By Angela Barbuti

“There’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate,” is a well-known quote from Linda Grayson. On Sunday, the 92 Y will celebrate this statement with their annual Chocolate Fest. Guests befriend chocolatiers and learn everything they ever wanted to know about caramel clusters, pralines, truffles, and toffee. “Education and tasting is what this event is all about,” said Alexandra Leaf, the program’s long-standing producer and host.

This is unlike usual chocolate shows, where guests are overwhelmed by large-scale distributors who send representatives to stand behind their tables. Here, you will be able to converse and have your questions answered by the actual chocolatiers themselves. Many are small companies who make their delicacies in Manhattan and sell to gourmet shops throughout the city. “It’s not that a person can just pay for their stand and be there. It’s only the people who meet my extremely high standards of production, quality of beans, and quality of everything,” Leaf explained.

Alexandra Leaf

Similar to choosing the perfect piece of chocolate, Leaf, a culinary historian and food writer, carefully selects the vendors she wants to participate. “They are hand-picked by me,” Leaf said about the 17 vendors that will be present. As a result, you will not find any massed-produced candy, but only fine chocolate.

Leaf, a regular panel moderator at the Y, began moderating chocolate events there 12 years ago. They started on a smaller scale, as panel discussions with a few chocolatiers followed by a tasting. Because of the high demand for more chocolate and tastings, Leaf decided to take the event to a new level. What resulted is a walk-around tasting with the vendors very prominent.

This event, Leaf promises, will be a “chocolate meet and greet” where guests will be able to ask questions about what they are tasting. Attendees will be indulging in fine chocolate in the midst of some of the world’s best bean to bar makers. One is Grenada Chocolate Company, who will be bringing a documentary about their cocoa plantation, which will be playing throughout the evening.

Lush English Toffee

“I’m definitely bringing English toffee,” said Laurie Pauker of Lush Candy. She is also working on a new caramel, which is a layered confection made of two parts of caramel and one part of freshly homemade marshmallow. The bottom layer is a Greek yogurt caramel. The sweet is then covered in 72 percent dark chocolate. “I’m trying to get the tang to come through in the caramel so they’re interesting layers of flavors all put together,” she said.

Joan Coukos

Hakan Martensson from FIKA, the ever-growing chocolate and coffee company with 5 stores in Manhattan, will bring his own chocolate sculpture. A native from Sweden, Martensson competed on culinary teams and won acclaim for his creations.

To add to the decadence of the evening, Costas Mouzouras from the Upper West Side’s Gotham Wines and Liquors will be there pairing chocolate with wine and cocktails. “Normally I will try to do something unusual, something people wouldn’t try with the chocolate. That is the whole idea,” Mouzouras, who has been working at the store since 1988, said. “When it comes to wine, it’s a particular pairing. It’s specifically that wine, that vintage with that particular chocolate.”

There will also be Murray’s Cheese to be paired with the chocolate. Joan Coukos, President of Chocolat Moderne on West 20th Street, makes sure to provide chocolate that compliments the cheese selection. “People can go from the cheese table to us, or from us to the cheese table and find a match,” she said.

To buy tickets, visit www.92y.org

By Angela Barbuti

David Downie embarked on a journey most would only dream about — he walked across France, and wrote a book about it. Downie and his wife, photographer Alison Harris, took the 750-mile walk together, Downie armed with a notebook and Harris, a camera. What resulted is the memoir Paris to the Pyreenes: A Skeptic Pilgrim Walks the Way of Saint James, which will be released on April 15th.

Although the route the couple followed is usually associated with a desire for spiritual awakening, Downie attributes it to a possible midlife crisis. Later this month, Downie and Harris will leave their home in France to begin their New York City book tour, with stops at McNally Jackson and La Boite en Bois restaurant.

You were born and raised in San Francisco, but you’ve lived in Paris for 27 years. Why did you relocate?
I had the typical romantic notions that a young, aspiring writer has about living in Paris. I quit my day job and rented a maid’s room on the seventh floor. I moved in there and wrote a novel. Luckily it was not published. I think it’s a good thing for a young writer to have two or three novels rejected. I was very fortunate; I had all my early work rejected.

You make it clear that this pilgrimage across France was not a religious journey. How would you describe your religious beliefs?
I’m a skeptical skeptic.

And your wife’s?
She’s an agnostic. Her father was a Catholic; her mother’s a Protestant. She’s not an atheist.

Explain why you took this journey.
There were so many reasons. I think something happens at a certain point in your life and you have this irrepressible need to walk or do whatever it is that you do. In my case, I’m a walk-aholic. I had this crazy drive to walk across France. I’m not sure where it came from. I’m still not sure, but I suspect that I just needed to think, unplug, regenerate, and feel better. I had some serious health issues. I was very fat and had liver failure. I also really needed to think about what I was going to do with the rest of my life. When you approach 50, this kind of thing can happen. I suppose you would call it a midlife crisis.

