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by BS

Top Chef All-Stars Exit Interview: Episode 4

A trip to the US Open emphasized gamesmanship on this week’s Top Chef All-Stars. But it was game, set, match for one disappointed chef’testant. We find out what went wrong, after the jump.

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: On the Wings of Love

I’m not a complicated man. I’ve discussed many of my food weaknesses here on the site. For the most part, they’ve been very specific…a particular dish from a particular restaurant or a traditional recipe made in an exact way. But there is a more generic food item that gets me salivating like Pavlov’s Pup as soon as I hear the words.

Buffalo wings.

Dangle the possibility of deep fried chicken wings tossed in hot sauce (side of blue cheese dressing, please), and I’ll pretty much travel to the ends of the earth. Funny…the one place I don’t travel is the owl-mascotted restaurant chain that’s located less than a mile from my house, because Mrs. TVFF doesn’t look kindly on that establishment. Anywhere else buffalo wings appear is a place I’m going.

So when my Twitter reader started BINGing with a tweet from the local bar McGillin’s Olde Ale House — plenty of atmosphere, good food and great local microbrews — mentioning a special offer of $.25 wings, I knew what I’d be doing that evening. McGillin’s may be the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philly (since 1860), but they’re au courant with a Twitter account. Wings, twitter – you got my number, McGillin’s.

OK, enough e-drool. On to the smörg…

Cheflebrity Smörgåsbord: A Dingo Ate My Soufflé

Food movies can be a dicey proposition. Sure, we were able to find plenty of great food movie scenes, but the truth of the matter is that there are plenty of bad food-centric movies out there. Does anybody remember Simply Irresistable? Yeah, that’s what I mean.

But I’m pretty sure that I’m going to like Julie & Julia. Why? For starters, it’s about Julia Child, who is scheduled to be canonized by the Pope any day now. Second, it stars Meryl Streep, and she’s doing an accent. I smell Oscar. And finally, I’m certain that I’ll love it because — as the trailer points out — it’s about a blogger! Once J&J takes off like gangbusters, it’s only a matter of time before Endless Simmer: The Movie. What will it be about? Who knows, but I guarantee strong language, needless violence and gratuitous nudity. Lots and lots of nudity.

Which leads me to my first point in the smörg…

– Padma Lakshmi showed up at the White House Correspondents Dinner in DC wearing a see-through dress. Really, Padma? Can’t you just cry out for attention with an overdose like every other celebrity? Photos NSFW, obviously.

– Two of our favorite food competition show runners-up, Kelsey Nixon of Next Food Network Star and Spike Mendelsohn of Top Chef, are starring in a new video series for Food2.com, the new site from the Food Network folks that features all kinds of original content and social media integration.

After the jump…a less-than-rare celebrity fashion sighting, two pretty boys team up to make America skinnier and the world’s greatest chef sends out for a slice.