Top Chef

First of all, what is Andy Cohen doing leading the conversation? It’s one thing to have him do the reunion show for the Real Housewives of Orange County, as well as the RH of New York, but this? Let’s not even get into how I know that he did those other reunion shows…I just do.Wouldn't a culinary figure have been a better choice? Ted would have done a good job.Okay, let’s get started:Richa

Top Chef Finale Season 4, Episode 18 Episode Description Originally Aired: June 11, 2008 The final three cooks make what will amount to “the most important meal of their lives,”in order for the guest judges to determine who will be the Top Chef. Also, April Bloomfield, Dan Barber and Eric Ripert are special guest judges. And the winner [...]

Who Won Top Chef Season 4 Chicago - Who Won Top Chef Season 4 Chicago Results - Who Won Top Chef Season 4 Finale Video Results - Who Won Top Chef 2008 Won Top Chef Season 4 Chicago - If you missed last night's finale of Top Chef Season 4, then you are probabaly wondering who won Top Chef Season 4 Chicago.Well, wonder no longer, a Chicago chef, Stephanie Izard was named the winner of Top Chef seaso

Previously - Well, my first season recapping Top Chef is coming to a close. I was kinda bored for the most part. There's not much you can do over a burner. In a surprise move, the judges kept Lisa. Man, do the viewers hate that chick. Well, she does act like an ass most of the time. Top that off with that bad haircut and you have a target for all your venom. Oh, so Antonia went home and Richard

What’s going on here? I’m not supposed to be watching this. Oh, who am I fooling? I can’t help myself…We have to relive Antonia’s leaving and Lisa’s hissy fit at her fellow chefs for not congratulating her. Everything bad anyone has ever said about Lisa is true.Richard says he can’t believe that Lisa is still here. HELLO!!! You don’t need to tell that to us Dale-lovers, who can’t

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Last night Stephanie Izard was named the winner of the fourth season of Top Chef. She becomes the first female contestant to chop, stir and sauté her way to the top of the food chain. Stephanie said that “I won Top Chef—holy s–t! This is the biggest thing that has happened in my life. My [...]

After a shocking dismissal of my favorite chef Antonia last week, I am not as excited for tonight's Top Chef season finale. Stephanie wins everything (yet still seems surprisingly modest and grateful) so if she eeks it out it's no surprise. Richard is also an innovative and talented chef. He may have dropped the ball these past few weeks but came back strong in part one of the finale. Though I hav

I have to say that I enjoyed Top Chef more as a casual spectator than writing about every single second. AND, surprise, surprise, up until the final 60 seconds, I absolutely thought that Lisa should stay and Antonia should go.But first a grumpy preface about Padma’s English. I would imagine that the initial scripting of Top Chef goes through many hands and eyes and presumably brains, AND that t

Another ORENJi release here. enjoy Puerto Rico There are four chefs and only three spots for the final round, and the contestants know it as they travel to Puerto Rico for the next two challenges. Guest Judge - Wilo Benet QuickFire Challenge: Make Two Frituras featuring Plantains Elimination Challenge: Use a Whole Pig to create Dishes for [...]

¡WEPA! Tonight's episode of TOP CHEF on Bravo marks the beginning of the 2-episode finale filmed right here in PUERTO RICO. Last month the Top Chef cast and crew arrived on the island and got cooking with local ingredients and...

Hello finals! Stephanie Izard, the lone Chicago chef left on Bravo TV’s “Top Chef,” won tonight’s Elimination Challenge, not only securing her place in the finals of the reality TV cooking competition show, but doing so handily. After 12 episodes, 12 Quickfire Challenges, 12 Elimination Challenges, about seven weeks of taping in Chicago, Stephanie made [...]

Spike wins the Quickfire with excellent butchering and fine meat cooking. He may lose the opportunity to participate in the finale, because, even with the first pick of ingredients, he chooses to use frozen scallops. The episode progresses. Stephanie's solid. Lisa is less jerky because Dale's not there. Richard is kind of insecure. Spike pisses off the guest judge and Antonia is so calm and self-a

Let Me Just Make It Clear Why I Won't Be Watching...Ok, Maybe I’ll be Watching (Just A Little), But I WILL NOT be Reporting On It Anymore This SeasonDale was my boy, my man, my chef. I adored his cooking. I just love Asian and fusion cuisine and any and all combinations. My absolute favorite places are Buddakan, Vong, Tabla, Asia de Cuba – they’re my go-to restaurants.Maybe I’m a bad sport

Let’s fast forward through the Quickfire Challenge, where the 6 contestants have to cook eggs in a greasy spoon for the early morning breakfast rush. The only thing notable about this challenge was Tom entering the Top Chef house before 6 am(!!!), while the chefs are all sleeping. That was a bit weird. I guess he had to get some face time, because he was off at a “charity event” and wasn’t

Top ChefEpisode 10 Serve and Protect There's a money shot of Glad bags near the beginning of Top Chef. Is the prize $100,000 dollars or that much money in Glad bags? It’s hard to tell.We open with Andrew…or is it Spike? I still can’t tell the difference. They’re showing Steph a bit. Richard says he’s tired. Spike says Dale’s a little bitch. Didn’t he say that last week?Dale says it

Jen got sent home in last week’s improv episode. This week's show starts with Stephanie getting dressed and, EWW, it looks like she’s putting on a chef’s jacket with tons of blood on it. Oops, no, it was just a shadow. How about better lighting?? She’s amazed she’s still there.Now this really is Ewww. We see Mark (is that his name, the New Zealander? or is he South African?) brushing his teeth and his pasty white back and some hideous tattoo on his left arm. He also has an unattractively haired chest and belly. C’mon this is a cooking show! OMG, now he’s shaving! Can we please just leave his grooming to himself? This is gross. Finally, they assemble and leave for the Top Chef kitchen.Wait a minute! Hold your horses! This week I’m going to learn from past editing clues. The

DON'T READ IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED YET! ***For some reason, I haven't been able to load pictures since last night. When I can , I will update these posts with pics! Sorry!***Lon and I are kind of disappointed that Jennifer got kicked off this time, not because we love her, we don't, but we thought Antonia or Lisa would get kicked off for basically disregarding the rules of their challenge: They were supposed to make Polish Sausage and just decided to make Chorizo instead. I'm already annoyed by how often people seem unable to follow the instructions at each challenge.There was one where you could only use a certain number of ingredients and of course someone had more. How hard is that to follow? I hope not kicking off Antonia or Lisa does not encourage further disregard for the parameters,

Do you KNOW that you could mop the floor with the chefs on Bravo’s smash hit cooking competition series? Well no, some of those pointy haired folks are pretty slick but if YOU do Bravo is inviting you to try out for the next season of their hit cooking reality show Top Chef. If [...]

