tomcolicchio

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.

Top Chef's season finale is this Wednesday, with Richard, Stephanie, and Lisa competing for the title. Head judge Tom Colicchio recently sat down with Salon to talk about season four of Top Chef, the judging process, and other celebrity chefs. Here's a rundown of some of the chef's remarks:

• Colicchio doesn't feel pressured to give a woman the title of Top Chef. Plenty of female contestants have been in the finale or come close to winning.
• He called season four's contestants the "strongest group as a whole."

Frozen scallops are no laughing matter in the culinary world. On last week's Top Chef, contestant Spike Mendelsohn was sent home after using frozen scallops in the Elimination Challenge. Spike had the poor taste to blame guest judge Rick Tramonto for having the questionable items in his restaurant's walk-in freezer. This defense failed to save Spike, and now all of the parties involved are doing serious damage control. According to Colicchio and Tramonto, the scallops were provided by Top Chef's own supplier and did not come from Tramonto's Steak and Seafood.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Rick Tramonto implied that the show's producers deliberately planted the scallops in the freezer "to see...who would use them or not." Spike was annoyed that the scallops were there at all, and called the situation "trickery at its best" in his exit interview.

"You can have a chef who wins every single challenge, but if the dish they put in front of us is the worst ... they are going home."

Contestants on 'Top Chef' can take heart: Judge Tom Colicchio remembers the great dishes as well as the terrible ones.

Just make sure to cook one of the former.

The New York chef, whose signature Craft franchise will open new branches in Atlanta and Foxwood's MGM casino, chatted with AOL TV about what makes a great chef, playing favorites and the profanity controversy.