The blogs were agog over the loss off Brooklyn restaurant Paloma due to a fire which broke out in the ceiling of the upstairs office. Chef Camille Becerra had her first 15 minutes of fame on Top Chef a couple years ago. One of the rags got her up to a half hour of fame when they voted her New York’s sexiest chef. I gave her another minute and a half with my Good Night Mr. Lewis interview of her and Top Chef Nikki Cascone of 24 Prince, and then came the fire. I caught up with Camille and got her side of the burn out.

Camille told me, “The restaurant was packed. McCain was giving his succession speech, we were all elated, then I smelled smoke. I checked around and found nothing. Minutes later Eli [the waiter] was screaming for everyone to get out. I made sure everyone had evacuated and as I ran out saw the whole of the second floor engulfed [in flames]." The restaurant was spared damage from the flames but, like Lovely Day a couple of weeks ago, was damaged by water and of course smoke. Camille said, "It could have been worse. Everyone is safe, although our pastry chef Laura fell and broke her wrist as she was dodging all the glass falling from the building.”

"With support from family and friends Camille is holding up. Every couple of months I visit her out there, along with old friends Eli and Erikson, the ex Marquee doorman. A Nathan’s hotdog and Camille are the only things I visit Brooklyn for. Oh I do pop by Sheepshead Bay while I’m building Oleg Vibe's and Johnny Versace's waterfront restaurant and while there I’ll lunch at Randazzos. A series of benefits for the staff of Paloma will get me out there again. An art gallery/auction will be set up at Alphabeta, a graffiti supply store down the way. Local artists are donating work for the cause. Camille is obsessed with helping her staff survive until she can get Paloma back open in 2 or 3 weeks. She added, “Up to this point I thought the restaurant was mine. I learned through this that it’s not. It’s everybody who comes to eat there, [and] also the whole Paloma team who bring their love and passion each night. It’s theirs also." She has been heartened by the support of her community and excited to reopen. Ironically, the name of the new hurricane which will slam into the lower Caribbean tomorrow is Paloma.