Did you feel fulfilled after it?
I realized that your whole life is a pilgrimage. It’s not any different from getting up, getting ready, and commuting to work, or studying, or whatever it is that you happen to do. It is different in that you’re not working, you’re walking, thinking, and meditating. It’s really like walking meditation. When I finished my pilgrimage, I realized it was just life and that it was going to go on until I died. I feel, in many ways, I’m still on the pilgrimage. Writing the book was part of it, and now going on book tours. Talking to you is part of it.

What was the hardest part of this experience?

Finding time to do it and breaking away from all the usual obligations — work, family, and friends. I think that was the biggest challenge.

Did you keep a journal along the way?
I’m a pathological note taker. I have a notebook with me at all times and am always jotting things down.

You’re also a food writer.
I wrote about food for many years. I wrote cookbooks, food and wine articles, and guidebooks. I do it a lot less now, in part because if I look at a donut I put on 10 pounds. I try to do other things. I do travel writing and other kinds of writing.

What food memory stayed with you from your trip across France?
During this pilgrimage, I think I had the best meal I ever had in France at Ferme la Chassagne. It was not at a fancy restaurant, but a farmhouse bed and breakfast — a place where you spend the night and have breakfast and dinner. Everything was grown or raised on the farm. Totally authentic, classic French country cooking. We had veal cooked in milk with mushrooms.

Before living in Paris, you lived in Milan. Now, you and your wife divide your time between France and Italy.
We spend two-thirds of the year in France and one-third in Italy at this point.

What are the similarities and differences between France and Italy?
Well they both have good food, good wine, beautiful landscapes, and wonderful cities. My favorite foreign cities are Rome, Genoa, and Paris. The difference is what Sophia Loren said, which may be apocryphal, “The French are Italians in a bad mood.”

You and Alison give walking tours in Europe. How long have you been hosting these?
This will be the eighth year. Paris, Rome, Burgundy, and the Italian Riviera.

You also just created an app on Paris.
It’s a timeline of Paris. It’s the history of Paris from 8,000 B.C. to the present. All the key dates, people, places, and events.

What are plans for your future?
I’m working on another book about Paris — about romanticism and Paris today being the world’s most romantic city. It appears that most people believe it is. Whether they’re right or not, I’m not sure. That’s what I’m trying to figure out. In terms of walking, we’re still trying to figure out where we’re going to walk next. We might walk to Rome.

To learn more about David’s work and New York book tour, visit www.davidddownie.com

By Angela Barbuti

Andrew Jenks is changing the world. In a recent episode of his MTV documentary series World of Jenks, he paraphrases a famous quote when he says, “Never believe a small group of people can’t change the world, because that’s the only people that ever have.” For one year, Jenks, 27, travels with three young adults who are facing incredible challenges—and documents it all on film. In order to truly empathize with them, he lives with each person, accompanying them on their daily routines. He travels to San Francisco to meet Kaylin, who has already had two bouts with cancer at the age of 24. Another stop is upstate New York to find Chad, 21, who is living with autism. A visit is also made to Oakland, where Jenks cohabits with D-Real, also 21, who is grappling with the violence that is prevalent in his city. Jenks begins the journey with each of the three with just a video camera and an open heart, and ends the season having made three lifelong friendships. Since Jenks has his friend do the filming, we actually see him on camera interacting with his subjects—sharing laughter and tears, and learning from their hardships. In March, just before his show started its second season on MTV, he released a memoir entitled Andrew Jenks: My Adventures As a Young Filmmaker. So what does this Chelsea resident miss most when he’s on the road? “Well, you can’t beat a Mamoun’s falafel. I definitely miss Ray’s Pizza. And I always miss¬—not too sound too cheesy—my friends and family,” he admits.

This show came about because MTV reached out to you, right?
Yes. At first I was hesitant because I wasn’t sure if I would fit at MTV in terms of, I don’t go tanning and I’m not pregnant. The fact that they gave me this opportunity to tell stories that would normally never get exposure on television has made me endlessly grateful to the folks over there.

Your dad works for the United Nations, so you moved around a lot as a kid. That’s how you began your career behind the camera.
When I was young, we lived in Nepal and Belgium. I think what got me into filming was we’d always be in these countries where no one spoke English, so my best friend, by default, became this big, bulky VHS camera. I would literally just sit there for 45 minutes filming a tree in the backyard and narrating what the tree was like. It was a weird obsession. And because my dad worked for the UN and my mom’s a nurse practitioner in a very poor area, when we sat down to the dinner table, a lot of times the conversation would be my dad talking about a genocide in Africa and my mom talking about an immigrant who couldn’t afford proper health care. I’m happy because I feel like that helped me learn more about what was going on.
You went to NYU and majored in Film and TV.
I ended up moving into an old folks home for another [documentary] project, so I didn’t end up graduating. I was quite the outcast at NYU, so I really had—not to be self pitying¬—no friends, and was very lonely and depressed. I felt kind of trapped there, like I couldn’t go and work on projects that I really cared about. I said it before and it’s not something that I’m scared of saying, but it just really wasn’t for me.

How are your three subjects doing now that the filming is over?
I try to talk to them as much as they’re willing to. They‘re going through extraordinarily tough times, if not tougher, than when I was first with them. The thing about the show is that I love these people. When we stop filming, it becomes a really strong friendship.

