Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and a bevy of celebrity chefs (Wolfgang Puck in this first episode) get to torture (and eliminate one by one) a new bunch of wannabes in this new season of Top Chef. I don’t usually watch reality TV shows, but Top Chef has a special appeal. The food challenges are interesting and the producers constantly throw curves at the contestants. BRAVO replays these programs endlessly so if you miss an episode, it’s easy to get caught up. I think Padma should be given a bigger role.
We watched this for the first time and breathed a sigh of relief when our little Ann Arbor Chef missed elimination by a hair. I think she would have been gone if the one eliminated hadn’t shown so much arrogance with the judges over what looked like a giant t*** on the plate.
What I don’t understand is why so much of the show has to be about judging. Why the actual cooking is skimmed over to spend so much time with the judges. Why there is so much rushing around. I know chefs have to move quickly in kitchens but it seems excessive. I also don’t understand why food has to be served in little mountains, why sauce has to dribbled under the entree. Why tattoos dominate arms. Why everyone seems mean. Why they have to sleep dorm style. Can’t they just sleep in hotel rooms. They are in Las Vegas where they have a few rooms. In our hotel, some went for $25.
I don’t understand a lot of things, I guess. But we’ll stick with it and maybe some of these questions will be answered.
The judging is “drama” and that’s what the TOP CHEF producers want. Like you, Patti, I’d like to know more about the preparation of the food. After the first episode, it looks like Kevin is the chef to beat.
That’s reality TV in a nutshell, Patti, which is why I never watch it.
And George, I hope you won’t be posting any naked pics of Wolfgang Puck!
As you know Jeff, I occasionally have to feed Steve Stilwell’s twisted hungers on this blog. But I’m sure Steve would prefer Padma over Wolfgang.
George, the pic was a blatant come-on to lure readers, and I hope to see more of this. And often.
Au contraire, Dan. That tasteful pix of Padma is red meat for Stilwell.
We watched NEXT FOOD NETWORK STAR this season (ended a couple of weeks ago), have watched a couple episodes of CHOPPED, – it’s really pretty so-so – but have not seen this one.
As far as reality TV is concerned, Barbara likes BIGGEST LOSER, but I gave up on it after an earlier season – it’s not about health and exercise, it’s about game-playing and who cares? We do like GREAT RACE and HOLMES ON HOMES.
My daughter got me to watch TOP CHEF a couple seasons ago. Normally, I avoid reality TV shows. But the producers of TOP CHEF have cleverly devised a clever format and have been judicious about the variety of contestants they invite to participate. The show holds my interest.
Thanks for the photo of my fantasy dinner.
It’s Stilwell’s favorite fantasy dinner, too, Bob.