Top Chef DC - Episode 1: What's Your Constituency?

At last, a brand new season of Top Chef has arrived to keep television lively this summer (perfect timing too, as my beloved Real World/Road Rules Challenge - which also airs on Wednesday nights - just wrapped up). Top Chef Masters was fun enough for the time being (eh, better than no Top Chef at all, I suppose), but it doesn't have anything on the regular series, and if this first episode is any indication, then we're in for quite the season...

Initial thoughts: There are so many chefs at the starting point, it's difficult to pick out who has the skills, who doesn't, who I like, don't like, and so on. If I had to say, though, the obvious picks would be Kenny and Angelo. I like both of them, and each definitely seems to have the abilities to go far in the game. Especially Kenny, what with his domination of that mise-en-place quickfire (well, except for taking the actual win, but you know what I mean). Being the first to finish each segment on the very first challenge was a great way to strike fear into the hearts of the other chefs, really let them know who they're fucking with in this competition - he's like that dude you always hated in college who finished his bluebook essay exam before you got through writing your name. How sweet would it have been if he actually won??? Props to Angelo, though - winning that and the elimination challenge definitely makes him stand out to not only the judges, but the other chefs, as well. I don't get this buzz I'm hearing about his ego - he seems confident, sure, but not arrogant in any asshole-kind of way (unlike Mike Isabella, from last season). Who knows, though - too early in the competition to really know the deal.

I had a feeling John was gonna be the one going home pretty early into the episode, don't ask me why. Maybe because he chose to do a dessert, or maybe just because the dude was too much of a freak to be around for long (nice enough guy, but come on - he was a martian). This feeling was cemented when it was revealed that he used store-bought pastry dough, rather than making it himself. It's Top Chef SEVEN dude, what are you thinking? Have you ever seen the show before? There's no real excuse for that, and he should have known how frowned upon that decision would be.

Some the other chefs: Pulling for Alex a little bit - not just because he's Russian (represent), but he seems to really know what he's doing, at least judging from this episode (skillfully deconstructing the borsch, and so on). Thought Tracey's remark about Stephen being from Cleveland (and therefore, not knowing how to cook) was pretty nasty and out of line. It's like, as long as we're being judgmental, how about you lose 100 pounds? Maybe if she wins Top Chef, she can put the $125,000 towards a treadmill. I'd like to give her the benefit of the doubt on that one (with editing and everything, who knows the context of how it really came out), but still - it came off as pretty rude and unnecessary, making it extra hilarious when Tom said that her shrimp were "as bland as can be". Rooting for Lynne, as well - mostly because of what she said about being a great chef, despite not having any crazy tattoos/hair, and so on (that caricature of the hip, deeply-disturbed-yet-skilled "chef" can be retired anytime - the fact that people don't care what cliches they are by doing that shit astounds me). Oh, and I think I speak for everyone when saying that it's great to have Eric Ripert judging the proceedings this time around, as opposed to Toby Young, whose contrived quips will undoubtedly be remembered as one of the low points in the series.

I thought the elimination challenge itself was pretty good, too (make a dish that represents where you're from, and so on), and it got me thinking about what I would do if I were in the chefs' shoes (of course, pretending that I had a shred of their culinary abilities). Um, something with corn?