Top Chef Alumni Newsletter

Kevin Gillespie Would Rather Not Hang Out With His Mom on Top Chef

Photo: Courtesy of Bravo

Top Chef finalist Kevin Gillespie was not so stoked that his mom showed up at the finals. “It was kind of distracting,” he told Pop Candy. “You want to spend time with your mom. You want to talk to her about other things. For me, there were a million things I would’ve rather have been able to sit down and talk to her about, and that wasn’t really the time or place for it.” Though his divorce is a bummer, Kevin’s new tattoo will cheer him up: “I’m getting a tattoo with an eagle to sort of sum up in many ways that idea of, I don’t have to be held down by any sort of bad situation. You rise above it, and you move on with life.” Kevin was in New York for meetings this week, and also had lunch at Café Boulud. Maybe he called fellow competitor Eli Kirshtein while he was here. “I talk to Eli pretty much every day — he’s kind of like having a little brother.” Dig! We’re sure it wasn’t lost on Eli, who must be hoping that Kevin doesn’t move to New York, too.

A Chat With Kevin Gillespie [Pop Candy/USAT]

Kevin Gillespie Would Rather Not Hang Out With His Mom on Top Chef