How is Kaylin feeling?
Kaylin’s cancer returned again. She’s currently going through intense chemo. They found a tumor the size of a laptop in her chest. She was in Bellevue, and it was disheartening to see how they were treating her. I worked really hard with people on my film crew to get her into Sloan-Kettering, which I believe is one of the best hospitals in the country for her particular cancer, Ewing’s Sarcoma.

How is Chad?
Once they graduate, one of the toughest things for young people is trying to find a job. That’s something we really get into in the show. He’s currently having a tough time finding his place in the world. But luckily he has unbelievable parents.

People are responding to the show on Twitter, and thanking you for raising awareness of autism.
We’ve had screenings with Autism Speaks and organizations that provide support for young adults with cancer. Screening our show to those people and getting responses on social media from people who have brothers, sisters, or family—or are themselves autistic—has been far and away the most gratifying thing.

How is D-Real doing in Oakland?
He said watching the show helped remind him what he’s trying to do in Oakland because it’s easy to lose focus. Recently, his girlfriend was on a bus with their daughter and there was a guy who pulled out a gun and started shooting a bunch of people. They’re all safe. He’s had another kid since we started filming. None of these are fairy tale endings, I wish they were, but it grounds the show in reality.

What do you think of reality TV?
I’m not a big fan of most reality TV. I don’t know them personally, but I feel like the Kardashians represent some of the more negative parts of our generation. I do think there’s some wonderful programming—like what Morgan Spurlock does. But I think it’s unfortunate that the Kardashians are all over the airways.

The film festival you started at your high school has branched out into an All-American Film Festival this year in New York City.
When I was 16, I started a high school film festival at my local public school, which wasn’t a wealthy school by any stretch of the imagination. We started it for myself and some buddies to play our short films in the auditorium. It somehow grew and we had James Earl Jones speak the following year, which was unbelievable. Since then it became one of the biggest high school film festivals in the country. This year, we teamed up with the Mayor’s office and are doing the first annual All American High School Film Festival October 4- 6th. It’s a chance for young filmmakers all over the country to network and see their films on the big screen.

Watch World of Jenks Monday nights at 11 p.m. on MTV
To learn more about the All-American High School Film Festival, visit www.aahsff.com

By Angela Barbuti

Maura Tierney has a lot to feel lucky about. Not only has she moved back to NYC, but she won a leading role in Nora Ephron’s Lucky Guy, where she gets to work alongside Tom Hanks every night. The 48-year-old, who has been on screen with roles in television and movies, now graces the stage in her Broadway debut. A Boston native who studied theater at NYU, Tierney said, “I love theater, so hopefully I’ll do some more theater at some point.”

How did you get started in the business?
I went to NYU and studied theater. And then I moved out to LA for a couple of months for fun after I graduated – and I ended up getting a job in a television movie.

This is your Broadway debut. What made you want to do a Broadway show?
I’d never done it before, so it’s something, as an actor, I’ve always wanted to do. And I really wanted to work with George C. Wolfe and Tom Hanks. George has directed some really amazing plays and Tom is – as everyone knows – a wonderful actor.

Can you give us a synopsis of Lucky Guy?
It’s a play about a journalist named Mike McAlary. He worked for the New York Post and Daily News in the late 1980s to the mid 1990s. He was a very accomplished, ambitious, raucous rousing tabloid reporter who then won a Pulitzer Prize.

You never met Nora Ephron.
No, I never did. I wish I had.

Tom and Nora were friends and he is paying tribute to her with this role, which she wrote for him to play.
I just think he’s a great actor and a really hard worker. I know they were very close, so it’s a nice thing.

What was moving to NYC for college like for you?
It was really fun. When I was looking at schools, I saw New York City and said, “This is where I want to be.”

Where are you living now?
I live in the West Village.

What are some of your favorite places in the city?
I love Hudson River Park all the way down to where you get the ferry. I go there all the time. I think it’s a really beautiful part of the city. I’m always downtown; I hardly ever come uptown. The Highline, I think, is really beautiful. I really like the East Village, and I don’t get to go there very often. I think it’s more of an alive place than the West Village, even though where I live is very pretty.

I saw on Twitter there was an ER reunion at the show the other night.
Oh – cause Angela Basset was there. We worked together on [the television show] ER.

You are very open with your own battle against breast cancer, which you were able to beat. Do people come to you for advice?
Sometimes. A lot of people, unfortunately, get diagnosed with cancer and a lot of them are okay. There are people in my personal life I’ve talked to, and sometimes I meet people in the street, but not so much.

You were recently on The View, and they called you “the thinking man’s sex symbol.” Is that going to keep coming up now?
I don’t know, but Joy Behar said it used to be Margaret Thatcher and now it’s me. I thought that was a pretty funny joke.

What are you future plans?
I don’t know. I have been working on this play since January and will be doing it until July. I don’t know beyond that. My head is very much into what we’re doing right now.

To learn more about Lucky Guy, visit www.luckyguyplay.com

Matt Gallagher

By Angela Barbuti

In the fall of 2008, at the Creative Writers House at NYU, a group of writers was brought together by their shared life-altering experience–they had all served in the military. What they didn’t realize at the time was that their collaborations would take shape into the first fictional anthology of war stories ever to be published.

