New Hardee's Thickburger Brings Out the Best in Padma Lakshmi

Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi shows her frisky side with food in new Hardee's ad.

The commercial shows her sitting on the steps, gap-legged, exposing cleavage and thighs. She then closes her eyes and staples the Bacon Western Thickburger with her teeth, until that portion of the beef patty vanishes. Globs of red sauce drop onto her hand and her leg, to which she takes a finger to wipe the residue clean with her tongue.

"I think I've tasted every flavor imaginable," she says. "But there's something about the Western Bacon. It reminds me of being in high school sneaking out before dinner to savor that sweet, spicy sauce."

Perhaps, this will make customers rush out and purchase the lustrous cow betwixt lettuce, tomato and cheese?

Just as the burger screams artery clogger, Yahoo! Health determined that Carl's Jr., Hardee's sibling restaurant chain, is listed among the unhealthiest fast food places in the United States. Myfoxny.com reports that among those restaurants receiving a D+ were Carl's Jr., Baskin-Robbins and Denny's. Applebee's, IHOP, Outback and T.G.I. Friday's were given an F+.

According to nydailynews.com, Lakshmi confessed that Carl's Jr. and Hardee's helped her transition from her vegetarian diet since her teenage years. In light of this, she inscribed in her own cookbook, Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet, "The sublimely pleasurable taste of bacon . . . was further enhanced by its mingling with the barbeque sauce, greedily licked off as it dripped down my teenage fingers."