Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Post #1,111: Some observations about Top Chef: Las Vegas

Yes, this is my 1,111th post! Not as big as #666, #777 or #1,000, but it's an interesting enough milestone. And here I am wasting it on some observations I have about the series premiere of Top Chef Season 6, in Vega$!

1a. Number of chefs participating in Baltimore Restaurant Week: 1 (Jessie - doesn't she just look like she would know Duff Goldman?)

1b. Number of chefs who live and work, like, on the Chesapeake Bay and yet has never worked with shrimp (okay, prawns): 1 (again, Jessie)

1c. Number of Murliners: 3 (Jessie again, and brothers Bryan and Michael)

1d. Also from the MD-DC-VA area: the other Mike, from DC's Zaytinya.

2. Other locales well-represented: Seattle (2 chefs), Atlanta (3 chefs)

3. Hotties: Well, they keep putting Bryan and his brother Michael on screen over and over again. And NYC's Ash and Franco-Friscan Mattin (pron. "Mat-TEEN") are kind of cute. As for the women, expect to see a lot more of Ashley and the two Jennifers. No, the rest of the cast is definitely NOT unattractive, but these folks just jump out at me as the ones that'll make the guys and gals go gaga. Now can they cook?

4. Number of obligatory members of the LGBT community: definitely one (Ashe), maybe two (Preeti???) or three (Mattin?????)

5. Number of people cooking at the "molecular level": none so far (thank God)

6. Number of stupid new ideas, because it's like, you know, Vega$: two - that "gold chip for immunity" bullshit and that "This chip is worth $15,000!!!" thing.

7. Best looking dishes this show: the shrimp and grits and that donut thing.

8. Was the relay stupid? No, though Preeti shoulda spoken up before she belabored over those clams.

9. Most irritating thus far: Mike I. and that guy with the sideburns Eli.

10. Okay, how many of these people have tattoos? Just an observation, that's all.

4 comments:

Dan said...

The return of Top Chef is always welcome in this house. I can only take so much Hell's Kitchen and Chopped! Not sure if this will be the season where TC jumps the shark (immunity chips and $15K prizes!) but I enjoyed the premiere episode.

So far I'd have to say I'm not a fan of Jen C (if you tell us you can be a bitch in the kitchen you're probably, well, just a bitch) and the cocky, super sexist Mike I (another TV personality giving NJ a bad name). I do like the two brothers and can appreciate their competitive vibe but beardy Kevin Gillespie seems talented and humble and my fave so far.

Is it my imagination or were the Top Chef Masters far more humble and appealing than most of these up and comers who really haven't made a name for themselves.

Summer said...

I thought it was funny when one of the guys asked the blonde from Philly if she was the "pastry chef" and she said "No, I'm the CHEF". They didn't make anything out of it, but the stereotype was there.

Eve's voice annoyed me. She seemed kind of whiny. And I'm not really liking the French guy. I'd like to see Jessie stick around for awhile though. She's interesting.

John said...

I have never seen Hell's Kitchen, and I never intend to. Only seen one episode of TC:M but those chefs do indeed have a bit more class and humility overall. Like the bit where Michael Chiarello was really going inside himself to ignore little Dale yelping at him trying to start something.

theminx said...

Preeti and Ashley are the female members of the LGBT community. And I think Ash said he was the lone gay male. Mattin just wears that red scarf. :)