'On Top' Chef: Durham's Angelo Sosa

Durham native Angelo Sosa was a chef'testant on Season 7 of Bravo's hit-show Top Chef, finishing as runner-up. His success landed him on Top Chef: All Stars, which he was eliminated from earlier this week.

Patch recently caught up with the chef, consultant and restaurant owner to ask him a few questions.

Patch: Growing up in Durham, where did you find the inspiration to become a chef?
Sosa: In my backyard, I had a huge garden growing up. I worked in the garden every morning in the summer. 

Patch: Do you have a favorite local restaurant (or a restaurant close to Durham)? 
Sosa: , seasonal, country market, it's amazing.

Patch: You're very busy these days, do you ever make it back to Durham?
Sosa: Yes. My mom lives in Madison now, but whenever I'm home to see her I try to make it to Dari Serv or just drive through my old neighborhood in Durham. 

Patch: What advice do you have for young people interested in the culinary world?
Sosa: My biggest advice for everyone, not just people in the culinary world, is to never take no for an answer. If you want to do something, do it. And attention to detail, always focus on the details.

Patch: You now have your own consulting business. Which do you enjoy more, consulting or cooking?
Sosa: Part of my consulting business is cooking, it's based upon cooking. Part of my consulting at Social Eatz was conceptualizing and developing the menu. 

Patch: You were a contestant on Bravo's "Top Chef" Season 7. We're assuming there's added pressure to perform in front of a camera?
Sosa: In the beginning, like anything, you're very aware of your environment, but as you adjust you completely forget about the cameras and even forget that you're mic'd. 

Patch: You've done a good deal of traveling, is there anything you miss about Durham?
Sosa: The biggest thing I miss about my hometown, is in the summer is going out to the stream and trout fishing. Even with all this travel, there's never an opportunity to seek out a stream and spend the afternoon fishing. 

Patch: What should we be looking for from Angelo Sosa in the future?
Sosa: My new approach/philosophy is to take it one day at time, but to compact the day and make the most of what life has for you that day. I try not to focus on the future and just plant the seed for the day. Because any little thing you do on any given day can affect the future.

You can read Angelo's recent interview with TV Guide here.

You can keep up with Angelo Sosa by visiting his website angelososa.com. He's also on Facebook and Twitter.