This week on Top Chef Chicago, it was all about Da Bears, but first da beer. The chefs first had to create a simple dish to complement a beer they chose. Padma and Guest Judge Koren Grieveson chose Jennifer's beignets as the best combo. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs had to prepare food for tailgaters at Soldier Field. While the crowd seemed to be happy with the most

Bravo Network is increasing its programming by a whopping 45% with 12 returning shows and 4 new shows, while adding a fourth night of programming on Mondays.Lauren Zalaznick, President, Bravo Media and Oxygen Media, made the announcement today in a new press release just obtained by LALATE NEWS. Here are some of the RETURNING SERIES: 1. FLIPPING [...]

Plus Another Gunn Could Really Help ThingsTop Chef - The Elements Of Style Push ups and knife sharpening are going on. Zoi is mad that she got "jacked” in the last challenge. Ryan notes that 2 guys and 2 girls have gone home.Quick fire challenge with Ming Tsai as guest judge. He’s testing their sense of taste. He says a chef’s palate is a powerful weapon in his/her arsenal. The chefs get pairs of items to taste - one is high end, one is not. 20 seconds to tell.Ryan first - Maple syrup that’s easy. He gets it right. Bacon correctStephanie - Crab wrong.Dale - Chocolate correctStephanie - aged cheese correct.Dale - Asian ingredients right…caviar wrong.Richard - correct.Spike - wrong.Kinda confusing the way they did it.The loser is Stephanie. She only got 6 out of 15.Tying for runner

I just saw last week’s episode quickly. Erik’s soggy corndogs did him in. Too bad.During this week’s elimination challenge the remaining chefs are introduced to Daniel Boulud. Padma, in a rather snarky way, I thought, told them that if they didn’t know who their guest judge was, they might as well go home right now. I knew. (I’m such a show-off). Of course, they all knew of him. 2 of them (Richard and Ryan) had actually worked in his kitchen.They had to make a vegetable plate in 30 minutes using 3 techniques that they thought would impress Daniel.Not a good sign that Nikki didn’t know how to pronounce Quinoa. She said something like Queen El. Isn’t it “Keen-Wah”? Let’s hope she’s just going to cook it and not say it.Oh wait, no, she was trying to say Quenelle and my c

Week 5: Sadly not that overall interestingSo we learned last week that Eric's tendency to put crap (not literally) on his plate was enough to actually send him home. Good call. Neck tattoos are scary.So let's have some fun and ogle the men - yes Ryan I'm talking about you.Quickfire Challenge: Demonstrate techniques (you mean outside of just cutting your food?)Daniel Boulud is the guest judge and Padma said if we don't know who he is, that we should leave the kitchen. No problem!Nikki is apparently going golfing at Diversey with her plaid hat. Manuel magically isn't Latin anymore and Spike is gong to the beach with a straw K-Fed fedora this week, bitchin! Dale's avocado sashimi on a bucket full of ice was pretty bad ass, and probably costs $40 at Japonais. Meanwhile Richard is crushing on h

Top Chef Week 3: Hangin' in the Chicago 'hoodsSo the Lincoln Park Zoo ate Valerie alive last week. Time to kick the carcass to the side and put the group on the chopping block again.Quickfire Challenge: Classing up the tacoFirst off, if I was at an upscale restaurant, I sure as hell would pick a fillet over taco. No matter what.So Rick Bayless from Frontera Grill and Topolobampo (?) is the guest judge and his face appears to be pulled tighter than a sheet which I notice while watching him look visibly nervous on camera and while Andrew looks like he's having a seizure with the other contestants. Rick is sounding like he's going through puberty as he talks about serving "tacos with a twist!" in his fine dining restaurants. I thought your voice was supposed to drop when you're in your teens.

If you are Top Chef fan, than you will know that both gay men and lesbians have graced the shows presence over the last few seasons. In fact, BRAVO is probably one of the gayest cable television channels ever and we can probably thank the effeminate stylings of Queer Eye for the Straight Guy for really breaking into the "gay genre" of Cable TV. BRAVO has also brought us our favorite fag hag, Kathy Griffin; the dyke with the washboard abs, Jackie Warner; Mr. Fashion, Tim Gunn; and of course the many artistic talents of Project Runway. If BRAVO was any gayer, they'd slap a rainbow flag on it and call it LOGO.This Season, also known as Season 4 Chicago, there are not one but TWO lesbians on the show. Not only that, but these two women, who both hail from the lovely city of San Francisco, ar

Three weeks into the new season of Top Chef and the first San Francisco-based chef is gone. It was too bad to see Erik go - having eaten at his restaurant, I was hoping that he would stick around for a while. So much for those rumors.It was interesting to see the SF contestents group themselves onto the same team, though given the political leanings of this area, it probably would have been more appropriate if they had been on the Blue Team.

To Buy The BitIt’s a beautiful day in Chi-Town. I’m not from Chicago, so I can say that, even if it does irritate Chicagoans. Stephanie is lifting weights. I wonder if she’s doing that just for the cameras, she doesn’t look like she’s done it a lot before. (Of course, I know as much about weight lifting as I do about Chicago, so forget I just said that.) She and Valerie know each other from before…The chefs have to meet up at the Farmer’s Market, where the Quickfire Thing-a-ma-jiggie will begin. They are instructed to prepare a dish with DUMDADUMDUM...only five ingredients. OMG, they are horrified! They are held aghast! They are shocked and stricken at the mercilessness of this challenge. OH COME ON!!! This is dumb, really dumb. That’s not exactly what I call much of a chal