Fire and Forget: Short Stories from the Long War, a collection of 15 powerfully moving short stories about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their aftermath, was born from this writing workshop. After a year of sharing their work with one another, Iraq veterans Matt Gallagher, 30, and Roy Scranton, 36, came to the realization that their subject matter was worthy of a broader audience. They decided put together an anthology, and welcome submissions not just from their group, but from servicemen and women all over the world. In their quest for material, they reached out to veterans and veteran groups, which resulted in stories from writers in New York, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Virginia, Montana, the Ukraine, and Iraq.

Their main priority as editors and writers – Gallagher is getting his masters in Creative Writing at Columbia and Scranton is working on his PhD in English at Princeton – was to find high quality writers.

“We decided we needed to find the best writers coming out of these wars, put them together to showcase that kaleidoscope of war, the different perspectives that have come out,” said Scranton.

“We were looking for storytellers, craft makers, people who viewed their writing as art,” added Gallagher. Being veterans themselves, the editors were more sympathetic, but also more critical, of the writing they received. Some stories even managed to surprise them.

“When these stories came in, we walked away the same way we hope our readers do – feeling inspired or disturbed, or hollow. I don’t think there’s any veteran out there who’s seen it all,” said Gallagher.

The men chose to keep the collection purely a work of fiction, although their writing group welcomed all genres.

“Fiction lets us bring out the consistencies and the universals that get at something deeper,” said Scranton, who just completed his first novel War Porn. However, the contributors’ real-life experiences certainly come through on each page.

“There’s a funny line between fiction and non-fiction when it comes to war,” said Scranton.

Roy Scranton

“The stories are fiction, grounded in our experience.”

Gallagher, who released a memoir Kaboom in 2010, said, “I think every writer in here wanted to do something more than just write a memoir.”

The stories in Fire and Forget focus on different aspects of a serviceman’s life in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as their life when they return home. In one story, “The Train,” by Mariette Kalinowski, the veteran protagonist rides the 7 train back and forth, once for a total of 13 times, as a form of solace as days become unbearable. Siobhan Fallon speaks from the perspective of an army wife who grapples with her changed husband in “Tips for A Smooth Transition.” In “Play the Game,” Colby Buzzell writes about the struggles vets have with finding work once they return from the service. His character gets a job holding a sign on a busy street for nine dollars an hour.

“It says something important about the complexities of the veteran’s experience in coming home. It’s easy to slap the PTSD label on people, but there’s a whole set of things you have to deal with. In the case with the protagonist in that story gets out of the army and he’s on the job market and his sergeant jokes with him, ‘What are you going to do, put ‘shoot, move, and communicate, on your resume?’ There’s no place for these skills,” said Scranton.

The editors also contributed a story each to the anthology, and hope their book will help bridge the gap that exists between civilians and the military. “There is absolutely a military-civilian divide,” said Gallagher. “The reality is now these veterans are back in American society. It’s up to all of us on both sides of that divide to figure out how to come back together again because it’s not a healthy thing for democracy to have them separate.”

The title of the anthology is taken from the term ‘fire and forget,’ which comes from weapon systems, usually missiles, in the military. Once these weapons are fired, they seek their own target and don’t require any additional guidance. Scranton said, “The title stuck with us because it really speaks to the double-edged problem we face with what to do with our experience at war. On the one hand, we are responsible to tell our stories to remind people what happened. On the other hand, there’s nothing most of us would rather do than leave it behind and move on.”

Join Matt and Roy at the Half King for a reading of Fire and Forget on March 18th at 7 p.m.

Sean Lowe, star of ABC’s ‘The Bachelor,’ weighs in on everything from the ideal date to mistakes women make in their search for the perfect mate.

By Angela Barbuti

Sean Lowe will be alone this Valentine’s Day—but don’t feel bad for him just yet. The 29-year-old recently finished taping a season of ABC’s The Bachelor, where he had his pick of 26 women, all vying to win his heart. His quest for love is being aired every Monday night, with America watching as his personal life is made public. Lowe, a Texas native, was chosen for The Bachelor after competing in The Bachelorette last year, where he was the third from last contestant to be sent home. Immediately pegged as the “nice guy,” ABC rewarded Lowe for his sincerity—and six-pack abs—by selecting him as Season 13’s bachelor. He can’t tell us whether or not he found a soulmate, but definitely speaks from experience when he says, “When you meet the right person, you’ll know.”

Everyone calls you a nice guy. Do you think that’s a good assessment?

[Laughs] I think I am a nice guy. I had no idea that’s how I’d be perceived after doing The Bachelorette. Usually the adjectives that are used are ‘genuine’ and ‘sincere.’ I never really thought of myself in those terms. It’s cool that America does see that. I don’t go out of my way to be a nice guy. I’m the man that my parents brought me up to be. But I would rather be a nice guy than a jerk, I guess.

You are dating multiple women on national television. What do your family and friends think?

I think they’re really enjoying it. Of course, if anyone is allowed to make fun of me, it’s my family and friends—and they certainly do that. It seems like every Monday night they’re calling me, ragging about something I said or did. It’s all in good fun and they’re all proud of me, I know they are. I think I made them proud not only through my actions, but just the way I presented my family during this whole process.

