job.
It wasn't the job I
anticipated taking,
because I thought I
was just gonna go be
a food writer.
When Daniel Boulud
offers you a job,
you take the job.
>From working at Danielle
for three years,
I went to go work at
Food and Wine Magazine.
And about a year
into the job,
Bravo came to Food and
Wine to ask them
if they'd help partner on
a food show and Food and
Wine sent me on
a screen test.
To see if this
was something we
could all do together,
and Bravo chose me.
Three weeks later, I was
shooting Top Chef, and
I guess the rest
is history.
I think one of the most
rewarding things about
Top Chef, is that after
13 seasons, we can
quantify how successful
the winners have been,
and several of the other
contestants, too.
There were something like
over 100 restaurants that
have opened in America,
since we started the show
that are from contestants
and you still can't deny
how much of an impact
this show and
it's chefs have had
on our industry.
I met two of my closest
girlfriends at the Food
and Wine Magazine
offices in town,
at the iconic Time and
Life building.
The girls who came
along with me for
the night were
Nilou Motamed and
Sarah Rosenberg.
Who are these two people?
That the producer's
chose to stand in as my
friends.
She doesn't have
any friends.
We're doing well with
the script though.
Natural.
Tell me more
about your self.
The three of us get
together a lot.
We sort of have a big
crew of friends that love
to eat and drink,
love to travel.
No one will be safe.
And he has
done it before.
So he knows.
Okay, where are we going,
Gail?
Where are we heading?
Oh we're going to Navy.
Tell us a little
bit more about.
Oh right.
She's posting.
No I'm getting out.
I'm done.
What's your
Instagram strategy?
Shut up.
All right we're
going to Navy.
Camille Becerra's
restaurant in SoHo.
Camille was on the third
season of Top Chef,
she was a contestant and
she did well but
not great in the season.
I could tell she was
a great cook and
she's just a great
person and
we stayed in touch after
the season and she is so
creative, and
she has done so
well, and Navy is such
a cool little spot.
I chose to go to Navy
specifically, because I
think it's such a hidden
gem in New York City.
It really is one of
those places that
I can eat several
times a week.
It's totally unfussy.
The mood of the room
is so comfortable and
organic.
I like the way it
smells a little smokey.
It does smell
good in here.
It's just,
isn't it a cool,
pretty little situation?
It's really sexy because
you could totally have
an affair here
Noted, noted.
What are you?
What do you think we
should do because we're
gonna just get
a few things
because we're like moving
Yeah.
It's a progressive.
Around a bit.
Of course.
So why don't you
just do like,
Whatever you think.
Little apps, right?
I would describe
Camille's food
as being super seasonal.
Simple.
Very clean.
Bright flavors.
She loves to play
with texture.
We started with a scallop
svechice which had tons
of lime, lots of
herbs and avocado.
Really good.
The bavitas actually.
The bavitas are the shit.
Make it.
Super crunchy.
She knows what
she's doing.
She's no dumb dumb.
I absolutely loved
the scallops svechice was
a great way to
start our night.
A fresh clean bite at
the beginning of what
was gonna be a very
long night ahead of us.
You can just pick it up
and whenever you want.
We also had her
liver toast,
which she shaves
chocolate onto.
You think that's
gonna have a strange,
sweet effect, but
it's a bittersweet
chocolate that
really goes well with the
richness of the liver.
We had a few salads that
I loved especially this
Asian pear and
radish salad.
That I expected to be
chunky and crunchy,
but she shaved the radish
and the Asian pear so
thinly in rounds,
on the mandolin, and
then dressed it with
a beautiful olive oil and
some, what she
called a citronet.
Which, she actually
described as a sweet
lemonade vinaigrette that
really brought the dish
together.
It was a bit of
a revelation.
It's just like fresh and.
She's like, she gets it.
You know what I mean?
Bye, thanks for visiting.
Thank you for having us.
We'll see you soon.
Bye.
>From there we walked
to ZZ's Clam Bar.
ZZ's Clam Bar is run by
I have three good friends
of mine, Rich Tarrizzi,
Mario Carbone, and
Geoffrey Zalazneck.
It's a really special,
kind of magical
cocktail place.