Top Chef: Week 2 - bring the flavor!So it's week two of this show in Chi-town and now that whiny Nimma is gone, let's see who is next to go!Quickfire Challenge: Green City Market (yay) - recipes with only 5 ingredientsGreat challenge. First off, I used to live near Green City Market so I had a mini joy-gasim at the though that Top Chef was near where I used to live. And what was up with Mark being all up in the vendors grill? Lamb? This isn't Whole Foods, and digging in the vendors stuff, not proper etiquette.My winner was Ryan, with the steak, potatoes and greens. Classic and solid choice. Oh and Andrew adding another ingredient? Ew someone wasn't paying attention. But that guy is funny and game for anything so good for him!In the end, Mark was the final winner, which kind of surprised me

And Tony was only getting started.Top Chef on BravoI really didn’t want to get roped into the new Top Chef season, especially from the beginning. These reality shows always start with 50 people and you have to remember too many names and stories and then by the end of the first episode half of them have left anyway. I would rather get involved further down the road, but someone asked me if I was going to be watching and I decided to check it out.I had just read an interview with Padma and Tom. I was happy to learn that the ONLY thing the judges judged on was the food. They see none of all the nonsense that go on behind the scenes. All the shenanigans are for our benefit and they in no way impinge upon the outcome. I thought I remembered Tom in the kitchen occasionally in past Top Chefs,

Promos for Top Chef (Bravo, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET) bray that it's "the No. 1 food show on cable." The cable part is clear enough, and one doesn't even mind that they call it a show, as it features all the signature elements of one: image, sound, conflict, commercial breaks. It is the food part that sticks in the craw, for no matter how ardently the kitchen-bound players on this reality competition mince, grate, knead, roast, deep-fry, and julienne, there is no shaking the suspicion that the show is not actually about cooking or eating. This is a lifestyle experience, and the food is just an ingredient. [more ...]

Premieres: March 12th 9PmABOUT THE SHOW 16 Hot New Chefs Take To The Kitchen Along With Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons And Ted Allen Let the flames begin. The newest crop of 16 rising chefs from across the country take on the windy city of Chicago. Returning to the kitchen, cookbook author, actress and host Padma Lakshmi presides over the judge's table alongside head judge Tom Colicchio, renowned culinary figure and chef/owner, Craft Restaurants, judge Gail Simmons, of Food & Wine Magazine and judge Ted Allen, Emmy-winning cookbook author and TV personality. In what will prove to be the most exciting season yet, some of the biggest and most respected chefs will guest star on "Top Chef: Chicago." The 16 "Top Chef: Chicago" cheftestants will be skewered down week by week as t

Attention Reality Food TV fans: Top Chef is back.Set in Chicago, the Emmy-nominated series will begin airing new episodes from Season 4 on Wednesday, March 12. While I've been critical of Top Chef in the past, the last season reeled me back. I'm looking forward to the new season, especially with four local chefs in the running: Erik Hopfinger, executive chef at Circa; Jennifer Biesty, the executive chef from COCO500; sous chef Ryan Scott of Myth; and chef/consultant Zoi Antonitsas, formerly of the Presidio Social Club.As Michael Bauer noted in his blog post today, San Francisco has been underrepresented over the past couple of seasons. Hopefully, one of the chefs will be able to take home the title of "Top Chef", bringing the prize back to where the series was first set.

Man. It’s like the spirit of Christmas Present has taken over this blog, eh? And it’s not stopping with this post either because I want to talk about one holiday special that aired last night and remind you about another airing tonight. I’ll do the reminder first so I don’t spoil anyone for what’s already aired. [...]

This week we'll be saying goodbye to Tim Gunn's Guide to Style. Here's a clip from the finale on Thursday at 10 PM. I watched the preview clip and ... didn't we see this epi in the pre-show that aired before the first show?I believe Tim and Veronica agree with me. Just saying.Here's another reason for tuning in on Bravo on Thursday evening. Former Top Chefs will be competing in a holiday special at 9 PM EST. To look at the judges' expressions, the food must have tasted like, er, well, something prepared for a pagan feast or for my canine beast.Here is a preview clip. Click on this link and enjoy: Holiday GiftsWatch Bravo on Thursday night to see Tim and the Top Chefs back to back starting at 9 EST.On Wednesday night, flick to Bravo to watch Project Runway. (Be still my beating heart - it's another team challenge!)Before this latest PR episode airs, join the Blogging Project Runway team for their live party. The conversation amongst PR fanatics is a hoot, and the chat enhances th

Grub Review - by Lessa McDonald (Lessa is a 451Press writer at http://watchingrachaelray.com, http://watchingsurvivor.com , http://bigbrothercraze.com, and recently took a vacation - where she was delighted to be introduced to Betty, of Top Chef, Season Two, at her restaurant, Grub, in LA. What follows is the experience in her own words. Thanks for guest-posting, Lessa!) Imagine my surprise, upon waking up one lovely October morning on my vacation, to discover that the first order of business was lunch! Ok, so not so much a surprise, since we slept in till noon, lolling about in the glow of the California sun, safely cooled by the best air conditioning this Alaskan could ever hope for. My surprise came in when we decided where to eat lunch, and my hostess, Erica, said “Let’s do Grub! You know, Baddabing Betty’s place?” At which point I’m pretty sure there was a whole bunch of fan-girly squealing involved, because I am oh so mature like that. Yes, it see

The season’s just ended with the talented Hung Huynh reining supreme as the winner, and I already miss it. I miss the drama. I miss Tom Colicchio. Hell, I even miss Gail. But I did want to take a moment to congratulate Hung once again. It was a well-deserved win. There’s no news yet as to how he’ll spend his money - hopefully he won’t ass it away like season two winner Ilan Hall. In any case, he’s a little bit of information about Hung, since he is America’s Top Chef! Hometown: Pittsfield, Massachusetts although he was actually born in Vietnam Previous Job before Top Chef: Executive Sous Chef at Guy Savoy Sign: Aquarius Relationship Status: Single Fun Fact: Hung speaks four different languages. My Favorite TC Hung Moment: When he broke down the chickens during the restaurant race in like, two seconds Hung, Hung Huynh, Top Chef

Hung won the whole enchilada. In the finale he won the Top Chef crown fair and square with his fabulous dishes, including a chocolate cake dessert that he created in high altitude. Casey choked and Dale created a dish that was nearly inedible: so it made sense for Hung to win. However, by no stretch of the imagination does Hung deserve the title of top chef. The man can COOK, he CANNOT lead.Besides, it's time a female, any female, won a Top Chef competition. Sorry, but I'm feeling peevish. Doesn't our fair sex comprise 50% of the population? So why is Chloe Dao of Project Runway Season Two the only female winner of a Bravo reality show?I believe that female brains, talents, and abilities are equal to the men's. Oh, guys might have more muscle, but we have more stamina (one word: childbirth). So let's stop quibbling about men being better than women, especially in the kitchen. BULLSHIT.Next time, Bravo, choose your female contestants with a more discerning eye. Third male chef win

