Thursday, August 20, 2009

Reactions to Top Chef Las Vegas Episode One

The first episode of a new season of Top Chef is always a little overwhelming, with seventeen new faces and cooking styles to absorb. We jumped right in last night, with the mise en place relay as a Quickfire, giving us the opportunity to observe the chefs' basic kitchen skills (or lack thereof) and their ability to make quick decisions as a team - and causing me to wonder just how hard it is to open clams.

The Elimination Challenge gave the chefs the chance to show off their cooking and also to tell us a little about their vices. Unsurprisingly, they seem to drink a lot. Chef Jen Zavala's "hot temper" backfired via an unrefined chile relleno, and her spicy attitude during Judges' Table made me wonder if we'll be missing out by not having her around for the rest of the season.

So what did you think about the episode and our new crew of chefs? Will the Voltaggio brothers have an advantage - or a disadvantage? Is Chef Duprat really as mild-mannered and sweet as he seems? Will Chef Isabella's mouth get him in trouble? Please leave a comment with your thoughts...

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