The love-fest that is Top Chef Masters comes to an end, and we get back to business.
Tonight, the premier, which means there will be way too many chefs to know what’s going on. Let’s go!
So I read some of the chefs’ bios on Bravo – is it just me, or are a lot of them already pretty fricking successful? What are the criteria for getting on this show?
Anyway. Here’s to a new season, and to a non-dickweed winning!
9:00: There are still idealists in Washington, D.C.?
Welcome, Eric Ripert! I know a lot of people think you’re hot. I personally find you kind of like a zombie, but we’ll agree to disagree.
9:02: Enough shots of the giant phallus we call a monument, Bravo.
Hopcraft. Heh.
9:04: Chef meet-and-greet. For Top Chef, this is a remarkable faux-hawk-free season.
Okay, you already own THREE restaurants. Why are you on this show?
9:05: New Jersey in the house! He (whatever his name is) wants to show that New Jersey is here. Which is unnecessary, because we all know that New Jersey is the king of states.
Angelo, you’re namedropping…enough. It’s only been five minutes, don’t make me hate you.
9:06: QUICKFIRE: Mis en place tournament. Peeling potatoes. Brunoising onions. Breaking down chickens. Then the top four make a dish with the ingredients. Winner: $20K.
9:10: Cussing! How I’ve missed you.
Kenny is a mis en place speed freak. Some of these chefs’ knife skills make me want to cry. And then make me feel really good about myself.
9:12: Kenny is fast, but can he cook? He’s on Top Chef, so probably. Now I’ve jinxed it, so I’ll prepare to eat my words.
9:14: Commercials. Who has two thumbs and doesn’t love a Stouffers toasted sub? This gal!
Nicknames I’ve already bestowed: Timothy = Smoove B. Angelo = The Dropper.
9:17: Kevin = Jersey. Kenny = Isaac Hayes (thanks to @culinarypirate).
It’s a truly abhorrent vest that can make someone as thin as Padma look too hippy.
9:18: It’s down to Isaac and The Dropper. I’d give it to The Dropper, that onion jam sounded killer. He takes it!
He wants to be the first contestant to win every single challenge. Good luck with that, kiddo. I’m sure it will happen.
9:20: ELIMINATION CHALLENGE: Regional cooking for 300 people at the Cherry Blossom festival.
Isaac can’t be bothered with remembering his fellow chefs’ names. He comes across as quite classy.
Ed is the last guy standing. Ed’s demeanor thus far is way too laid back for this show. Get your cuss on, Ed.
9:22: John’s hair is just…no. You can’t pull off that hair over the age of 19, and even then it’s borderline. He is, therefore, The Unfortunate Hair, or TUH for short.
Isaac Hayes is a bit long to type too, so we’ll just go with Shaft.
9:25: Commercials. Bethenny’s face hasn’t grown into her jaw yet.
Whole Foods fracas.
9:27: Arnold is getting his feng shui on with some flowers. Precious.
Russian and California fusion. I should be intrigued. I am not. Then again, for me, there’s no way to intrigue me with borscht.
9:29: TUH is doing a dessert, because maple flows through the tree of Michigan. In other states, maple hatches from eggs.
He’s like the eccentric uncle that you didn’t like to be left alone with as a child.
9:30: NO, Jacqueline. You ALWAYS pass it through the tamis. Has Thomas Keller taught us nothing?
9:33: Padma’s got some girls to rival Gail going on.
Seriously, people think Ripert’s sexy? He’s so…Teutonic.
Chicken liver mousse bound with egg white. Almost as appealing as deconstructed borscht.
9:34: What did I tell you about the tamis, Jacqueline? WHAT DID I TELL YOU?
9:36: Tracey = Not Rosie O’Donnell.
The faster I can assign nicknames, the faster I’ll know what the frick is going on.
9:37: Commercials. Who has two thumbs and is glad Betty White is back on TV, even if I’m not going to watch the show? This gal!
9:38: We’re back, to a shot of some power gays skipping up the steps.
unRosie made shrimp and grits, so I have to root for her. Unfortunately, she sucks.
9:40: Did you know Alex was born in Russia? He was. So far, he’s the Marcus of the season, but less sob story.
9:41: Can someone explain the appeal of fiddlehead ferns to me?
TUH gives me the jibblies.
9:43: We’re back in the stew room. None of these comfortable chairs and gin and tonics for plain ol’ cheftestants.
JUDGE’S TABLE: Alex, Shaft, Jersey and The Dropper.
9:45: Alex’s glasses make him took like a serial killer.
WINNER: The Dropper. Damn.
Did he just say “I will set the ‘presidents'”? I mean, I know what he meant, but the lack of proper diction irritates me. Then again, I guess I’m not watching Top Elocutionist.
The bottom four: Jacqueline, Smoove B, TUH and Hopcraft, who I don’t think needs a nickname with a name like that.
9:47: I HATE chicken liver mousse, and I think I could make it without a recipe. Get your shit together, Jacqueline.
I’m calling TUH, AKA Creepy Uncle, to kick it.
9:49: Padma’s newly-enhanced lady lumps are incredibly distracting. Also, I see she’s raided Kelly Choi’s hair accessory collection.
9:52: Commercials. One of those Real Housewives is getting a little Joan Rivers with the eye lifts.
Random interlude. ED DOES NOT APPROVE OF FUN.
9:54: More commercials. On one hand, I’ve seen trailers of Knight and Day that have made me chuckle. On the other hand, Tom Cruise.
Is your hair talking to you? You may need medication.
9:57: What exactly is Cleveland cuisine? It’s obviously underrepresented in the culinary scene.
