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Access Atlanta > Blog > Archives > 2007 > July > 30 > Entry
No apologies for ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ tears
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
While she ended up removed from the competition in last week’s episode of “Hell’s Kitchen,” former Waffle House short order cook Julia Williams earned the respect of the show’s swearing, insult-hurling chef Gordon Ramsay.
On air, the London chef even offered to pay for the Jonesboro resident to attend culinary school and invited her back to the stove on the Fox restaurant reality show next season.
“He gave me a big hug, and I hope he meant what he said [about culinary school],” Williams told Buzz. “I feel that I came away with my dignity intact. I never got thrown out of the kitchen. Gordon only ever yelled at you if you weren’t doing something right.”
Williams used her nine years on the front lines of the South’s smothered, covered and chunked chain to great effect on the show. Her menus and approaches proved popular with the diners who favored her simple but artful fare.
She told us she’s now running the kitchen at Ocean’s 66 Sports Cafe on Old National Highway in College Park. And among the specials? Her popular steak and shrimp entree that she winningly whipped up on the show.
“Just like on the show, it’s been a big seller on the menu,” Williams said. “The customers are also asking me about making the grilled chicken and cheese that we made on ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’ It doesn’t matter to me. If I have the ingredients in the kitchen, I’ll make it for you whether it’s on the menu or not.”
Williams says her often-weeping persona on the reality show was well-earned.
“I did cry a lot,” she conceded. “But everyone expresses themselves differently. And my frustration comes out in tears. I was just concerned that my family was gonna eventually see it, so I knew I had to act right.”
Fashionable surprise
Elton John AIDS Foundation-Atlanta board member Barron Segar tucked a surprise into the breast pocket of his designer suit jacket at last week’s Fashion Cares patron party. Segar rang us from the streets of New York to confirm that the EJAF, a longtime presenting sponsor at fashion retailer Jeffrey Kalinsky’s annual breast cancer and AIDS fund-raiser, is making an unprecedented donation to the evening this year — two very coveted tickets to Sir Elton’s annual Oscar night party in Los Angeles.
“We’ve never opened this up to the public like this before, and the response was pretty overwhelming,” Segar said.
Like tickets to the part-time Peachtree Road resident’s Las Vegas shows in past years, the tickets to the Oscar party are expected to fetch a large chunk for the charities. Fashion Cares 2007 is Aug. 27 at 55 Allen Plaza downtown. For details: www.jeffreyfashioncares.com.
Overscene
Spotted in the crowd at the two sold-out Indigo Girls shows at the Atlanta Botanical Garden in Midtown over the weekend: Weather Channel “The Climate Code” host Heidi Cullen and author and HGTV “Deserving Design” host Vern Yip. Stone Mountain songstress India Arie also turned out and went backstage to congratulate Emily Saliers and Amy Ray on their impressive 20-year musical anniversary.
On My iPod
“American Idol” Season 2 winner Ruben Studdard:
The singer was in town to promote a Boys & Girls Clubs of America event at the Georgia Aquarium in which American Express donated $500,000 to the Atlanta-based group. “[British soul singer] Amy Winehouse. That’s my favorite CD right now. [British pianist and singer] Jamie Cullum. Carl Thomas’ new album. Those are my three favorites right now.”
Uncoupling?
The circumstances surrounding Atlanta pop star Usher’s canceled weekend wedding to his pregnant former stylist remained murky Monday.
Essentially, no one in a position to know the details about the abruptly nixed nups at Antonio “L.A.” Reid’s Hamptons estate over the weekend was feeling chatty.
At least not on the record.
Still, in this brilliant age of celebrity blogging, a lack of confirmed facts did not slow a geyser of gossip being posted online pertaining to the 28-year-old potential groom and his potentially jilted bride Tameka Foster, 38.
PerezHilton.com, for example, breathlessly reported: “We’ve been flooded with e-mails from readers in Atlanta this morning! Local radio there is reporting that Usher’s been at an area hospital with Tameka Foster since yesterday. Apparently, she’s in pre-term labor.”
People.com, meanwhile, reported: ” ‘Usher’s mother [and former manager, Jonetta Patton] is against the wedding. That is one of the main obstacles,’ according to the source, who also said: ‘They only decided two weeks ago to have a wedding.”
Alas, the only official two sentences e-mailed to Buzz Central from Usher’s publicist Patti Webster were: “It was announced today that the wedding ceremony was canceled. No additional information will be given regarding the circumstances of the cancellation, but we hope the privacy of this matter will be respected.” Perhaps tellingly, Webster declined comment on whether her client and Foster were still a couple.
The New York Post reported that Atlantans Janet Jackson and Jermaine Dupri were among the invited celeb guests.
Celebrity birthdays
Actor Don Murray is 78. Actress Susan Flannery (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 64. Singer Gary Lewis of Gary Lewis and the Playboys is 62. Drummer Bill Berry (R.E.M.) is 49. Actor Wesley Snipes is 45. “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling is 42. Actor Dean Cain (“Lois & Clark”) is 41. Actor B.J. Novak (“The Office”) is 28.
Contributing: Rodney Ho and 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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