A new season of “Top Chef” kicked off last night, and this girl couldn’t be happier.
As a picky eater, I’d probably never eat anything the brilliant cheftestants whip up. But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the inherent drama that exists in Bravo’s food competition series, one of TV’s classiest reality shows.
This season takes place in Las Vegas, and the first elimination challenge had the chefs cooking a dish that reflected one of their vices.
Wolfgang Puck was an awesome guest judge — funny, opinionated, enthusiastic — and I was glad to see Gail Simmons back on the regular panel (I just never warmed up to Toby Young last season, so I’m not looking forward to his eventual return).
Before that was the Quick Fire Challenge, a “mise en place” relay, which basically means the chefs go head to head, in teams of four, preparing different ingredients. They had to shuck clams, peel prawns, break down a lobster and chop up a huge rack of beef.
It’s a classic “Top Chef” challenge, and it was fun to see it so early in the season.
And, instead of immunity going to the Quick Fire winner, there was a prize of $15,000, in the form of a poker chip (methinks producers are going to cash in on the Sin City location as much as possible this season).
Winner Jennifer — who works as a chef de cuisine for legendary chef Eric Ripert — also got a kiss on the cheek from my man Tom Colicchio. This had me green with envy.
Other contestants include Ron, an executive chef originally from Haiti; cancer survivor and onetime artist Robin; Frenchman Mattin, or Frenchie as I like to call him, who owns a restaurant in San Francisco; and brothers Michael and Bryan who, in the premiere, showed a mix of brotherly love and sibling rivalry.
“I’m watching my brother cook, and I want to see him do well,” Michael says. “Unless I am competing against him, I’m his biggest fan.”
This season’s villain is definitely Mike, an obnoxious executive chef from Washington, D.C.
A total trash talker, he calls Robin “one less old lady I have to worry about” and is later shocked when Jennifer keeps up with him during the relay.
“No offense,” he said, “but a girl shouldn’t be at the same level that I am.”
Ugh.
Can we get rid of him as soon as possible, please?
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