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.
The Chicago Sun has the first interview with the Evil Stephanie Izard, who beat out the Sainted Richard Blais on Top Chef. I almost heard the meowing in this exchange:
Q. Speaking of crazy: Richard made a bacon ice cream. Did you taste it?
A. The pastry chef at my old restaurant used to make it all the time. I love it, but that’s because I love bacon. Bacon belongs on everything.
Read the entire interview here.
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.
WHAT are they THINKING????? That woman (the one who made it) should have gone home at least five episodes ago.
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.
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.
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.
Laurah was kind enough to alert us to this. It seems the rumors were true, and Blais will in fact appear on the new season of “Top Chef,” ice cream hair and all.
Well, we all knew that was the case. More interesting to me was the other Atlanta contestant, a woman named Nimma, who is listed on the “Top Chef” website as “chef at Repast.” That’s funny, I thought, seeing as Joe Truex and his wife Mihoko Obunai are the chef/owners of Repast. I called Truex, and sure enough, he wasn’t aware that he had competition for title as chef at his restaurant. In fact, Nimma no longer works at Repast, and when she did, she worked the salad station.
Now I’m not one of those purists that believes a person needs formal culinary training to warrant the title of “chef,” but surely the word should not be thrown around this lightly?
It has been rumored for weeks that Atlanta’s most notorious molecular-gastronomist Richard Blais had dropped off the face of the earth because he was filming the latest season of Bravo’s “Top Chef†— as a contestant. While this has never been confirmed by Blais or anyone else, it seems that the theory became more viable this week when Blais showed up back in town and admitted that he had only just this past week found out that Element had closed. Seeing as he was Element’s chef, it seems a little strange that he wouldn’t know that it closed weeks ago.
Contestants on “Top Chef†are not allowed any communication with the outside world during filming, and sign confidentiality contracts that bar them from speaking about their involvement in the show until after it airs. If, as appears to be the case, Blais will be appearing as a reality star, it will be interesting to see how it affects his career. Stay tuned.
“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.”
“Top Chef” auditions are coming to Atlanta! This Sunday, July 15th, from noon-4 p.m., Hard Rock Cafe (215 Peachtree St., 404-688-7625) will host a casting call for Season Four of Bravo’s kitchen-drama reality series, “Top Chef.” Admission is free, and spectators over 21 are welcome to attend.
Hopeful chefs must come with a completed application, a certification of veracity, a photo and a recent resume. Get more info and download all necessary forms at www.bravotv.com/casting.
I plan to attend the auditions and will post a description of what goes down, witnessing the tensions, passions, broken hearts and broken dreams that are sure to be present at this cutthroat competitive event.
And speaking of broken hearts and broken dreams, sadly, “Top Chef’s” hottie host Padma Lakshmi and brilliant husband Salman Rushdie are divorcing after three years of marriage. Siiigh.