The cocktail director,
mixologist,
Thomas, is a total
character.
He's so talented.
They're usually not
open on Mondays,
but we went anyway.
It was amazing because we
got to saddle up to that
beautiful marble bar.
We should not be sitting,
here this is not
usually how we sit.
We're blocking the view,
we're distracting poor
Thomas from his work.
But, tonight's
a special night.
So this is cilantro and
jalapeno juice tequila.
That's my jam.
Yeah with house made
grenadine.
That's so good.
That's unbelievable.
My whole face is on fire.
It's not,
it's not not spicy.
Pass that baby over here.
It's not not spicy.
It's bananas.
The food is absolutely
beautiful here, but
you go for the cocktails.
You can not believe how
stunning and creative and
really insane these
cocktails are.
Thomas, is a mad
scientist, he's a genius.
We went in thinking
we would try one
or two cocktails.
Maybe among the three
of us, we'd have five
to get a feel for
how awesome they are.
But of course we ended
up drinking eight,
eight cocktails
at that bar.
So Thomas, would you
say the recipe for
a really sloppy
night is to have
eight different
cocktails right in a row?
Correct.
Yeah, it depends on
what kind of champ
you are, I think.
I mean I can do
eight cocktails.
Wow.
That's ugly.
Mm.
So the next one I'm
making for
you is the pistachio.
I absolutely went crazy
for this pistachio
cocktail that had
kumquats on top of it.
Another amazing
combination.
Oh, my God.
This is like an Italian
rainbow cookie.
So good.
It's like a dessert.
We also ate some
amazing things at ZZ's.
We had these beautiful,
perfect little Japanese
sardines with blood
orange and other citrus.
We had this fantastic
scallop dish.
Live scallop that had
been thinly sliced and
then drizzled with
brown butter.
And we had some
lobster svechice
Since you've worked at
a lot of bars in your
history in San Francisco
what's the worst and
best pickup line
you've ever heard?
It was a guy
talking to a girl.
And it was something
like are you Mumford?
Because I wanna
make your sons.
Oh.
But why?
It was so bad,
like she was so confused.
I don't even know if she
knew who the band was.
Right.
Oh.
Anyway, the band
sucks too, so.
Yeah, whole thing.
But we do have to leave
you, don't you think?
Thomas, thank you.
Any time.
Thank you for having us.
Wait, with or
without the stir.
That was appropriate,
actually, just
make it like that.
It feels good.
We're making
a drink right now.
>From there we headed
to Miss Lily's 7A.
Are you sober, Alana,
to be driving right now?
Because I am not.
Listen, Alana, I know
you sucked down
Pistachio
I downed it.
I downed it.
I downed
the pistachio ladies.
Hey ladies,
where we going next?
That's the worst,
that the worst.
Ladies, no it like.
Like the Liza Minnelli
coming out.
Hey ladies,
where we coming next?
We're going.
Where are we going?
Where we coming next?
We're going to
Miss Lily's 7A.
It's a Caribbean
restaurant with
a great rum bar and I
happen to be really good
friends with Paul Salmon,
the owner.
He opened it
as the second
Miss Lily's in New York.
There's another Miss
Lily's on Houston Street.
He also owns
the Rockhouse,
which is a very special
hotel in Jamaica.
We're so excited to
be at Miss Lyly's 7A.
Me too.
I'm happy to have
you guys.
Thank you so
much for having us.
Every time-
Dip your toes
into the sand here.
Ya, I know.
I can feel it.
I can feel the sunshine
on my face.
Their chef Adam is super
cool and is always
pushing the boundaries
of Caribbean foods.
Doing interesting
things with it.
Always trying to
introduce people to more
of it because there
actually isn't a ton
of Caribbean restaurants
in Manhattan.
Start you off with
our pepper shrimp.
Here, there you go.
Yay.
Enjoy.
What came to the table
first were a few other
signature dishes.
The pepper shrimp,
which is super spicy.
Also their hush puppies.
And then, Adam brought
us this crazy platter
of curried goat neck,
which he's just trying
out on the menu.
It was awesome.
Oh, this shit is good.
It's so good.
So good.
Oh my God.
