Showing posts with label Top Chef Season 8. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Top Chef Season 8. Show all posts

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Meet the All Stars - Fabio Viviani

Fan Favorite Fabio not only charmed everyone but had the chops in the kitchen to back it up, making it all the way to the final four.

Fabio is the Owner and Executive Chef of Café Firenze in Moorpark, CA and Firenze Osteria in Toluca Lake, CA. Born and raised in Florence, Italy, his culinary career began at the age of 12 when he started working in a restaurant. Two years later, he was given the opportunity to prove himself as a cook when the chef cut himself badly and Fabio stepped in. He then attended culinary school and traveled across Europe, training in classic Italian and Mediterranean cuisine. He won awards for his dry aged steaks at the Sagra Della Bistecca Awards in Cortona and his cheese and wine selections at the 2004 Enofood Awards. In 2009, his first cookbook Café Firenze, Mangia e Bevi was released with rave reviews. His next book, a collaboration with his mother, My Son is on Google, Recipes & Memories from an Italian Mom is due out in Fall 2012.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Your reactions to the TC double-header? And the All-Star S8 line-up

Wow, what a night - the TC Reunion show, plus announcement of the Season 8 All-Star contestants, followed by that supersized Top Chef: Just Desserts episode. Will be back this evening with more details and tributes to the deserving Just Desserts folks. I'm lovin' the cast and show of Top Chef: Just Desserts and don't want to give anyone short shrift.

Meanwhile, here are the All-Star Season 8 contestants. Gail commented that she couldn't have hand-picked a better cast herself, and I'm inclined to agree. Many are chefs I was rooting for, and disappointed not to see make it to the finish line. I'll be especially curious to see what they'll do coming back to the pressure cooker of TC competition and its goofy challenges, having already been there/done that, as well as how they've evolved since their stints on the show.

Tiffani Faison
Steven Aspirino
Elia Aboumrad
Marcel Vigneron
Dake Levitski
Casey Thompson
Tre Cox
Richard Blais
Dale Talde
Antonia Lafaso
Spike Mendelsohn
Fabio Viviani
Carla Hall
Jamie Lauren
Jennifer Carroll
Mike Isabella
Angelo Sosa
Tiffani Derry

The Season 7 Fan Favorite will be announced tonight on Watch What Happens.

So what did you think of last night's festivities? Let us know in the comments.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

All-Star Rumors Confirmed


Rumored contestants according to Eater.com

TV Guide and Eater.com report that Top Chef Season 8 will indeed be an all-star season, premiering December 1. The 18 cast members are to be revealed during tonight’s reunion show. And Anthony Bourdain will be a regular judge, alternating with Gail Simmons!