JENNIFER CARROLL still gets teased at work for her televised admission that sometimes hair-pulling can be fun.

The "Top Chef: Las Vegas" fan favorite, who is executive chef at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert at the Ritz-Carlton, says her "cooks go home after dinner service and watch the show, then they come in the next day and make fun of me."

The Somerton native is a good sport. While she takes her work seriously, Carroll, 34, says it's important to "have fun at work and laugh at yourself. When you're having fun in the kitchen it translates into the food."

Carroll, who attended St. Christopher's elementary and Mt. St. Joseph's for high school, studied criminal justice at Catholic University, before moving home to follow her cooking passion at the Restaurant School.

She cooked at Kansas City Prime, Sonoma, and Arroyo in Manayunk before joining Neil Stein's Avenue B where she worked under chef Patrick Feury, whom she calls "a really big influence on my career." After that Carroll was off to San Franciso, followed by Le Bernardin in New York where she first worked for chef Ripert.

Carroll says she's stopped constantly on the street by fans of the show and that business at the restuarant has picked up with patrons wanting to meet her. "I don't get to get to the dining room, but I'll invite people for tours of the kitchen," she said. One tourist was Jack Nicholson, who thanked Carroll and her cooks after a 10 Arts meal.

Viewers have seen Carroll facing elimination three times in recent weeks, but many are holding out hope that she may deliver the "Top Chef" title for the city which she says is "totally stereotyped." Carroll says culinary types in New York made fun of Our Town but as far as she's concerned, "Philadelphians are great foodies."

* While Carroll continues to represent Philly on TV Wednesday nights, the local contestants from "So You Think You Can Dance" and "America's Next Top Model" were both eliminated from their shows last week. Northeast native Peter Sabasino, a CAPA grad, who specializes in tap dance, was voted off the Fox hit dance show while Upper Dublin High grad Jennifer An, raised in Fox Chase/Ambler, was eliminated after outlasting nearly a dozen other contestants in the running toward becoming "America's Next Top Model."

Gargano, wife welcome a son

It's diaper duty for 610 WIP/Fox 29's Anthony Gargano and wife Tamara who welcomed a son, Anthony, Wednesday afternoon. Cuz says Anthony, who was exactly 8 pounds, has big hands and feet so he's "thinking quarterback or pitcher." The baby shares a birthday with Gargano's former WIP co-host Mike Missanelli, now at 97.5 The Fanatic/950 ESPN.

Gosselin a guest of Victorino

Berks County baby-daddy Jon Gosselin was among guests at Shane Victorino's wedding Saturday in Hawaii. TMZ.com got pictures of Gosselin and a crew of guests, including Ryan Howard, partying the night before the Phillies outfielder tied the knot with Melissa Smith, mother of his 2 1/2-year-old daughter Kali'a.

Gillette honors Men of Style

Though he won't be in attendance, Douglas Oliver, Mayor Nutter's press secretary, is one of the Style Icons at Gillette Fusion's Man of Style awards tonight at Luxe Lounge (724 Arch). Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of the Roots, fashion stylist Anthony Henderson and Baba Taiye Renfrow, clothier to the stars at Distante (1510 Sansom) are also Style Icons. The event, co-hosted by Fonzworth Bentley and Kenny Burns, is presented by Philadelphia Hair Company and RollingOut.com.

Summers helps PAWS

Food Network producer Marc Summers, formerly host of Nickelodeon's "Double Dare" will soon be seen on Comcast-On-Demand in profiles of pets adoptable through the Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society. Summers hosts the segments featuring animals in need of a home that can be found under the Get Local menu on Comcast-on-Demand. For more info on adopting animals through PAWS, visit phillypaws.org.

Actress plays officiant

Veteran Broadway actress Christine Toy Johnson officiated at the vow renewals of 11 married couples at Bristol Riverside Theatre the other day after the 2 p.m. matinee of the marital musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." Among the couples were Barrymore Awards voter Joseph Marrella and wife Ruth, celebrating their 42nd anniversary on Wednesday.

Charitably minded

* The Philadelphia Friends of the Projected Arts is helping the 941 Theater (941 N. Front) raise money for renovations required to get the movie and live entertainment theater, which the Department of Licenses and Inspections recently closed, back up to code. For info, or to donate, visit projectedarts.org.

* Phillies reliever Ryan Madson and Eagles tight end Brent Celek host the 10th Annual Young Variety Celebrity Bowling Event Wednesday at Pinsetter Lanes (7111 Maple) in Pennsauken. Tickets are $100 in advance and can be purchased at varietyphila.org. Madson and Celek will bowl alongside children with disabilities, who participate in programs provided by Variety, the children's charity. NBC10's John Clark, former Fox 29 sports anchor/97.5 The Fanatic's Don Tollefson, 6ABC's Jeff Skversky, and Q102's "Biggest Loser" Nicole Michalik will also bowl.

Questlove does Cheerleaders

You can catch the Roots weeknights on "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," and now you can see drummer Questlove at a strip club. He'll DJ the Thanksgiving Eve party at Cheerleaders (Front & Oregon). It's $20 at the door.

Visit PhillyGossip.com or follow PhillyGossip on Twitter. Have a tip? Call 215-854-5963, or e-mail grossd@phillynews.com. For recent columns, visit go.philly.com/dangross.