Yesterday we offered up our interview with the West Coast’s last remaining cheftestant on tonight’s Top Chef finale – Michael Voltaggio. Today we’re bringing you a follow-up interview with the East Coast’s own Voltaggio: Bryan. He’s already made it further than DC’s first Top Chef, Spike Mendelsohn, and he seems poised to follow in the footsteps of Carla Hall who was one of the top three competitors last season.
We caught Chef Voltaggio in the kitchen at VOLT, the restaurant he opened in Frederick, Maryland, about a year and a half ago. No resting on his laurels for this Top Chef – Voltaggio was hard at work sauteeing sweetbreads for that evening’s dinner service and had to step away from the phone a few times to make sure everything came out just right. It’s that kind of attention to detail that helped him to three Elimination Challenge wins.
In the course of our interview, we discussed several of the same topics we asked his brother, Michael about: fan reactions in his restaurant, sibling rivalry, the impact of the competition on their family members. Check out the conversation, and then tune in tonight to see whether the Voltaggios will be able to take their rivalry all the way to the finale.
Capital Spice: Good afternoon, Chef. It’s great to have an opportunity to follow up with you now that we know you’ve made it so far. Congratulations on your success.
Bryan Voltaggio: Thanks. Happy to talk with you again.
CS: What’s been the biggest change you’ve seen since the show started airing?
BV: Without a doubt, the show has put a new focus on VOLT. We’re seeing increased foot traffic, especially on Saturdays and Sundays as people from Washington visit Frederick.
CS: You grew up in the area. How does it feel to know that you’re having a hand in bringing more people to town?
BV: It’s been terrific – we all tend to share business throughout the community. If we’re booked solid at VOLT, we’ll happily recommend people check out other restaurants in town – and they’ll do the same for us.
CS: One of the things that fans have noticed is the concentration of wins with just a few chefs this season. You and the other three finalists are the ONLY contestants to win an Elimination Challenge. What was your take on the competition?
BV: Everyone from the judges to former contestants have said that the level of competition this season is higher than it ever has been before. I can honestly say that every single contestant deserved to be there for the food they were cooking. The challenge wins don’t reflect the reality of the overall skill level in that kitchen.
Bryan’s take on the Voltaggio sibling rivalry, his mother’s reaction, and forgetting an anniversary after the jump. (more…)