Did you watch "Top Chef's" 23rd season finale? We did, and spotted a familiar Charlotte restaurant that hosted the judges' final tasting. We spoke with Peppervine's General Manager and Sommelier, Tommy Trull, to find out what it was like to be part of the show.

Editor's note: Some answers were edited for brevity.

What was it like to be asked to be part of "Top Chef"? Was there anything that excited you the most?

"It was amazing. As my wife and I have been fans of 'Top Chef' since season 1, I did my best not to shriek and dance around the room… though it was hard."

The entire crew was so good to us from day 1. They filmed here for two days – the first Thursday and Friday in October. That meant we had to have almost every table, every chair, every booth, and every banquette out of the restaurant for those two days. The "Top Chef" team brought in some scenery to modify the space – they only left the judges’ table in the building, so to keep the restaurant from looking like a haunted house, they brought in some false walls and plants to liven the place up."

"One particular highlight was that my wife and I were invited to participate in one of the episodes. They shot outdoors at Union Exchange Farm in Monroe, and the remaining five chefs (plus three already-sent-home chefs to keep things a surprise) had to cook outdoors. Having the dishes in person, we were surprised; while that dish wasn’t our favorite, it certainly wasn’t our least favorite, and our least favorite was the one that actually won that challenge." We're not giving spoilers, just in case.

Did you have a chef you were secretly rooting for?

"There were a few chefs I was rooting for throughout the season. I really liked Anthony, Oscar, and Rhoda, and we were certainly rooting for hometown chef Brittany, whom I felt went home way too soon."

A restaurant dining room with people seated and eating dinner. — SouthPark's Peppervine offers a menu of locally sourced small plates, wines and cocktails. | Photo via Peppervine

Did you know the filming was for the finale?

"I didn’t realize it was the finale they were filming at Peppervine until about a week or so beforehand. Out at the Monroe event, I talked to judge Tom Colicchio and mentioned, ‘Hey, you guys are coming to my restaurant next week.’ He grinned and said, ‘If you say so – I just go where they tell me'.”

How does it feel to see Charlotte’s culinary reputation keep expanding, first with MICHELIN, and now "Top Chef"?

"I’m absolutely thrilled that Charlotte is getting some recognition."

"The tricky thing is that Charlotte cuisine doesn’t yet have a solid identity. But that’s okay. We are relatively new to being a prominent city, and unless we want to insist that our culinary identity is ‘Banking + Finance,’ it’s going to have to emerge organically."

What’s something that inspired you about "Top Chef", the cheftestants, or the judges?

"The obvious answer is the passion of the cheftestants. You have to learn how to pivot in this industry, and it’s always remarkable to see people operating at the expert level dealing with the sudden need to change directions. While I didn’t get to talk to Gail, both Tom Colicchio and Kristin Kish were both so kind and funny. And that goes double for the enormous crew that puts that show together. My birthday fell the day before they shot here at Peppervine, and several crew members were nice enough to send me happy birthday texts. The organization is a class act."

Pass the mic: What are three restaurants or dishes you feel Charlotteans should visit?

"I look at this question the same way I answer questions about what wineries to visit when going to wine regions – go to some place you’ve never heard of before. Eat a cuisine you’ve never (or rarely) eaten before. There are over a thousand sit-down restaurants in this town, and many of them are passion projects. If everybody in town is talking about a place, go somewhere nobody is talking about. That is the only way the culinary scene will grow. The steakhouse will always be there. The Italian restaurant will always be there. But the culinary world is so rich and complex, it's a crime not to explore a little more."

"Personally, I really like Tima over in Plaza Midwood, which does some excellent Senegalese food. I also like The One Tapas & Bar in Matthews. And I love Coquette in Uptown as well."