Wow.
That's really delicious.
It's as though
we've never eaten.
It was such a fun
way to eat.
The perfect thing to
share with a great
cocktail by your side.
Very good.
I know.
No.
So good.
This is such a good size.
Everyone wants this.
That's what she said.
That's what she said.
Number two.
All right, let's get out.
Shit.
Oh well.
Let's go.
Paul came along with
us for our next stop.
Now, the fun begins.
We've successfully
kidnapped Paul Salmon
from Miss Lily 7A.
I mean he was having
a meal with friends.
I know.
We literally
abducted you.
Yes.
In the best possible way.
I know.
We're talking
you to Talde.
It's a Park Slope.
But Talde is run by
Dale Talde who was
a contestant on Top Chef
a long time ago.
Since then, he's built
an empire in Park Slope.
We got to Brooklyn.
We pulled up in
front of Talde and
I had to change my shoes.
I wear a lot of heels.
I love shoes.
But there's one thing
I don't believe in and
that's cooking
in high heels
when it can be avoided.
Everyone insides
watching,
your friends
are watching.
My assistance’s like,
you’re making a fool
of us right now.
I can't believe
you’re my boss.
That's what she's saying.
Okay, here we go.
And walk into tall day.
I had gathered
together some of my
closest friends.
Many of whom work in
the restaurant industry
in some capacity,
many who don't.
It was a really fun
group, who I just know
are always up for
a little party.
Thank you so much.
Thanks for this.
Are you ready?
Welcome.
Yeah.
We're ready to do this.
I'm only half sober.
Which is gonna make
it even better.
And everything is gonna
taste yummier, right.
Exactly.
And Dale is sort of
like just a culinary
adventurer.
He likes to
experiment to play.
That's why I knew that if
I gave him a few ideas
of things from Vietnam
that I love to cook,
that he would nail them.
And he did.
Pretty fucking good, huh.
This is like a version
of a dish that I had in
Vietnam.
Shrimp poached in
a young coconut,
in the coconut water,
with dill, Thai basil,
chillies, and then dipped
in chili lime salt.
Are you happy with
how it came out?
When I saw the picture, I
thought it was from like
1940s resort in Saigon,
if you're in
an affluent resort.
So I tried to replicate
what you said.
It's a cocktail shrimp.
Southeast Asian style.
Cheers.
That's what's up.
That was good.
That's what's up.
Should we make more?
Oh hell yeah we're
gonna make more.
All right,
let's make more.
He made a broth of
coconut water, ginger,
chilis, garlic.
Citrus and then you
poach the shrimp in it.
They cook pretty fast,
I mean it's really hot.
So fast.
They cook really fast.
We realize that when you
talk about that liquid
it had to be so
flavorful from
jump because it cooks so
quickly.
So quick.
This is my coconut shrimp
with ginger and chili,
lime, salt,basil,
dill Does this take
you back to Vietnam?
It totally take me
back to Vietnam.
Few of the other dishes
we made together were
Bunso which
are a very traditional
Vietnamese pan cake.
It's sort of like a cross
between a pancake and
omelette that you usually
use fish sauce, shrimps,
pork and some shallots,
some fresh herbs.
He put some country
ham as well to
give it a little bit
of an American twist.
We also made
Nasi Goreng which is
an Indonesian
fried rice dish.
I love how he makes
it here at Talde.
You make the fried
rice on the wok.
Which is probably 6 or
700 degrees.
And his woks
are really serious.
It was really fun.
I'd never actually
cooked on a wok
that size before.
It's like a ballet.
Dance all day.
There you go, you got it.
But you can smell that
almost, that char.
The pepper, oh yeah.
And the char coming
off the wok.
Smells great.
This is real
Munchies style,
real Munchies
life right here.
This is Munchies.
This is Munchies
all the way.
Then he set up a bar
of probably 20
different ingredients
that everyone could
customize their
Nasi Goreng with.
It was so fun to have
this great fried rice and
everyone could just
come up to the bar,
sort of like
a Sunday bar but
instead with
Indonesian fried rice.
I have to do that again.
That was so much fun.
I hope you eat and
drink and enjoy.
Thanks for coming.
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