Celebrity chef and out lesbian Susan Feniger is the author of several cookbooks and star of Food Network’s long-running series, Too Hot Tamales. Most recently, Feniger was the last female chef standing on Top Chef Masters. Her latest venture, Street, a Hollywood restaurant offering global street vendor foods, is her first solo foray into the business of eating. She recently talked to us about her restaurant, her experiences competing on Top Chef Masters, and how she ended up making an inexplicable appearance on Sabrina the Teenage Witch.
AfterEllen.com: Congratulations on your great run on Top Chef Masters! What was that experience like?
Susan Feniger: You know what? I never wanted to do it. I had no desire to do it. I turned it down the first time. It’s not in my nature to do competition shows.
AE: Really? I went to IMDb and I’m not so sure about that.
SF: What did it say there? Oh God!
AE: Well of course there was your hit show Too Hot Tamales, which you hosted with long-time cooking partner Mary Sue Milliken. You also appeared on Hell’s Kitchen, The Next Food Network Star, should I go on?
SF: Oh yeah, but on all those I’m judging! But this was for a charity. I felt really great about doing this. I did it for the Scleroderma Research Foundation. I lost my closest friend to the disease and I do a big huge fundraiser called “Cool Comedy Hot Cuisine” with Bob Saget. I’ve done it for 21 years. Robin Williams has done it, like, eight times. So doing Top Chef Masters is great. It puts you into Bravo world which is fantastic. I just didn’t want to be eliminated in round one! I won $32,500 for scleroderma which was really great. Also, it’s unbelievable how many people watch that show!
AE: Obviously, the show is a competition, but as you were all established food gurus competing for charity, was the environment a supportive one?
SF: I just wouldn’t be in the frame of mind to be bad-mouthing anyone in that situation. No, everyone was great.
AE: Has your new restaurant, Street, been flooded with business?
SF: Yes, Street and Border Grill have felt the impact. I went out on the Kaya Toast [on the show] and so many people have come in to say, “You were robbed,” because that is literally everyone’s favorite dish! The fact that I lost on it has caused more interest than if I’d won on it.
AE: Is it just me, or are a lot of female chefs gay?
SF: Uh, I think, I don’t know if there are a lot, or if I just know a lot. There seem to be quite a few women chefs that are gay, but you know, there are a number that aren’t. It seems like there are more in San Fran than in LA. I think half and half.
It’s a rigorous profession, very demanding. It could have been, years ago, more gay women did it because they weren’t having kids, but you can’t say that anymore. I don’t know.
AE: Maybe lesbians are just better at cooking.
SF: I don’t think so.
AE: This is a lesbian website! Say “yes.” People will love it!
SF: You say it!
AE: Consider it said.
SF: I’m sure it’s a gross generalization but … you get burned all the time, your nails are always crappy. You have to be a rough, tough girl whether you’re straight or gay. I think it’s a fantastic career.
I feel incredibly lucky to have found a profession where I go to work every day and I absolutely love it. Like, I was in India with my mouth hanging open just learning and learning. It’s a great career where you are feeding people and nurturing and giving back.
AE: Street is inspired by your love of street food across the world. What’s your favorite travel destination?
SF: India has been the place I love. I feel like I have another life there. I love the people. I love the food, I feel like it influenced the direction of the food I love to cook. I just got back from Vietnam which was fantastic. Total food trip; eating on the street for six days straight. I really loved it.
AE: Street has been extremely well received. Are you thinking of opening Street in other locations?
SF: Yeah, actually, we are thinking about it. We aren’t there yet, but that’s the hope. We are doing Border Grill at LAX.
AE: I’ve been to Street several times and you are always there. Do you secretly live in the back closet?
SF: It’s a new restaurant so I try to be there a lot. I try to spend my days at Border Grill and Ciudad, and my nights at Street, and maybe then stop by Border Grill again.
AE: When do you see your partner, Liz?
SF: Never! Last week I didn’t see her at all. We stay up really late. I get home at 11:30PM or 12AM, and we’ll sit outside and have a cocktail and go in the hot tub. We don’t go to bed until at least two [in the morning] and then our animals are in our faces by 7AM. We both stay up late and get up early.
AE: So basically you don’t sleep.
SF: Nope. She’s wonderful, because she’s so supportive and she’s a great writer and director. She’s really creative and has this great business mind. I run everything by her and she’s really opinionated, like me. She filmed all the recipe testing we did at home. All the footage is on the website, eatatstreet.com.
AE: This is furthering my theory that you are a closet actor. I see that you were also on Sabrina the Teenage Witch?
SF: Ha! Oh, yeah, uh, oh, that was … I can’t remember a line! I’m totally comfortable teaching, but I can not remember a damn line.
AE: So you are participating in “Simply diVine,” which benefits the LA Gay and Lesbian Center. They are a great organization. Have you worked with them before?
SF: I’m on the board of the Center, which is the most amazing board ever. I just feel like the board does such great work.
AE: Tell us about Simply diVine.
SF: I co-chaired this with David Bailey. It’s just one of those great painless fundraisers. I think this is year number four. We’ve got incredible restaurants doing it this year. It’s great every year, but particularly so this year. It’s at 2 Rodeo, [in Beverly Hills] which is easy to get to – easy parking – it’s beautiful outside.
What’s great is that you get to taste all this great food. You don’t have to sit at a table. You can walk around, hang with friends. There are, like, 16-18 different wineries and 17 different restaurants. The restaurants include Border Grill, Ciudad, Street, Jar, Lucques, Umami Burger, The Grill, The Bazaar, Josie. It’s great restaurants. There’s a vodka station. There are tons of fantastic wineries. Plus, we have margaritas from Border Grill.
AE: You had me at vodka station.
SF: It’s a really great way to spend a Saturday night. You can come for an hour, you can come for three hours. A lot of times, fundraisers can be painful.
AE: Are there speeches?
SF: Minimal.
AE: Perfect.
SF: There’s a quick live-auction with four or five items. We have a package from Italy, private cooking classes, wine tastings, the Border Grill taco truck will come to your house and do a party for 25. There’s a wine country package with a private jet to Sonoma.
They are all great packages and we make that part go very quickly. It’s so great to be able to do a fundraiser where people come, have a great time. And if you were to go to those restaurants, it would cost more than the tickets cost anyway.
Simply diVine!: A Summer Soirée for the Senses takes place on Saturday, August 21 in Beverly Hills. For more info, check out the official website.
