I just watched a first look for Top Chef and this looks like a very qualified bunch with a lot of characters. Of the 17 that start out on the show, all but one claim to be “executive chefs” and more than half have been nominated for a James Beard Award. Actually, Bravo cruelly planned to film the first episode on the day of the awards. At least one chef is missing the show to be on Top Chef. She didn’t win. I just checked.The lone sous chef, Frances, is offered up very quickly as the underdog.
The first person to introduce themselves is a super sassy chef from Kansas City named Renee. We know she is “super sassy” because she introduces herself that way. She also tells us, the viewers, that she has the best life in the whole wide world and is super happy. I hate her. All the other contestants hate her, and Bravo will make sure you hate her too. She is going to get the bad edit.
Angelina is only 24 and is not exactly an executive chef but a Chef de Cuisine. She too is an underdog and will get the good edit as the youngest. Grayson from season nine (New Orleans) is back for a second shot. And there is a guy named Phillip who has already won on Chopped! Guy’s Kitchen Games and Cut Throat Kitchen. They really would not have told us that if they wanted us to like Phillip. We do not like Phillip.
Wesley is my homeboy “from” the ATL. Which means that despite the fact he is a two time James Beard nominee and the new executive chef at The Spence, where Richard Blais was previously head chef. It’s not a southern type place at all. I don’t think he is southern either. But they hate people from Atlanta on this show almost as much as Tom Colicchio hates women.
The season is repeating it’s “on the road again” theme and this time they are traveling across California. Fun fact: They do this to collect a big fat paycheck for the tourism department of each city. This was revealed during the controversial New Orleans season when chef publications were outraged that Top Chef took a check for New Orleans instead of making a donation to help with the ever-ongoing Katrina recovery. Did I mention that even the measly $125K is paid for by a sponsor? This year San Pellegrino has that honor. What does Bravo pay for again?
Top Chef has a two part premiere this Wednesday and Thursday night on Bravo.
Warning: that idiot Hugh Acheson is back.
I always watch this show, not this preview though. I’ve decided chefs have, in general, dome of the biggest egos of anyone. They really aren’t doing any kind of monumental work. They just need to not poison anyone. After all, their product all turns to shit.
My ex was a chef so with you on the ego part. I read an article about an (arrogant) NYC chef recently (forget which) and the writer said something along the lines of…..you don’t cure cancer…you make mayonnaise. Loved that!
Looking forward to this season!!
I love Top Chef, so glad it is back!
I love Top Cjef. Glad to see it back.
I’m doing the happy dance. I can’t wait.
Yay! I need a palate cleanser as we are finished with the OC disease central and head into part two on BH. Good old fashioned competitive snark coming from people with egos along with visions of fantastic food is what I need. I am not even that perturbed about Hugh, but I would be ecstatic if Anthony Bourdain were back…. I LOOOOOOOOVED his blogs when he was on.
Love me some Top Chef. I had such a food crush on Cliff from one of the earlier seasons.
Cliff?? Seriously?? Wasn’t he the one who manhandled Marcel and was forcibly removed from the show? Please correct me if I am wrong.
I’m super stoked about Top Chef. I love food competitions. I’ve been watching the Food Network for hours today. Lots of Christmas themes, so amazing what people create! I’m also super stoked you will be blogging about Top Chef, TT, it sounds like there could be a whole lot of commenting fun 🙂 These are seasoned chef’s and their work is art. I absolutely lust over some of that food. OMG. I’m gonna keep my eye on Mr. Tom too. Back in the day, when you could leave comments on the Bravo website, I left him a scathing comment about someone who had to pack up their knives and go…right after that, I was never able to leave a comment on Bravo…I think Tom had me blackballed…or I got a virus or something, but I found the timing suspicious 😉 I think he’s cute though, he looks good bald.
I’ve never watched this show and now I want to. Luckily my cable is finally fixed so I can watch if I want to. You know I had to have it fixed before the next Below Deck recap. I can’t wait. I have to watch the first one before then so I’m caught up.
Top Chef lost me when they did that ludicrous torture challenge when they had the contestants cook on a ski lift, then on the side of a mountain, and THEN they had to race to a finish line and cook something else. If I want fucking Survivor, I’ll watch fucking Survivor. For competition cooking shows, I want them cooking in a reasonable place, or at least one replicated on a soundstage.
X… wasn’t that the Seattle season when then ended it in Alaska? (Which, as a true blue Washingtonian girl… pissed me off! So many other things they could have done… although the trip to Taylor Oyster Farm excited me)
Haven’t seen them do anything that ridiculous so close to the finale since then.
It was season 9 – the one that started in Texas and ended up in British Columbia. In effort to tie into the Winter Olympics, they did those horrid Survivor challenges – I forgot that also included getting ingredients from inside frozen blocks of ice (using an icepick) and then having to use their G-d given Second Amendment rights to shoot at targets with ingredients listed on them. It was asinine and not entertaining. You’re a cooking show. Cook.
Oh… I think I vaguely remember that. My memory is for shit lately. What I remember I REMEMBER… but other shit I am clueless.
