Local celebrity chef Richard Blais recently returned to Bravo’s special “All-Stars” season of “Top Chef” after his surprising loss in Season 4 to claim the title once and for all. The brains behind FLIP Burger Boutique talked with City’s Best about the show, Atlanta’s food scene, and what we might see from him in the future.

Congratulations on your “Top Chef All‐Stars” win! Do you think the competition was tougher this season, or on your first go‐round?
This season was way tougher, first of all it was the longest season Top Chef has ever had, the competition was incredible. Every chef brought their A game.The challenges were very challenging.

You have been in Atlanta for a little more than 10 years now. How do you think our food scene compares with other big cities?

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One of Atlanta’s most popular new restaurants is Local Three Kitchen & Bar, so named because of the partnership between the creators of Muss & Turner’s (Ryan Turner & Chef Todd Mussman) and Chef Chris Hall. Chef Hall answered a few questions to explain why “the three” encourage diners to “sit deep and stay long” to enjoy the full experience of this new dining destination.

Did you expect such fast success for Local Three?
We expected success, but we didn’t expect it so soon. We’re tremendously grateful and humbled by our quick start. It’s gratifying to know there’s great interest within the community about what we’re doing at Local Three. The challenge now is to exceed the expectations of every guest that joins us. We’re really focused on delivering what we’ve promised.

Besides your own restaurants, where do you like to take out-of-towners to eat in Atlanta?

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Chef Ron Eyester of Rosebud is no stranger to controversy. His guest post on CNN’s Eatocracy blog, “Six ways customers tick off chefs” stirred up a firestorm of both admiration and malice. He also likes to share his frustrations about particularly difficult patrons from his twitter persona, @theangrychef. City’s Best had the chance to talk with him about the controversy and what he thinks is best about Atlanta. Love him or hate him, here’s what he had to say.

So why are you ‘angry?’
Honestly, I don’t want to say I’m angry. When I got on twitter, we just thought “The Angry Chef” had a better ring than “The Funny Chef” or “The Sarcastic Chef.”

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South Louisiana native and executive chef Scott Serpas has become an important part of Atlanta’s burgeoning culinary scene with his first restaurant venture, Serpas True Food. Located in what was once a cotton storage facility in the heart of Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward neighborhood, Serpas is known for its “true food” approach to cuisine with an edge. The restaurant has received local and national acclaim since its January 2009 debut and was named one of the 10 “Best New Restaurants in America” in 2009 by GQ magazine. He gave City’s Best a look at what he loves about Atlanta.

What made you decide to set up permanent shop in Atlanta?
After moving here in 1994 to open Nava, I really grew to like Atlanta with its southern charm and hospitality. It reminded me a lot of New Orleans, and with its close proximity to the “Big Easy,” it was a no-brainer.

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