We all know that TV stars - even reality show TV stars - have some money to throw around. Do I? Nope. So, I’m bringing your Friday’s Fashion Finds! I’ll take a picture of a favorite Bravo star and show you where to find similar fashion for an affordable price. See an outfit you’d love replicate? Email me today, and I’ll feature you on an upcoming week! Today’s Fashion Inspiration: Padma on Episode Four of Top Chef, Season Three Padma is looking great here for the Bombay Sapphire quickfire challenge. The ruffled shirt is feminine with a neckline that really opens up her chest, and the color palette is sophisticated and unusual all the the same time. I’d never put brown and black together, but here, it works because the outfit’s pieces are monochromatic. When shopping for yourself, look for pieces in the same style or color, but that set off your best features. If you aren’t as long and lean as Paddie (and really, who here is?), go

Rocco says he didn’t go out to celebrate after the show, but “Those guys definitely did. I think Dale took everyone to Boy’s Club. Maybe he converted a few.” Read more about Rocco’s take on the finale here. My favorite quote of the article? “It tasted like Indian sewer water.” Um. Ew. What dish was he talking about? I bet you can guess without even reading the article. Poor Dale…

OK, I'll bite. Bravo sent me this preview clip. I normally don't show them, but here goes. We are FINALLY getting to the end of this long-winded show. I'll be happy if either Casey or Hung wins, though Dale should win the popularity award.

I thought this series would never end. TC 3 started with two too many chefs and had two too many breaks. The show should have wrapped up by labor day. But, cheers! The end is in sight. Yeah! Pretty soon we'll know who the winner is: Casey, Hung, or Dale.So on last Wednesday's show Bravo flew our merry band in a hot air balloon over Snowmass and dropped them unceremoniously in a slanted meadow full of weeds and rabbit holes and cowpies the size of buffalo burgers. A smiling Eric Ripert awaited them. He waved them over to some frying pans and rickety camp stoves, then lifted a hefty brace of trout as Padma told our disgruntled chefs that they had 20 minutes to complete the Frying Pan River Quickfire Challenge. “Good luck,” said Eric, with a twisted smile. “Yoo are going to need eet.”And how.Brian dropped the trout in the grass, muttering “I’m not having clarity. This kinda sucks.”Meanwhile, Hung finished his trout five minutes early, and began to whistle while he waited.

Padma: Yay! I get to wear cute outfits to match the surroundings! Ripert: What the HELL am I doing in the middle of the woods eating food from a stump? Brian: Trout is not a fish. Everyone knows that. And now elk, another non-fish protein. They’re KILLING me here! Dale: I don’t know anything about…. Well, I guess I have slept with a few cowboys… Brian: Yee Haw! I’m a cowboy! Producers: Hung, we’re going to play up the fact that everyone thinks you have no soul. So, you might want to address that… Hung, to Judges in final plea: I deserve to be in this competition because heart and soul is everything…and I have it. Tom, after the taping: What the hell was Hung talking about? Casey: Well, the producers pretty much set this up for me. They gave me the less uneven stump…they used a protein that I’d be more familiar with than everyone else in the elimination challenge. And I still almost screwed it up. Oh well, see ya Mal

Oh, my, talk about being blindsided! Dale not only won the elimination challenge, he kicked ass with the huckleberry/blackberry sauce for his elk. Not only is Dale going to the finals, but he outperformed Brian. That truly surprised me.Casey's Elk looked awfully raw and the judges did not like her cauliflower puree, but she is going on. Her Quickfire Challenge win was well-deserved, and it placed her in a position of strength for the Elimination ChallengesHung, our kitchen precisionist, talked the most eloquently about what it meant to be a chef. Let's hope he is able to rise to the occasion next week and put both heart and soul into the final challenge.And that leads us to the other huge surprise: Three chefs will be competing in the finals. My oh my oh my. I couldn't have been more wrong in my previous post than if I tried. I was certain Dale would leave and that only two chefs would make it to the finale.

When I wrote my previous post I had not read Gail Simmons' blog. It's amazing how I echoed her sentiments about female chefs. The war of sexes in the kitchen rages on. Here are her calm reasoned comments. She is obviously speaking from experience, whereas I was shooting from the hip:Another notable issue in this Quickfire was that of gender. Casey touched upon it when she entered the Le Cirque kitchen and I have to add my point of view. Many years ago, upon graduating from culinary school, I was sent out into the world of New York restaurants and decided my first stop would be Le Cirque, in its previous location at the New York Palace Hotel. I was just an apprentice and was initially assigned to the hot appetizer, pasta, and risotto station. Although I learned an enormous amount, I was the only female in a kitchen consisting of well over 40 people, from dishwashers to sauciers. It was a very difficult place to work. Along with the obvious physical stresses that any kitchen imposes, t

Try as I may I cannot think of anything witty or snarky to say about the last Top Chef 3 episode. It was everything I wanted a Top Chef episode to be: great challenges, fabulous cooking, outstanding guest judges, and a fair final judgment.Bravo finally delivered and the chefs rose to the occasion, even Sara, whose food probably tasted better than the judges intimated. But someone had to go, and raw meat that should be cooked is seldom attractive, except to my pooch. Sara made the huge mistake of not crossing her T’s and dotting her I’s, as she said on the show. Her Chowhound interview was also illuminating.So four chefs are left, and here is what I think of them:Hung: I will always associate the words “finesse, grace, style, and elegance” with Hung, and no matter how hard he tries to be a CPA, this cheftestant shows too much insecurity to be a true bad ass. His statements about coming over as an immigrant and having big dreams revealed much to me: I know how you feel bro. Be th

Buddy TV has an exclusive interview with Dale Levitski from Top Chef posted today. Check it out! Dale: I was watching a Top Chef marathon on Bravo, I wasn’t working at the time, this was in January. And I’d never seen the show, because I would say I was a little bit of a prima donna, like “Oh, I’d never watch that, blah blah blah.” And then I found myself six episodes later yelling at the television and thinking ‘I can do this.’ Then a few weeks later, my boyfriend dumped me so I asked my mom for a plane ticket to L.A. and I auditioned for Top Chef and I got on the show. Read more here! Top Chef, Dale Levitski