I’m am going to need EVERYONE to pinky swear before I recap this season that we all agree to hate that ridiculous Canookian who came to Atlanta and declared himself some sort of Chef who has arrived to improve southern cuisine for us poor, clueless southerners.
I’m working myself into a dither in advance at the prospect of his reappearance on my TV. I have only common hatred for Tom Colicchio who will send all the women except one or two home first, leaving behind a talented minority of some sort, likely the sous chef…
But for Hugh, I have a highly specialized intense hatred. I shall await your pinky swears.
Doesn’t Canada have their own version of Top Chef? The rat bastard needs to go back where he came from and participate there.
Hugh and his uni brow I promise to snark against to the best of my ability… in my mind he took the place of Anthony and that just won’t do!
I am not quite ready to swear about even being irritated about Tom. I just enjoy the mix of Padma, Gail, and him too much. Also, I find him kinda hot, even though he’s not my usual type.
Erica, you genuine distaste for the uni brow has made up for your lack of contempt for the misogynist. Perhaps you will change your perspective after the annual vagicide. And this season, I need him to send that super sassy vadge home early anyway. 🙂
Merry Christmas, Tamara.
May Hugh find a grooming kit in his stocking. As for Tom, I hope he sends the Canucks home for you. (FYI… I went to university in Northern Washington State… a not so nice nickname for Canadians there was “chheseheads” not to be confused with Green Bay. If I sliPhone and call the evil one a cheesehead instead of anew arrogant Canuck, please understand I am being appropriately shady. (How can a Canadian really show off the wonder that is Southern cooking?)
Oh I love me some Canookians in the biblical sense. Just not this one. And I highly recommend loving Canookians in the biblical sense. IJS.
Here’s my pinky swear! Thanks for recapping this!
Pinky swear.
I’m interested to see how Tom will be with Grayson this time around. He was all… You cook too safe..too meat and potatoes comfort zone and you need to branch out. Then she goes for it on the Huntsman show with Charlize Theron with the black, bloody, chicken, egg deal and Tom nails her on it. WTF?! If a guy does that he’s challenging himself but a chick does it and she goes too far. Jerk
I pinky swear. I am also willing to dislike the chef from Kansas City. Just for you. 🙂
Ooh. I just checked the menu at Renee’s restaurant here. I don’t think I would be happy paying $9 for a small plate of lettuce and $36 for a pork chop. Not with those reviews.
Now, I can’t wait to read how she does on the show.
This ol’ Georgia girl can’t pinky swear on that one. I really enjoy eating at 5 & 10 and Empire State South …seriously yummy. Hugh A is also an active supporter of other local artisans in Athens, which I love. Embrace the unibrow, TT! If you do, the next time I am back in Atlanta I’ll treat you to dinner at ESS.
I’d rather eat a plate of Banjo’s shit than set foot in one of his restaurants. The fuck is wrong with you? Do you not know how to cook?
I swear! Do you see my pinky. I don’t want anyone “saving” me from Southern cooking. I do love this show though. (I agree about the silly season.)
In fact my husband made some great chicken fried steak for dinner today. He is better than I at that, but I always make the gravy.
TT, I can’t pinky swear, YET. And it pains me to say this, but I actually enjoy Hugh’s snarky snark, and his recaps/blogs are funny. However, as a southerner, I don’t cotton to outsiders telling us how to cook “better.” Maybe I need to rethink my Hugh-appreciation? I love Tom! ugh- do I need to re-think that, too?? I love his bald head and his kindof sexy eyes.
Are se seriously up to TWO “southerners” who think some unibrowed, carpetbagging Canookian moron is just welcome to blow into Atlanta and start selling biscuits and gravy? Why don’t y’all move up there and make poutine and whatever crap Canookians eat?
LOL. Ok, I admit that when you put it like that, ” a unibrowed, carpetbagging Canookian moron,” my face is exploding in laughter. Seriously. I can’t wait to watch him now, in a whole new light–as a unibrowed, carpetbagging Canookian moron. Hahaha! And yes, I’m definitely a “southerner.” Generations of deep south southern cooking goodness. He just wants to be one of us. Can’t we adopt him?
Also Top Chef lost me on the season where they split everyone up into four groups after sending me bios on everyone and on the basis of those dialogues I selected my Atlanta chef. Then they had each judge give the four groups a pressure test and one of them sent my pony home without even letting him go to the actual show.
AND THEN they tried to bribe me to blog about the show offering fucking pots and pans and a raffle ticket for the cruise and so forth. Which I vigorous declined and refused to cover the show for the entire season.
Take THAT Top Chef.
I may be too overly invested in this show to recap. Though I could use some pots and pans…
I do agree with you about that season of Top Chef. The group division thing was confusing, unnecessary and annoying.
TT – you have my pinky swear on the above information! On that note, I will never understand how Antonia has never won. She is so talented and has such a great spirit about her and I feel she truly deserve(d) the title several times.
Oh… TT that may be something that is categorized under “dangers of being a blogger” if you are talking about the one where the teams went to places like Wolfgang Pucks or Emerils. I actually enjoyed that.
