Hero "Top Chef" Judge Saves Life at Inaugural Dinner

"Top Chef" judge and restaurateur Tom Colicchio helped save the life of award-winning cookbook author Joan Nathan at a star-studded inaugural soiree in Washington, D.C. when he performed the Heimlich maneuver on the fellow foodie who began choking on a piece of chicken.

Colicchio, an award-winning chef who runs a number of restaurants, was attending a benefit for D.C. Central Kitchen and Martha's Table where chefs showcased their chops when he became hemmed in somewhere between the plates of Persian wedding rice and lamb sausage by a group of fans, reported Ezra Klein on the Internet Food Association website.

Nathan, who was munching on some chicken next to him, began choking. That's when the brawny, award-winning chef sprung into action and successfully dislodged the chicken from the cook book author's windpipe, according to the report.

"I just happened to be nearby," he told the Food Association, shrugging off the save.

http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/entertainment/NATL-Hero-Top-Chef.html

Colicchio then proceeded to berate the chef for his presentation. "You thought that was good," he said before adding, "You almost killed some one today!"

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I like him. :)

Bad for him berating the cook like that. It's not the cook's fault the choking person didn't chew well. And before you berate me, I have choked before, too. It wasn't the cooking, it was the fact that the food dammed up inside my throat and I couldn't breathe. Too bad "chefs" like him don't get stuff like that.

so I don't know what he's like. I have worked in that field and I had enough of working for the asshole chefs. Why should I torture myself by watching more people put through the wringer by jerks with more ego than management sense?

The best chefs I ever worked for were nice and excellent teachers. These TV-chefs aren't. Would you rather work for this guy or someone like Julia Child? ;)

Er, NBC Philadelphia, it should be "SPRANG into action". He springs, he sprang, he had sprung.

Sorry. I just can't let bad grammar go. :D

He did good here but he is definitely a "blamer."

I would hate to have a dad like him.

She's more human than Padma the 1950's era robot.

"Today's...................... challenge.............. is to cook breakfast........................ for hungry surfers. Don't......... look at..... my scar."