Top Chef’s Kelly Liken: Making Colorado Proud

Chef Kelly Liken: Frontier Spirit Meets Eastern Know-How

I chatted with cheftestant extraordinaire, Kelly Liken, yesterday, during a Travel Fun interview.  It was the day after Bravo’s Top Chef finale and Kelly was finally able to breath a sigh of relief and talk openly and candidly about her Top Chef experience. Right off she revealed to me that Bravo’s newest Top Chef, Kevin Sbraga, was her choice for winner—aside from herself of course. Throughout the interview, Kelly sounds exhilarated by her whole Top Chef experience. And why wouldn’t she? She emerged from a pool of seventeen cheftestants to make her way among the final four (and the only woman to boot!) to the penultimate episode in Singapore.  Indeed she has made Colorado proud.

Back in April I had the pleasure of dining in Kelly’s namesake restaurant in Vail. I was told at the time that she was away.  When she showed up on Top Chef D.C., I realized that that’s where she was, a T.V. adventure that lasted over thirty days, concluding with some ten days in Singapore.  When asked what she liked most about the experience, Kelly expressed her contentment with working so closely with the other chefs, revealing to me that they actually got along quite well.  As for what she liked least, it comes as no surprise that she felt sleep deprived for the better part of the month.

Click on the play button below to hear more about what Kelly has to say about her Top Chef participation and her special relationship with Colorado.

Kelly's Signature Rocky Mountain Trout

If you’re anywhere near Atlanta next Friday, September 24, consider attending the Celebrity Chef Tour, an exciting event benefiting the James Beard Foundation.  Kelly will be putting on a fine meal along with Kenny Gilbert, another Top Chef contestant that also has ties to Colorado.  Go to Likin’ Kelly Liken to read more about Kelly and Kelly Liken, her Vail Village restaurant.

Kelly Liken, Vail, Colorado