We arrived in Gilroy on Friday afternoon and tooled around town a bit, playing tourists. You could literally smell garlic in the air, and it smelled delicious! We had lunch at an unremarkable bar and grill, then a bit of splashing about in the hotel pool. Then, it was time to get ready for the contestants' welcome dinner at the home of one of the organizers.
Arriving at the palatial home nestled in a private golf course development, we were greeted by fellow contestants and local luminaries. I met my 'chaperone' (helper/runner) Erin and chatted with contestant Derick and his wife. As I walked across the patio to obtain another glass of wine (of course!), I bumped into a handsome man who exclaimed, "Ciao! Bella! It is great to meet you!" It was none other than Fabio from Top Chef! He was even more good looking in person (although a bit shorter than I expected), and I found myself blushing, which I never do!
The next day, we rose early to arrive at the cook-off stage by 8am. My start time wasn't until 9:40, so I took a leisurely pace in setting up my work station. Everything went well, and I had time to chat with the judges and entertain the spectators a bit. I was even called over to the front of the stage to show off my outfit, which matched my display tray in a "Mad Men" sort of theme to match the classic 50's feel of my dish. Unfortunately, after the food was served and the votes were tallied, I was not to emerge a winner.
While I'm still so very honored to have been chosen as one of eight finalists for the annual Gilroy Garlic Festival Cook-off, I'm a bit bummed as I didn't place. BUT... I do feel like I did my very best and was able to really practice my showmanship. I'll be back next year!!!
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