A year and a half ago, Savannah Miller was nearly the top chef on, well, “Top Chef.” But her pasta was problematic, the spiny lobster was overcooked and one judge declared her mofongo to be a “mofong-no.” At the dramatic finale aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean, she was named one of two runner-ups.
She returned to Durham’s M Tempura with both a newfound confidence and plenty of thoughts on what she would do differently.
For the upcoming Season 23, Little Bull’s Oscar Diaz represents Durham’s next shot at a “Top Chef” title, and Miller finds herself in an unfamiliar role: the veteran. So The 9th Street Journal asked her what advice she would give Diaz as the show is about to air. (This being reality TV, the season was filmed last fall, so Diaz couldn’t actually follow her advice. But she was happy to play along with us and share her lessons from her adventure two seasons ago.)
“He’s just very acclaimed already,” said Miller. Diaz—a two-time James Beard Award semifinalist for Best Chef Southeast—excels in what he calls “pocho cuisine,” which draws on his experiences growing up in America with first-generation Mexican immigrant parents. The chef brings that same sensibility to his second and third restaurants, Aaktun Coffee + Bar and TaTaco, respectively. Season 23 airs March 9 on Bravo at 9 p.m. EST. Or, fans can get early access to the premiere episode March 3 on Peacock, Bravo’s YouTube channel and VOD.
“It’s a fun conversation to have… Because I’m in the position in daily life where I would be like, ‘What advice would you give me?’” Miller said. The proven Quickfire Queen and longtime “Top Chef” fan knows exactly where the competition can trip up even the most talented chefs. Here are her top tips:
1) Put yourself on the plate
Most importantly, the judges reward skillful risk-taking that reflects each chef’s personality. “It’s important to take your space with you,” Miller said.
“(Diaz) really exudes himself in his cuisine—where he’s from, what he’s trying to represent. I think he does that already on a daily basis and going into the Top Chef kitchen is very much like that on steroids.”
If only it were as simple as zhuzhing up a protein and some veg. You want the judges to remember you, Miller said. Coming in as an underdog, that was a lesson she didn’t learn until halfway through her season.
“As far as Oscar, specifically, goes, I would say ‘keep doing what you’re already doing,’” Miller said while filleting fish with graceful whooshes of her blade.
The North Carolina native is excited to watch Diaz. In fact, she appears on Season 23 as a guest judge. (Switching to reflect on the recent experience, Miller said her stresses looked much different from that side of the judges’ table. For starters, she didn’t want to be a Simon Cowell, and—of course—she agonized over the age-old question of what to wear.)
2) Be open to pivoting
Adapting is second-nature for restauranters. In an industry notorious for its thin profit margins— roughly 5% for full-service establishments—evolution isn’t optional. Miller is constantly evaluating cultural trends, reviews and flavor preferences.
“I just think that at the end of the day… one thing that I’ve noticed—in my season and others that really (hurts contestants)—is that they can’t be flexible,” Miller said.
M Tempura gave her an advantage in that sense. Behind the 10-person bar, Savannah and her colleagues serve dinner and a show. It’s an unadorned, intimate space, with slate-colored walls, exposed brick and all eyes on the nimble hands preparing the delicately fried fare.
When something goes wrong, there’s no curtain to hide behind.
“If I just look uncomfortable doing my job, then I don’t look like I know what I’m doing,” Miller said, pinning down a glistening salmon before a clean, practiced cut. She knows diners come to relax, so that composure requires flexibility and knowing when to pivot.
“Top Chef” was simply a larger stage for what she already does.
3) Do your research
But pivoting can’t make up for lack of preparedness.
In Episode 9, “The Good Land,” Miller won the week’s Elimination Challenge with an inventive squash and maple jelly cake with aronia berries, grapes and plums. The episode paid homage to Wisconsin’s Native American culture.
“Did you know that ‘Milwaukee’ translates to ‘the good land’ in the language spoken by the Potawatomi, Odawa and Ojibwe tribes?” “Top Chef” host Kristen Kish asked the contestants.
Miller knew the show well enough to anticipate Sean Sherman, a three-time James Beard Award winner and member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux tribe, as a guest judge. Before the competition, she bought Sherman’s book.
Sure enough, the Sioux chef arrived in Milwaukee. And after tasting Miller’s savory dessert, Sherman joined in the chorus singing her praises, saying “it turned out to be something really nice.” The audio picked up the sound of spoons scraping their plates clean in agreement.
“That book itself did not win me that episode,” Miller said. But in doing her research, she knew which ideas would translate well to Sherman. “Whatever I put out there is my best idea of who he is and what he’s looking for… And I think all of that helped me.”
For Season 23, the cheftestants are in the Carolinas: first Charlotte, then Greenville. Given the location and all the hype from the producers about “southern charm,” Miller would advise Diaz to dig into traditional regional dishes. Primarily, barbecue.
“There’s so much that I think they’re going to explore that we don’t expect (them) to, but I think that they’re gonna have to do that stuff, right? So I would be… really comfortable doing barbecue.”
She recommends diving into the history behind NC staples, looking up the top-rated restaurants in those cities and examining relevant cultural topics. Not every chef strategizes that way, but Miller walked in expecting to be one of the least experienced contestants. “I wasn’t gonna get 10 years in Chicago (in one night), but I could Google anything.”
4) Break down mental blocks
When Miller flew to Wisconsin to film Season 21, it was her 28th birthday. The finale was the last thing on her mind—she was just hoping not to be the first chef eliminated. The night before, she cried alone. There was no restaurant waiting for her back home, no job.
“I was really scared,” she said. “There wasn’t ever a thought in my mind that I needed to have a finale menu ready.”
Reflecting, the chef knows she wouldn’t make that mistake again.
By the time Miller reached the finale, she hadn’t mentally rehearsed it. The pressure of producing the best meal of her life was claustrophobic. The then-28-year-old hadn’t given herself permission to envision winning. “I think it’s a level of maybe me believing I was going to get there in the first place — and maybe not even believing I was there in the moment,” she said.
After she was named a runner-up to winner Danny Garcia, she replayed the scene in her mind and tumbled into a “shoulda, coulda, woulda” mentality. She started drafting another version of that four-course menu almost immediately after filming wrapped. “Not happening twice,” Miller said, shifting the advice inwards. “I have the confidence and the ability this time…”
Miller uses M Tempura as her playground. When she receives high praise on a dish, she starts asking ‘could I mass produce this?’, ‘could I make this the night before?’
“I started thinking in the way challenges work,” she said.
Of course, Miller is stoked for her Durham counterpart. But, if given the chance, would she do it again? “Oh, I would love to,” Miller said, whizzing around her prep space. “That’s the dream.”
Photo at top – Savannah Miller at Durham’s M Tempura last year. Photo by Abigail Bromberger – The 9th Street Journal
Gabrielle Lazor
