Charlotte woman gets a chance on 'Chef Academy'

Bravo's latest entry in its lineup of mouth-watering reality shows is "Chef Academy," which follows Michelin-winning, London-based French chef Jean Christophe Novelli, who comes to Venice, Calif., to start a culinary institute.

And when it premieres at 11 tonight, among the nine students he seeks to teach and train will be Carissa Loughhead St. Aubin, a Charlotte newlywed who says she's "nauseous with excitement" to see the first episode.

The show is a little different from "Top Chef" or "Hell's Kitchen" or the other competitive food shows with their quick, episodic do-or-die eliminations. On "Chef Academy," the students get three chances to fail before they flunk out of the school. But while Novelli, a prankster who reveals a deep love of the TV character "Columbo," isn't the cursing tyrant that chef Gordon Ramsay is, St. Aubin says he's not a pushover.

"Novelli is tough. He has this silent stare that will make you sweat in your chef whites," St. Aubin says. "And he's hard to read. You can't tell if he's going to tell you this is the best or if he's going to throw your food in the trash."

You can read more about St. Aubin's journey on "Chef Academy" on Happiness is a Warm TV at blogs.newsobserver.com/tv. And while you're there, take a crack at our "Top Chef" contest. You could win a DVD of "Top Chef New York."