Sunday's Top Chef Dinner at Scala's Features Women Stars of the Kitchen (and Basic Cable)

Biesty: Celebrity sans the whole guy thing

We know: The whole point of food TV, like all TV, is to (duh) sell stuff. We also know that the whole raison d'etre of celebrities is, again, to sell stuff. So when we catch a whiff of some flagrant attempt to fill restaurant seats by advertising celebrity chefs -- even those of the basic-cable variety -- we usually get a tad sniffy. But here are two words that explain why you should know about next Sunday's Top Chef Dinner at Scala's Bistro: women chefs.

Once as scarce in SF as straight guys at Chaps during Beer Bust Sundays, women chefs are roaring back. Think Jennie Lorenzo of Fifth Floor, Michelle Mah of Midi, and Jamie Lauren of Absinthe. Scala's Bistro has the überfierce Jen Biesty -- like Lauren, an alum of Bravo's Top Chef. On Sunday, she'll engage in a riot-grrl tag-team with Chicago chef Stephanie Izard, winner of TC Season Four. Together they'll kick out a five-course, estrogen-fueled menu that includes squash blossom handkerchief pasta and roast duck breast with cherries and faro. They're dishes likely to please more than just food-TV aficionados and third-wave feminists.

Seatings begin at 6 p.m., Sunday, May 31.
Scala's Bistro 432 Powell at Sutter, 395-8555. $65 for the dinner, with an aptional $35 wine pairing.