But let’s throw those in a doggie bag for now.
Bravo’sAndy Cohenlater revealed that the networkopted out of shooting a reuniondue to the negative reaction from viewers.
If nothing else, watch this season for him.
‘Top Chef’ hosts Padma Lakshmi and Tom Colicchio.Credit:Smallz & Raskind/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
Cook a Thanksgiving feast using only ingredients and tools available during the First Thanksgiving?
No amount of editing can mask how annoyed the chefs are.
They came here to cook, not compete in a biathlon!
‘Top Chef: Los Angeles’.Scott Shafer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
15.Top Chef: California(season 13)
Dale Berman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
This onecould’vebeen good.
The food is impressive, but rarely does it actuallylookdelicious.
Many of its best chefs Casey, Tre, CJ would make more of an impact in later seasons.
‘Top Chef: San Francisco’.Gavin Bond/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Many of the challenges become so encumbered by limitations that the food itself suffers.
The chefs are lacking, too.
The"pea puree"debacle between Ed and Alex gets a lot nastier than it needs to be.
‘Top Chef: Boston’.David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
This… was frustrating.
Why they didn’t just save these folks for a proper All-Stars season is baffling.
“Trash fish,” Gullah cuisine, whole-hog barbecue it’s banger after banger.
‘Top Chef: Texas’.Vivian Zink/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Shooting a challengeat a former plantation, though?
Not the best choice.
Their arrival kills the remaining chefs' morale, and underwhelming dishes dominate the season’s middle stretch.
‘Top Chef: Wisconsin’.David Moir/Bravo via Getty
In one episode, Colicchio even enters the stew room and tells them how disappointed he is.
Yeah, Nicholas sucks, but this season is better than its finale might suggest.
John, Leah Chase, and Roy Choi pop with eccentricities you don’t often see on the show.
Buddha Lo and Sarah Welch in ‘Top Chef: Houston’.David Moir/Bravo via Getty
New Orleans' ownEmeril Lagasseas one of the season’s main judges.
While appreciated, it inevitably strips the competition of a bit of its magic.
And then there’s Shota, whose Japanese cuisine stunned with its deceptively simple foundations.
‘Top Chef: California’.Dale Berman/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
It deserves better, though, given that its cheftestants are among the most entertaining in the franchise.
Yeah, the winner is a bummer Stefan was robbed but the journey getting there is a riot.
Remember,it’sTop Chef, notTop Scallops.
‘Top Chef: Miami’.Matthias Clamer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
The result is a rich, rewarding season that showcases cooking styles and techniques from across the globe.
I’m still thinking of the soup Charbel made with nothing but onions and chicken jus.
Like,howdo you make me want that?
‘Top Chef: D.C.'.David Giesbrecht/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
Aside from Eric Ripert and Emeril Lagasse, the guest judges aren’t exactly household names.
This isn’t theTop Chefof yore, where tweezers and microgreens were a necessity.
Sara, for example, weaves Appalachian and Jewish ingredients and techniques into her food.
‘Top Chef: Charleston’.Paul Cheney/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
See, after the firstAll-Stars, the folks cooking upTop Chefseemed to worry that the show was growing stale.
That’s what it’s about!
But they were all worth the wait, even ifL.A.doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor.
‘Top Chef: Charleston’.Paul Cheney/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
To be honest, it’s the drama.
There’s a little sprinkled throughout, but these all-stars are by and large gracious and amiable.
Dale,we’re lookingat you.
‘Top Chef: Seattle’.David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
But early on, heavy hitters can make for a somewhat unbalanced competition.
“I’m nervous to even eat with the man,” Colicchio said of the latter.
Top to bottom, it’s a rich, hearty stew of competition, ingenuity, and personality.
‘Top Chef: New Orleans’.David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
‘Top Chef: Portland’.David Moir/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
‘Top Chef: New York’.Michael Lavine/Bravo/Courtesy Everett
‘Top Chef: World All-Stars’.David Moir/Bravo via Getty
‘Top Chef: Kentucky’.Michael Hickey/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
‘Top Chef: Kentucky’.Michael Hickey/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
‘Top Chef: Colorado’.Paul Trantow/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
‘Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.'.Nicole Weingart/Bravo via Getty
Nini Nguyen and Karen Akunowicz in ‘Top Chef: All-Stars L.A.'.Nicole Weingart/Bravo/NBCU Photo Bank via Getty
‘Top Chef: Chicago’.Chuck Hodes/Bravo via Getty
‘Top Chef: Las Vegas’.Justin Stephens/Bravo/Courtesy Everett
Michael and Bryan Voltaggio in ‘Top Chef: Las Vegas’.Kelsey McNeal/Bravo/Courtesy Everett
‘Top Chef: All-Stars’.David Giesbrecht/Bravo/Courtesy Everett
Richard Blais in ‘Top Chef: All-Stars’.David Giesbrecht/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty
