If you didn't watch the inaugural season of the foodie answer to Survivor, your chance at redemption begins Wednesday 10/18 at 11pm (10pm Central) on BravoTV. The program pits 15 aspiring chefs in a battle to win the title of Top Chef, which carries a $100,000 prize plus a spread in Food & Wine magazine. Season 1 highlights included a challenge to prepare a gourmet meal using only ingredients purchased at a gas station convenience store ("for my next dish I'd like to present a nacho cheese soup topped with minced Funyuns"). Actually the best parts, as with any reality TV show, consisted of seeing the fur flying when the volatile personalities mixed like oil and water: for example, competent and organized Lee Anne Wong versus the inconsistent and scattered (but occasionally inspired) Dave Martin; intense bisexual Bostonian Tiffani Faison versus, well, everybody.
Most episodes pose a "quickfire challenge" (say, throwing together an appetizer plate in under 30 minutes using raw, slimy octopus) followed by a more complicated trial testing not only cooking skill but also kitchen management and teamwork abilities. At the end of each week's episode, one contestant is ordered to "pack up your knives" and go home. Season 1 was set in San Francisco, but the second one brings a change in scenery to Los Angeles. I'm looking forward to getting to know the new field of competitors, who range in age from 23 to 46 and include a one-time nuclear submarine chef, a man voted one of New York's ten most sexiest chefs, and a Woman's Professional football player (whom I'd like to see take on Tiffani in a bar brawl in the final episode). Back are judges Tom Colicchio (New York food figure of Gramercy Tavern and Craft fame) and food expert/critic Gail Simmons of Food & Wine. Out is hostess Katie Lee Joel (yes, the better half of music icon Billy), but in is actress/writer Padma Lakshmi who can also be seen discovering baby Moses in the bulrushes in ABC's upcoming mini-series "The Ten Commandments."
BTW, no I am not on the BravoTV payroll, I just think this is must-see TV!
I think something ever so more intriguing and challenging than Funyuns could be found by digging a little further .. :)
http://www.taquitos.net/snacks.php?page_code=25
Posted by: Doug Klein | October 18, 2006 at 05:17 AM
I'm not sure what's scarier, the Worst Chips Ever you dug up, or the fact that somebody has actually created a web site cataloging 3,208 varieties of junk food!
Posted by: Tom Cole | October 18, 2006 at 07:27 PM
Well, season 3 of Top Chef will be coming. Casting is going to start real soon. I am looking forward to the new season but hope to see a little less childish drama between the contestants.
Posted by: Jim | April 07, 2007 at 08:58 AM