Top Chef is back. Hooray! Except that as usual, there's too damn much going on in the first episode. 17 chefs? Really? And you send home the most easily distinguishable one? Sigh.
Thoughts on the episode: Usually I want to try all the food, but with so many chefs, I instantly forgot what almost all of the food was before they'd even moved on to the next group. Angelo seems like a douche. Instant dislike. Yay, more Eric Ripert! Instant like. Yay, no one said the words "Glad family of products"! I suspect Padma and Gail are being sponsored by Cleavage 'R' Us. (Loved Padma's dress at the elimination challenge, but things were distracting up top.)
I do want to make a couple of comparisons to last year's initial episode. It was pretty clear that Kevin, Jen, Michael, and Bryan were the chefs to beat after the first elimination challenge of Top Chef 6 (hell, it was pretty clear after the first quickfire). This episode was slightly less obvious, although they seem to have included the usual cannon fodder of self-trained caterer and needy, whimpering little man (Stephen of the "your ribeye looks like a chicken nugget" rubbed me the wrong way).
However, I think we may be off to a more culinarily diverse season. Now, granted, the first Quickfire wasn't set up to allow it--but we had SEVENTEEN chefs in the elimination challenge and NO ONE made scallops or ceviche. The first episode of last season? 16 minutes to a ceviche, 24 to requesting scallops at the Whole Foods seafood counter. Yes, I timed it.
Food pairing for this episode: I'm feeling sickly today. Dry whole wheat toast and V8 peach/mango juice.
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