As anticipated, HBO's NOLA drama Treme got a dose of added star power from a few New York chefs last night: Tom Colicchio, David Chang, Eric Ripert, and Wylie Dufresne. The culinary cronies appeared in a sequence with one of the show's main characters, Janette Desautel, a chef who owns a struggling restaurant.
Here's how it all went down. The chefs show up at the restaurant unannounced, with Colicchio acting as ring leader. After the VIPs are squeezed into a table, the NOLA chef must cook for life to impress the Tom and his entourage. Spoiler...
They like her food! Each chef gives her positive feedback. Chang, who's the only one of the posse who hasn't appeared on Top Chef, simply holds up his drink and says: "Awesome food chef." Nice. But it's Colicchio, by now the seasoned vet in front of the cameras, who steals the show with a zinger after Ripert drops a line in French. "Throw a little bit of French in there. Sure, I know what you're after." Bravo, Tom! This could be the beginning of a beautiful acting career, if he had any time left for side jobs.
