Concrete Blonde; New York City (Rest.)

*****
Working for nearly a decade for seafood genius (and frequent TC judge) chef Eric Ripert gave Jen Carroll some serious culinary backbone. After competing on Top Chef: Las Vegas and All-Stars, she’s now planning to open her first restaurant next spring, named in part for her edgy yet fun personality. Her upcoming “dock-to-dish” concept is a collaboration with several Montauk, New York, fishermen; Carroll hopes to eventually offer her customers fish shares, similar to a CSA model. The menu will have a healthy slant: One prospective dish is a salad of mizuna (a Japanese mustard green) with spicy yogurt vinaigrette. Fans can catch Carroll’s restaurant planning and more of her feisty charisma on Life After Top Chef.

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