On the Top Chef Finale

I was Team Kevin, but as I've said over at All Top Chef, everybody in this finale was talented and professional enough to win. What a good season.

But still...Team Kevin. Especially after reading the interviews Cail's just sent me. This quote, from his interview with Creative Loafing, summarizes what I so respect in him, philosophically:

This is the crux of our situation in Atlanta. It troubles me that people think that Southern food is simply food of uneducated people who have no taste. They forget this storied, elegant history of refinement that we have. We have a longer standing food history in the South than any other region in this country, something we should be proud of.

I’ve taken it on as my mission – I’m not trying to make “New Southern” cuisine, I’m trying to make food that has a sense of place – both where I’m from and where I cook right now. I want people to be proud of that. I want people to feel like we can create our own cuisine style here that continues that history, that continues to make the South a place that you should be proud of and has amazing food.