by Gina Scarpa

Top Chef returns to Bravo tonight FOR REAL.  They tried to fake me out earlier in the summer with Top Chef: Masters but I’ve been craving the Top Chef I’ve come to know and love over the last three years.  It’s time for season 6, set in Vegas, and I get my Padma, my Tom, my Gail… and, I guess, my Toby back.  I miss me some Ted Allen like there’s no tomorrow but I digress.  Seventeen chefs have made their way to Nevada to compete and Bravo boasts this group as the most talented yet.  Among this group are: James Beard nominees, Michelin star recipients, and several successful executive chefs.

The chefs meet up with Tom and Padma in the kitchen for their first quickfire challenge.  They’re divided up into teams of four to compete in a mise en place relay race.  Because Top Chef wants to talk over my head, I paused to look that up.  Thank you, Wikipedia.  Basically, mise en place is French  for “everything in place”, as in set up.  Everyone draws chips to determine team placement.  Robin draws the gold chip and finds out she doesn’t have to compete AND gets immunity.  Damn.  The contestants will have to shuck clams, peel prawns, clean lobsters, and butcher ribs.  Some of these items prove to be tougher than expected, like the clams, but the blue team pulls off a win (Jennifer, Mattin, Jesse, and Bryan).  

In order to determine a sole winner though, the blue team will have to compete against each other in a cook off.  Since Robin already has immunity, Padma reveals that this quickfire challenge winner will get $15,000.  That’s worth cooking for!  Jennifer, Mattin, Jesse, and Bryan will have to create a dish using the ingredients from the quickfire challenge in 30 minutes.  Jennifer’s clam ceviche with citron vinegar ends up impressing Padma and Tom the most and she is awarded that $15K.

For tonight’s elimination challenge, chefs will have to create a dish based on the vice that they’re guilty of.  Ah, so appropriate since we’re in Sin City!  I like it.  Top Chef is bringin’ in the big dogs this season as Wolfgang Puck will be tonight’s guest judge.  The vices range from alcohol to sex to swearing to smoking.

The first round of dishes is served to the judges by the black team and Hector (smoked rib eye with carrot puree and ceviche of celery) and Mike (olive oil poached halibut with eggplant puree) stand out.  The blue team heads in to see the judges next and Mattin (buffalo rib eye with madeira sauce, zucchini,l and mashed potatoes) is unable to show the panel who he is through his dish but Jesse’s dish (braised chicken with a whiskey reduction, Yukon potatoes, and fried egg) goes over even worse.

Next up is the green team and Jen Z. (chile relleno stui and tomato salsa) falls way short  while Laurine (bacon donuts… yes, you heard me right… and beer sauces) certainly stands out for being different and it’s in a good way!  Last to present their dishes is the red team and Kevin (arctic char with turnip salsa verde) offers up an interesting dish with an interesting story.  Since his vice is procrastination, he decides to speed up cooking processes that are normally slow and slow down ones that are done quickly.  It’s very smart and not surprising at all that it got the attention of the panel.

The chefs with the strongest dishes are called into the room: Mike, Jennifer, Kevin, and Ron.  Wolfgang declares that Kevin is the winner.  Nice, I like the guy and hope he does well this season.  Some not so great news is delivered to Hector, Jen Z., Jesse, and Eve.  The panel felt that Hector’s dish wasn't smoky enough, that Eve’s and Jen’s dishes didn’t have nearly enough flavor, and that Jesse’s dish was way too dry.  The judges just can’t live with Jen’s dish and she (and the crazy gauges in her ears) are sent home.

Tune in to an all new episode of Top Chef, next Wednesday at 10pm ET on Bravo!

(Image courtesy of Bravo)

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