Five Happy Cheftestants RemainFor the quickfire challenge, Sirio Maccione, the suave and talented owner of Le Cirque, got to decide if our cheftestants could prepare his restaurant's secret signature dish: a white sea bass wrapped in russet potato and on a bed of leeks.The deans of the French Culinary Institute, with founder Dorothy Hamilton, chose the ingredients for the elimination challenge: The simple and classic ingredients of chicken, potato, and onion represent the ultimate culinary test. Combined, these deans represent 200 years of cooking talent.Gail, who finally returned, was as feisty, opinionated, and fair as usual. She looked beautiful too. Congratulations on your engagement, Gail. You simply glowed.Each cheftestant was given an opportunity to shine individually. They can give no excuses this time or blame a partner. After they created a dish from simple ingredients, all we had to do was sit back and listen to the judges' comments, which in this episode were fair and kno

Which cheftestants are going next? I suspect two heads will be on the chopping block tonight. Next week are the semi finals and the finals will be shown on October 3rd.Going, going, gone!CaseyHungDaleSarahBrian Free polls from Pollhost.comWhoops! OK, so I am wrong. Four chefs will go to the Aspen Finals. Still, who will go? Who will stay? An inquiring mind wants to know!!So far, it looks like Sara and Dale are in a heap of trouble.

Notice the question, eager readers: Who should go next? Not: Who will go next? Who, in your opinion, just doesn't cut the mustard?Which cheftestant should go next?HungC.J.BrianDaleCaseySara  Free polls from Pollhost.comFor my other top chef posts, click on the Top Chef 3 label below.

1. Review my Top Chef 3 posts again looking for hidden signs.2. Bet on whether Brian will ever cook anything other than seafood.3. Help C.J. look for leadership skills.4. Give Casey lessons on Cooking Basics 101.5. Take Dale to Tim Gunn for a makeover.6. Help Hung train his monkey.7. Let Howie simmer in his own stew.8. Give Sara free reign in the kitchen.9. Thank Anthony Bourdain for his snarky, insightful blogs.10. Wish we'd see more of Gail.

Dear Readers: RVA Foodie is the coworker with whom I discuss all things foodie! He has graciously agreed to write a guest blog about last night's Restaurant Part II Epidsode. Here goes.Bad News Bears rise to the challenge while the all-star team suffered from over-confidence. Could this be a theme for this season? Personally, I have to wonder about matching relatively raw salmon with pesto. I mean, I could eat pounds of those things separately, but together in my mouth... no. Like those two ingredients, the talented members of the Restaurant April just didn't compliment each other, and their leader underwhelmed while serving up two flops. Sorry Tre. Playing it smart and conservative can sometimes leave you in the dust if imagination is what is called for. A little more creativity and I saw you in the finals. Now, how about that cameo.Part of me really wanted to eavesdrop on Stephen's didactic and verbose tableside seminars, but he's not part of the competition this time around, so

Dear Reader: I've seldom been accused of lacking imagination. So in this fanciful interview I imagined a conversation with Howie, the Sweating Chef. I imagine that some people might mistake this Q&A post for fact. Well it isn't, but that didn't stop me.Howie: Before we get started let's get this straight. You don't like me and I don't like what you've written about me. In fact I wouldn't hire you to type my menu. Capiche?Ms. Place: Er, yeah, sure. I wouldn't hire you to test my antiperspirant, so I guess we're even. So, how did you feel when Joey was cut and Sara stayed?Howie: Like Mel Gibson in Braveheart. Seeing Joey weep like a girlie girl, well it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. Sonsofbitchjudges got rid of the wrong chef. It took all my willpower not to lose my temper when I saw Sara M's smug smile. I think I held it in pretty well.Ms. Place: Sure, keep fooling yourself. In the last elimination challenge, why did you figuratively knive Sara N. in th

This week's quickfire challenge consists of our cheftestants inventing their own gourmet hamburger. They have 1/2 hour in which to accomplish this task. The judge, celebrity chef Daniel Boulud, created the DB Burger, or a ground sirloin with a filling of boned short ribs braised in red wine, foie gras, black truffle and a mirepoix of root vegetables. The homemade bun is topped with toasted parmesan and layered with fresh horseradish mayonnaise, tomato confit, fresh tomato and frisée lettuce.CJ won the quickfire with a scallop mouse and shrimp burger, which Daniel Boulud described as "beautiful."

OK, let me see if I've got this straight: C.J. won the quickfire challenge for creating a gourmet burger, but he won no immunity. Instead, he got to choose his team for the Restaurant Challenge. So he chooses Tre, Casey, and Hung. And his team loses.But they don't really lose, because the other team doesn't win.Wait, it gets better. Brian and Dale are called in by the judges because both their front house performances were piss poor. But wait. Neither gets sent home. Both are given a second chance, books for their teams, some pats on the back and asked to improve on this week's performances.Winner: BravoLoser: The viewer

In a complete surprise to the cheftestants and viewers (including me), Top Chef sends NO ONE home tonight and instead opts to allow the restaurants to fix their mistakes and open again for a second head-to-head challenge. Best. Move. Ever. I really thought Brian was going to go home…and I’m glad he didn’t. He’s a really talented chef and really, are you kidding me? He should NOT have been front of the house! Dale, on the other hand, was killed for bad taste in scented candles and black tablecloths. I actually thought the tablecloths looked cool (especially for a place called “the garage”), but I whole-hearted agree with the scented candles. Really, what were they thinking. That’s food 101. So who will go home next week (which, in the chef’s time, means “tomorrow”)? I think it will be Howie, Tre, or Sara, unless they can really, really improve. What did you guys think of tonight’s epi? Was calling it a tie a good dec

The cheftestants, having used every ingredient known to man in their ice cream challenge, including cauliflower, got gussied up for an evening on the town. ‘Think I’ll apply some lipstick,’ thought Casey, laying the color on a bit thick, ‘and show off my cleavage. I’ll let my Casabas speak for themselves.’‘My melons are just as ripe,’ thought Sara N. ‘I’ll let ‘em hang loose too.’‘I’m comfortable with my cupcakes just as they are, thought Sara M smugly, choosing an outfit she could cook in.All the men, except Dale, put on their best disco shirts in anticipation of their first opportunity to go trolling for chicks. In addition to his evening ablutions, Howie rolled antiperspirant on his forehead as a cautionary touch. In anticipation of his mano a mano dinner with Govind Armstrong, Dale donned his best high tide pants to show off his sexy hairy ankles.Our cheftestants go off in the limo singing Bravo’s praises. “Hi ho, hi off, it’s off for fun we go!”

