Top Chef Watch: Welcome To DC

Top Chef is back, and this time has landed itself in Washington D.C. in order to capitalize on the rampant patriotism in America in 2010. Is it just me, or did the producers of Top Chef miss their window of opportunity? I think last year, you know, right after America rushed Obama into the White House was the right time to “capitalize” on anything. But we’re here, and now I get to watch Padma wave American flags around all Summer, which is just fine by me.

The format remains the same - if you win you get a lot of money, you’re featured in Food & Wine Magazine, and you get featured at a food and wine festival in Aspen. Not a bad gig, but you’d think that after six seasons something a little more interesting would be offered. Like a blender, or something. Bob Barker should be giving out these prizes. You know what? He should be a guest judge. Right, I’m off topic. Anyway.

After three legs that included dismembering a chicken, peeling potatoes, and dicing onions, the remaining judges (each leg saw four or five judges knocked out of contention) used these ingredients and whatever they could find in the expansive Top Chef pantry to make a dish. These four finalists, Angelo, Kenny, Tim, and Kevin are likely to be the face of this competition. The rivalry brewing between Angelo and Kenny is something that you could only possibly find on a reality tv show. Angelo strikes first and wins the Quickfire Challenge with roasted chicken. Personally, I would have gone with Kenny’s dish - it appeared to possess more flavor and was a little more interesting.

Judge’s Pick: Angelo.

Jacob’s Pick: Kenny.

The Elimination Round asked the competitors to create a dish that best represented where they came from. Expect many more “patriotic” challenges to be devised as the season progresses (I can’t wait for my favorite congresswoman Nancy Pelosi to join the chefs for a show…)

In order to avoid boring you with a list of seventeen dishes, I’ll widdle it down to my top two and bottom two, and then compare that with who the judges crowned as champion, and who they sent packing.

Jacob’s Top Two:

Kelly: What appeared to be a beautiful steak creation by Kelly was completely snubbed by the judges, as she did not appear in the top four at all. While I can’t speak for the taste, I do have several years of eating experience under my belt, and from looks alone, Kelly appeared to have the best dish. Or at least the most interesting.

Kenny: Expect Kenny to be the guy you’ll root for all season, but who probably does not stand a chance against Angelo when it comes to the end. I’ve seen enough reality television to know that Kenny is the nice guy, and Angelo is the cocky but talented guy. Regardless, Kenny crafted a great fish dish, which rightfully landed him in the top four.

Jacob’s Bottom Two:

Jacqueline: A chicken liver dish that appeared to be bland, and poorly made, landed Jacqueline in the bottom four, and my bottom two. You’ve probably never had chicken liver, but it’s not a light dish by any means. It’s very French, which means it has a lot of fat (ironic, yes?) She made the mistake of turning it into a light dish in order to pander to the typical D.C. crowd - but the judges nailed her for it. Lesson being: Don’t mess with a good thing.

Tracey: I get the feeling that even though Tracey is not very talented, she will be around for a while. She has a big mouth, a big body, and a big personality. In other words, she’s perfect for this show. Her shrimp dish looked very unappealing and although the judges did not bring her to the bottom four, they should have.

Winner: Angelo.

Not terribly shocking by any means, Angelo is clearly very talented, and very determined. That being said, his dish was not the best made tonight. The interviews with the guests and the judges after eating Angelo’s dish were not quite as excited as they were after eating Kenny’s, nor Alex’s for that matter. As of week one, it’s Angelo - 1, Kenny - 0.

Pack It: John.

From the moment that John told the camera he was making a dessert, I knew it was over. Any one who has ever watched Top Chef consistently knows that the pastry chef is always the first to go. Tonight was no exception. Perhaps the judges are taking a stand against obesity in America, or maybe Padma got food poisoning from a doughnut once. Either way, desserts remain the kryptonite of this competition.

Top Chef is back, and the competition is likely to be as fierce as ever. From serving food on the White House lawn to grilling up hot dogs at the National’s ball park in downtown D.C., the challenges are sure to be as interesting and inventive as always. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Cheftestants: Tracey Bloom, Timothy Dean, Tiffany Derry, Tamesha Warren, Stephen Hopcraft, Lynne Gigliotti, Kevin Sbraga, Kenny Gilbert, Kelly Liken, John Somerville, Jacqueline Lombard, Ed Cotton, Arnold Myint, Angelo Sosa, Andrea Curto-Randazzo, Amanda Baumgarten, Alex Reznik.