Chef: ANGELO SOSA

We were first introduced to Angelo Sosa on Top Chef Season 7, where episode after episode he was praised for his innovative creativity, impeccable technique, and adventurous flavor combinations. Despite dominating nearly every challenge of the season, Angelo failed to score the championship title because he fell ill (see: "Most embarrassing Top Chef moment?" below). However, our disappointment was relieved when he returned months later to compete for the Top Chef: All Stars title. Spoiler alert: he didn’t win, but he still proved himself as one of the top contestants, and his departure from the show left us longing to experience more of his culinary talents. Luckily for us (and for our blog), Angelo’s restaurant Social Eatz launched in NYC this Spring. At Social Eatz, one can indulge in some tasty, high-end, Asian bar food, and lucky visitors can also catch a glimpse of the talented chef himself (we did—it was awesome). Angelo has spent his career working in a diversity of restaurants from his early days at the Ocean Club restaurant, Dune, in the Bahamas, to Jean Georges in New York City, Spice Market in the Meatpacking District, and Yumcha in the West Village. Now Angelo has turned his efforts to building a reputation as a restaurant consultant--his client list already includes big names such as Stephen Starr's Buddakan, Morimoto, and Alain Ducasse's Spoon Food & Wine in Paris.

Prepare your forks and knives for the Top Chef extraordinaire, Angelo Sosa; we expect he'll be feeding New Yorkers for years to come.

Comedian: SUE GALLOWAY

"Girls aren't funny." If you've heard it once, you've heard it many times, along with girls "can't drive" and Lawrence Summers' favorite, "don't do math/science." As two females who often crack each other up (and know many outstanding female drivers and mathematician/scientists), we figured we'd do our gender a solid by featuring one of the funniest people we know--rather, watch on TV and then stalked: Sue Galloway. Sue has successfully navigated the NYC comedy scene, and proven repeatedly that women can in fact be funny, if not hilarious. She is a regular at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater (UCB), a freelance joke writer for SNL's Weekend Update, and an actress on NBC's comedy sensation, 30 Rock (created by fellow funny-gal Tina Fey, who also stars in the show). Playing the role of the French-Dutch, suspected nymphomaniac Sue LaRoche-Van der Hout, Sue has made a name for herself on TV in addition to the top comedic outposts in NYC. She also writes and stars in her own clever and wacky webseries, Namedroppers, which we encourage you to watch, along with the other videos available on her website, described by Sue as, "The corn kernels spurting out of a giant silo. Delicious. Breathtaking. Unique. Yellowish."

Showing up to settle the gender score is the quirky and awesome Sue Galloway at her finest.
Photo credit: Robyn Von Swank.

Author: STACY KRAMER

Comic writer Stacy Kramer plays many roles in the world of entertainment. Having spent time at major film studios Paramount Pictures, Columbia Pictures, and Twentieth Century Fox, Stacy broke into the industry as a story editor and worked her way to the top of the chain as a producer, creating classic indie hits The Last Seduction, Jawbreaker, and Igby Goes Down. After years in production and the births of her three children, Stacy decided to retire her producer’s hat and challenge herself to begin writing. From magazines to books to television, Stacy flourished and her career took off: a humor column for the Village Voice, comic pieces for Elle and Marie Claire, episodes for TV show Lizzie McGuire, and the Warner Brother’s TV-movie starring Lindsay Lohan, Labor Pains. And Stacy's latest focus? Writing to entertain the complicated and sassy "tween" demographic. Together with long-time friend and coworker, Valerie Thomas, they wrote and released the hit pre-teen novel, Karma Bites this Fall 2010. Stacy confesses there aren’t any vampires in the novel, but she and Val have been bitten by the charms of the young adult market, where the book has received sparkling reviews.

We know Stacy has the formula right when her humorous, smart, and often sarcastic writing makes both tweens and adults laugh in unison. 

Actor: SPENCER CLARK

Spencer Clark has evolved from a child actor to a burgeoning movie star. He's our personal favorite--not only because he's our friend, but also because he explains so well what it feels like to watch yourself on screen (and is wholly unaffected). You may remember him as the young Lucius Verus in the Academy Award winning film Gladiator, or know him as the (all grown up!) teen son of the bad guys in The Last House on the Left .  He has also appeared in Unbreakable, Mystic River, and on the television show, The Good Wife. But these days, Spencer has been focusing on playing the role of "college student," attending Columbia University full-time and majoring in political science. He's talented both on screen and in the classroom. When asked what his upcoming projects were, he duly responded: "My only project right now is somehow making it through this next week of school!" We feel your pain, Spence. 

Insider tips: If you camp out in Morningside Heights, you might spot Spencer riding his bicycle around Columbia. And if you want to see his baby pics, click here. 

Saturday Night Live: MARIKA SAWYER

Many people think they're smart, and even more people think they're funny, but the writers of NBC's Saturday Night Live prove that they're both smart AND funny every weekend without fail before millions of viewers. Marika Sawyer, who fell into a career as a writer for the show, approaches the daunting task of making America laugh with confidence and a lot of hard work. She started at the studio as a receptionist and script PA, and after years of typing other peoples' scripts, Marika decided she would give writing a try herself. Now, at twenty-five years old, she has been a core writer for the show for four years. As a result of the vision and long hours of quick wits like Marika, SNL has remained a staple of late-night television for thirty -five years. So, we present to you one of the creative minds from behind the scenes. 
  

William Morris Endeavor: BRANDON COHEN

Brandon Cohen started at premiere talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) in the mailroom just like every employee--whether straight out of college or equipped with a Harvard MBA. WME is considered the number one firm after traditional William Morris, founded in 1898, merged with Ari Emanuel's (the real life Ari Gold) powerhouse Endeavor this past year. At WME, Brandon has secured a position as an assistant (think: Lloyd) and has moved from the L.A. office back to his native New York City to work in the East Coast headquarters. If you think this business is all glamor and TV-watching, think again. 


Here's Brandon Cohen, non-scripted:"True Life: I Want to Be an Agent" 

Top Chef: DALE TALDE

Known for his creative dishes, technically perfect skills, and hilariously stubborn personality, Dale Talde is undeniably our favorite Top Chef contestant to date. Born and raised in Chicago, Dale is now the sous-chef at renowned New York City restaurant Buddakan. His Asian-infused cooking style draws from his Filipino background, but Dale keeps his diners guessing by constantly experimenting with new flavor profiles and creations.

From where he's shopping to what ingredients he's using, Dale reveals to us his inner-chef personality.