Make our own ice cream mix? - thought Hung. Any monkey can mix nutberries and fruitberries! Think I'll be more creative."There's so much going on," said Govind Armstrong, guest chef. "Ya can't tell the ice cream from the mess you and your ridiculous monkey made with it.""Dale, a lot of what you had made sense," added Armstrong. "It looks and tastes Peachy Keen!""You win immunity and a four course dinner with me!!""Finally I win something.""Any words of victory, Dale?""World peace?"

We’re about mid-point in the Top Chef season, and now that I’ve gotten a chance to feel out (that’s out, not up) the cheftestants, I’m ready to make some predictions. Of course, it really depends on the challenge as well (for example, Brain would win a seafood challenge hands down), but here’s how I’m pretty sure things will play out: We’re already seeing previews of Howie and Sara N. having it out next week, so one of them would be the likely candidate for elimination. Judges watch back tapes of the kitchen time and realize that they’ve been eating food seasoned with Howie’s sweat this whole time. Padma throws up on Howie, which totally means “Pack your knives.” Gail looks on, bemused. The judges decide that they’ve made a terrible mistake in eliminating Howie when the two Saras are still around. The producers beg to not eliminate more girls. Colicchio tells the producers to suck it and Padma flips them off. B

Our cheftestants were asked to look at a food or taste it for the Quickfire Challenge. How tough could this challenge bee? You bee the judge (along with Rocco and Padma, of course.)Howie: Tastes like, mmm. Hunts Tomato Paste!Rocco: Gawd that must have been hard. I feel for you bro. You move on.Joey: Looks like yuck!Rocco: No, YuccaJoey: Up yours A*Hole!Rocco: It’s still Yucca, loser. Auf!Dale: Tastes ah, uh, mmmm, shit, I dunno know.Rocco: No, taro root, you scatological fool. Begone.CJ: Achoo! Daikon radish sproutsRocco: We have to take your first word. You’re out!CJ: I sneezed, A*Hole!Rocco: Tough, beanpole.Hung: Oats, neigh?Rocco: Yes, but you shoulda mentioned Quaker Oats. Never forget product placement.Tre: Helen MirrenRocco: No, mirin. Outa here.Tre: A*HoleCasey: I taste fishpaste! Gagmewithdoggiedoocatpisscowurinecoyotebile Ewww!Rocco: You go girl.Hung: I need only to look. Let me see.Padma: Taste it Hung!Hung: Looks like tiny seeds.Padma: Taste it A*Hole!Hung: Looks like an

"It feels thunder's coming", thinks a prescient Joey, wondering how much longer he will last in Top Chef 3.Our Joey was right. Rocco Di Spirito (and the rest of our merry judging gang) booted him for cooking lousy Italian food that had to be frozen then recooked in 10 minutes. Hung, Joey's partner, got, well, hung up in the details. He was unable to convince Joey, who had forgotten to put on his hearing aid, to freeze the pasta and sauce and ingredients in separate packages. The following day our losing team served a sloppy mushy mess and gagged their diners with a spoon.Joey's reaction to being booted was, er, sad. Embarassing. Awfully wet. Maudlin. You pick the word."But I wanted him to send his mother and sister to Italy", said this Italian man. Boo hoo hoo. "Oh, gawd, now you're making me cry too", said another burly viewer.We all feel for you, dahling. You were so close to receiving the brass ring. In honor of Joey, here is Roy Orbison singing his hit, Crying.The two winners,

Who else is excited for Top Chef tonight? Oh, and one of my favorite Bravo bloggers, Marius, tagged me to answer a few questions…so here goes: Four jobs I have had or currently have in my life: 1. Blogger for Find Religion 2. Sex and seduction columnist for Daily G2 3. Business owner and professional writer. 4. Research and writing assistant in a development office (I left off the CRAPPY jobs I’ve had…but believe me, I’ve had them!) Four countries I have been to: Sigh…I went to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls once…does that count? Four places I’d rather be right now: 1. California wine country 2. France 3. Dewey Beach 4. a really fabulous restaurant Four foods I like to eat: 1. Pirate Booty 2. Cheese (esp melted on tortilla chips) 3. Potato Salad from the Pierce Street Deli 4. Bagels with Cream Cheese I’m not going to tag anyone else, but if you want to answer, feel free to leave a comment with your answers!

Ok, so there were no surprises in my favorite Top Chef guest judge poll: Anthony Bourdain received twice as many votes as second place finisher Alfred Portale. Did anyone catch Anthony on Monday night's No Reservations? His awesome trip to China reminded me of my own recent journey there. Yes, delicious affordable street food is abundant everywhere you go in Shanghai, and yes the Chinese are casually cruel to their food animals. To them it's about freshness not animal rights, and everywhere I looked in food stalls or the meat sections of grocery stores I had to turn away from the sight of fish in obvious distress in their overcrowded tanks, and of live cooped up turtles and eels and ducks and chickens. I ate very little meat while I was there.As always I am amazed at Anthony's ability to pop anything in his mouth and say yum. If someone said, "Here try these nice weasel testicles made with a bat's lung sauce", I have no doubt our intrepid Anthony would give the dish a fair critique

There was no new Top Chef 3 show to snark this past week; just a fake reunion get together that felt as satisfying as a bite of amuse bouche. So, let's examine the guest judges and how much you thought of their contributions. You may vote for more than one, because I know Bourdain will win hands down if I allow you to just click one choice. The judges' photos sit in the order of their names in the poll, and in the order of their appearance. As usual, if you want to read my other Top Chef 3 posts, just click on the TC3 tag below.Who is your favorite guest judge so far?