You’ve been on some really lavish dates on the show. What is your ideal date?

Not the typical ‘Bachelor’ date. I don’t need the extravagance or the exotic settings, although that’s really nice and I’m glad I had the chance to do it. My ideal date is just something simple. I want to spend as much time with the woman as possible. Take her to a place that allows us to talk, someplace where we can really get to know each other.  That could be an intimate dinner at a romantic restaurant or dinner at my house that I prepare, or it could be just a walk through the park.

Did you expect all the drama that happens this season?

[Pauses] No, I did not. I was actually oblivious to a lot of it. [Laughs] You know, Tierra is certainly the name that’s been talked about most frequently lately and I had no idea that that was going on in the house. Outside of a few murmurs from girls who basically just said, “Well, we really don’t like Tierra.” And I would ask them, “Okay. Why? Give me some examples.” And they really couldn’t come up with any. So watching the show on Mondays has been eye-opening for me because I just didn’t know this stuff was going on.

Which moments were most memorable?

The first night was a really surreal moment. I’ll never forget Lindsay coming out in a wedding dress or Ashley, the Fifty Shades of Grey girl, who was just completely over-the-top and drunk.

What surprised you most about being “The Bachelor”?

You know, I was shocked it only took me a few weeks to really start developing relationships with multiple people. One of my greatest fears coming into this was that I really wouldn’t find a connection with anybody and it would be a waste of time. But after those first couple of weeks, I found myself really falling for AshLee and Des and Sarah. I was overwhelmed by how many great women were on the show.

Are you allowed to tell us what you’re doing on Valentine’s Day?

I can answer it. I’ll be in Dallas not doing much of anything, to be honest with you. If I have a Valentine, I wish that I could spend it with her. But obviously I can’t say if I do or don’t. I’m just going to be celebrating the day by myself.

Do people recognize you around Dallas?

Everyone is always so nice and that’s why I never turn down someone who comes up and asks for a picture. People normally say, “We were rooting for you and heartbroken when it didn’t work out with Emily. We think you’re such a nice guy and can’t wait to watch you this season.” It’s gotten really crazy and that’s one of the drawbacks from doing this whole thing. I would rather be able to go to the grocery store or out with my friends without being stopped. That’s not the case these days.

You have a degree in social science. Has that helped you on “The Bachelor”?

[Laughs] I would like to think that my social skills are above par.

What are your future plans?

It’s hard to say. I love my business and I’ll definitely be part of Factory Girl over the course of the next decade or so. It’s a business I own with two partners. We do custom furniture, handbags, all kinds of stuff. We’re basically targeting women; they’re our main demographic. That’s the exciting part of life for me. I don’t know where I’m gonna be in 10, 15 or 20 years and I like that. A year ago I would never have imagined that I’d be where I am today.  I guess I’ve learned not to map out my future, because as soon as you try to do it, God has other plans for you.

What advice would you give single girls looking to settle down?

I would say, don’t try too hard. I find that a lot of women overanalyze the smallest things that guys really are not paying attention to. Like, “how come he hasn’t texted me back? It’s been almost three hours now.” Meanwhile the guy’s probably out doing something and just lost track of time. I think as a rule, it’s better to just relax and be yourself.

Watch Sean on “The Bachelor” Monday nights at 8 p.m. on ABC. 

‘Dancing with the Stars’ heartthrob on learning English from Steve Urkel, Sheepshead Bay and hip-hop

By Angela Barbuti

Now that the season of Dancing with the Stars is over, New Yorkers get to have Val Chmerkovskiy all to themselves for a while. When the 26-year-old came back home to New York after placing third in the competition, he received something of a hero’s welcome. Screaming girls and construction workers alike stopped him to say that they watched him compete on what has become one of the most popular shows on television. Lucky for us, when Chmerkovskiy isn’t performing on DWTS, he is teaching at one of the four dance studios he owns in the tristate area. “There’s a lot of dance still left in me,” he said.

When did you know you wanted to dance professionally?
I still don’t know. I was blessed with parents who put us into many different lanes of creativity. Dance was just one of the things I did, and I’m talented enough to do it well. I translated that into the professional opportunity that it is right now, but I wouldn’t want to limit myself by just being referred to as a professional dancer. I’m very proud of it, but there are a lot of things that I want to do.

How has being on Dancing with the Stars changed your life?
The obvious celebrity—quote, unquote—status. I’m very shy of that word, because I just don’t like it. [Laughs] What I do enjoy is the platform, the voice that it gives me and the ability to meet the people I meet—that’s a huge change in my life. As a performer, no artist is going to shy away from a stage as big as Dancing with the Stars.

What’s it like backstage there?
It’s a lot of fun. The best part is that you’re part of a family. All in all, there are a lot of good people I had the opportunity to work with. In terms of what you really want to know about backstage, not everyone who comes off on television the way they do is like that in reality. It’s Hollywood, and people put on a great show. When you meet people you’ve been a fan of for a long time, you might be disappointed—or inspired—by them.