I still love Top Chef Desserts, though, esp the season the chef had this weird meltdown over ice cream and was asked to leave the show for psychiatric reasons.
How the fuck did I miss that? Even though it happened before I knew you, I shall still hold you responsible.
And it’s way past your bedtime, dear.
The contestant, Seth, was….high strung…before the competition, but he lost it when he was forced to use and say good things about a sponsor’s product – he would have rather made his own ice cream then use the store bought, and then he went full on melt down in the stew (for the second or third time), ranting about paper cups. He was “medically unable to continue” in the competition and was removed.
I read about him in an article about reality tv contestants where he trashed the show, of course, and I remember thinking “wasnt he the guy that had a meltdown on Top Chef Desserts”? It was something to see
What do you all think of Padma. There has been some recent unflattering info about how she stole the host job. Is she a chef or just a model that will put anything in her mouth? I have seen her peddling overpriced tea with pots and jewelry on a TV shopping channel. She has higher end jewelry in stores.
Tom C sexy or good looking, no! He looks like Dr. Evil of Austin Powers Man of Mystery movie.
If you go back and watch season one, I think you’ll agree that Katie Lee Joel had all the charisma of a potted cactus and that Padma is a vast improvement.
I’m not aware of the “recent unflattering info” to which you are referring, but I can tell you that according to Andy Cohen’s book, they were negotiating with Padma right from the beginning and she dropped out about a week before season one was to begin shooting. When Mrs. Joel didn’t work out, they went back to Padma and came to terms for season two forward.
Whether it’s possible to “steal” a job for which you were the original first choice, I don’t know. However, I think most will agree that the producer’s original instinct was correct and that Padma is one of the show’s best assets.
Ericzku..I have to disagree with you on Katie Lee Joel… a potted cactus has FAR, FAR more charisma than she did and still does. How she managed to get and stay on The Kitchen (and I like that show except for her) especially once losing the cachet of being married to Billy is beyond me. She has no personality. Padma on the other hand I liked when she had her show on Food Network back when. She’s personable, comes off genuine (love her love of booze and when she crushed a bit on contestants like CJ or got teary when a fave packed their knives), knows how to work a camera and ‘gets’ food without being a know it all snob (looking at you Hugh). I enjoy watching her.
I remember someone referring to Katie Lee Joel as “Billy Joel’s latest child bride,” at which point I couldn’t see her without hearing that.
That being said, I love Padma. She seems to genuinely love what she’s doing but has this little veneer of contempt for it as well, which boils over when someone pisses her off.
Granted, I have the feeling I’d be the same if I had spent my twenties living under a fatwah.
Xanadude… I completely forgot about the fatwah when she was married to Rushdie. Thanks for bringing that up. Yeah…that falls into the ..leaves a mark category but I also suspect she’d lose patience either way at some point as we all do.
I also see Katie Lee as the girl that cheated on Billy (though he comments about her moderately positively in his book) and I have that filter every time I see her…though if she actually had a personality and was good at what she does I could get past it…doesn’t look like that will happen any time soon.
What I read about Padma taking over from Katie didn’t sound so innocent. It may have been written by someone wanting to smear her. When did we start trusting what Andy Cohen say either?
Yeah, I may have been too quick to believe it, but always wondered about Padma with her marriage to Rushdie that she wouldn’t talk about, back when anyone cared. Padma’s voice could put me asleep. I liked Katie’s real West Virginia girlness (without a coal miner’s daughter earthy twang). Padma sounds like she is superior to everyone.
I haven’t watched Katie in ages. I liked her food and bought her first cookbook. I never knew Padma had a cooking show, must have been before I had time to watch TV.
Absolutely agree. Reading Andy’s books right now. He likes Katie… but clearly she wasno a good fit for the show. I LOVE the Kitchen, and I think the non competitive nature fits her to a T. Andy said in the book that at the first elimination they couldn’t figure out this weird thumping noise… turns out her heart was bearing so hard at the prospect of eliminating someone that the mics picked it up. He was pretty clear that they parted amicably. .. and I think Katie has been on WWHL a couple of times.
Am I the only one who thinks Padma is self-righteous, condescending and takes great pleasure in saying, ‘Please pack your knives and go!’
I have a feeling that Padma is rather vicious just under the surface. Her smiling demeanor does seem genuine to me at all. She needs to go to the Kelly Ripa School of Faking Constant Happiness.
Padma seems to hate women almost as much as Tom does.
I’m in line with your choices, so PINKY SWEAR!!
I need a strong season of Top Chef to cleanse my palette after that dismal Project Runway season. So excited!
I can’t cook at all, so these chefs are amamzing to me….I’m starting a blog…Dinners that will make your husband shut the f*** up! For short….STFUDINNERS……All crockpot recipes!
Can’t wait. I like unibrow Hugh!
Of course you do Rose. Each time I read a comment from you, I say out loud in my best Maude voice, “oh Roooose” and imagine you are eleventy billion years old with no clue of what we are talking about. Why stop that now?