Monthly Archives: March 2010

Did you watch last season’s Top Chef, Las Vegas?  With the adorable and competitive Voltaggio Brothers Michael & Bryan?  And the Pork-a-Licious Kevin Gillespie (we nicknamed him Henry 8th because of his red hair & beard).  I ADORE Kevin because he’s a man after my own heart - a PORK connoisseur.  Nothing in the world beats pork. 

One week during the season, while watching Kevin win yet again, I was astounded to hear my city mentioned in the prize.  What??? I rewound the DVR…. pushed PLAY… “Pigs & Pinot… Guest Chef… Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg, March 2010″.  I think I peed my pants.

Dry Creek Kitchen is right next door to our local hangout, Bear Flag Republic Brewery.  It’s the five star restaurant attached to Hotel Healdsburg.  In HEALDSBURG. 

I live in Healdsburg.

I love Pinot.

I love Pigs (to pet and to eat, as contradictory as that seems).

I love Kevin Gillespie. (see above link if you need a refresher)

I immediately googled the Pigs & Pinot event and was dismayed to find the tickets were not yet on sale.  Signed up for the email that would tell me when they’re on sale.  I put the event in my calendar.  I warned friends to save the date  ‘cuz we’re gonna bust this party.  And then waited. 

Apparently the Pigs & Pinot event is one of eager anticipation and within an hour of the email announcing the sale of the one day tickets, it was sold out.  It was $135.  I was willing to sacrifice my husband’s ticket and go alone. I’d throw some scraps out the side door for him, right?  But I couldn’t even get in.  So onto Plan B.

We would spend the day drinking beer at Bear Republic (because a beer-sodden fan is ALWAYS more fun than a sober one, right?) at an outdoor table  overlooking the door to the Dry Creek Kitchen- as seen in photo 1.

I figured I’d see him come out for a quick breath of fresh air and then could call out my undying love for PORK and maybe score a taste. Or maybe offer him a quick beer, my treat.  It wouldn’t be the first time a Dry Creek Kitchen employee drank a 21 oz schooner of beer in under 2 minutes.

Only… this was also the day of the 20k/8k trail run we were doing.  After getting home in the afternoon and showering, we did eventually end up at the Bear.  It is our hangout. We’re always there on a Saturday afternoon.  But I forgot one thing. 

MY LONG AWAITED PLAN TO STALK KEVIN GILLESPIE.

So, I could live with forgetting IF IT STOPPED RIGHT THERE.   But no.  Kevin Gillespie falling from the sky and landing in my beer probably still wouldn’t have reminded me, that’s how clueless I was that day.  Here’s the deal.

We’re sitting here.  See photo 2.

My sister is facing a little park behind me and she’s watching 3 chefs dressed in clean chef garb, one of whom was a red haired man, carrying a pretty plate of food and sitting down on a bench.  She commented on how odd that was…  Keith looked over and so did I and we watched for a few minutes.  I STILL DID NOT REMEMBER MY BELOVED WAS IN TOWN.  COOKING PIG. MASTER CHEF PIG.   PIG THAT GOES GOOD WITH PINOT.  

Here’s the view of THE BENCH  from our seats.  The bench is probably 30 feet away.  I submit to you evidence photo #3.

Then a woman comes over and takes their picture.   Nope. Nothing.

Deb comments on how they all look so neat & posed and yet, goofing off at the same time.  One chef throws something off the plate over his shoulder.  Still nothing.

It wasn’t until we were leaving the Bear 30 minutes later or so, when we walked by the Dry Creek Kitchen side entrance and saw all the activity in the kitchen, that I remembered.  And what a heart wrenching moment that was.  I mean, really?  After the “Chefs on a Bench” display, (to which I might add it was more than likely Kevin AND  Bryan Voltaggio since he got in on the Pigs&Pinot action later that season too),  I only get it when I walk by the kitchen? 

Kevin Gillespie Stalking -EPIC EPIC FAIL.