Shakers' Favie

Shaker Joe, who missed the Top Chef thread last night where we were wondering whether Stephanie Izard was still a chef in Chicago (or would be after the show ends), sent me the link to an article about Stephanie that he thought might be of interest.

And of course she comes across as just as delightful and humble and gracious and cool as she appears to be on the show.

C: How did you manage to negotiate the politics between her and Dale? You were probably the only one to get those two to cooperate and work together.

SI: Someone had to step up there and get the three of us on the same page, working together. I'm a firm believer that you treat people as you wish to be treated. At Scylla, I treated everyone fairly. We were all good friends there with a lot of respect and love for each other.

C: Of the three other finalists, who would you say was your main competition?

SI: Probably Richard. He has a unique way of cooking and approaching food that I find neat to be around and watch. I'd love to pick his brain.

C: Which chefs do you think should have been in the top four?

SI: Dale or Jen. My predictions for the final four were me, Richard, Antonia and Dale. Unfortunately, Dale let his issues with Lisa get the better of him. It was tough to watch because I've known him for a long time and he's a great chef. I just had the opportunity to visit San Francisco and eat at Jen's restaurant. The food was amazing; she's such a talented cook.

I really love and admire people who are generous about their colleagues' work, especially people with whom they're competitive.

I dig Richard just a huge fuckload, but I really hope Stephanie wins.