tom colicchio

(S06E11) This episode isn't about drama, stunts, or (gasp!) vegetarians. It is simply a case of "we have six chefs and we need to get down to five," so it kind of felt like a filler episode. The guest judge was Nigella Lawson, and while Nigella Lawson would be a welcome edition to any TV show, there just isn't a whole lot going on here.

Although, I will say that the quickfire challenge probably provided foodie fantasy fodder worldwide, as it opened up with Padma in bed, wearing a robe with tousled hair -- and if that wasn't enough, we find that Nigella is also in a robe and in bed as well. Granted, they're different beds, but still: same room. The ostensible reason for this was to to a breakfast in bed Quickfire challenge, but come on-- they didn't have Tom Colicchio in that bed.

Natalie Portman guested on this week's 'Top Chef: Las Vegas' and threw the remaining contestants a curveball with her vegetarian dietary requirements. The final seven chefs were prepared to create a reimagined TV dinner using a variety of meat at Tom Colicchio's Craftsteak restaurant, but were instead asked to prepare a dish using nothing but veggies.

In this clip, diners react during the elimination challenge to Chef Michael Voltaggio's asparagus salad, Japanese tomato sashimi and banana polenta. Although Voltaggio wasn't the winner of the challenge, diners responded favorably to his unusual pairing of polenta with banana.

Watch the video from TV's Top 5! after the jump.

(S06E08) Well, things have certainly heated up on Top Chef, haven't they? Oh, I'm not talking about in the kitchen; I'm talking about in the house. These chefs are getting testy, or some are. Eli mentioned in the open that there was a lot of "emotional stress." Well, he should know because he's behind some of it. Then there's motor mouth Robin. Could she really be as yappy as she appears to be on camera?

Even though I watch a lot of programming on the Food Network, I have to admit I missed almost all of the The Next Iron Chef in season one. Last Sunday, the second season of The Next Iron Chef blasted off with the best ratings for a series opener in Food Network history. Over two million viewers, a 1.1 rating among adults 25-54.

Why the big jump? Well, I think a lot of other people are like me. On Sunday, before I switched over to watch pro football, I clicked on Food Network where they were showing a marathon rerun of the first season of The Next Iron Chef. It only took half an episode for me to kick myself for not having watched the whole first season when it aired. It was terrific.

Amid the real housewives and matchmakers, millionaire real estate brokers and house flippers, there is one unscripted series that has been top shelf on Bravo. With Project Runway not on Lifetime, the best of Bravo's reality is Top Chef. In the five seasons past and the current season playing out, Top Chef has been a winner for the cable net, so it's not a big surprise that today Bravo renewed Top Chef for a seventh season.

If I were a drinker, I'd drink to that. Top Chef is in the midst of season six, which is shaping up to be one of the best yet. The location, Las Vegas, has opened up a lot of options for challenges, including a French food episode that might have been one of the most intense ever on the series.

(S0605) Last week was a big one, with two contestants being eliminated. I'm all for double-eliminations, since the fewer contestants there are, the easier my job generally is. Though Mattin was spared, he is understandably a little embarrassed, since he's from France and completely biffed the French cuisine challenge. I mean, you don't see Kevin screwing up barbecue or anything.

Tim Love is the guest judge; he's one of those rough-and-tumble types who infuses rustic food into fine dining. So I love the idea of letting the audience choose this week's Quickfire Challenge, but the fact that Top Chef is trying to make me believe that with cactus, snake, and kangaroo as choices, 57% of the people asked for cactus? Shenanigans! You know that vote was for Kangaroo Jack to bite the big one. I simply will not believe otherwise.

(S06E04) If the names Joël Robuchon, Daniel Boulud, Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel and Jean Joho don't strike fear in your heart, you are probably not a Top Chef contestant. Even Tom Colicchio seemed über-impressed by these French chefs. This season the producers have really turned up the heat on Top Chef, pushing the chefs to truly earn the title of Top Chef as never before. This challenge -- cooking for the aforementioned master chefs -- was the most difficult in the series yet.

Top Chef Masters returns to Bravo tonight (after a week off), but some fans aren't into this more "professional" edition of the reality show and are waiting patiently (or maybe not too patiently) for the "real" Top Chef to return. You only have about six more weeks to wait.

Top Chef Las Vegas will premiere on August 26. According to the press release, we're going to see a lot of stars in this season too (only not as contestants, of course), including Penn & Teller, Todd English, Natalie Portman, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Palmer, Daniel Bouland, and Nigella Lawson. Padma Lakshmi will be back as host, along with judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and Toby Young (who a lot of fans don't seem to like that much, at least in his role here).

This could be a very fun season, considering what Las Vegas is like (as famous now for its restaurants as its gambling).

When it comes to cooking competition shows, the two that consistently make the grade are Bravo's Top Chef and Fox's Hell's Kitchen. But while the two shows are ostensibly both about aspiring chefs competing for a prime position -- to beat the competition and emerge as number one -- there are really more things about the shows that separate them.

In terms of quality competition, food expertise and cooking skills, Top Chef is superior to Hell's Kitchen. They're both fun to watch, and I have followed every season of each of them. But the main thing they have in common is the kitchen. Read my five reasons and see if you don't agree with me that Top Chef has it all over Hell's Kitchen.

The fifth edition of Top Chef came to a conclusion last night. I'd like to say it was one of the all-time best seasons, that I was on the edge of my seat with excitement, that I was really rooting for one competitor more than another... I'd like to say that, but I can't. All in all, Top Chef New York, which became Top Chef New Orleans in the last few episodes, was kind of a dud.

Before I talk about the winner and what happened specifically in the finale, I have to ask why Top Chef failed to really make use of the location this time around? New York is all about food and great restaurants and amazing chefs, but I can't think of one episode that really used the city in a creative way. Where was the Little Italy challenge? What about a trip to Chinatown for wild ingredients? Gail Simmons' bridal shower could have taken place anywhere. The Super Bowl challenge was generic. And when it was time for the finale, TC went to the Big Easy. Is that any way to honor the Big Apple?

If you're a regular Top Chef watcher -- like me -- you know that when it comes to being a straight-shooter, down to earth, regular person, professional chef Tom Colicchio fills the bill. He's a tough judge, but pretty fair. He's also supposedly a world-class chef and restaurant mogul, but since I've never been to any of the Craft restaurants to had him cook a meal for me, I have to assume that's true.

One thing I do know is true, however, is that Tom Colicchio saved a life. Seriously.

On Monday night at a pre-Inaugural benefit in Washington, D.C., hosted by cookbook scribe Joan Nathan, when the hostess choked on a piece of chicken and author Alice Waters screamed for someone to help her, Chef Tom rushed over, assessed the situation and gave Ms. Nathan the Heimlich maneuver. After a few pulls, the chicken was dislodged and the party resumed.

The New York season of Top Chef has been fun, albeit a bit predictable. It seems like in every one of the episodes, you can peg who's going to be eliminated by the time Padma, Colicchio and company hit the judges' table. Even this week's addition of the Simon Cowell-like Toby Young as the new judge didn't derail the elimination train from its ultimate destination: the ouster of the two chefs everyone thought were in over their heads to begin with.

The fun part is that the producers are throwing challenges at the chefs that are pretty brilliant in their deviousness. For instance, last night the chefs had to cook for their potentially toughest critics... their fellow competitors. The results were mixed, to say the least. As in the previous weeks, the food produced by the chefs was mostly mediocre or uninspired. The people that challenged themselves ended up falling on their faces.

Which leads me to this question for you all: Would you eat at any of the contestants' restaurants? Follow me after the jump and I'll explain.

(S05E02) And as the contest resumes, the 17 chefs have now been whittled down to 15 as episode two unfolds. After watching the second installment of Top Chef New York, it's clear this is going to be a good season.

Tough competitors, great location -- and they're using it effectively -- and at least so far, realistic challenges that are testing their mettle.

Interestingly, the chefs haven't figured out that there's strength in numbers. Instead of playing it smart through this week's episode, a couple were downright suicidal in their approach. More on that after the jump.

Back in the suite, Euro-boys Stefan and Fabio have become brothers in arms. Or is the bromance more of a love story? It's hard to tell, but Stefan eyes Fabio as his main competition and they seem to have bonded over the fact that they are the two chefs with accents.

(S05E01) When I watch Project Runway, I'm reminded of the fact that I'm no fashion designer. I'd be up a tree if I faced the challenges those contestants face. The same with Top Design, not to mention any of the hair shows. However, Top Chef is a different story. I do cook and every day is a challenge to figure out what to make and how.

So, the return of Top Chef -- season five -- was like greeting an old friend. Here are people I can relate to, even if they have culinary skills that exceed mine.

The new edition is set in New York, a point that was obvious from the start with arrivals not coming via a pedestrian airport. No, here we are at Grand Central Station, a landmark. Then it's onto a ferry to Governor's Island to really get a look at the city.

You know why Rachael Ray is smiling all the time? She's the richest food star in the world. According to the latest Forbes list of top-earning celebrity chefs, Rachael Ray leads the pack. In fact, of the top 10 names, all but two are TV stars.

Therefore, you better believe that all that exposure on Food Network, Bravo, Travel Channel, Fine Living, BBC America, and Fox -- not to mention syndication and appearances on talk shows and demonstrations on the Today Show -- makes a big difference.