Bravo's Top Chef Season 2

[Tess]

I watched it right after the finale of Project Runway and remembered why I find this show so frustrating in comparison. When it came to the final four, I had no idea who should win because you can't taste the food.

I like it that they have people with a range of experience. It wouldn't make a good reality show if it was just people all on the same level duking it out.

It was fun to see Harold's sourpuss face and I look forward to Anthony Bourdain's turn as a guest judge. (What was he saying on the preview? "Crack whore?" "Crack house?")

[Claudia Greco]

Ahhh! I'm so excited for the new season. I'm catering the night it starts, so I had to make sure that it was over before the show starts! Yeah, I think that it will be a good season! good contestants? does anyone know if any of the contestants from last season have egullet accounts?....

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I don't know if any of the contestants are eGullet members. But one of next week's guest judges (Anthony Bourdain) is a member. Youi could try a name seach in case a chef has an account under his/her actual name, rather than screen name.

[brooklyncook]

I loved last season. I loved the contestants, I loved the challenges. The judges... eh...

This season, though, the majority of contestants just seem SO incredibly odious. The guy who says in the preview, "I'll break your knee caps," makes me want to scream. How obnoxious, hateful, and kind of scary. The girl who professes, "Why am I on Top Chef? LOOK at me!" makes me want to stab out my own eyes with a rusty spork. The other girl who's like, "I always get what I want in the kitchen," in this horrid passive agressive manipulator manner makes me ashamed to share a gender with her. Ick. What hideous people.

Judging by the previews the only one who seems even remotely tolerable is the "Insane chef" guy. But I'm afraid he'll just end up being another Stephen (who I loved in the beginning but was ready to kill by the time he got booted).

If this show becomes more about drama than food, I won't be watching.

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Not being sarcastic: has your interpretation of the preview changed now that you've seen the first episode?

Because the "knee caps" guy comes off as actually pretty cool (and he mentions breaking the kneecaps to Marcel in the "coming up in this season of Top Chef" thing at the end); plus the "insane chef" comes off as a complete tool.

I don't think Top Chef will ever revert to drama for ratings. I truly think it's a good competitive cooking show -- I dig that there's such emphasis on technique.

[chezcherie]

Lee Ann Wong from last season will be doing a weekly web series this time around. (The article also fills us in on what she's been doing.)

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the wong way to cook? i sure don't love that...

also, i was so looking forward to padma, as she had to have a better voice than "fingernails on the chalkboard" katie lee joel...is is POSSIBLE that her voice is equally annoying???

too soon for me to form opinions on the contestants...when there are so many, it hurts my brain to pigeonhole them..that will come later. still, fun to watch!

edited for typos

Edited October 19, 2006 by chezcherie (log)

[SheenaGreena]

this has nothing to do with food, but did anyone notice the large scar on padma's right arm? I am wondering where that came from

I also find her to be much more watchable than the broad from last season.

[Zeemanb]

I know it's too early to say this with any certainty, but Marcel is coming across to me as a likeable fellow who knows he's supposed to play the "Stephen role". When he was in the line-up at the end, I got the vibe that he was really reaching for his answer...."okay, what are my egotistical ass options here....". Don't know, just how it came across to me. The dial-in voting for this season's "villain" added a lot to that I'm sure.

[hungryCAT]

Did anyone else find the cellular poll questions that took up one third of the

screen every ten minutes as annoying as I did? And, then we have the

question: Who do you think will end up being this season's villian? Are they kidding?

Is this As The World Freaking Turns?

[hosinmigs]

Interesting responses. My gf and I both decided we want to stab Marcel. I don't know if he's trying to fill a role, if the editing is filling the roll for him, or if he's truly just a little snot nose punk. Either way, I guess it makes for good TV.

I hate the manufactured drama as well. But, this is reality TV and reality TV must have that, I think. To me, the biggest frustration lies in the judge's table segments. It was like 20 minutes of the show. That's a third. Just way way too much. I'd rather see more cooking and less crap. But, we're foodies here, so I guess that makes sense.

I was sad Suyai got cut. She seemed like fun. And the crappy pastry chef. Give me a freaking break. "I use my sexuality to get what I want." Broades like her give women a bad name. Why not cook lady? And on top of that, YOU'RE FUGLY!

haha, I love the show already.

