Top Chef

Top Chef is an Emmy and James Beard Award winning Bravo reality show where various chefs compete in a weekly series of challenges.http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0765425/ Each show features an initial "Quickfire Challenge," which is a test of basic cooking skills, and provides the winning chef with either immunity from elimination for the week or an advantage going into the week's "Elimination Challenge." "The Elimination Challenge" makes up the show's second half and tests the versatility and inventiveness of each chef.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03_PLu2NkyAhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1060hmka6Ow Besides cooking skills, chefs are also judged on their customer service, management, and teamwork abilities.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCwfERSm5D0

The chefs are judged by a panel of professional chefs, including Padma Lakshmi, Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and food and wine industry celebrities, which in the seventh season included Wolfgang Puck, Todd English, Natalie Portman, Daniel Boulud, Penn & Teller, Hubert Keller, Laurent Tourondel, Tim Love, Michelle Bernstein, Tyler Florence, Charlie Palmer, Paul Bartolotta, Nigella Lawson and Jerome Bocuse. http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-6/about At the end of each show, one chef is eliminated; at the end of the series, one chef is named Top Chef.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnJPp1RN8e0

In the eighth season, the chefs take on New York City for the second time.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/about Past seasons have also taken place in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Miami, Chicago, Las Vegas and Washington, D.C.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/

Season 8 kicked off Wednesday, December 1, 2010.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/history-never-repeats 18 past contestants from previous seasons of Top Chef congregated in New York City for their shot at the title of "Top Chef."http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/about In season 8, the past chefs are battling for a grand prize of 200,000 dollars.http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2010/12/top_chef_all_stars_season_8_ep.php Chef, author, and TV host Anthony Bourdain serves as a guest judge.http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1994875,00.html

Season 8 Cheftestants

• Tre Wilcox (Season 3) - Executive Chef at Loft 610 in Plano, TXhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/tre-wilcox-season-3
• Tiffany Derry (Season 7) - Executive Chef of the Dallas hotspot Go Fish Ocean Clubhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/tiffany-derry-season-7
• Tiffani Faison (Season 1) - Executive Chef at ROCCA Kitchen & Bar in Bostonhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/tiffani-faison-season-1
• Stephen Asprinio (Season 1) - S.A. Hospitality Innovationshttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/stephen-asprinio-season-1
• Spike Mendelsohn (Season 4) - Chef and owner of Good Stuff Eatery and We, The Pizzahttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/spike-mendelsohn-season-4
• Richard Blais (Season 4) - owner of Flip Burger Boutiquehttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/richard-blais-season-4
• Michael Isabella (Season 6) - set to open Italian-inspired restaurant Graffiato in Washington, D.C.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/michael-isabella-season-6
• Marcel Vigneron (Season 2) - Executive Chef of his own kitchen in Los Angeleshttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/marcel-vigneron-season-2
• Jennifer Carroll (Season 6) - Chef de Cuisine at the 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge, located in The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphiahttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/jennifer-carroll-season-6
• Jamie Lauren (Season 5) - Executive Chef at Beechwood in Venice, Californiahttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/jamie-lauren-season-5
• Fabio Viviani (Season 5) - Owner and Executive Chef of Café Firenze in Moorpark, CA and Firenze Osteria in Toluca Lake, CAhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/fabio-viviani-season-5
• Elia Aboumrad (Season 2) - set to open restaurant Avec Moi in Los Angeleshttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/elia-aboumrad-season-2
• Dale Talde (Season 4) - Chef de Cuisine at Buddakan in New York Cityhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/dale-talde-season-4
• Dale Levitski (Season 3) - Executive Chef at Sprouthttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/dale-levitski-season-3
• Casey Thompson (Season 3) - Executive Chef of Brownstone Restaurant & Lounge in Fort Worthhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/casey-thompson-season-3
• Carla Hall (Season 5) - owner of Executive Chef of Alchemy Caterers in Washington, D.C.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/carla-hall-season-5
• Antonia Lofaso (Season 4) - national spokesperson for Stouffer's and Sara Lee, working on cookbookhttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/antonia-lofaso-season-4
• Angelo Sosa (Season 7) - owns Sosa Consulting Grouphttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-8/bio/angelo-sosa-season-7

Season 7 kicked off on June 16, 2010. http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-7/house-of-chef-presentatives The 17 chef contestants took on Washington D.C. with a host of new challenges. The season was packed with guests from around the D.C. area, including former astronaut Buzz Aldrin.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-7/about The guest host judge for the season was Eric Ripert, owner of Le Bernardin in New York.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-7/about

The prize for winning season 7:

• $125,000 furnished by Dial Nutriskin
• A feature in Food & Wine magazine
• A showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen
• Title of "Top Chef."http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-7/about

Season 7 Cheftestants

• Tracey Bloom - Atlanta, GA - Executive Chef, Table 1280
• Timothy Dean - Baltimore, MA - Chef/Owner, Prime Steak House
• Tiffany Derry - Dallas, TX - Executive Chef, Go Fish Ocean Club
• Tamesha Warren - Washington, D.C. - Sous Chef, The Oval Room
• Stephen Hopcraft - Las Vegas, NV - Executive Chef, Seablue at the MGM Grand
• Lynne Gigliotti - Hyde Park, NY - Assistant Professor, Culinary Institute of New York
• Kevin Sbraga - Willingboro, NJ - Executive Chef, Rat's Restaurant at the Grounds for Sculpture
• Kenny Gilbert - Telluride, CO - President/Owner, Passionate Culinary Enterprises LLC; Chef/Partner, G’s Restaurant Group
• Kelly Liken - Vali, CO - Chef/Owner, Kelly Liken and Rick & Kelly’s American Bistro
• John Somerville - West Bloomfield, MI - Chef de Cuisine, The Lark
• Jacqueline Lombard - Brooklyn, NY - Chef/Owner, Jacqueline Lombard Events
• Ed Cotton - New York, NY - Executive Chef, Plein Sud at the Smyth Hotel
• Arnold Myint - Nashville, TN - Chef/Owner, Cha Chah
• Angelo Sosa - Durham, CT - Chef/Owner, Xie Xie
• Andrea Curto-Randazzo - Miami, FL - Chef/Owner, Talula Restaurant and Creative Tastes Catering
• Amanda Baumgarten - Los Angeles, CA - Sous Chef, Ford’s Filling Station
• Alex Reznik - Hollywood, CA - Executive Chef, Ivan Kane’s Café Washttp://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-7/bios

