There was very little drama in the last season of Top Chef, with the exception of the drama of whether or not Hosea's head would actually transform completely into a giant thumb or if it would just remain thumb-ISH in... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E12: THE BOCUSE D'OH!»
Posted on November 19, 2009 in Recaps
(25 comments)
Tags: Las Vegas | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
A friend told me last night that this was the second to last episode of this season's Top Chef. I don't think that's true. But at the time it made sense. There were only five chefs left going into last... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E11: CHECKOUT TIME IS KNIFE O'CLOCK»
Posted on November 12, 2009 in Reality TV, Recaps
(34 comments)
Tags: Las Vegas | Nigella Lawson | Padma Lakshmi | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Robin would like everyone to know that she is really happy how Restaurant Wars worked out last week. Uh, no-doy, Robin. You rode the chef's-coattails of your much more talented teammates to one more week of precious, despised safety. It's... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E10: WELCOME TO SIN-SLASH-VEGETABLES CITY»
Posted on October 29, 2009 in Recaps
(35 comments)
Tags: Food | Natalie Portman | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
It's amazing that we are in season six of this show and they only just realized that Restaurant Wars is a ridiculous and outlandish test of absolutely nothing. "You have 45 minutes to make this abandoned warehouse look like an... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E09: RESTAURANT WARS IS A LITTLE LESS HELL»
Posted on October 22, 2009 in Reality TV, Recaps
(27 comments)
Tags: Food | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
As we do every week, we learn a little bit about the chefs before they go in for the Quickfire Challenge. We learn that Eli is a momma's boy, and that Robin does yoga because cancer. Seriously, I can't even... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E08: ELIMINATING THE WHEAT FROM THE CHAFF»
Posted on October 15, 2009 in Recaps
(25 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
You have to give Top Chef some credit. We are already seven episodes into the Las Vegas season and they are only just now introducing the slot machine? BRAVA. "We can't just use a slot machine," said one of the... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF S06E07: FAMILY STYLE REALITY SHOW DINNER PARTY BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY»
Posted on October 8, 2009 in Reality TV, Recaps
(27 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
This is Las Vegas, baby! It's just like they always say: what happens in Vegas can be rehashed into a corny reality competition theme a billion different ways. It's all about strippers and vices and gambling and excess and crisp... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: ANGELS AND DEVILS AND CLOWNS»
Posted on September 24, 2009 in Reality TV
(29 comments)
Tags: Food | Las Vegas | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
You can tell that the competition is starting to wear the chefs down. Ashley's older brother had a baby, but she couldn't be there because she is in Las Vegas cutting carrots into fake poker chips, or whatever, to prove... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: SAVE A HORSE, EAT A COWBOY»
Posted on September 17, 2009 in Reality TV
(26 comments)
Tags: Food | Las Vegas | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
If there is one thing that you associate with Las Vegas, it is refinement and buffet fine dining. Nothing says class and elegance like a city built in the desert dedicated to amorality and excess. Remember that scene in The... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: VIVA LAS FRANCES»
Posted on September 10, 2009 in Reality TV
(26 comments)
Tags: Daniel Boulod | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
For one blessed week we are given a reprieve from the relentless Las Vegas-ness of this season. I'm sure next week it will be back to "make an omelet from these pawned items that tastes like sadness," and "you have... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: THESE FLAVOR PROFILES DON'T RUN»
Posted on September 3, 2009 in Reality TV
(17 comments)
Tags: Food | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
After last week's episode in which everything was Las Vegas puns this and Sin City themes that, the show has finally settled into focusing on the food, because ultimately this is a show about cooking and food and competition, not... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: NOW THEY ARE IN A WOLFPACK OF UGH»
Posted on August 27, 2009 in Reality TV
(35 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Todd English | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
This season of Top Chef will take place in Las Vegas, and already, after one episode, I am so tired of all of the Las Vegas stuff. Just make your food! Yum yum put it in your mouth. You don't... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: SIN CITY IS ALL IN WHEN THE CHIPS ARE DOWN»
Posted on August 20, 2009 in Reality TV
(39 comments)
Tags: Food | Gail Simmons | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
The final three, Hosea, Carla, and Stefan, get onto a riverboat for what looks like an unbearably cold brunch on the lonely deck of a tourist trap. They made it! On top of the world! Hosea is dressed like a... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: FINALE»
Posted on February 26, 2009 in Reality TV
(37 comments)
Tags: Branford Marsalis | Padma Lakshmi | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
The chefs arrive in New Orleans for the big finale. Hosea is kicking himself that he hasn't been to New Orleans before. Sure. If I was going to be on this show, I would go to every city on the... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: FINALE, PART ONE»
Posted on February 19, 2009 in Reality TV
(26 comments)
