GreenVulture

THE CONTESTANTS

Brian, 34, San Diego, CA
Camille, 34, Brooklyn, NY
Casey, 29, Dallas, TX
Chris, 31, Venice, CA
Clay, 28, Santa Barbara, CA



Dale, 34, Chicago, IL
Howie, 31, Miami, FL
Hung, 29, Las Vegas, NV
Joey, 29, New York, NY
Lia, 28, Brooklyn, NY



Micah, 33, South Florida, FL
Sandee, 39, Miami Beach, FL
Sara M., 34, Miami, FL
Sara N., 24, New York, NY
Tre, 30, Cedar Hill, TX

THE JUDGES

Ted Allen (food/wine expert on Queer Eye For the Straight Guy. All-around awesomeness.)
Tom Collicchio (founder/owner of several successful restaruants in the US. Seems to enjoy being an elitist foodie dickhead who plays favorites--we still love you though, Tom)
Padma Lakshmi (also the host. Model, Salman Rushdie's better half, erstwhile actress, cookbook author. Has that glassy-eyed, slurred-speech stoner act down pat.)
Gail Simmons (editor of "Food & Wine" magazine. May God help you if you serve her eggs that are rubbery or burnt.)

TOP CHEF: 4-STAR ALL STARS

Did you miss the 4-Star All Stars show last week? It was a one-off special where 4 contestants each from past seasons squared off, and the winning team had money donated in their name to a charity of their choice.

The teams were Season 1 (Harold, Tiffani, Stephen, Dave) vs. Season 2 (Sam, Ilan, Marcel, Elia)

Don't have Bravo? Then chances are you'll miss 4-Star All Stars during the five jillion times they'll rerun it. But don't worry, because they have you covered. Bravo was kind enough to post the entire thing online:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

For those who want to know who won:



More info on the show to come, but looking at Season 2, there was one thread for that whole season, so I figure the same could be done this season.

LivingINClip

Sign me up. I see five hot chicks on this show.
SWEET.

ZakVTA

Their 4 Star All Star special was very entertaining. It was just classic to have all 8 of those Chefs back from Seasons 1 and 2. Just having Stephen and Marcel in the same kitchen you know it's going to be a good show. They both seem as cocky as ever. Dave was also hilarious with his comments about Marcel.

I do wish they had done more background info on what all the chefs have been doing since the show. All you really heard was a brief mention of Harold opening his restaurant and Ilan having some sort of problem with his restaurant.

Hopefully Season 3 will bring some great cooking with great chefs and focus less on the drama.

GreenVulture

I think Ilan said that he had several offers, but turned them down because he wasn't ready yet or he had a lot more left to learn. While I'd like to give him credit for admitting he still has a ways to go before owning his own restaurant, I think that was his way of saying "Nobody will hire me because I proved time after time on national television that I'm a tremendous douchebag who has a borderline-disturbing fetish for adding a Spanish twist to every dish I make."

The same goes for Marcel, though to a lesser extent, and if you replace "Spanish" with "foam." I hoped he would come out of this like Stephen, who was arrogant in S1 but seemed to have found some maturity and humbleness by the time the reunion special rolled around. But that wasn't the case, and he was back to his old, arrogant self, a one-trick pony in serious need of a haircut.

But overall, All-Stars was pretty entertaining; it was a blast seeing some of the old Season 1 cast get back together. I think my two favorite moments was seeing everyone's reaction to the absurd Quickfire Challenge (seriously, why not just go the whole nine yards and blindfold them while requiring them to hop on one foot?) and Stephen's dumbfounded reaction when Tom told him about the wine he selected being paired with both his dish AND his competition's.

There's an article here where Colicchio says that this new crop of cooks are more mature and professional (good one, Tom!).

whitetigeress

Great! I love this show. I will have to watch that special online tonight when I get home. I loved Tiffani from the first season.

toolbin

I don't know. This cast came off as collosal douchebags in the All-Star special. They could have just been cocky trying to prove themselves in front of the judges and the S1 & S2'ers.

Still better than watching Aaron blubber on Hell's Kitchen.

Big Boy Laroux

i thought the season 3 guys did come off as douchebags ("I would NEVER cook this"). I hope that they're at least more mature than season 2, who acted like a bunch of kids. season 1 had some conflicts, but they weren't children.