[Zeemanb]

Can't believe I forgot this.......how about the red wine flambe?

[BryanZ]

Some notes:

Padma is a lot hotter than the woman from last season, that's for sure.

Elia's red wine flambee actually did look like crap on a plate. Her snail dish was downright elegant, though. It was great to see that much transformation over one episode.

Marcel isn't quite as sweet as Stephen. It does seem as if he was trying to come across as that character, no doubt enhanced by the editing. I thought it was hilarious how his application tape included making spherications. Besides showing you know how to use a scale, it shows no cooking talent or flair for the camera. Still, I like him, just not as much as Stephen. I feel bad that the camera caught him mispronouncing molecuar "gastronomy;" that's going to be played over and over and over making him look like even more of an ass.

Ilan is like the metrosexual version of Harold, though it does seem as if he might have a bitchy side if the previewed rivalry between him and Marcel is real.

In general, a lot of the food looked good, especially compared to Candace's chicken roulade from hell and Andrea's vegan-organic-bowel-movement-inducing cuisine.

Edited October 19, 2006 by BryanZ (log)

[ken T]

Did anyone else find the cellular poll questions that took up one third of the

screen every ten minutes as annoying as I did? And, then we have the

question: Who do you think will end up being this season's villian? Are they kidding?

Is this As The World Freaking Turns?

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Annoying? I'm voting for the continual mentioning of Kenmore.

[Vadouvan]

Any thoughts on the fact that Harold from last season seems to have taken some media training lessons ?

Seems more confident.......sorta like the frat boy who was a freshman last year.....

[K_A_S]

While we've only seen one show, and while we know that the editors like to stir up the drama, I'd have to say that Marcel does strike me as a pompous a$$. That said, I would agree with the comment that somebody made (maybe Chef C.) that Marcel is young. I suspect that many a 23-year old male (having been one myself) could be thusly categorized. It'll be interesting to see if he can start cranking out food that matches his self-image.

As for the rest, my first impression of Ilan was that he's certainly solid, and while the little "pre-cap" vignettes suggest that he's not above talking a little smack and playing the game, I would expect him to be around for quite a while.

It seems that Carlos is off to a pretty bad start, and from the comments made by so many of the other competitiors and judges, there is every reason to believe that he'll be gone soon.

Otto, clearly selected to be the Dave of this season, doesn't seem to have the skills that Dave did, so his meltdowns are less likely to be tolerated over the long haul.

The pastry chef -- I can't remember her name -- should be somewhat interesting, in that (despite her overly-developed sense of her attractiveness) she does bring something a little different to the game. I just wonder if sooner of later Chef C. will feel obligated to tell her that "This is Top-Chef, not Top Pastry Chef." (Anyone want to bet on how many episodes before we hear that one?)

As for the mom-with-the-comfort-food Chef, it will be interesting to see if she can do the haute cuisine stuff with enough style and technique to hang around.

All in all, this group of would-be Top Chefs strikes me as a fairly strong bunch, and I'll be looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.

I'm also looking forward to seeing how the judging goes. Padma, despite the nod to her professional food cred (cookbooks or something, if memory serves), is obviously there as eye candy, but I think that she'll be less annoying than her predecesor (whose cred, as far as I can tell, is that she's married to somebody famous).

Here's to the new season!

[Tess]

Here is a very detailed interview with Tom Colicchio about this show.

[Grub]

I noticed an interesting bit of editing... After the elimination challenge, when the four best cooks were brought out and the winner announced, two of the "losers" looked appropriately, politely happy for the winner. But Mia looked PISSED. I mean, she really donned a sour face. Then, a second later, the four walked back into the kitchen, and Mia looked perfectly cheerful. What the hell was that?

Marcel "They voted against me because they're afraid of me" -- what kinda hairdo is THAT? He looks like the fucking Wolverine.

And then there's Frankie "The Bull" Terzoli, who's working on his Sicilian cookbook, "Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends -- or else I'm a-gonna breakin' yo fucken' kneecaps, vafancolo!"

Quite a cast, that.

[Narcissus]

I felt that Sam's Quick Fire dish was quite interesting and Harold thought so as well. I think he will be one to watch.

