Duck tongue, kangaroo, monkfish liver: Gail Simmons has tried all of these and more as a judge on Bravo’s Top Chef and Top Chef Masters. This fall, things take a sweet turn as the Chelsea resident steps into a new role hosting the show’s spin-off, Top Chef: Just Desserts.
GOTHAM: How’s the new show?
GAIL SIMMONS: Top Chef: Just Desserts is an exciting project for me. The art of baking and pastry is very different from cooking in the savory kitchen. It not only requires rigorous practice, patience and precision, but a totally separate set of culinary skills. After several seasons of viewers and professional pastry chefs complaining that we were not doing justice to their craft, Bravo finally decided it was time to give desserts their due.
G: What’s the difference between being a judge and a host?
GS: My role up until now was to show up for a challenge, eat, discuss, debate and leave. The host’s role is much more constant and demanding.
G: When you’re not judging the show, is dessert something you indulge in every day?
GS: I eat at least something sweet every day, whether snacking on a square of good-quality dark chocolate or splitting a banana bread pudding when I’m out for dinner. And then of course there’s the ice cream conundrum. If it’s around, I’ll eat it.
G: How do you think New York’s food scene differs from that in other places you’ve traveled to?
GS: The most exciting difference I notice between New York and other cities is that everyone in New York is into food and dining out. Stop anyone on the street and they will have a fierce opinion about where to eat, who makes the best pizza or espresso, or where to go for the best Chinese or falafel. There are so many types of cuisines available to explore. After over a decade of ambitious eating in this town, I still feel I’ve barely scratched the surface.
