Luxe Life Blog
L.V. chef Carla Pellegrino ousted from ‘Top Chef,’ but could she return?
Tom Recine, Carla Pellegrino and Jesse Shen at the VIP opening of Pellegrino's Meatball Spot in Town Square on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012.
Photo: Jeff Ragazzo
Call it the squabble over squab that cost controversial Las Vegas chef Carla Pellegrino her run on “Top Chef Seattle” on Wednesday night, but wait! An intriguing Bravo promotional clip that aired shortly after her ousting reportedly gives her a chance to get back on the show.
In the Last Chance Kitchen follow-up, Carla (Meatball Spot at Town Square and Bratalian in Henderson) was selected to be one of the chefs who will compete in a Last Chef Standing segment, and if she wins, she can go to the “Top Chef” finale.
On last night’s show, Carla completed the Quickfire Challenge with a sirloin medallion dish with risotto. She’d been given one hour to slice her favorite piece of meat from a giant side of beef to make her dish.
But it was in the Elimination Challenge that she ran into problems. Her team had to “travel back in time” to re-create the menu of a 1950s fine-dining restaurant in Seattle that was the birthplace of modern Northwest cuisine. For one night only, the cheftestants had to revive the original menu.
Another twist, another turn and another curveball on the reality TV competition meant two chefs would be eliminated. Carla’s squab proved her temporary downfall. One judge said it was undercooked. Another sad it was overcooked, and Carla was right in the middle.
The decision to oust her led to tears, but she said: “This was all a wakeup call, and I’m leaving as a better chef.”
But with the new twist of Bravo’s Last Chance contest, there’s a strong possibility that Carla, who has been a ratings sizzler, will return to the show in time for the finale. We’ll track down that information and post it as soon as we know the 411.
UPDATED VIA TWITTER @ROBIN_LEACH:
A Bravo promo for “Last Chance Kitchen” indicates that Carla Pellegrino (@chefcarlapelleg) has a shot of returning to the “Top Chef” finale if she is the “last chef standing.”
Check out Carla’s Facebook page for more information, and go to Bravo.com to vote to save Carla. Bring back Carla! Bring back Carla!
Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.
Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.
Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.
Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.
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