Good first episode of the new season of Bravo's Top Chef. The Chef'testants appear to be an interesting mix, including 2 brothers, last name Voltaggio, first names Bryan and Michael.It is hard to remember names and not get confused in the early episodes of Top Chef when there are just way too many chefs running around.
I've never seen so many tattoos on a reality show before, let alone a cooking reality show. I am not a fan of tattoos. Or piercings. Or doing odd things to ones ears. The chef who got sent home had enormous earrings, at least that's what I thought they were, til near the end when I realized her ears had been stretched by, I guess, a metal ring, that I mistook for an earring. Why do people do these things to themselves?
I found chef Jesse Sandlin actually rather likable. She seems like she may do well. She has tattoos and piercings through her lip area. I would think this would interfere with ones tasting and cooking. But, apparently not.
The Quickfire Challenge was the Top Chef staple where the chefs are divided into 4 teams and then have to shuck clams, break down lobsters, cut up beef and one other thing I'm forgetting. To divide up the teams a herd of Vegas Showgirls sashayed in. I was distracted. I forget how they helped divide the teams. Suffice to say colored chips were drawn in 4 colors and one gold chip. The gold chip ended up with an older lady chef, maybe the name was Robin. For her gold chip she won immunity. And maybe money. I really need to take notes.
One of the Quickfire Challenge chefs doomed her team due to her inability to open a clam. I think her name is Preeti. Then there was a cook off deal using the food they'd just prepared. After an awful lot of motion, Jennifer Carroll was declared the winner. I think she won $15,000. I remember she kissed Tom Collochio, who seemed a tad surprised. I don't believe she won immunity. Isn't that usually part of winning the Quickfire?
Jennifer Carroll appears to be a very competent cooker. And a bit of a looker. Top Chef is a little weak in the looker department this time. One or two I was not quite certain which gender category they went in. A name like Ashley can go either way.
For the elimination round the chefs stayed with the same teams with each member creating a dish based on their own signature vices. The judges, including the extremely amusing Wolfgang Puck, then picked the best and worst of each team's dishes.
The worst seemed to be the worst by quite a margin. Jen Zavala, she with the big ears, made a chile relleno. Even I can make a good chile relleno. And I'm not chef. She stuffed her relleno with some strange gooey protein. Her relleno just looked nasty on the plate, unlike any relleno I've ever seen.
Kevin Gillespie's fish dish ended up being the judge's favorite. And so he won. They liked whatever it was that Jennifer Carroll cooked too. I thought it was she who was going to win. They also like the Haitian boat person, Ron Duprat's, seafood concoction. Michael Isabella was the other who won in his group. I don't remember what his vice was or what he cooked. He seemed a tad cocky, but I liked him okay.
The brother team seem likable and competent. Most all the chefs seem to be real good this time. Except for the relleno girl who was sent home. She appeared to be a single mom who had hoped to win Top Chef and send her son to Yale. I hope that works out for her.
Previews made it appear that a lot of drama and shouting will ensue through the rest of the season.
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