Top Chef: Masters

[Chris Hennes]

I just ran across this tidbit over at Eater.com:

The details are scarce but here's their brief description:

"A spin-off of the Emmy-nominated hit series "Top Chef" and from producers Magical Elves, "Top Chef: Masters" unites some of the brightest stars in the world of food, award-winning, widely-renowned Chefs who will compete against each other in a series of weekly challenges."

It will all depend on the caliber of the chefs they manage to convince to compete, but if this is Bravo's take on Iron Chef-style competition, I'm watching. I hope they make the challenges compelling...

Edited January 15, 2009 by Chris Hennes (log)

[Kevin72]

Hmmm. You just know there's going to be some hair-pulling product tie in competitions though.

"This week, your challenge is to cook a three-course meal . . . on the engine hood of this brand new Toyota RAV 4!!!!!"

[Reignking]

This sounds like an exact copy of some new Food Network show...

[Chris Hennes]

I didn't watch "Chopped" (is that the one you are talking about?) but my hope for this Bravo show is that they have weird challenges and random "twists" that I think make Top Chef more fun than just a regular cooking show. I like seeing how chefs work when they are faced with that type of situation. A "mystery ingredient" or "mystery basket" is still just a single type of constraint, I like the idea of playing with other things for the chef to deal with.

Edited January 16, 2009 by Chris Hennes (log)

[Reignking]

Yeah, that's the show -- didn't know it had aired yet.

[Darren72]

I think this sounds interesting. I always thought it would be interesting to see what Colicchio and others at his level would do in Top Chef-type challenges. This is different than Iron Chef.

[gfweb]

I marvel that any chef puts himself in a position for public humiliation, even no-name/baby chefs like the TC group. For a chef with a known name to expose him/herself and reputation to the televised judgements of schmucks like Toby the Brit would be deeply stupid.

When you look at the money (100k) vs. the reputation risk, TC hardly seems worth it even to the junior chefs who make up most of the contestants.

[TAPrice]

I think this sounds interesting. I always thought it would be interesting to see what Colicchio and others at his level would do in Top Chef-type challenges. This is different than Iron Chef.

←

Is that what happened on the Next Iron Chef series?

[Reignking]

Is that what happened on the Next Iron Chef series?

←

That was always intended to be a one-time thing. I think they said it was a "limited" series.

[Chris Hennes]

The contestant list was just announced: definitely some top-notch chefs in there:

• Rick Bayless
  
• Wilo Benet
  
• John Besh
  
• Graham Elliot Bowles
  
• Michael Chiarello
  
• Michael Cimarusti
  
• Wylie Dufresne
  
• Elizabeth Falkner
  
• Hubert Keller
  
• Christopher Lee
  
• Ludo Lefebvre
  
• Anita Lo
  
• Tim Love
  
• Rick Moonen
  
• Nils Noren
  
• Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson
  
• Cindy Pawlcyn
  
• Mark Peel
  
• Douglas Rodriguez
  
• Michael Schlow
  
• Art Smith
  
• Suzanne Tracht
  
• Jonathan Waxman
  
• Roy Yamaguchi
  

(Any typos are mine - sorry!)

The host is Kelly Choi, and the judges are:

• Gael Greene
  
• James Oseland
  
• Jay Rayner
  

[Bricktop]

Premieres June 10 at 10 Eastern, for 10 weeks.

[Pierogi]

*THAT* is one stellar line-up !

I cannot wait for this, it should be loads of fun, with REAL cooking (fingers crossed) and out-of-the-park creativity.

I am very impressed that Bravo could get such heavy hitters to participate.

[CDRFloppingham]

WOW!!!

My DVR will be set tonight.

Edited April 8, 2009 by CDRFloppingham (log)

[KristiB50]

*I am very impressed that Bravo could get such heavy hitters to participate.

←

A lot of them judged or were on Iron Chef.

Some were judges on Top Chef too.

Aside from Iron Chef and Chopped there really isn't anything for them on Food Network.

I'm excited!

[Jamon.Iberico]

Now this is something I can watch. Thanks for the heads up!

[Pierogi]

*I am very impressed that Bravo could get such heavy hitters to participate.

←

A lot of them judged or were on Iron Chef.

Some were judges on Top Chef too.

Aside from Iron Chef and Chopped there really isn't anything for them on Food Network.

I'm excited!

True and true........especially about the lack of an outlet for chefs of this caliber on FN. Most of them are to high-powered for Chopped, I think. That's more for the newbies, IMO.

And most of these chef-testants are *very* media-savvy, and probably looking for the additional exposure this will bring them. Maybe snag a PBS gig......

Nevertheless, this is going to be a blast. Good on them for finding an outlet and good on Bravo for giving it to them !

[CKatCook]

WOW!!

I cannot wait!!!!

I have to start planning my menu for those nights now!

[GwennP]

The contestant list was just announced: definitely some top-notch chefs in there:

• Rick Bayless
  
• Wilo Benet
  
• John Besh
  
• Graham Elliot Bowles
  
• Michael Chiarello
  
• Michael Cimarusti
  
• Wylie Dufresne
  
• Elizabeth Falkner
  
• Hubert Keller
  
• Christopher Lee
  
• Ludo Lefebvre
  
• Anita Lo
  
• Tim Love
  
• Rick Moonen
  
• Nils Noren
  
• Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson
  
• Cindy Pawlcyn
  
• Mark Peel
  
• Douglas Rodriguez
  
• Michael Schlow
  
• Art Smith
  
• Suzanne Tracht
  
• Jonathan Waxman
  
• Roy Yamaguchi
  

(Any typos are mine - sorry!)

The host is Kelly Choi, and the judges are:

• Gael Greene
  
• James Oseland
  
• Jay Rayner
  

←

Can't wait!!

[KristiB50]

It starts this Wed 6-10!

[GwennP]

It starts this Wed 6-10!

←

I've already got my DVR programmed!!

[MelissaH]

Would anyone else like to see Colicchio in the list of contestants, getting a taste of his own?

MelissaH

[kalypso]

Would anyone else like to see Colicchio in the list of contestants, getting a taste of his own?

MelissaH

←

Yes, I think that would make for very interesting, an probably entertaining, television

[Claudia Greco]

Count me in on that one, too!

[Reignking]

I'm really looking forward to this one. I had a chance to meet Michael Chiarello at his restaurant the other week, so I'll be pulling for him. I'll even open one of his bottles that we brought back...

[CKatCook]

I'm really looking forward to this one.  I had a chance to meet Michael Chiarello at his restaurant the other week, so I'll be pulling for him.  I'll even open one of his bottles that we brought back...

←

I am kind of pulling for him too, him and Wylie Dufrresne. I always liked Michael Chirarello's show on food network...