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Angeleno Girl Power Rules on Season Finale of "Around the World in 80 Plates"
Pursell (left) and Garrett (Photos courtesy Bravo TV)
On last night's season finale of Around the World in 80 Plates, two Angeleno women were finalists in the journey that took them across the globe to discover and recreate ethnic cuisine.
It's rare to see two women make it to the final round of these cooking competition shows ("Top Chef," All Stars, or Masters) -- let alone two women from our fair city. After a whirlwind production schedule of adjusting to multiple time zones and being thrown bizarre culinary challenges, the women were clearly pleased that they'd be competing in the finale in their home town.
The final episode started out in Uruguay, where Liz Garrett of the Hotel Wilshire and Avery Pursell of All Diced Up Catering competed with Nookie Postal. Since Pursell won the first challenge, she was afforded the luxury of picking her competitor for the finals. She opted to bring Garrett along for the last leg of the journey.
Talk about girl power!
Are we Angeleno ladies better equipped for rushed world travel and global food challenges?
Los Angeles-based chefs Wolfgang Puck, Eric Greenspan, Ben Ford, and Brendan Collins sure seemed to think so. They they were all diners at Puck's Red Seven restaurant where the finale was filmed.
In the end Pursell, the mother of two young children, took the $150,000 cash prize, plus a fancy new whip furnished by Infiniti. Since Pursell doesn't cook in restaurants, alas you won't be able to try their dishes unless you are having an event catered. If you're curious enough to book something, we kindly accept invitations.
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