KNIFED: Your Creepy Uncle. Pretend to be sad, everyone.
THIS SEASON: A three-legged race? The Dropper is going to snipe you. Cooking that is “literally out of this world.” Running. Crying. Yelling. Asshattery. And Jonathan Waxman!
Thursday Night Smackdown 
I’m already confused about who everyone is.
Oh, did we know about Eric Ripert? I didn’t, I guess!
Um…Tiffany’s going home. Right?
Apparently, a brunoise is a dice that equals an eiff by an eiff by an eiff. Just so you know.
Is anyone else seeing Chef from South Park? Just me?
I am ready for some good nicknames this year. I already wanna call that one dude Jersey…
I’m still trying to find out what that dude in the Dell commercial was doing when he pops up into the frame re-buckling his overalls.
Commercial break: Her wedding planner Buster from Arrested Development?
Also, Kenny should’ve won. Funny how he looks like Chef but his name is Kenny! You bastards!
Amanda = Leah. That’s not a good thing.
Ed = Clay Stork
I had a completely different nickname picked out for the Dropper, also starts with a D.
The Dropper sounds a bit too douchy for me to like him.
And I really want to smack Rosie O’Donnell, or whateverthehell her name is.
Sorry, not Ed=Clay Stork. John = Clay Stork. New seasons confuse me.
I really hope someone yells, “I AM TALKING HERE!”
TUH is the chef at the Lark, here in Michigan. On my “list” of places. French techniques, country inn, expensive art, entrees @ 70 bucks and up. I knew, soon as I saw his face, he was the chef. Can’t imagine the look on the old, rich folks when he comes out to the table.
I wasn’t aware that the Wolfgang Puck era had ended. Has anyone told him?
Padma’s still sportin’ her baby boobies.
Oh how we have missed you and live blogging Top Chef. I could cry.
TUH=one of these things is not like the other
The Dropper is going to set the Presidents?
I’m with Dee. Tracy = Rosie.
Blech, Angelo. Is he setting “presidents” because he’s in DC?
I call blondie of the gritty pate.
He best watch out for the Secret Service if he’s setting presidents.
I don’t think Jacqueline needs a nickname. Guessing she goes home because who makes DIET anything on top chef unless that’s the challenge?
OK, not having any actual TV this is my only avenue to Top Chef. Although I like the nicknames, it causes problems for me regarding gender.
Of the top & bottom 4, what were the gender ratios?
Bottom four, three guys, one gal.
Oh, thank God I don’t have to look at that guy’s hair all season long!
Oh, sorry, top four was four guys.
Hey, are they going to make them do three legged cooking? Cause, if so, Awesome!
Literally out of this world? Unless they are cooking on the Int’l Space Station I believe that will be a misuse of the word ‘literally’.
John (TUH) had Carla eyes and looked a bit crazee, too. Hootie Hoo Two goes home. Dang.
How is Buster Bluth both on this show and Bethenny’s wedding planner? He’s so busy, you’d think he has two hands.
Peggasus is making me miss Carla 😦 Maybe since we’re in DC she’ll randomly pop up? I forget, do past cheftestants ever show up if the show is where their restuarant/buisness is? Then we could also get Bryan Voltaggio. Although that would mean Mike Isabella and Spike would show up too so maybe that’s a bad idea…would I be willing to see Spike and Mike in order to see Bryan and Carla? Hmmmmm….
Also: interview with the four of them in Washingtonian Magazine-
http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/restaurants/bestbites/16015.html
correction: it’s not an interview with all four. they are going to interview the four of them throughout the season. This one only has Spike, Mike, and Bryan. My bad.
sorry for the triple post!
This is the home page for Washingtonian’s coverage of Top Chef. Includes chef info (stuff they dug up beyond what’s on Bravo’s site), interviews, and a map of where they filmed everything.
http://www.washingtonian.com/sections/restaurants/topchefdc/index.html
I think I look forward to your liveblog more than the actual show!
Need to stick up for my hometown for a minute. Cleveland does have some really great restaurants. Iron Chef Michael Symon is a Clevelander. And stadium mustard is absolutely the best. You have to try it! Haven’t lived in Cleveland for 8 years now but I always bring home a stash of stadium mustard after a visit.
Not Rosie O’Donnell = N-Rod. Courtesy of my clever husband.
Angelo. All I can say is that I took an instant dislike to him. More than instant. I disliked him before I even saw him. It’s that visceral.
Also, did anyone else notice that Colicchio mispronounced ‘brunoise’? See that ‘e’ on the end of the word? That means you pronounce that s. Respect the consonants, Tom. Respect.
And Not Rosie O’Donnell a.k.a. N-Rod (love it) seems to hate everyone just like the real Rosie O’Donnell. So it’s a spiritual as well as a physical resemblance. I think you get extra points for that in Scrabble.
Michelle, thanks so much for the live blogs! You are amazing, woman. As usual, since I live in Canada, I can’t join in the fun but I just *know* you’ll be keeping an eye out for my “insight” post-game.
Whoa you mean Padma isn’t pregnant? Wow that was some unfortunate clothing styling then.
I already hate “dropper”. Arrogance is usually rewarded with early success and then being booted midway through the season. I predict crash and burn.
I also hate the chick who wouldn’t shut up about how she was one of the Best New Chefs in F&W magazine.
TUH looked even more unhygenic than the guy with the beard last season. Glad he’s out.
I am so glad we are back with the regular season! I just watched this tonight and did anyone notice that they totally left out reviewing the food made by one of the women in the last group…I think Tiffany from Texas? High hopes for her, eh Bravo?