I was very impressed with Steven. as someone mentioned, he was already better at the season 1 reunion show. and he had the best dishes in both the quickfire and challenge in this show.

i am pumped that Ted Allen is an official judge this year. I've always liked that guy.

DJariya

This is my 1st season trying this show. I do like Padma from her days on Planet Food on Food Network. I tried watching that All-Star show last week and IMO it was unwatchable.

SexualPudding

I see 2 chicks that are semi-cute, but I'll still watch. I had never seen this show before the 4 star special thing last week, but it is easy to get into and enjoy.

P.S. I'd take Gail Simmons over any of the cast members

Noonan

GreenVulture

If don't want to watch online, they'll air it again tonight at 9, just before the S3 premiere.

Gail's mine, dude.

Perkinsun Dzees

I got dibs on Camille Becerra

Matthew Chmiel

If we're claiming dibs on the fine women on Top Chef, then I want both Micah and Sara M., and to be honest -- besides the lesbian, this season has all good looking girls.

After watching the season premiere, it was clear who was going home after the Quickfire Challenge. As my friend put it, someone from the south better fucking know how to cook boar and alligator.

Hung seems the most cocky and I already don't like him, but I believe he'll make it to the final four or five just like Stephen and Marcel the past two seasons.

Here's hoping that Micah makes it that far as she has already impressed the judges and I dig cute women with accents.

And what the hell is up with that huge fucking scar on Padma's arm?

Seantn

You don't know? She's a cutter.

Nah, just kidding I read that she was in a car accident when she was younger and she shielded her mother with her arm.

LiquidSky

Okay, now that you straight dudes have claimed your gals , I'll claim a couple of guys: Chris, Dale, and Brian.

*************
Joey seems like a real dipshit. Hung is talented but has a huge ego. Very cool to see Tre come back so strong. He, Hung, and Micah are my favorties so far.

Poor Clay was as nervous as a tit mouse!

FantasticVSDoom

I dont know, sure Clay pretty much couldnt cook his way out of paper bag (from Miss. and cant cook boar?), but Howie didnt fucking finish. I dont care if Clay put shit on a plate, he shouldnt have been kicked off when one guy didnt finish.

LiquidSky

FantasticVSDoom: I completely agree. Previous chefs were given the boot for not completing their meals. The judges seem to change the "rules" to suit their personal whims.

SexualPudding

I don't really have a problem with Howie not getting the boot. If they had stated rules in place that anyone who doesn't complete it is automatically gone, then sure, but they saw the potential with him, where as it was obvious that Clay was in way over his head. I admit, it would have made for more entertaining tv to have him around another week or two, though.

Oh, and Gail looked stunning as always

sjrab16

It seemed that the food was really bad though so they could not look the other way and get rid of the guy who did not finish. Plus I think bringing up the celebrity chef's book and quoted about the cooks from Ecuador pretty much guaranteed he was safe.

Also not sure if you caught it in the reunion show but Hung is a friend of Marcel, so I am sure Hung is being an ass just to get more attention like Marcel and Stephen did in their seasons.

LiquidSky

sjrab16: agreed. I think quoting the book saved Howie's butt.

Re: Hung and Marcel knowing each other. Yeah, I caught that on the special and agree that's probably why Hung is acting like a snot.

spinning plates

that might be the only reason i'll watch this season. marcel made last season entertaining with everyone cussing him out.

Slumbering Fist

The reality casting is just a bit too transparent this season. You can really tell the people who were cast for personality as much, if not more than, their actual skill: The loud NY Italian guy, the bitchy lookin' hot chick, the asshole Asian guy, a couple of the token gays (thats right I said it! Bravo knows where their bread is buttered), the Thing,...

...and poor, poor bumpkin. You could tell he had zero business being there, and I'll bet good money that when he was in the casting interview he said, "Muh, pa was a chef too, and he done killed his self," the producers instantly got a boner and cast him for that sound bite alone.

boredsilly

Something about Gail Simmons rubs me the wrong way. She just irks the hell out of me.

Of the cast, I really like Lia as far as attraction goes. I'm a big fan of that girl next door look.

I'm pulling for Tre. He seems to be the exception to the "angry black man" that reality tv shows love to cast. And looks to have the talent to boot.

Matthew Chmiel

He doesn't seem to be the "angry black man" (well not yet anyways), but he seems to be in the same boat as Rock is in over at Hell's Kitchen.

SexualPudding

Gail can rub me any way she wants.