Padma Lakshmi Waiting in Line for Brunch Was All of Us (Until She Got Recognized)
We don't blame the Top Chef host for what she did next — because we would have done it, too.
Los Angeles eatery Sqirl has been open since 2011 when it started as a preserves company — but it still perpetually draws lines for breakfast and lunch. Among those willing to wait? Even high-profile culinary personalities like Padma Lakshmi, who recently admitted that she waited in line to eat there just like everyone else does when visiting L.A.
"It was delicious," the Top Chef host and judge said in an interview with Sway's Universe on SiriusXM Radio. "There's a long line outside and so me and my friend waited in line like normal and then I went in to go to the bathroom and they said, 'Oh no, you don't have to wait in line. We're so excited you're here. Please sit down.' And I was happy, because I only had like 20 minutes and I didn't want to be late. In L.A., everything takes longer than you think it will. If they tell you something's 20 minutes, it's 29 minutes if you're lucky. So I sat down and wolfed my food down and I felt like a jerk. I didn't wanna skip the line but, on the other hand, who knows when this is all gonna end so I'm gonna enjoy it!" she laughed.
If you don't want to wait in line at a hot spot, there's always tricks to getting reservations at places that have them. Just ask Top Chef alum Carla Hall, who has some advice that usually works, but it's a little bit naughty.
Watch Padma's Sway's Universe chat below.
