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Interview With Lisa Fernandes of “Top Chef”

Top Chef Season 4 finalist and out lesbian Lisa Fernandes could be called the Bravo show’s villain du saison. Often sparring with the other contestants and shown sporting a scowl during Judges’ Table, Fernandes became the contestant that fans loved to hate. But the New York resident and Toronto native found some vindication in her grand finale performance last week. The 27-year-old was cool, calm and even chatty in the finals. She also nearly beat out fan-favorite and eventual winner Stephanie Izard for the title.

Fernandes started the season as one of 16 up-and-coming chefs competing to be Top Chef in a series of grueling culinary challenges. She was one of three lesbian contestants – including San Francisco couple Jennifer Biesty and Zoi Antonitsas – on the show, the most in any single season so far. Fernandes survived 13 eliminations to make it to the top three, along with Izard and Richard Blais.

Now back in New York after shooting the series’ finale in Puerto Rico last month, where the finalists had to cook their “meal of a lifetime,” Fernandes is working at Mai House to help out fellow Top Chef contestant Spike Mendelsohn, who is the restaurant’s chef de cuisine. Mendelsohn is currently in Washington, D.C., opening a restaurant with his family. Fernandes spoke with AfterEllen.com from the restaurant the day after the finale aired about the show’s editing, her $100,000 mistake and that new haircut.

AfterEllen.com: Congratulations on making it to the final three. When you started the season, what chance did you give yourself of winning? Lisa Fernandes: You have to have confidence in yourself. You have to believe you’ll make it to the finale every single day. Otherwise, what’s the point? Just to say you don’t want to be the first one to go home?

AE: Can I ask about the haircut? What prompted you to make the change before the finale [which was shot six months after the previous episode]? LS:[laughs] My girlfriend has been trying to get me to cut my hair off for some time. I went for a haircut and the next thing I know the stylist is agreeing with her, and then the next thing I realize is I have no hair. For two days I had the shock of waking up and having no hair. Now I get it trimmed up every two weeks. For the record it is not a faux-hawk. Lots of people seem to think I’m Jen for some reason.

AE: Speaking of which, this season started with the most ever lesbian competitors: Jennifer, Zoi and yourself. Was there a secret lesbian handshake between you three? Any behind-the-scenes jams to the Indigo Girls? LS: [laughs] No, no, no. None of that. Yeah, there were two other lesbians and that’s cool. Like Spike said, “Yay, lesbians!” But no secret lesbian handshakes.

AE: Did you feel it was an advantage or disadvantage for them to be on the show as a couple? LS:Looking at it now, it was definitely a bigger disadvantage. Putting your private relationship and life in the open for people to pick apart is difficult. Everybody saw how intense it got when Zoi was sent home. Then Jen fought back and kicked ass in the next Quickfire. But it had to be really hard on them.

AE: Did you plan your menu for the “meal of a lifetime” before you came to Puerto Rico? LS: I had some ideas of sauces, flavors and techniques I wanted to use, but nothing was set in stone. But most definitely I prepared. From going to little Asian markets in my neighborhood to picking up random ingredients, throwing dinner parties for friends and family at my house and playing around with everything and taking it all in consideration.

But I knew from Restaurant Wars with my failed mango sticky rice that I wanted to come back strong with an amazing version of sticky rice.

AE: How do you feel about your performance in the finale? LS: I’m so happy with my performance in the finale. It showed my real personality and my real behavior in the kitchen. That is generally how I am – smiling, being passionate, having a good time. This is what I do for fun; I don’t want to be stressed out. I want to have fun and to be relaxed and to have that come out in my food. I loved all the dished I made.

AE: Is there anything you would have done differently? LS: My $100,000 mistake? I would have cooked that beef more. I have worked with Kobe beef [in the past], and I tasted it a bunch of times. I thought it was great. I don’t know if my palate was different or maybe in transition from cooking to resting to cutting it tasted different. The bottom line is it wasn’t done the way they prefer it. That is my only regret on the shows.

AE: I understand judging can take hours. In the finale the birds were chirping in the morning when the judges finally came to a decision. How do you spend the time in the Stew Room waiting? LS: Let’s just say a roll of ForceFlex GLAD bags makes a really awesome pillow.

AE: How would you rate your finale competition? LS: Obviously Steph did fantastic. Her lamb dish was so, so good. I took a bite of it. I didn’t have too much time to taste, but every time Steph gives me something to taste, I already knew I’d love it. Her stuff is fantastic. I really enjoyed Richard’s bacon ice cream. I thought it was really clever. But in his own words, he choked. It’s such a shame because he is a really talented chef.

