Author: Seth Abramovitch

Jay Leno and Jimmy Fallon — the two men at the heart of the battle over the fate of NBC’s Tonight Show — have banded together in an NBC promotional video making light of the perceived late-night power-shift.

In the Late Night with Jimmy Fallon spot, Leno is seen being accosted by reporters as he makes his way down a backstage hallway towards his office.

THR COVER: The War on Jay Leno

On the other end of the country, Fallon, looking worn down by the controversy, is told by a crew member that he’s needed on set.

As Fallon sighs over a recent newspaper headline no doubt touting his rumored ascendancy, his iPhone rings — bringing up the name “Host of Tonight Show” on his caller I.D.

Fallon then answers, “Hey, Jay.”

What happens next? It looks as though audiences will have to tune in to both NBC late-night talkers and see. Unlike Leno’s recent swipes at his employer , however, this bit appears to have gotten the stamp of approval from the network.

Bravo

L.A.-based Brooke Williamson, 34, proved a formidable Top Chef Seattle competitor, her low-drama, no-nonsense approach to cooking —  turning out dish after dish that demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of ingredients, flavors and technique — landing her a spot in the finale. Yes, she got tripped up by way over-thinking a fried chicken challenge eariler in the season, but way over-thinking things is part of what made the self-taught Williamson so endearing.

Her swan song menu, which included mouth-watering seared scallop over salt cod puree, vadouvan chicken wings and braised pork cheek with crispy red snapper, was praised by the judges but ultimately wasn’t enough to eke a victory out from under season 10 champion Kristen Kish.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Williamson on Thursday about her second-place finish, her happiest reality show memories and what life is like post-Top Chef.

The Hollywood Reporter: How do you feel the day after the finale?

Williamson: Tired. [laughs] It’s been a long couple of days.

THR: What was it like watching yourself compete?

Williamson: It’s actually more intense to watch it than it was live it. It becomes a lot more dramatic when you add music, and see the expressions on our faces, and watch the judges. It was very emotional to watch it. 

THR: Is there anything about what you served last night that you thought, “Oh I shouldn’t have done that?”

Williamson: No. Honestly, I have no regrets about what I did. I was actually very proud of every dish that I put out. I feel like my meal was really balanced, and I was really happy with the way my food came out.

THR: What was your reaction to seeing Kristen emerge as your final competitor?

Williamson: I was actually strangely enough excited to see her and excited to be competing against someone who I thought was the strongest competitor. My goal was never to be better than somebody who I didn’t think was the best. So I was happy.

THR: Were you actually shocked when she was eliminated so early in the competition?

Williamson: Yeah, I mean I think everyone was. Nobody saw that coming.

THR: What was a highlight or a specific memory that you’ll cherish from this season?

Williamson: I have so many. You know, dog sledding on a glacier in Alaska is definitely something I’ll never forget. Cleaning fish on the docks in Alaska. The berry farm was just gorgeous and beautiful. There are so many things that I did that I feel like I’ll take with me forever.

THR: And fried chicken might come back to haunt you. Are you a fan of fried chicken?

Williamson: [laughs] I am. I feel like really good fried chicken is excellent. Mediocre fried chicken is not worth it. You know what, I don’t regret doing the fried chicken. Apparently it wasn’t the platform for it, but I actually feel like my flavors and that chicken were like some of the best fried chicken I’ve eaten. And so I was very proud of that dish. I liked it, and I guess it just wasn’t a good time to present that dish.

THR: Has your success on Top Chef helped business at your two L.A.-area restaurants?

Williamson: Yeah. I mean the locals are still being super, super supportive. The people that have been coming for years are still coming, but now we have this sort of influx of business from people who are driving in from across the city. 

THR: Do you have one chef hero who you’d love to collaborate on a meal or menu with? 

Williamson: That’s a good question. God, I don’t know. I feel like there are a lot of great L.A. chefs who I have already worked with, just at events and stuff. But, I feel like actually somebody who I have a lot of respect for what they do is David Chang. I feel like I didn’t show my best colors on the [fried chicken] challenge where he was the guest judge, and I would love the opportunity to collaborate with him and work with him, and show him that I’m not a jackass.

THR: Finally, as a California resident, where do you fall on the whole foie gras ban situation?