Who was a star you were excited to meet?
Last season we had Jaleel White. I mean that’s Steve Urkel. When I moved here from the Ukraine, that’s how I learned English—watching him on Family Matters. Now he’s asking me how to do a dance move. It’s surreal in some ways.

You’re back in New York now. Do people stop and talk to you?
Yes—and New Yorkers don’t have time for anybody! In the middle of the country there are a lot of fans, but in New York, it feels much more special. And I’ve had that from screaming girls to big, butch construction workers. They’ll be like, “You’re that dancer, right? We watched you. You did a good job.” Coming back to New York after being away for four months, especially with Sandy, was very warm.

What are your favorite places in New York?
I like the Coney Island area, and Sheepshead Bay, in Brooklyn because that’s where I grew up. I’m up there every Sunday playing ball and then going to this Russian spot—Russian Bath House. It’s more of a traditional thing I do. When I’m hanging out in the city, Meatpacking. My favorite place in terms of music and nightlife is this spot Goldbar in Little Italy.

Tell us about the studio Dance with Me that you co-own with your brother, Max, and Tony Dovolani.
Yes, we have four studios in the tristate area. But our pride and joy is a boutique studio in Soho. It’s such an iconic neighborhood that for us to be there is a huge compliment and responsibility. It’s not a grand ballroom; it’s an intimate space—exactly what I think Soho’s about. There’s a lot of energy—we have people coming in from all five boroughs of New York. Dancing is special because people communicate on the dance floor. We have great social parties, a lot of singles nights.

So if people take classes there, will they see you?
I’m not in Soho every day, but I’m at each of the studios at least once a week—whether it’s practicing on my own, teaching, consulting, or training the staff. I like spending time there, even when I’m not working.

On a typical day, how many hours do you dance?
Unfortunately, not enough. I think I get all of my dancing out of the way during the season of Dancing with the Stars. This last season especially, I went through grueling training, not only as a teacher to Kelly [Monaco], but also as a partner. I would say I dance a good two to three hours a day. I only say that because I teach five hours a day. And I’m not one of those instructors who sits back and points fingers. I’m actually on the floor.

You also rap, and guest-starred on General Hospital. Are those things you want to pursue—singing and acting?
Yeah, music is my passion. I’ve played the violin for 15 years. In terms of hip-hop music, I grew up in New York and that’s how I learned English, through Biggie. For me, that genre is really familiar; I’m attracted to it. As a young kid, I loved poetry, so those two elements came together, and I started writing and creating hip-hop music. In terms of acting, I would love to pursue that as well. These are avenues that people, when they have an opportunity, jump at—and a lot them fail. I don’t want to do them just because I have some sort of celebrity status. I want to do them well.

How long do you plan on competing on Dancing with the Stars?
I have a respect for the show and am very thankful for it. Whatever opportunities I have now, yes, my talent has earned, but Dancing with the Stars opened them up for me. Even if I have other projects, my loyalty will always be to that show. Besides that, I think it’s an amazing show—and clearly millions of people enjoy it as well. So as long as they ask me, I’ll be back.

For more on Val, visit valchmerkovskiy.com

The comedian and actor reveals his love for Liza and pizza

By Angela Barbuti

Mario Cantone will poll the audience demographic at his show at Gotham Comedy Club this weekend—but he already knows what to expect. “Older, younger, black, white, some gay, mostly straight,” said the 53-year-old comic, who celebrated his birthday this past Sunday. Although a Boston native, Cantone has fully embraced life in New York City, appearing regularly on The View, dining at Per Se and bumping into his Sex and the City costars on Broadway.

Our Town: Where did you get your comedic start?
Cantone: In junior high and high school, doing talent shows with Robert Klein and Lily Tomlin’s material. By my senior year of high school, I started writing my own stuff. I went to Emerson College and got into the Emerson Comedy Workshop that Denis Leary started. He brought me into it my freshman year, and it was the most popular thing on campus at the time. It was huge.

How do you think of material for your stand-up?
It just depends on what hits me. I usually can’t talk about something that I’m not really passionate about. Either I love it or I hate it. It’s got to be one or the other. If I just don’t care about it, or it doesn’t affect me in any way, it’s hard to talk or write about it. Most of the impressions I do, I love all of them.

Which are your favorite impressions?
Liza Minnelli and Bette Davis. Those are two fun ones to do.

Do most people recognize you from Sex and the City?
It depends. If it’s young, crazy, screaming girls, it’s Sex and the City. If it’s a young black or Puerto Rican kid in my neighborhood, it’s Chappelle’s show. If it’s middle-aged women, it’s The View, which I like the best because then they really know what I can do. If you just see me on Sex and the City, you have no idea what I do, although I loved doing that show. I loved that character. It was a thrill and it made me internationally famous.

What was it like to work on that show?
It was a great thing; I had a great time. I came in on the third season and I got to be a part of it through the last movie. I was lucky. If you’re doing a half-hour show or two-hour movie, and you have four leading ladies, you have to give every one of them a storyline. When you’ve got these guys coming into the picture who are not even romantically involved with them, who are just gay friends, and they laugh, become popular, and remain—it’s a big deal.

