Cooking Reality TV Style
Let me lead of by saying that I think Top Chef has probably jumped the shark. The advertiser plugs are getting annoying, the "set ups" are ridiculous (right, there's a big black state trooper blocking the country road and by the way, the road from San Antonio to Austin or Dallas is an interstate, and no one noticed John Besh or Padma standing in the field next to the road with cooking stations set up) and both the judges and contestants are bigger asses than ever.
The show just isn't a "must watch" any more. For the first few seasons it was less obvious that the judging was based on who the producer wants to go on versus who the judges think should advance.
By the way, "my palate" and "needs more acid" have to be the two most overused phrases in reality cooking television. Come on!
I am also very, very tired of people getting ragged on for not naming their dish correctly. This week's dumbass judges's statement… "If he hadn't called it Almond Joy we'd be praising him right now". Really Emeril? Really? To paraphrase Tom Colicchio from one of the earlier seasons, "This is Top Chef, not Top Food Namer." (By the way, all 4 judges were ragging on the chef-testant because of the name).
If the show was on any channel other than Bravo it would be a goner after this season, but with some of the other crap that is on that station it is probably safe.
By the way judges…I've eaten at some of your fancy, high priced restaurants and I hate to tell you that the aren't as good as the show would make you think. In fact, the words overpriced and pretentious come to mind. With the exception of Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lis in Vegas (which was absolutely magnificent and Chef Keller even came by the table to talk to us) I have been very, very disappointed.