Williamson: As much as I believe in not being cruel to animals, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me that I can buy duck, and I can’t buy the liver. I mean, I understand the fury behind the ban, but it’s a pretty great ingredient, and I think there are a lot of other things that we could focus on when it comes to animal cruelty.

Bravo

From the very beginning, there was something about Kristen Kish. Yes, the 28-year-old former model was beautiful, but it was her facility in the kitchen — tough, focused, graceful — that set her apart from the rest of the Top Chef Seattle hopefuls.

Her breakout moment came in a challenge in which she was called upon to do nothing more than make French-fried onions and mushrooms, but her technique was so flawless, she walked away with a win. Her momentum grew steadily after that, and it quickly became clear that she was the one to beat.

Q&A: ‘Top Chef Seattle’: 7 Questions With Josie Smith-Malave 

That is, until the Restaurant Wars fiasco in which Kish, the team captain, was sent packing, while Josie Smith-Malave, an at-times difficult contestant who many felt sabotaged the challenge, lived on another week. It was one of the most controversial calls in Top Chef history — but thanks to web-only redemption series Last Chance Kitchen, Kish clawed her way back to a spot in Wednesday night’s finale.

Staged Iron Chef-style as a live stadium event, Kish went head-to-head with Brooke Williamson, a challenger of comparable talents and temperament, for a four-course throwdown. Kish conquered, serving up a chicken liver mousse followed by citrus-cured scallop, bone marrow with celery root puree and red snapper with leeks.

Q&A: ‘Top Chef Seattle’: 6 Questions With Sheldon Simeon 

Beyond being season 10’s Top Chef champion, Kish is currently the chef de cuisine at Stir, part of Barbara Lynch Gruppo, a Boston-based mini-empire founded by chef Barbara Lynch. The Hollywood Reporter spoke with her the morning after her win.

The Hollywood Reporter: Congratulations! How do you feel?

Kristen Kish: It hasn’t really sunk in yet. Obviously I’m really happy and excited. I’m just trying to take it all in.

THR: Once you were eliminated from the show, did you think it was all over?

Kish: For the first couple of days I definitely thought it was over. I was embarrassed a little bit. But then you get thrown into Last Chance Kitchen and it starts all over again. So I quickly broke out of that “I give up” stage.

THR: A good strategy! Were you thrown by the new finale format?

Kish: It was definitely a new feeling to walk out right out onto that stage, and that was the first time we had ever seen it. Shocking, really. 

THR: Did you feel you were able to cook your best in that situation, or do you feel it held you back?

Kish: I mean, walking in there when no one was there and we were told that’s what we were going to do, I was so nervous. But once we started cooking and people starting filtering in the energy changed and I think it worked to my advantage, because I love cooking in front of people like that.

THR: Were you actually cooking for everyone in that audience?

Kish: We had to cook 65 tasting plates and 5 for the judges. 

THR: When did you formulate your menu? 

Kish: Two days prior to flying out to L.A. I kind of got a chance to start contextualizing and pulling together our ingredients. 

THR: Have you spoken with Josie since your controversial elimination? 

Kish: I have. We actually had a little bit of contact, text messages and email, after I got eliminated and all those harsh words people were saying about her. I just sent her a note saying, “I’m sorry about what people are saying about you.” I saw her at the finale and we exchanged a few words. It was kind of a whirlwind. 

THR: Was there any residual resentment there? 

Kish: Not at all. God, there wasn’t even any resentment after the elimination. I think fans and viewers got more upset than I did. I held nothing against her. She did her thing, I did my thing, and if I were to see her again it would be totally fine. We could sit down and have a beer. 

THR: You mention in the finale that you thought you were sent home too soon. Do you think it was an unfair call on behalf of the judges?

Kish: I don’t think it was an unfair call. I definitely think it was too soon. But maybe I didn’t say enough or stick up for myself enough. In that moment, I did what I thought was right. 

THR: And you still won. 

Kish: Yes. So it’s OK now. 

THR: What’s next for you?

Kish: I’m going to stay with Barbara for a little bit. Maybe take on another challenge within the Gruppo. I’ll start conceptualizing new ideas with her and see where it takes me. Boston has become my home. My friends, my work, I’ve made family there. It’s where I love to be at this moment.