Have you heard that Tom Colicchio is coming to town? And that you can meet him? I know I’m shilling for our own simply fabulous food and wine event next weekend, but come on, aren’t you on board?

Colicchio is known for being the straight-talking judge on Bravo’s Top Chef, and I’ll admit that despite my annoyance with most TV chef personalities, I think he’s neato. But it has more to do with a bowl of celery root soup that I had on my first visit to Gramercy Tavern, where he used to cook. I didn’t know soup could be so sexy.

So he’s going to be at the gala benefit, and I’m going to be at the gala benefit, and I’m going to have to say something to him . . . but what? I’m usually pretty quick on my feet and my mouth runneth over with pithy comments, but I’m worried I’ll come out with:

So, sustainability, huh. What’s that all about?

Remember that celery root soup? Yeah, you rocked it.

Bruni’s kind of an ass. Right?

I ate in your place in Vegas, were you there that night?

So I’m thinking I have to focus myself with questions I really want to know:

Does Padma really eat?

Don’t you think that there are some places in Mpls./St. Paul that are on par with NY joints?

When you’re at home, in front of your own fridge, what’s your 2 a.m. throw-together?

Does anybody ever invite you over for dinner, or are all your friends paralyzed with culinary fear?

It’s not like I’m going to have cue cards tucked into my bra, but seriously, I’m thinking of writing on my arm. So can you help a sister out? Do you have any white-hot burning questions for the man?

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