I also got the impression that Harold felt more comfortable voting for the guys. Could have been the editing showing him speak more to the male chefs' dishes.

Reading the bios online, there just might be a civil war between the Adria / Keller followers and the Batali / Lawson followers, with those straddling the line coming out the winners.

It is also interesting that we have two California Central Valley entrants, Michael and Mia. They only live an hour apart (and an hour from where I live). I wonder what made the demographics skew like that.

[coquus]

I'm pulling for Emily.

[nypork]

I really want to tell you guys about one of the contestants that you talked about, but I worked with one of the contestants from Hells Kitchen who came in second and got censored for my comments . But I work for a spanish restaurant in nyc and I think one of the contestants this year is a solid contender. not a good line cook, but generally a creative and thoughtful cook-they are definitely a candidate for add drugs, but I have a feeling they(from seeing the first episode) will provide great entertainment for the rest of the season.

[Jujubee]

I think the real "villain" this season is going to turn out to be Ilan. Marcel is playing the obvious "I'm not here to make friends" card, but Ilan strikes me as more manipulative. Plus, did you see the scowl on Mia's face when he won? You would think your fellow contestants would at least pretend to congratulate you on your win, especially since it's only the first episode.

[Meredith380]

I think the real "villain" this season is going to turn out to be Ilan.  Marcel is playing the obvious "I'm not here to make friends" card, but Ilan strikes me as more manipulative.  Plus, did you see the scowl on Mia's face when he won?  You would think your fellow contestants would at least pretend to congratulate you on your win, especially since it's only the first episode.

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I agree about Ilan being the "villian".

I love this show. But I only catch it in its rerun, immediately after its first airing thanks to a "Quantative Applications in Hospitality Management" class I'm taking that ends at 10:30pm. Meaning I get to miss out on the shameless "text message your vote for so and so constestant" crap ala "Flavor of Love". I honestly think I prefer working cash flow statements and determining market values than watching shameless plugs.

That said, this show rocks, but it's too early for me to think about who will come out on top. Last season, Tiffany, Harold and Louanne (?) appealed to me immediately. Harold seemed polished and honest as a judge and is easy on the eyes as well.

[KristiB50]

Note to the girl who said she's going to rely on her sexuality. That won't help if your food tastes bad! Just learn to cook.

I also think Ilan will actually be the real villian of the show.

Mias frog legs looked awesome! I haven't had frog legs in a few years.

Padma is beautiful but her delivery is a little flat. But I guess we don't need Rachel Ray perkiness. Jeez can you imagine if she hosted the show? ***shudders***

[SheenaGreena]

Note to the girl who said she's going to rely on her sexuality. That won't help if your food tastes bad! Just learn to cook.

She's not even that pretty, definitely a butter face

[BryanZ]

She's no Heidi Klum but at least she's not as insane as Tyra Banks.

[mmm_chocolate]

Ha HA! I thought he looked like Wolverine too, and said the same thing when we were watching!

I noticed an interesting bit of editing... After the elimination challenge, when the four best cooks were brought out and the winner announced, two of the "losers" looked appropriately, politely happy for the winner. But Mia looked PISSED. I mean, she really donned a sour face. Then, a second later, the four walked back into the kitchen, and Mia looked perfectly cheerful. What the hell was that?

Marcel "They voted against me because they're afraid of me" -- what kinda hairdo is THAT? He looks like the fucking Wolverine.

And then there's Frankie "The Bull" Terzoli, who's working on his Sicilian cookbook, "Good Food, Good Wine, Good Friends -- or else I'm a-gonna breakin' yo fucken' kneecaps, vafancolo!"

Quite a cast, that.

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[mmm_chocolate]

I really thought Carl should have been the one to go....they said that Suyai's potatoes were good, at least. No one had anything good to say about Carl's food. But Suyai was really nice, too, and I've noticed that the producers stay in reality show format to an extent by eliminating people who will provide less drama for the show. That is the only explanation for why Lee Ann was eliminated last year. She was robbed. I watch Project Runway, too and in the crdits at the end, it says something to the effect of "the producers have a say in who is eliminated." I wonder if this disclaimer runs at the end of Top Chef, too. Bet it does....