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What's Been Your Favorite Top Chef Season So Far?

Susannah Chen — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 12:51:44 PST

Between Top Chef All-Stars and Top Chef Texas, it's sure has been a busy year for Bravo. (That doesn't even include the network's spin-offs, like Top Chef Masters and Top Chef Just Desserts.) After more than half a dozen seasons under its belt, the Emmy Award-winning show decided 2011 was the year to mix things up a bit. First came an exciting twist to the show with an all-star cast that brought back fan faves like Richard Blais, Marcel Vigneron, and Dale Levitski. Faced with the challenge of topping a gripping eighth season, Bravo execs made the move to transform season nine into Top Chef Texas.

Before the year ends and the show's 10th(!) season rolls around, we'd like to ask you what your favorite's been thus far. In the history of Top Chef, what season's been the all-time best? Do weigh in below with your comments.

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Take a Look at the Toques Lined Up For Top Chef: Texas

Susannah Chen — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 11:36:07 PDT

Bravo's just released the list of contestants for season nine of Top Chef, which premieres Nov. 2, and the network's switching things up a bit. Instead of one series location, this season will be shot between three cities, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio, and there's a list of 29 hopefuls, which will be whittled down to 16 real cheftestants.

Charlize Theron, Pee-wee Herman, Patti LaBelle, Cat Cora, John Besh, and Tim Love will make appearances - and let's not forget new judges Emeril Lagasse and Hugh Acheson. Keep reading to see all the hopefuls competing on Top Chef: Texas.

Top Chef Healthy Showdown: A Gimmick Worth Watching?

Susannah Chen — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:06:45 PDT

The Top Chef empire just keeps on multiplying. The latest addition to the franchise? The ConAgra-backed Top Chef Healthy Showdown, a weekly, cobranded web series filled with quickfires and elimination challenges using only healthy ingredients.

On the so-called show, four contestants - Sara Nguyen of season three, season four's Ryan Scott, and Casey Thompson and Tre Wilcox of season 3 and Top Chef All-Stars - compete for a $25,000 prize (and, in promotion-heavy Bravo land, the opportunity to launch a Top Chef line of Healthy Choice entrées).

The first episode is riddled with plenty of clichéd phrases like "the competition is stiff, food is skinny, and the stakes are high" ("This is redemption for me," Scott declares in one particularly dramatic moment). Still, with only wholesome ingredients, creative use of kitchen techniques will be more important than ever. I'm curious to watch for that reason alone, and it makes me wonder why they don't have an entire season of Top Chef dedicated to healthy cooking. Will you tune in?

Bravo Confirms: Top Chef 9 Will Be in Texas

Susannah Chen — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 11:59:37 PDT

We've been wondering for some time: how will Bravo top last season's Top Chef All-Stars? The answer, we're assuming, lies in the location. After more than a month of speculation in the blogosphere, the folks at Bravo have finally confirmed that Top Chef is headed to Texas.

According to the announcement, the season will take place in "not one, but three cities - Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio." Houston is glaringly missing. In addition, the show will feature not only the regular cast of characters (Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, and Gail Simmons), but also Emeril Lagasse and and former Top Chef Masters contestant Hugh Acheson.

As a native of the Bayou City, I'm undeniably biased, but it's hard to believe that Houston - the largest city in the state, the fourth-largest in America, and home to Bryan Caswell, Chris Shepherd, and some of the country's biggest rising stars - has officially been snubbed. We should pray that this season won't get caught up in Texas stereotypes, but the announcement - which is already full of cheesy references like "everything's bigger" and "we hope the cheftestants' cowboy boots are made for walking" - almost certainly foreshadows campy challenges and hokey one-liners. I'm already predicting a kill-your-own challenge on a ranch, a guest appearance (or five) from Dallas star chef Tim Love, and a trip to Smitty's, Salt Lick, Kreuz, or another famous Austin-area barbecue joint. Will you tune in?

More Details on Top Chef Just Desserts Season 2

Susannah Chen — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:40:25 PDT

Gail Simmons revealed to us that the second season of Top Chef Just Desserts would air before the end of the year, and now Bravo's finally unveiling more details.

