Reactions to Top Chef Texas Episode 1

Yay! Top Chef: The Mothership is back! This time, Tom, Padma, Gail and the gang are in the great state of Texas. Joining them are new permanent judges Emeril Lagasse and Hugh Acheson, plus twenty-nine hopefuls who think they are battling for the title of Top Chef.

In reality, they're competing for the ability to battle for the title of Top Chef.

In this episode, we see that the twenty-nine will eventually become 16 via a series of heats in which they compete head-to-head. Heats 1 and 2 gave us most of the chefs who continue in the competition, plus four chefs considered to be "on the bubble" because their dishes didn't quite measure up to the judges' exacting standards.

Next week, we'll get Heat 3 plus the bubble challenge. And presumably we'll get to the nitty-gritty in the weeks to come.

So what did you think of this rather grand format change? We'd love to read your opinions in a comment.

Posted on AllTopChef.com