From first to worst to bye-bye—with smiles, tears and a full stomach along the way.
Arnold Myint, the popular and charismatic executive chef and owner of three restaurants in Nashville, had a roller-coaster ride over the past few weeks on Bravo's Top Chef ( Wednesdays, 8 p.m. )
He won the elimination challenge on June 30, as the chefs had to prepare a classic picnic feast for Capitol Hill interns at Mount Vernon.
A week later, he was eliminated from the show.
On the show that aired July 7, the chefs were tested to create a dish that fit the needs of Hilton Hotels & Resorts guests, global travelers who demand around-the-clock accessibility to good food that is healthful, affordable and sophisticated. The chefs had to create a breakfast, lunch and dinner dish for a select focus group, and the chefs were paired into seven teams of two.
Myint and Lynne Gigliotti were eliminated.
"When I was standing in front of [ the judging ] panel, I couldn't believe it," said Myint, 32, who has been profiled in Windy City Times. "I did my part so well and was just confused. I wanted to present myself with poise, so when the point came when I realized that this was my last time in the Top Chef kitchen, my head was scrambling for my thank you statement; but it had been a long day of cooking and I was tired. I was also concerned for Lynne because I knew she hurt her knee and was standing for quite some time.
"Experiencing Top Chef first hand is exactly what was missing in my life. For anyone who knows me, it's no surprise that I wanted to make it on the show.
"I felt like I was building to the highlight, slow and steady ... so it is yet to come."
Myint said there was no lowlight of the experience. "I don't think that way; I learn from every experience and only see stepping stones."
Myint's restaurants are: Cha Chah, PM, and Suzy Wongs House of Yum.
"I hope [ the Top Chef experience ] keeps my seats full and that diners will join me in thinking outside the box a little when they approach food and dining concepts," Myint said. "I don't think difficult is the right word [ to describe Top Chef. ] We are all trained; we all have great skills. It's a fun game, with high stakes. The only thing is, if you want to play this game, you have to know your way around the kitchen."
And, yes, he definitely would do it again, in a heartbeat.
"I love the Bravo Network; we are a perfect fit and will hopefully have a long relationship," he said.
So, who's going to win?
"I'm going to win … just bring me back," he said, laughing. "I think Tiffany is going to take it."
Myint spoke highly of all dishes he cooked on the show, particularly his first offering: citrus basil cake with coconut anglaise, bourbon crisp, cardamom-infused basil seeds, crème fraiche and Thai basil syrup.
"I run around all day from restaurant to restaurant. Top Chef got me back to cooking and now I'm more focused and motivated than ever," Myint said. "I will continue to work and support my community and the dining scene in Nashville. And maybe get a spin-off show or magazine column; that'd be really cool.
"As I stated on the night of my elimination: I am inspired, I am honored, and I am humbled by this experience. I hate that I left so early [ in the competition, ] but I am thankful for all the fan support."
For more about Myint, go to www.arnoldmyint.com .