Dahlings, just when I despaired that John Godawfuliano was no more and that he had morphed into John Galliano the Spanish inspired hero of Christian Dior's 60th anniversary bash, he reemerges in full glory as The Gift That Keeps On Giving. Let's have some fun with this collection, shall we, and imagine the chefs and judges of this week's Top Chef reunion show in these, er, outfits.Ilan Hall should have worn this darling ensemble at the reunion show. This is how the sockless look works best, dahling.Cliff would have looked absolutely unforgettable in this one of a kind Zen Ghetto Apocalypto look. I so adore men with a huge, ahem, hose dangling down their chests.I paired Clay with this 'Alligator just attacked my shirt' look. How darling would this original ensemble look on our Southern boy? Indeed, wearing this versatile outfit, Clay could motorcycle down to the Great Dismal, wade in mucky waters to catch crayfish, and leave his fly unloosed so he can pee while working. Truly an o

Our TC3 cheftestants smile and laugh more than my grandma at a family reunion. Watching this season is like sitting in a restaurant in Mr. Roger's Neighborhood - the treacle is as sticky as corn syrup. But I suggest that something else might be going on behind those happy visages and group hugs. Here, then, is the subtext behind all that smooching, hugging, and laughing.Brian hee heeing (after hearing Joey describe his dish: "It's like an orgasm in your mouth.")Casey snorting (when Hung says: "It’s all about finesse, style, grace, and elegance.")CJ tee heeing (when Dale described his Quickfire dishes as: "Two of the best dishes I made in the competition.")Dale guffawing (at learning that Casey's coffee mole sauce had a bitter licorice flavor to it.)Joey sniggering (at the thought of Tre punching out stars and triangles for his apple tartini.)Hung is happy that Casey is still alive after he tried to knife her.Howie forming a self knowing smile (after hearing Joey say: "I don’t th

Padma: “…And for this challenge, you must cook with….FROZEN PIE CRUST *dun dun dun*.” Guest Judge: “Padma, do you like frozen pie crust?” Padma: “No way, Jose. I like things fresh. That’s why I’m divorcing the troll man.” Hung: “What should we do for this challenge!” Hung’s Monkey: “How about a pie that looks like diarrhea. They’ll LOVE it!” Hung: “Brilliant!” Lia: “Casey and I are BFF.” Me, to my boyfriend: “That means one of them will be leaving. Take that Top Chef! I’ve caught on to your silly foreshadowing!” Howie: “I call my dish Pork Shoulder with a Side of Sweat.” Howie: “We are the new BFF…” Joey: “…mainly because we hate Casey.” Me: “Who would have ever seen that coming?” Boyfriend: “Who voted for Gail as the sexiest judge?!?!?!” Next Wednesday, tune in for a s

Our sensitive Joey felt his head was up his ass.Congratulations for winning the Quickfire Challenge with your outstanding Trio of Tarts.But it was Pippi Lia Stocking's time to go. She chose to use mushy polenta instead of a tortilla for a Latino dish. Big mistake.Bye Dahling!Biggest surprise of the night? Joey and Howie making up and hugging big tough male style.Who does Howie remind you of?Thanking his new buddy, Howie presented Joey with the bottle of wine he received from guest judge Maria Frumkin.Ahwww!! Aren't they sweet?

Another beautiful morning dawns for our cheftestantsThe ladies first batheThen apply their makeupCasey practices yoga while preparing breakfastThen the chefs tumble in to work.After the Quickfire Challenge, which Casey won, our lush-ious Padma couldn't leave well enough alone. She just had to have another taste of that nice drink from Bombay.She might have had one too many, for she accidentally introduced The Chaîne des Rôtisseurs as men in chains. Shit, Tom thought. I shoulda brought my Mr. T set. I woulda fit right in.Wonder if my new pin would look too gaudy with that cute chain, thought Padma, imagining herself wearing the outfit and wondering where she could get a nice rack like that.The chefs had to sort into teams of three. After a group hug, they couldn't decide, so they ...kick boxed and ...cat fought their way onto their teams.Wouldn't you know, thought Casey, still recovering from having half her hair pulled out. I get stuck with the numnut twins. Well I have immunity.

What do you have to lose? You could be the next Top Chef! ATLANTA OPEN CALL: Sunday July 15 / 12pm-4pm Hard Rock Cafe Atlanta 215 Peachtree St. NE Atlanta, GA 30303 (404)-688-7625 NEW YORK CITY OPEN CALL: Sunday, July 22 / 9am to 2pm Craftsteak 85 Tenth Ave New York, NY 10011 www.craftsteaknyc.com CHICAGO OPEN CALL: Sunday, July 29 / 12pm to 4pm Rock Bottom Brewery One West Grand Avenue Chicago, IL 60610 Corner of State Street & Grand (312) 755-9339 LAS VEGAS OPEN CALL: Sunday, August 5 / 12pm to 4pm Guy Savoy Augustus Tower Caesars Palace 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. S Las Vegas, NV 89109 877-346-4642 SAN FRANCISCO OPEN CALL: Sunday, August 12 / 12pm-4pm Postrio 545 Post St. San Francisco, CA 95102 415-776-7825 LOS ANGELES OPEN CALL: Sunday, August 19 / 12pm to 4pm Les Deux 1638 N Las Palmas Ave Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 462-7644 www.dolcegroup.com Top Chef, reality television, casting call, casting calls, contestants, Bravo

Our cheftestants made the best of their two-week hiatus. Chefs Howie and Joey, asked to embark on a little product placement, cruised all over Miami and bonded.Speaking of Cruise...he dropped in to inspire the chefs with his classic movie ... Caakthal, a masterpiece filled with specialized dance numbers and kaka bar rituals.(Click here to see Tom in the Bollywood/Scientology version of his epic) ...Awed by Tom's thespian skills, C.J., who resembles Bryan Brown in a taller sort of way...... embarked on a Bombay Caakthal-inspired taste test with Casey. Alas, she only knew about wine. But as you can see, she winged her way through the competition.The judges were most impressed with her talents and, voila! Casey's quick thinking in pairing her cocktail with a bold flavored appetizer of french toast baguette with pecan crusted foie gras and raspberry sauce won her the challenge.Here's Casey celebrating her win.And here is her reaction when she met her new partners, Howie and Joey. Poor g

Eat, Drink, Man, Woman is a Taiwanese movie about a retired widowed chef with four daughters. The food preparation techniques and cooking skills demonstrated in the opening minutes are truly spectacular. Give the scene 10 seconds to start, then enjoy.Thanks for the correction, anon!

