I am a huge fan of Inside the Actor's Studio (I am also, relatedly, a huge fan of Will Ferrell's impression of James Lipton). The pensive moments, the long pauses, the seeming sincerity—good stuff. So when I heard that newcomer Studio Gourmet was posturing itself as a sort of ITAS for food lovers, I was curious.

Founder Brad Lev has lined up an interesting roster of chefs for the debut season of his event series. He'll appear in conversation with a chef, which will be followed by Q and A from an intimate audience of 45 attendees. Then, the chef will move into the demonstration kitchen (all events will be held at Cellar 360 in Ghirardelli Square) for a brief cooking demonstration. I'm hoping he asks some juicy stories—or maybe he'll come up with his own version of the famed questionnaire that Lipton uses.

Lev has already lined up the first third of the year, with Martin Brock (Gary Danko) appearing on December 19, followed by Hoss Zaré (Zaré at Fly Trap), Loretta Keller (The Moss Room) and Jen Biesty (Scala's) appearing in the next several months.

Attendees of the December 19 event with chef Brock will also be treated to complimentary hors d'oeuvres created by the chef, paired with wines from Cellar 360. Tickets for all the upcoming events are $45 and they can be purchased online now.