Archive: Top Chef
'Top Chef': And the Cat Runs Out of Lives
Eight chefs are still standing -- half of them women -- and it's that time when a Quickfire win no longer earns immunity. Which apparently does nothing to minimize Dale's competitive streak, because he wins the award tonight for cursing so fast that it's hard to bleep him out (and...
By Jennifer Frey | May 8, 2008; 11:10 AM ET | Comments (3)
'Top Chef': The Reputation Rehabilitation Edition
You know the chefs aren't going to love a challenge when it starts out with guest Art Smith --personal chef to Oprah and the king of simple & healthy -- and a lot of containers of microwaveable Uncle Ben's rice. Kick in the fact that the Quickfire has to be...
By Jennifer Frey | May 1, 2008; 10:55 AM ET | Comments (5)
'Top Chef': Depressed, Perplexed and Definitely Turned OFF
This is one of the more creative and fun elimination challenges I've seen. But first, the Quickfire. It's the dreaded pastry cook-off. And, really, I have to wonder about these guys, who watch the previous seasons and then show up without at least two to three decent desserts memorized. Some...
By Jennifer Frey | April 24, 2008; 08:47 AM ET | Comments (7)
'Top Chef': Does Nikki Have Nine Lives?
Let's start with the relationship update: Jen might as well be wearing a veil, she's so busy mourning the departure of partner Zoi from last week. The whole "I'm doing this for Zoi" and "it's a little tribute to Zoi," gets stale really fast. The other contestants left their lovers...
By Jennifer Frey | April 17, 2008; 11:58 AM ET | Comments (6)
'Top Chef': The Breakup
The couple is kaput. Jen and Lover Girl have been separated and are now a non-factor/problem, despite the show's efforts to set up that dynamic. Boo-hoo for the producers. The Quickfire is my least favorite of the season, and the cutting of it for us viewers makes it even more...
By Jennifer Frey | April 10, 2008; 08:50 AM ET | Comments (4)
'Top Chef': The Female Conundrum
A significant theme is seeming to be promoted this early in the season, given how the show is edited -- a theme centered on the question: Can a woman win this thing? (And: Can we depict women to be strong chefs?) There's no criticizing that concept from this quarter... EXCEPT,...
By Jennifer Frey | April 3, 2008; 09:09 AM ET | Comments (9)
'Top Chef': Cooking with the Beasts
Spent yesterday in bed recovering from the flu, and discovered a Bravo marathon of the first season of Top Chef, when the evilness was named Tiffani and bland Harold took the win and crying Dave somehow miraculously made it to the final three. Which led to this thought: really, has...
By Jennifer Frey | March 20, 2008; 09:17 AM ET | Comments (5)
'Top Chef': The Nacho Souffle
So Bravo does a solid by all us post-strike, still-famished-for-fresh-fare viewers and immediately replaces our beloved Christian Siriano and his "Project Runway" fierceness with a new season of "Top Chef." So we begin this with gratitude. (Bravo TV) Geting a sense of all 16 newbies in the debut is challenging,...
By Jennifer Frey | March 13, 2008; 09:15 AM ET | Comments (5)
