Top Chef: Chef's Test

March 25, 2024 4:42 PM - Season 21, Episode 1

“Top Chef” heads to Wisconsin with 15 new chefs, new rules and new host Kristen Kish. With no Quickfire Challenge this week, Kristen, Tom and Gail each task five chefs with cooking a dish they believe is a worthy test of being a good chef. The three favorites from each of the judges’ challenge will be up for the win while the three least favorite will be up for elimination. Before anyone goes home, there will be one more major twist to keep the chefs on their toes. The judges are joined by Wisconsin locals Chef Paul Bartolotta and Chef/Owner of Lupi & Iris, Adam Siegel. (from bravotv.com)
posted by Frayed Knot (8 comments total)

Always so excited this is back! Kristen Kish so far is killing it.
posted by Carillon at 6:10 PM on March 25

Tom just about lost it watching Dave during the sudden death cook off at the end.
posted by Spike Glee at 6:44 PM on March 25

Kristen is, I think, a better host because she has played the game herself. I really liked her “just make a good plate of food” challenge.

I felt the same way when Christian Siriano took over for Tim Gunn. He had been a contestant on the show himself, and his feedback to contestants reflected that.

I loved Padma, but I am looking forward to watching Kristen.

(Edited for spelling mistake)
posted by wittgenstein at 8:54 AM on March 26 [1 favorite]

I loved it.

Gail’s backlit hair!

Kristin is rocking it. I think she’s still settling into her tone but I loved the teaser shot of her giving shit to the contestants later in the season. Her outfits were AMAZING — haute tomboy butch, chef’s KISS — and she has fabulous energy and punch on camera. I wonder if she’s using Padma’s anti-fatigue mat 😁. The shot of baby Kristin was aDORable, pea blossom (shoot?) soup for Emeril.

I assume the structural changes are partly driven by her, and I agree, this seems much more humane for the chefs. Less stew room time, more camaraderie, less impossible scheduling and fewer dumb production mistakes. Immunity is the award but the real prize for the winning chef is getting to go whole ass wild all-in on a dish.

“Cook up what’s leftover in the kitchen for final meal” was a great tiebreaker challenge.
posted by sixswitch at 9:18 PM on March 26

GAIL WANTS MORE PASTA

(in the “we love Gail, we just like to pretend that Padma hates Gail” spirit of Watch What Crappens)
posted by sixswitch at 9:23 PM on March 26

Huh, this season feels different. Not talking about Kirsten, she's great. The editing, the music. They seem to be leaning more heavily into the Loud Game Show Drama that characterizes so many cooking shows. I've always liked Top Chef for being calmer, more intelligent, and more about serious cooking. I mean it's never been Great British Bake-Off, it has its moments of editing tension. But they seem way amped up this season. Am I wrong? I want to be wrong.

Here's the restaurant of Dave, the losing contestant: Shuggie's Trash Pie & Natural Wine.

At Shuggie’s, we’re rescuing a huge variety of ingredients that would otherwise go to waste — irregular or surplus produce, byproducts from food manufacturing, lower-on-the-food-chain seafood, and offcuts from the meat industry (aka the actual best cuts) — and making them the stars of our menu.

Here's SF Eater. Sounds unapologetically hipster, but reviews on Yelp and Google are pretty positive.
posted by Nelson at 11:22 AM on March 27

Kind of glad they got rid of the clown (*) first instead of dragging it out for several episodes.

(*) He may be a perfectly nice guy and good cook, but he chose that particular role for his appearance here.
posted by praemunire at 8:05 PM on March 27 [4 favorites]

(I also approve of the change in immunity rules.)
posted by praemunire at 8:05 PM on March 27 [1 favorite]