So Bittersweet.

I was watching Guy Fieri on the Food Network this morning, and a commercial came on with a familiar voice. (Once you go to Graffiti a few times, you can quickly pick up on Jehangir Mehta's unique accent.) I thought it was a repeat of his Iron Chef show, but I was wrong! He is actually competing on the Next Iron Chef series that premieres tonight on the Food Network! (The winner becomes an Iron Chef--Michael Symon was the winner of the first season.)

How bittersweet. I love Jehangir Mehta, so I really hope he wins! But, on the other hand, I love eating his food at Graffiti, and I love having him come over to our table. That's probably going to disappear. :-( His appearance on Iron Chef has already made it near impossible to get reservations at the restaurant--I loved when it was our secret hole-in-the-wall place that very few people knew about. Ah well, so it goes. At least we got to experience it numerous times, and I even got to purchase a cookbook from him--not from a bookstore, but him as an individual. So cool.

Now, I can't be mad. I do recall telling him to try out for Top Chef while we were eating there once with Priya and Vinny. (That's when he told us he had just finished filming his Iron Chef episode.) But you can't blame me--his food is fantastic! I dream about the paneer and the lychee martini, and our family's "pau bhaji" lovers (Priya & Ash) rave about the tamarind buns. I'm sure hundreds of diners probably said the same thing...and now we're all paying for it. Crap.

If you haven't yet been to Graffiti, be sure to call ahead of time to see if he's going to be working. Though the food is amazing on its own, his presence adds a really unique element to the dining experience. Either way, go soon while you still can! And don't forget to watch tonight--the Next Iron Chef on the Food Network, Sunday nights at 9:00. All selfishness aside, I'll be rooting for him the whole way!