Top Chef Triumph!

Carla Hall, my favorite TV chef, has appeared in this blog twice before. Back in February, I wrote about how she inspired me to make chicken pot pie (which was delicious). Then, just a few weeks ago, I wrote about how my aunt Michele (who is a friend of Carla's) invited me to lunch with her on a day I have to be out of town for work (tragedy!).

 A few days after that tragic phone call from Michele, she called me again. She explained that she had run into Carla at an event and told her about me- specifically that I'm a huge fan and that I'm really bummed about not being able to go to her lunch. Carla, whom Michele has always described as incredibly gracious and appreciative of her fans, apparently took this situation quite seriously. She told Michele that I should come and help out with one of her cooking classes sometime (!). Michele was calling both to tell me the story and because she couldn't remember whether or not I like to cook. She said something along the lines of "I'm afraid I may have just signed you up to chop onions." I reasssured her that I would be happy to chop onions for Carla anytime.

Mentally, I filed this phone call under "exciting future possibilities" and went about my business. Then, to my great surprise, I heard from Michele again. She had learned of a launch party for Carla's (amazing) cookie line happening at a DC cafe last night. She asked if I would like to join her and my uncle for dinner and the party. Once again, I had to work around some conflicts, but I was determined to make it happen this time.

And I did! After work yesterday, I met my aunt at her Union Station office and then we headed off to meet my uncle Joe at Lincoln, a seasonal small-plates restaurant on Vermont Ave. in DC. I had heard good things about Lincoln, and was not dissapointed. I especially loved the heirloom tomato risotto and the NY strip steak- yum! My only complaint was that the waiters kept trying to take our plates away before we were finished. This led to several comments by Michele that we were not going to leave food behind because there are starving children in Somalia. Her comments made me laugh every time, which, in turn, made me look like the most insensitive person on earth. Next time, I hope the waiters will allow me to keep both my plates and my human decency.

After dinner, we were off to ACKC, an excellent cafe/dessert place and host of Carla's launch party. When we arrived, we immediately found ourselves in a line for pictures with Carla. Then, after about 30 seconds, we were told that we had arrived just in time for a drawing and handed some raffle tickets. Within a minute of our arrival, Michele won the raffle! The prize was an Alchemy by Carla Hall t-shirt, which Michele graciously gave to me:

Shirt front: the Alchemy logo, which incorporates an "a," a heart, and a flame. In Carla's words, "I paid for it, so I'm not changing it!"

Back of the shirt: Carla was well-known for this phrase on "Top Chef." At the party, we chatted about where it came from. My uncle suggested she may have learned it from him.

A few minutes after the drawing, we made our way to the front of the picture line. Michele introduced me and Carla said "Your aunt has been pimping you out!"

Carla and I.

With Michele.

Once the pictures had been taken, we got out of the way and spent some time buying Carla's cookies and enjoying some tasty chocolates. As the party wound down, my aunt and uncle got interested in Carla's t-shirts and sent me to inquire about sizes and prices. I walked over to her, just hoping not to say anything stupid (as I have mentioned before, I am crazy awkward around anyone I admire). I was pleasantly surprised when Carla said "Oh- I want to come and talk to them!," and actually joined us at our table for awhile.

Carla was amazingly gracious and down-to-earth. Within a minute or two, I totally forgot that I was talking to someone I watch on TV. Carla has a couple of wonderful traits that I have always noticed in Michele as well: they are both boundlessly enthusiastic and they both make everyone they talk to feel like the most interesting/important person in the world. Watching them together, I was reminded of when I first met Michele, nearly 20 years ago.

Michele is my uncle's second wife and I distinctly remember the family event where she met many of my relatives, including my mother and grandmother. My family tends to be fairly protective of its members and more than a little wary of outsiders. My grandmother, as wonderful as she was, could be a particularly hard sell. From the moment she learned that Joe was dating someone new, she started speculating about all the ways this woman must be unsuitable for her son. I rememeber waiting for Joe and Michele to arrive at this event, sick with worry about how Michele might be treated.

I needn't have worried. Michele breezed in and charmed the entire family in a matter of minutes. To put it mildly, her work and lifestyle are very different from much of my family, and she could have easily come off as snobbish or intimidating. Instead, she was warm and genuinely interested in every single member of the family. By the end of the day, my grandmother was claiming that she always knew Michele would be great for Joe. For the rest of her life, my grandmother never missed a chance to sing Michele's praises. Michele, in turn, developed a knack for buying my grandmother presents that completely suited her over-the-top style. I have great memories of my uber-stylish aunt presenting my grandmother with watches and rings that would have suited Cher or Dolly Parton, ca. 1970. Michele always seemed genuinely happy to make my grandmother happy, and I always found these exchanges touching.

So, watching Michele and Carla together, I could understand why they are friends and why they both do so well in the hospitality industry. Who wouldn't want to entrust their special event to one of these ladies? I feel very lucky to have spent some time with one of them, and even luckier to have the other in my family!