The latest season of the Top Chef spinoff will premiere Aug. 24 at 10 p.m. on Bravo. It'll be led by the usual suspects - Gail Simmons as host, Johnny Iuzzini as head judge, with Hubert Keller and Dannielle Kyrillos as regular judges - plus a few famous guest judges, among them Cat Cora, Francois Payard, and the Beastie Boys' Adam Horovitz. Oh, and the cast of Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Bravo's revealed the season two lineup of contestants, too.

Will you tune in?

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Gail Simmons on Season 2 of Top Chef Just Desserts

YumSugar — Fri, 24 Jun 2011 04:11:36 PDT

Top Chef Just Desserts is back and better than ever: just ask the show's returning host, Gail Simmons. Simmons talked shop about the Bravo show's second season, not confirming an air date but hinting that "the second season will air before the end of the year."

Will season two have the same frenzied, diva- and drama-filled cast of characters that the first season had? "The chefs, the pastry chefs on this next season are really, really special - really talented. I mean, what they accomplish just blows my mind," said Gail. As for what will change on-set: "I think the way they're going to make it different is just that everything is going to be bigger, higher, sweeter, more colorful, more visual, and the challenges are going to be even more unbelievable."

Sounds like a lot more of, well, everything! Are you excited to tune in to Top Chef Just Desserts 2 when it returns?

You're Invited to Rocco's Dinner Party

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:55:19 PDT

When the Food Network debuted Chopped in January 2009, many people in the culinary world wondered if it was a cheap imitation of Bravo's Top Chef. Now, with the premiere date of Rocco's Dinner Party set to air June 15 on Bravo, it seems like things have come full circle.

In each episode, Rocco DiSpirito hosts a dinner party in which three chefs are asked to cook. Only two advance to the next round, where they will have to create a menu for a themed dinner party.

With a guest list of celebrities like Liza Minnelli and Padma Lakshmi, the participating chefs have a lot of people to impress. Unfortunately, after watching the preview of the show I wasn't one of those people. Check it out below and tell me what you think in the comments! Are you interested in viewing Rocco's Dinner Party?

Photos courtesy of Bravo

Let's Dish: What Did You Think of Last Night's Top Chefs?

Katie Sweeney — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 10:15:46 PDT

Bravo had a big night with Top Chef last evening. The reunion show of All-Stars was packed with fun videos, hysterical moments, and even a showdown with Tom and Elia! Then, afterward was the season premiere of the revamped Masters, which the majority of you were planning on watching.

It was pretty exciting: the cheftestants were surprised with Restaurant Wars in the first episode! The quickfire reminded me of Chopped, but I really enjoyed the elimination. I also loved getting to know these chefs - especially the handsome George Mendes who was just named Best New Chef by Food & Wine.

Did you catch them? What did you think of the reunion? And the food on Masters? Let's get a discussion going in the comments!

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Will You Watch Top Chef Masters Season 3?

Katie Sweeney — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 03:19:30 PDT

Tonight after the reunion episode of All-Stars, the third season of Top Chef Masters debuts on Bravo. It's got a new host, different judges, and an interesting cast of chefs, so it promises to be unlike the previous two rounds. Are you planning on watching it?

Photo courtesy of Bravo

Fabio Viviani on the Top Chef All-Stars Season Finale

Guest Writer — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 17:03:18 PDT

Who better to cover the last episode of Top Chef All-Stars than former cheftestant (and contender from this season!) Fabio Viviani? Chef, take it away!

It's over!! I mean almost. The finale is here in the sunny Bahamas, I'd rather today to go water-skiing than get picked and help my two brothers (hey, at the end they ARE from a different mother), but I'll do my fair share and talk them into NOT picking me, but I promise that if I will I'll give heart and soul. Richard is worry.

Mike want to beat Richie and start some serious physiological warfare, Mike is hilarious and Richard is so worry that he can't even talk back to him.

I laughed my butt off when Mike said, "I hope you lose" in his face and Richard instead of go for the throat and answer "you know Mike? F*ck you, you foul mouth piece of sh*t you can kiss my ass I will win this and then I'll rub it in your face" type of thing, he all calm and worry said, "I hope you lose too." AAWWW Richie! That is the sweetest mean things I ever heard! You such a good guy!!!

The rest of Fabio's humorous recap is after the jump.