Omnivore Atlanta

Not a whole lot to say about last night’s show except a few thoughts:

Does Radhika remind anyone else of Helena Bonham Carter (apart from the fact that they both have confusing “h”s in their names)?

Does anyone else think Jeff has a tiny bit of American Psycho in him?

What’s up with the pro-Europe talk, like Europeans are some kind of oppressed minority that never gets its culinary due? I’m sorry, but a European winning does not have the same significance as a woman winning last season. A tattooed Hawaiian however (oops, I think I just let my Top Chef crush out of the bag)…

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Guess what? This is Omnivore Atlanta’s one thousandth post!!! What a grand ride it’s been – we’ve laughed, we’ve cried…ahem…

OK, enough of that, what did you think of tonight’s “Top Chef” premier? Of course, I’m having a much harder time being fully invested because there’s no hometown chef this time around, but it does seem to me that the show is continuing their trajectory of getting better and better quality contestants every time. I also liked that the first challenge was about basic knife and kitchen skills – last season I was appalled at how few chefs knew very basic things, even after four or five shows. Weed out the non-souffle makers early, I say.

I’m going to save my top three predictions for week three or so, but feel free to opine away. In honor of our 1000th post, I’ll be giving away one of the cookbooks I’m writing about on the blog and in next week’s Holiday Guide (it’s a good one, and expensive too!!) to the first person who correctly guesses the top three finalists. Guesses must be made by Dec 5th in the comments section of the blog. One guess per person please – I’m sure you can figure out how to cheat, but don’t. I trust you.

PS – If you want you can read Richard Blais’ blog on the new Top Chef season on Bravo’s website.

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I spoke to Richard Blais on Thursday morning about his experience as a contestant on “Top Chef”. You can listen to a podcast of the interview here.

Also check out the Food & Drink section next week for more of my interview with Blais.

Podcast produced by Alejandro Leal

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For years, I’ve studiously avoided “Top Chef,” Bravo’s reality chef-competition show — which is unusual for me considering my near obsession with practically all things Bravo reality-TV programming. (And in my defense, I do believe the best of the crop, “Project Runway,” is a multi-Emmy nominee, no?)

But “Top Chef” eluded me for years mainly on the argument that there was really no way for me to “judge” whether or not the resultant work was any good. And so, generally speaking, it all came down to the drama, and even during those unavoidable Bravo marathon screenings of the series — helpful at times, annoying the other 90 percent of the time — I just couldn’t get on board. Until now.

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Richard Blais extended his guy-to-beat status on last night’s episode of “Top Chef”, winning the elimination challenge with a nasty sounding white chocolate wasabi sauce. I’m intrigued! I can’t imagine that tasting good! I hope he wins so he can buy a restaurant and serve that dish so I can taste it!

At this point it seems as though Dale may be Blais’ only serious competition. If I had money at stake though I’d put it on Blais, despite the fact that the teaser for next week made it seem as though he might go up for the chop.

Is it just me, or is that dude Ryan a complete idiot? I would love to have seen how he actually left Daniel’s kitchen.

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It looks as though our hometown boy may just do us proud on this season of “Top Chef”. Richard Blais was in the top four chefs in last night’s premier, after serving a crab cake to the judges. Anyone who ate at Blais’ most recent restaurant Element would have recognized his saran-wrapped dish with the smoke that wafts out. I have to say, it was really fun to see food on the show that I have had some actual experience with. I remember Blais’ smoked mayo well…yum! Although Blais did not win the challenge, judge Tom Colicchio called his food “forward thinking”.

Unfortunately, the other Atlanta chef Nimma was sent home after cooking a salty shrimp scampi.

I loved that Blais has a competing haircut on the show.

I also for the first time gained an appreciation for what the show is doing for the taste of viewers. The pretension of deconstructed dishes, or the fallacy of cutting the fat off of a duck breast is something cooks and diners in this country need to hear about.

We’ll be keeping up with the show in more detail as it progresses.

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Man, I gotta love my DVR. I have a show to go to tonight, but will be eagerly watching “Top Chef” when I get home to see how our hometown guy does.

“Top Chef” season 4 premiers tonight on Bravo at 10 p.m.

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“It’s all about passion, the challenge, creativity, you know, I’m just out there to put my heart on a plate and let people see it.” So spoke the anxious, sweating, “Top Chef” auditionee at Sunday’s casting call for Bravo’s reality show. Casting directors Randy and Danielle thank him, and the four minute interview he waited two-and-a-half hours for is over.

Outside, the line snakes down Peachtree Street from the Hard Rock Cafe. It is 1 p.m., and some of these nervous chefs have been here for hours, the earliest arriving at 6 a.m., for their chance to audition. Some have chef-wear on, chef pants, the names of their respective restaurants stitched on chests, clutching resumes and applications, and all are very anxious, very determined, and very sick of waiting in line.

Randy pops his head out to let the hordes know they will take a 10 minute break to eat. “That OK guys?”
“No, it’s not OK,” one surly woman toward the front of the line snaps back. Tensions are running high.

Inside, over their anger-inciting lunch, Randy and Danielle know just what they are looking for. “We want someone with passion, drive and talent who is able to articulate food and understand recipes and flavor profiles,” Randy says between bites of his hamburger. “Someone who knows what their style is and how they would articulate this on a plate. All our contestants are hand-picked by us. … We really like Atlanta so far, it’s a cool city.”

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