Left to right: Richard Blais, Fernandes, Stephanie Izard

AE: Do you think it’s important that there is finally a female Top Chef winner? LS: I’m excited that finally a girl gets to represent in the culinary world’s eye. It’s not just about the men. Women are possibly, in my opinion, better chefs than men. We have more of an ability to multitask, and I think our palates are more refined.

AE: Did you watch the show as it aired? LS: Yeah, I even had a dinner party for the first five to six episodes at my house. I had a bunch of close friends come over. We had a big Top Chef poster up and everyone signed it. It was just drinks and good food.

AE: How did you feel you were portrayed throughout the season? LS: I think it’s selective reality. The cameras are running 24/7. It’s a reality show where they take a small percentage of everyone’s personalities and focus on that.

AE: You’ve become the fan “villain” of sorts this season. Did you realize you would be presented that way in the show? LS: Again, the cameras are running nonstop all the time. They catch you doing everything, including brushing your teeth. I didn’t know what would come out in the 44 minutes of the show. But just try smiling for 24 hours straight and seeming really happy for 24 hours straight.

AE: Do you think they unfairly portrayed you? LS: I am really passionate about food and what I do. But I understand if everyone was holding hands and being loving and sweet and sitting around making s’mores, no one would watch the show.

AE: Did you read any of the blogs or online comments? How do you handle that criticism? LS: I’ve read the blogs. I try not to pay too much attention to the negativity that is out there. Some of the comments in regards to people saying they know my family, sister, parents, knew me in high school, worked with me or even saying they are me are a little bit frustrating. It’s a very small percentage of yourself that you see on the show. We’re not people who are only this one specific way you see on Top Chef. We’re real people.

AE: I saw in the reunion preview that you are getting dirty looks on the street? LS: It was for like a brief second. I mean, it’s really just whatever. Again, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I try not to pay attention. And maybe it was just the haircut.

The reunion show [which airs June 18 on Bravo] was awesome. We had a really good time. You guys will definitely enjoy watching it.

AE: How did your friends and family handle the criticism? LS: The people who know me, it was hard for them to watch and hear all this negativity and then say, “That’s totally not her, that’s not who she is.” The people who really know me, it’s hard for them to watch. Even last night, I had friends text me, call me, “Oh my God, I am going to throw up, you have to tell me what happens.”

AE: Have you kept in touch with the other chefs? LS:Absolutely. I talk to Antonia and Stephanie definitely the most. We email, text message, call. Richard sent me a picture of his newborn baby the other week. The baby must have been an hour old, it was adorable. I’ve had drinks with Dale, Andrew, Nimma, Nikki, Manuel and have seen everybody since. They’re all totally cool. We’re all on each other’s MySpace pages.

Left to right: Antonia Lofaso, Fernandes, Izard

AE: So no bad blood between any of the contestants? LS: There is definitely no bad blood between me and everyone. It’s said and done. It’s very different when you are in a competition versus just out having a drink with someone. It’s just like being in a kitchen when chef explodes on the line cooks, and then a few minutes later it’s all better.

AE: Were you surprised by any of the on-camera comments of your competitors? LS: Some things were surprising to hear, but again everyone is entitled to their opinions. If you want to be nice and sweet to people in front of them, but behind closed doors then you want to speak the truth, OK. I speak the truth all the time. I am very honest, very brutally honest.

AE: What do you think you got out of the Top Chef experience? LS: The ability to make some amazing friends, meet some brilliant chefs, cook and work for some brilliant chefs. Who else gets the opportunity to work for such brilliant chefs in such a short time?

AE: Would you do it again? LS: I don’t think I would do the entire thing over again. It takes a toll on you. I’m not sure my body could go through it again. It’s a long time to be a way from your friends and loved ones. You have no TV, no contact with the outside world. You’re not able to do anything. And you’re wearing those damn microphone packs 24/7.

I called them the strap-on, because you have to strap them on. They’d come in in the morning and I’d say, “I don’t want to wear the strap-on.” Your readers should like that. But it was a fantastic opportunity, and I have no regret about doing it. I met some amazing chefs.

See Fernandes and all this season’s other cheftestants on the Top Chef “Watch What Happens Reunion” show at 10 p.m. Wednesday, June 18, on Bravo. You can also read the AfterEllen.com Top Chef recaps for the full season.

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