For the three of you who have not seen this video of Top Chef Season One, please click and enjoy a three minute review of the first season set to the music of Weird Al Yankovich's Eat It. Now, how fun is that?

Like me, other Top Chef 3 fans must be experiencing withdrawal symptoms since Bravo decided not to air a new show on July 4th. I have a few ideas to get you through the next five days. Here is suggestion number one. Visit Gorgeous Thing's blog and take the "What Kind of Wine Are You?" quiz, then come back here and tell me all about it.I am a Chardonnay, just like she is. This is a bit surprising, since my tastes turn to full bodied reds.

"Aaaaeeii! Look what they did with Mother."Top Chef 3, Episode 3, QuickfireWho cares who won?My mind’s still on Hungand his cruelty towards a tiny crustace-un.Flung like so much dungwhen Hung's net was swung,the creature lay stunned.In unison Hung's fellow chefs sung:“Pick up that crustace-un!”Then Hung loosed his CPA tongue:“It’s already met its gotterdammerung.”Our chefs, undone, cried out as one:“Why not use it in Egg Foo Yung?”“Naw,” said heartless Hung,“I am hamstrung,for I use only the freshest ingredi-unts.”

Look who I spotted at the 2007 Two Twelve Access Aspen at the Wine and Wine Classic! Well, ok…I didn’t spot them… but someone did, and here are the pictures. (Someday I’ll get there myself!) Ilan Hall with Jordan Lawlor Sam Talbot, Sonia Zala, Mike Baru, Kyra Taurman Barry Wine, Tim Colicchio, and Ken Kurtz Sam Talbot, Tom Colicchio, Ilan Hall, Top Chef, Food and Wine Classic, Food & Wine Classic

When I learned that for Episode Two, Top Chef 3 would hold a barbecue party Miami Beach style with fourteen outdoor grills, fourteen chefs, and fourteen ways to create upscale food for Lee Schrager's sixty upscale guests I began to salivate. This guy lives in luxury, right?But sometimes one's expectations simply do not meet reality. The event was hosted by Mr. Schrager. I had not heard of him (yes, I am that provincial). Much to my delight and surprise I learned he was a SOMEBODY when I saw a picture of him with our ubiquitous Rachael Rae.So that led me to expect a setting like this.But we only got this. The view could have been from a room at the Holiday Inn Express.So then I thought if Bravo was gonna screw around with our minds, why not provide our cheftestants with appliances that fit the ambiance of the place? Why not give them a twist, and force them to work on grills like these?Instead, our cheftestants were made to cook on grills similar to the kind my daddy used in 1985. I

Introduction:In all of the Reality TV Food kingdom, none of the food shows shine so bright as Top Chef. Why? Not that the show is technically so much better than the others. In fact, Bravo has been known to be chintzy. But the show lends itself to snark primarily because Bravo picks out CHARACTERS better than any other network and edits them in ways that make me hoot with laughter or go stark raving mad.Top Chef 3, Episode Two is a case in point. Let's begin with our cast of cheftestants, shall we? We'll then move on to set design, and end up with the Final Judgment.Cast of Cheftestants: Or Where has Other Sara Gone?Sara the Worry Wort:Our tiny chef tanked during the Citrus Sunshine Quickfire Challenge and created an, uh, I, ah, well, er, I'm trying to think what the heck the name of her dish was, but since Sara couldn't describe it to Norman Van Aken, the guest judge, I couldn't remember it either. The camera zoomed lovingly in on her, which revealed one of two things. Our Sara w

“Mummy is having technical difficulties and accidentally lost all of the wonderful pictures of ME and the Top Chef contestants that she was working on for today’s Top Chef review post! *hiss at c0mputer* We’ll be back tomorrow with a bigger and better version of the recap anyway. Until then, what did you guys think of last night’s episode? Meow?” -Godiva “G” the Cat

You know, dahlings, Sandee made a good point in her exit interview on the Bravo TV site. If you are going to judge on the quality of food or a technicality, shouldn’t you be consistent or announce the rules ahead of time?Let’s take good old Howie. I like him. I like his brashness, the fact that he is Tom’s mini-me, and his outrageous chutzpah in creating something so ordinary (Jamaican Jerk Pork) for a high end party that Ms. Place feels confident she could make the same dish and do better!So what are the inconsistencies?Episode One:Technicality: Howie did not finish plating. He presented half his dish.Quality of food: Clay’s food fell short of perfection and he was asked to pack up his knives and go.Episode Two:Technicality: Sandee poached rather than barbecued her lobster. She did not meet the criteria of the challenge.Quality of food: Neither Joey or Howie prepared high end dishes. They created comfort food for an ordinary July 4th party instead. And they whined and complai

Was Top Chef 3 worth the wait and anticipation? You betcha! Bravo wasted no time introducing us to the cheftestants as they came off the plane and entered the land of art deco buildings and water and sunshine, and treating us to revealing bikini shots in the opening credits. Before we could ooh and ah for too long, our new crew was whisked away to Gianni Versace's former McMansion, where they were introduced to each other. "I'm glad I had Tabatha Coffey do my hair," thought Sandee, "'cause compared to these other Bitches, I look hot!" Spread before them was a bountiful feast. One hour into their banquet, Tom and Padma arrived and challenged the cheftestants to create an Amuse Bouche with the food they were eating, one that would reflect their personalities. "Quelle horreur!" thought some, "We've been double dipping. Wonder if anyone noticed?""Amuse who?" Clay wondered as the camera crew began to lovingly follow him around. The chefs raced around creating their tiny Amuse Bouches wi

Ah, it feels so good to have Top Chef back on the air. The quick-fire challenge as short, sweet, and unexpected in good TC tradition–make an amuse-buse from the snacky food set out for your arrival. I think it was a bit of a stretch to say that this was a “defining” piece of culinary goodness, but it was a fun challenge, for sure. The winner was Micah, and I totally agreed with that decisions. I think she could be a top contender, from what little I’ve seen. Overall, season three seems like a step up from season two (more back to season one’s quality). For the elimination challenge the cheftestants have to make a surf and turf, but using crazy proteins like eel and alligator. As promised, here’s Godiva (you can call her G) with comments: Top Chef, Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshim