Ah, reality television, how I love thee. It’s true. I’m a huge reality TV nerd, and even sat through an episode or two of House of Carters. Ok, that’s probably TMI, but it really happened. So it’s no surprise that I fell in love with Top Chef: New York, the fifth season of the show.
For those of you who have never seen Top Chef, let me explain the concept. In each episode, there are two competitions. The first is the Quickfire test, where the 17 contestants must prove their culinary skills by performing tasks such as peeling apples with a paring knife or preparing a holiday meal using only one pot. The winner of this contest receives immunity from being eliminated that week. The second is the Elimination Challenge, in which the chefs are given a shopping budget, buy their groceries, and make a meal in the allotted time that fits the guidelines of the challenge. Some of these competitions included making a menu inspired by the mantra “something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue” and serving it at a bridal shower, or cooking a meal that represents the ethnic food of a specific neighborhood in New York City. The loser goes home, and everyone is happy. Well, almost everyone.
This is definitely my favorite season of Top Chef so far. Not only is it set in New York City, which has some of the best cuisine (not that I’m biased at all), but the cast of great guests, including Martha Stewart , Rocco DiSpirito and Emeril Lagasse, is unrivaled by any other season. Joining the Foo Fighters for Thanksgiving dinner and watching Kathie Lee spit out a certain contestant’s dish in a napkin were added bonuses, to say the least. I may have gained 5 pounds from reviewing the show since I can’t watch food television without at least a proper snack, but I was too distracted by Fabio and Stefan’s bromance to worry about it. They are hilarious.
I really love all of the cheftestants of Top Chef: New York , as Bravo so adeptly named them. Team Rainbow is so fabulous, even though most of them didn’t make it very far. I could watch Jeff run around and try to make sure his hair is still beautiful in every episode, even if he barely has time to plate his meal. And who doesn't love Tom and Padma, the hosts? My only qualm is that Stefan didn’t win. It’s not that I'm not a big fan of the winner, it’s just that I feel Stefan did a lot better in the competitions, even if he did have a bit of an ego. And by a bit, I mean his ego could trample an elephant without flinching. I’m not going to tell you who won (watch and see) but trust me, it’s worth it.
DVD Bonus Features
This DVD collection has some of the best extras I’ve seen on a television box set. The extended interviews with players who had been eliminated are fascinating, especially because they go inside the sequester house, where all the evicted players stay until the show is done filming. There is an exclusive cookbook, unaired footage of the Stew Room (where the chefs wait while the judges deliberate), and a PC game demo. I’m not so into the game, but it isn’t terrible. Everything else is amazing though, especially the exclusive cooking featurette entitled The Wong Way to Cook which is hosted by Le Anne Wong, a “Final Four” contestant from the first season who demonstrates how to make four dishes from this season. I wish all reality shows, or at least the few that come out on DVD, would have such great features.
"Top Chef: New York" is on sale October 20, 2009 and is rated NR. Television, Reality. Directed by Paul Starkman. Starring Padma Lakshmi, Gail Simmons, Ted Allen, Tom Colicchio.