Are you still in touch with the girls?
Once in a while, I speak to Kim and bump into Sarah and Cynthia at the theater. Kristin lives in L.A., so I don’t really see her too much. But the director and creator, Michael Patrick King, I’m in touch with a lot. I’ve known him for, gosh, 27 years.

What’s it like to be part of The View?
A blast. That keeps me afloat. I love it. I love all those girls. I get to sing, co-host and do commercials. I’ve been the lead guest, the second guest—I’ve done everything. If someone is supposed to co-host and doesn’t show up, they call me. On Dec. 21, I’m doing a Christmas-musical number.

Your Broadway debut was in Love! Valor! Compassion! in 1995. Will you be on Broadway again?
Yeah, I’m working on a new one-man show for 2013, which will be directed by Joe Mantello, who directed Love! Valor! Compassion!, Assassins and Laugh Whore, the one-man show I did on Broadway from 2004 to 2005.

What’s it like doing a one-man show? Do you get nervous?
Yeah, it’s terrifying. It’s also exhausting, cause it’s just you out there. I do six different musical numbers, so it’s like doing a musical on your own.

Where do you live? What are your favorite restaurants in your area?
On the border of the Chelsea-Clinton area. I love food very, very, verrrry much. For pizza, across the street is Co., which is the Sullivan Street Bakery’s pizzeria. It’s the greatest pizza in the world. Divine. Another great pizza place is Tavola. I love the Red Cat, which is on Tenth. If I want to go upscale, I go to Del Posto, which is my number one. I like the upscale restaurants, you know—I’m a hoity-toity diner. My other place is Scarpetta. Delicious. I do my little birthday tour of restaurants.

What is a birthday tour of restaurants?
My birthday was Sunday, and the whole weekend I go to dinner. Felidia, Per Se, Esca.

You mostly go out for Italian food. Do you think your Italian-American background affects your comedy?
Yeah, it’s certainly a part of who I am, and not only in the material, but in the way I speak and deliver sometimes, the cadence and the rhythm of it is very Italian-American.

What is the crowd like at your shows?
I would say 75 to 80 percent straight, sometimes even 90. It’s very interesting. I always say this: The gay crowd doesn’t really come to see stand-up as much. They like the women, which I get, cause I do too! And I poll it every time. I’ll say, “Where are my straight women?” Big applause. “Where are my straight men?” Big applause. “Where are my gay men?” Like 12. When I am put in front of a mostly gay audience at a benefit or something, and they’re forced to see me, it’s amazing. They love it. I wish they’d come out more, but they don’t for me. But anyway, it’s okay. I love my people.

Mario will be performing at Gotham Comedy Club on Dec. 13 through 15. For more information on Mario, visit www.mariocantone.com

‘THE CHEW’ CO-HOST DISHES ON LED ZEPPELIN, TAKE-OUT MENUS AND HER SIGNATURE MAC AND CHEESE BUNDLES

By Angela Barbuti

If you turn on The Chew each weekday afternoon, you will see Carla Hall’s warm personality, which she can’t help but blend into all that she cooks. Therefore, it is not surprising that the name of her new cookbook is Cooking with Love. The Southern-born 48-year-old lives on the Upper West Side, so if you see her, be sure to say, “Hootie Hoo,” the catchphrase she started during her days on Top Chef.

What was it like to write your first cookbook?
I knew it was going to be a lot of homework, and it was even more homework than I thought. When people used to come up to me and say, “Do you have a cookbook?” all I heard was, “Do you want more homework?” because I was already doing a lot of stuff. I had an amazing team. Genevieve Ko, the co-author, who I met through my literary agent, would always stick to the schedule and say, “just talk.” I would start talking, and all these memories would come back. It was really fun to do.

What are your favorite things about The Chew?
One of the things I love about the show is having certain celebrities come on and show skills that we don’t realize they have. And also, because there are five co-hosts, there are at least two different perspectives, sometimes five. I love it, because I think it empowers the audience, and shows there is not always one way to do something.

How was moving to New York?
I’m from Nashville, but live in D.C. My husband comes up every other weekend, and I’ll go home every other weekend. People forget how stressful it is to move. I had to find an apartment, my husband wasn’t here, and I had a new job— everything was changing. I like New York, but I think it can get a little busy for me. I make sure to not fall into the trap of doing something every minute, because there is something going on all the time.

What are you still getting used to here?
The thing about New York that I haven’t gotten into is that when I go to friends’ homes, they pull out a stack of menus. I can’t wrap my head around that, the delivery thing. It’s a culture very unique to New York. I have menus just to look through at home, then I’ll go out and get the food.

You were the executive chef in restaurants in Washington, D.C. Do you miss being in a restaurant setting?
You know what, I don’t. But I did a couple of pop-up dinners and I like going back to the kitchen—the buzz, putting out fires, the team coming together. But it’s hard—the daily grind and coming home smelling like onions.

Would you consider your break to be Top Chef?
Absolutely. I totally give all props, thanks and praise to Bravo and Top Chef. When I went on the show, I didn’t realize how popular it was; I was just going on for the personal challenge. I think I surprised myself; I’m sure I probably surprised the producers. For Top Chef All-Stars, winning Fan Favorite, I believe, was truly my big break. I think that’s when the executives from ABC saw me and suggested me for The Chew.

