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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2008 > February > 23 > Entry
Rathbun up to challenge of ‘Iron Chef’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Not only does Inman Park chef Kevin Rathbun have to battle Bobby Flay during his debut on “Iron Chef America” at 10 p.m. Sunday on Food Network, he’s also up against a little guy named Oscar.
Still, the Rathbun’s and Kevin Rathbun Steak namesake isn’t too concerned. The Atlanta Food Bank benefit screening party for the episode at Steak is already completely sold out.
“For some reason, 350 generous people have paid to come see a schmuck like me on TV,” cracked Rathbun on a call to Buzz on Friday from Miami, where he’s attending the South Beach Wine & Food Festival. On Sunday’s telecast, Rathbun and his Dallas chef brother Kent team up to try and unseat Flay by whipping up five delectable dishes in 60 minutes.
“It’s a pressure-cooker situation, no doubt about it,” Rathbun told us of the experience taped last year in New York. “We just tried not to embarrass ourselves. But I was sweating a lot, which I’m sure will look great on TV. I also caught myself running to the refrigerator a couple of times and not remembering what I needed.”
Alas, working any local connections with fellow Atlantan and “Iron Chef America” commentator Alton Brown wasn’t to be. “I know him a little bit, but he was complaining to me about how he can never get a table at one of my restaurants. I told him, ‘Dude, just call me and I’ll take care of it.’ The Atlanta connection didn’t really have an impact.”
Flay, meanwhile, is an old pal who describes Kevin Rathbun as a mentor on Sunday night’s telecast.
“That was very kind of him to say on national television,” Rathbun recalled. “We go way back together to when he was cooking at a place called the Miracle Grill in New York doing Southwestern food. He credited me a couple of times in his first book, too, which was nice. He’s been a good friend.”
Still, the Rathbun brothers wanted to fillet Flay during the competition.
“It was a long day,” Kevin said. “It was about eight hours of filming. I can’t tell you much, but we did get all five of our plates up and nobody fell down rushing to grab vegetables. Oh, and I got to cross my arms while all that Iron Chef smoke swirled around us, too! How cool is that?”
VAN HALEN ON HOLD
Well, we can scratch “Run to QuikTrip to pick up disposable lighters” off our weekend to-do list. Veteran rockers Van Halen have postponed their scheduled concert Monday night at the Arena at Gwinnett Center. According to the release sent to Buzz on Friday: “The concert will be rescheduled and the new date will be announced shortly. Please look for updated information on www.van-halen.com and www.gwinnettcenter.com. Tickets for the Feb. 25 event will be honored for the rescheduled event. Ticket refunds will be available at the original point of purchase.”
We can’t help but wonder whether Eddie Van Halen was feeling unwell after getting a glimpse of ex-wife Valerie Bertinelli’s interview with Oprah Winfrey scheduled to air Monday. In the over-sharing interview, she tells the talk show queen that both she and the 1970s rock god broke their marriage vows and also attempts to explain to a clearly cocaine lingo-challenged Oprah what “doing a bump” means (Sheesh, doesn’t Gayle “My best friend” King teach her anything? ) …
STORK REPORT
Singer and actress Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins early Friday, making the singer and husband Marc Anthony the parents of a boy and a girl after one of pop music’s most closely watched pregnancies.
Lopez representative Simon Fields told People magazine the babies were born shortly after midnight on New York’s Long Island, with the 5-pound, 7-ounce girl arriving first, followed by her 6-pound brother minutes later. The location was not identified.
“Jennifer and Marc are delighted, thrilled and over the moon,” Fields told the magazine.
Lopez’s publicists and agent did not return telephone calls from The Associated Press early Friday.
At a Miami concert in November, Lopez ended months of speculation by confirming her pregnancy. Her father, David Lopez, told Telefutura’s “Escandalo TV” this month that the 39-year-old singer was expecting twins.
Lopez and Anthony, 38, married in 2004. The twins are her first children, and his third and fourth.
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Today: Actor-director Peter Fonda is 68. Musician Johnny Winter is 64. Actress Patricia Richardson (“Home Improvement”) is 57. Actress Kristin Davis (“Sex and the City”) is 43. Actress Dakota Fanning (“Charlotte’s Web,” “I Am Sam”) is 14.
Sunday: Actor Abe Vigoda is 87. Actor Dominic Chianese (“The Sopranos”) is 77. News correspondent Paula Zahn is 52. Country singer Sammy Kershaw is 50. R&B singer Brandon Brown of Mista is 25.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“He was obsessed. He had the entire set built in his apartment. So after we would get done, he would go home and rehearse by himself.”
“A Raisin in the Sun” actress Audra McDonald on “The View” describing co-star Sean “Diddy” Combs’ approach to taking over a role made famous by Sidney Poitier. The new TV film adaptation directed by Atlantan Kenny Leon airs Monday night on ABC.
Contributing: News services
If you have a tip, call 404-526-2749. Or fax 404-526-5509. Or e-mail: buzz@ajc.com.
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