Tags: Arctic Monkeys | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Out on the smokers' balcony, where almost every episode of Top Chef begins, Fabio is wearing a t-shirt that says "All Stressed Out and No One to Choke." Huh. Must be custom made. An old Italian proverb. Leah explains that... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: THE LAST SUPPER, KIND OF, NOT REALLY»
Posted on February 12, 2009 in Reality TV
(24 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Jeff's elimination has really stirred the pot. Get it? Stirred the pot? That's cook talk for stuff. Stefan didn't like his visit to the bottom three. "It's my first time on the bottom and I feel like shit." That. Is.... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: ANYTHING YOU CAN DO, ERIC RIPERT CAN DO BETTER»
Posted on February 5, 2009 in Reality TV
(15 comments)
Tags: Eric Ripert | Padma Lakshmi | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Hosea says that there are only seven chefs left, so there is no room for error. This is incorrect. There are six rooms for error. The guest judge is Scott Conant, who just won three stars in the NYT for... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: IT'S THE SUPER BOWL, NOT THE SCALLOPS BOWL»
Posted on January 29, 2009 in Reality TV
(21 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Super Bowl | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
We're down to just eight contestants from the original 17, which Hosea points out is more than halfway through the competition, and Carla confirms that it is halfway, so we are halfway through the competition. I like to say that... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: RESTAURANT WARS IS HELL»
Posted on January 22, 2009 in Reality TV
(12 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Ted Leo | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Hosea is gunning for Stefan. Stefan is getting under his skin with comments like, "If you cook like you carve butter then good luck to you, buddy." Hosea definitely sees him as competition, which makes sense, since this is a... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: EAT THE POOR!»
Posted on January 15, 2009 in Reality TV
(15 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Toby Young | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Because it was Christmas, no chefs were eliminated last time. But everyone has realized that they better drumline. Hosea feels great about having won two elimination challenges, but Stefan doesn't care. I'm pretty sure he says "I run circus on... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: HOW TO LOSE CHEFS AND SHUT UP TOBY YOUNG»
Posted on January 8, 2009 in Reality TV
(11 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
All of the previous seasons of Top Chef have aired in the spring, so this is the first season in which they've had to put on holiday specials. Well, last year there was a Top Chef holiday special, too, but... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: CHRISTMAS IN JULY! LITERALLY!»
Posted on December 18, 2008 in Reality TV
(11 comments)
Tags: Martha Stewart | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
This week's episode was "supersized"! That means 15 minutes longer! But there wasn't, like, a special segment or anything. It was just 15 minutes strategically woven into the normal structure of the show. Bonus interview segments and Stew Room backbiting.... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: ALWAYS A GUEST JUDGE, NEVER A BRIDE»
Posted on December 11, 2008 in Reality TV
(13 comments)
Tags: Gail Simmons | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
There was no recap last week because of being so thankful, but there was still a show. In short, the chefs were given an insane curveball during the Quickfire where they had to turn their recipe-in-progress into a soup, and... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: GOOD MORNING, KITCHENAM!»
Posted on December 4, 2008 in Reality TV
(0 comments)
Tags: Lollapalooza | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
Stefan's win last week has put fellow European contestant Fabio on the defensive. But as Fabio explains, they have a saying in Italy, "it doesn't matter how many dragon you kill, is who take home the princess." I think what... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: IF YOU WANT TO MAKE AN OMELET, SOMETHING SOMETHING OSTRICH EGGS?!»
Posted on November 20, 2008 in Reality TV
(18 comments)
Tags: Jarvis Cocker | Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef
The new season of Top Chef! The new season of Top Chef! Now that they've pretended like it mattered where they filmed this show--as if the whole thing couldn't be done in the back lot of some Nevada exurb--in San... CONTINUE READING TOP CHEF: IF YOU CAN BRUNOISE IT HERE, YOU CAN BRUNOISE IT ANYWHERE»
Posted on November 13, 2008 in Reality TV
(9 comments)
Tags: Padma Lakshmi | Tom Colicchio | Top Chef | Vampire Weekend
Carrie Prejean turned the video camera off, put on some clothes, and stepped out of her house. It was a beautiful day outside. The air smelled like apples, and the late morning light hit the world in just such a...
MORE »
If you are a sassy and sarcastic young man in an American sitcom who represents the sitcom writer's desire that a nerdy Jewish teenager can somehow be the desirable romantic hero in this world, then eventually you will get a...
MORE »
I shouldn't even be here right now. I SHOULD BE GETTING INTO MY COSTUME! If I don't hurry, my facepaint won't be dry before I get to the MOONVIE theater, and everyone will be like "hahah, you look like you're...
MORE »
The Challenge: I had to go on a 3.5 hour bus tour of totally random TV and film locations in New York City. Alone, and wearing a specific ridiculous tshirt. And I had to find someone to take my picture...
MORE »
Uh. OK. Well, first let's address what this movie did well, like the disappointed parents we are (or at least that I am), recognizing that the negative feedback won't be useful or constructive if it isn't preceded by something positive....
MORE »