You are quoted as saying, “If you’re not in a good mood, the only thing you should make is a reservation.”
That’s just the way I look at life. My grandmother always told me, “Love what you do.” I was an accountant at Price Waterhouse. When I was working, I had this fear of being 40 and hating my job. I had modeled at Howard University and had met these girls who were going to Paris. So at 23, I quit my job and went. Some people would think it’s scary to go to a foreign country when you don’t even know the language, you have one phone number and you’re living in a hotel. For me it wasn’t scary, it was being 40, hating my job and being trapped. All my life, I’ve looked for the thing that makes me happy. I don’t care what you do—if you love something, you do a better job than someone who doesn’t want to do it.

THE FOODIE TALKS ABOUT CELEBRITY CHEFS SETTING HER KITCHEN ON FIRE, HER APPLE-ONION THANKSGIVING STUFFING AND MICHAEL J. FOX

By Angela Barbuti

Rachael Ray is an inspiration to home cooks everywhere, but the fact that she lives downtown gives New Yorkers a definite advantage. Neighbors go so far as to ask her what she’s cooking for dinner when they run into her. The 44-year-old has created a food empire encompassing a talk show, magazine, nonprofit organization and 21 cookbooks. Her newest book, My Year in Meals, hit shelves Nov. 13. When she is not writing recipes for her famous 30-Minute Meals, she is stirring up carbonara sauce for her husband, John.

What is a typical day like for you?
[Laughs] There are no typical days. But if we are taping the daytime show, I will get up around 5 a.m. and head to the gym, then start getting ready for the show. We typically tape between two to three shows during the day. At lunch, I will write some recipes for Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine or for an upcoming book. Then, after taping, I’ll head home and make dinner for John.

Walk us through the process of writing a cookbook.
I keep a notebook with me at all times, and when I have an idea or am inspired, I start jotting down recipes. Then I have to code them—“EDWRR” means it might work for the magazine Every Day with Rachael Ray, while “MYIM” means it would go in the new book My Year in Meals. I code them as the ideas come to me. For the books, I’m always working one or two concepts out so if a recipe doesn’t fit for this cookbook, it could roll over to someplace else. There’s always a home for it.

Your daytime television show, Rachael Ray, launched in 2006. Who has been your most memorable guest?
I can’t pick the most memorable. We’ve had so many seasons of amazing guests. I would have to say it’s a three-way tie between Michelle Obama, President Clinton and Michael J. Fox, who is my personal hero. Oh wait … Hugh Jackman and Ringo Starr were pretty amazing!

Any funny set stories that stand out?
One day the turntable that our audience sits on, allowing them to rotate to different parts of the set, broke down, so all of them had to get up and help us spin it around. There was another time when Emeril and Bobby Flay both set the kitchen set on fire.

What is your favorite dish to cook at home with your husband?
Carbonara—hands down—it’s his favorite.

What area of the city do you live in? What are your favorite places there?
I live below 14th Street and love being downtown. I’m always at the Union Square market and stores like John Derian.

Do people stop you in the city to discuss food?
Yes, all the time. My fans come up to me in the grocery store and say, “Hey Rach, do you know where the canned tomatoes are?” or “What are you making for dinner?”

What are your favorite restaurants and food stores in Manhattan?
My husband and I like eating pizza at Motorino. I love shopping in Chelsea Market where the Food Network is, especially Buon Italia, where I get a lot of groceries.

Where were you during hurricane Sandy?
The daytime show was dark that week, so I was already home with my family upstate.

What was it like to help the victims by working the ABC telethon?
It was great to be a part of it. The folks we were talking to on the phone were so happy to help. It was really empowering to see how people come together in times like these.

You also run a nonprofit, Yum-o! Please describe this organization and let readers know how they can help.
Yum-o! is a nonprofit organization that empowers kids and their families to develop healthy relationships with food and cooking by teaching families to cook, feeding hungry kids and funding cooking education and scholarships. Through our three core work areas of Cook, Feed and Fund, Yum-o! educates kids and their families about food and cooking by offering an interactive website that enables young cooks to get started in the kitchen and try out family-friendly recipes. We team up with partner organizations to feed hungry children, and fund innovative cooking programs in schools and give educational opportunities for kids who are interested in pursuing careers in the restaurant and food service industry. People can help by visiting www.yum-o.org.

You are known for your 30-Minute Meals. Which is your favorite?
That’s like picking your favorite kid!

What will be on the menu for your Thanksgiving dinner this year?
We usually make two smaller birds since they take less time to cook and we can sleep in. We make an apple and onion stuffing and mashed potatoes with parsnips.

You won the Outstanding Talk Show Emmy twice. Where are your awards?
Sitting in my office at the daytime show.

Who are your favorite celebrity chefs?
I can’t choose favorites. I love Mario and Bobby. Emeril is the greatest.

What are your future plans?
I haven’t planned anything to this point, so why start now?

Why do you think you have become so successful?
When you love what you do and work hard, it’s hard not to find success on some level.
To learn more about Rachael, visit www.rachaelray.com