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Iron Chef Felipe
Felipe takes on Japan
Tokyo, Japan - Once the assistant chef to Jack Tripper on televisions
long running sitcom, Three's Company, Felipe (Gino Conforti) has
been quietly living a life of success. Ever since his brief stint
on the show (1982-1984) Felipe has worked at such premiere dining
establishments as Basta's, Alain Ducasse and L'Espinasse. Many people
never realized his credentials were real while watching the show,
considering the plot usually revolved around his bitterness with
being assistant chef to Jack's head chef status. Presently recognized
as one of the top 50 chefs in America he has been invited onto Iron
Chef for one of their few yearly specials to be aired later this
fall.
"People never realized that I could really cook my ass off on that
show (3's company)" Felipe remembers. "A lot of my anger was real.
I was fairly bitter at the time cause in real life John Ritter couldn't
boil a pot of Top Ramen without screwing it up. Yet here I was,
this wacky minority who would say "Hey no Problem!" and get a laugh
but I had a huge fucking problem. I could make Grits Aux Champignons
Sauvages that I even cooked for the fucking pope once, yet Ritter
would just make 'grits' jokes and would eat at the ABC Commissary
with Don Knotts. Both of them had no taste. People think Don (Mr.
Furley) dressed like that for the tv show but he wore that crap
all the time.
"I'm looking forward to my battle in Japan. I've been a huge fan
of Iron Chef and I don't feel intimidated at all." Felipe muses.
While the show will strictly adhere to traditional Iron Chef rules
and procedures, part of the arrangement is having a Three's Company
flavor in order to garnish the best ratings. Felipe denounces this
part of the event as a debacle.
Preparing for the
competition.
"I have my credentials. This show stands on its own, yet the powers
that be have deemed that we need to bring Three's Company into it.
They're gonna have Mr. Angelino (Jordan Charney) as as the main
announcer. So instead of the floor announcer saying "Fukui-San"
(quison) to ask permission to break in he's gonna have to say Angelino-San?
And the Bimbo de Jour (BDJ) for the taste test is Suzanne Somers.
She always thought the word omelet was funny and she's a taster?
Sweet Jesus."
When asked if he would win a Iron Chef competition if he went up
against Jack Tripper he responds: "Jack Tripper? If it was on Three's
Company I probably would have lost. The writers were very racist.
Without a doubt. But in real life it would be very embarrassing
for Ritter. Now Larry (Richard Kline), he was a pretty damn good
cook and could have worked at a restaurant easily. He was great
with Indian dishes. I once went to his house for dinner and he made
Murg Tikka Lazeez with fresh Aloo Paratha. Even his appetizer, Tandoori
Jheenga, was top of the line. It was phenomenal, truly. He was a
very cultured man, very intelligent. Last I heard from him he was
running an "alternative lifestyle" bookstore in San Fran.
The show will broadcast later this fall so check your local listings
and in the meantime visit Alain Ducasse where Felipe is presently
the head chef.
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