After four consecutive nominations, Top Chef was the winner of the 2010 Emmy Award for Best Reality TV Competition. The Top Chef win in 2010 broke the seven year winning streak of reality show The Amazing Race, and took the honor over other reality competitors American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, and Project Runway.http://eater.com/archives/2010/08/29/top-chef-wins-emmy-emmy-for-outstanding-reality-show-competition.php

Padma Lakshmi is an model, actress, chef, and cookbook author. At 16, her modeling career began when she was discovered by a modeling agent while in Spain. Since then, she has modeled for photographer Helmut Newton. She has also appeared in Vogue, Elle, In Style, and other magazines. As a runway model, she has walked for a number of designers, including Ralph Lauren, Alberta Ferretti, Herve Leger, Valentino, and others. http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi.htm

She has appeared in a number of Hollywood and Bollywood films and television shows, in addition to her time on Top Chef. Her other roles include:

• Sharpe's Challenge (2006) (TV) as Madhuvanthi
• The Ten Commandments (2006) (TV) as Princess Bithia
• The Mistress of Spices (2005) as Geeta
• Boom (2003) as Shiela Bardez
• Start Trek: Enterprise (2002) episode "Precious Cargo" as Kaitaama
• Glitter (2001) as Sylkhttp://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi.htm

As an author, Padma has written several cookbooks including Tangy, Tart, Hot and Sweet: A World of Recipes for Everyday (2007), Easy Exotic: Low Fat Recipes from Around the World (2000), and has co-authored several Top Chef books with fellow judge Tom Colicchio.http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi.htm

Tom Colicchio is a chef and cookbook author who taught himself to cook using Jacques Pépin's illustrated manuals on French cooking, La Technique and La Méthode. At 17, he was cooking at his first restaurant in Elizabeth, N.J. After that, he cooked for restaurants in New York, including The Quilted Giraffe, Gotham Bar & Grill, Rakel, and Mondrian. In 1994, he opened his first restaurant in Gramercy Park, called Gramercy Tavern. He won the James Beard award in 2000 for Best Chef - New York.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/bio/tom-colicchio

His cooking books include 'Wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal and a Meal into a Sandwich (2009), Think Like a Chef (2007), Craft of Cooking: Notes and Recipes from a Restaurant Kitchen (2003), along with several books from Top Chef.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/bio/tom-colicchio

Gail Simmons is a Special Projects Manager from Food & Wine magazine. She joined the magazine in 2004. As projects manager, she oversees the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, CO, which is where the winner of Top Chef showcases his or her talents. Prior to joining the magazine, she wrote food articles for Toronto Life and Canada's National Newspaper, the National Post. She also trained as a food critic under Jeffrey Steingarten at Vogue and apprenticed Le Cirque 2000 and Vong restaurants. She has contributed to several cookbooks including the Top Chef books.http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/bio/gail-simmons

Many previous Top Chef contestants and winners have gone on to do some delicious things. Here's a list of who's cooking up what:

Season 1: San Francisco

• Candice Kuma : Host of Cook Yourself Thin on Lifetime, food blogger for 944 Magazine, developing a line of vintage aprons, and author of two cookbooks.http://www.stilettochef.com/

Season 2: Los Angeles

• Betty Frasier: Owns Grub restaurant in L.A., C.A.; caters large Hollywood events; opened an event venue in Hollywood; working on her own cooking show. http://www.grub-la.com/

Season 3: Miami

• Tre Wilcox: Working on opening his own restaurant and getting his own cooking show.http://www.cheftre.com/
• Hung Huynh: Executive chef at Ajna Bar in New York

Season 4: Chicago

• Richard Blais: started Flip Burger Boutique in Atlanta, GA, writes for The Knife's Edge, an Atlanta alternative newspaperhttp://www.richardblais.net/

Season 5: New York

• Carla Hall: Owns a catering business, Alchemy Caterers in Washington, D.C.http://www.alchemycaterers.com/
• Stefan Richter opened his own restaurant in Santa Monica, C.A. called Stefan's and owns Stefan's European Catering. http://www.stefanscatering.com/

Top Chef's own Tom Colicchio was named "Outstanding Chef" by the James Beard Foundation held on May 2-3, 2010.http://www.decanter.com/news/wine-news/483500/james-beard-foundation-names-tom-colicchio-top-us-chef-for-2010 The James Beard Foundation Awards are held annually and celebrate all aspects of food.http://articles.cnn.com/2010-05-04/living/james.beard.winners.list_1_james-beard-foundation-awards-grant-achatz-book-awards?_s=PM:LIVING It is considered the Academy Award for the food industry: restaurateurs, cookbooks, food journalists, and others involved in the food, even the architects that design restaurants.http://news-briefs.ew.com/2010/05/03/top-chef-judge-tom-colicchio-wins-top-honors-at-2010-james-beard-awards/ The Awards theme for 2010 was "The Legacy Continues" to celebrate mentorship.http://www.restaurantmagazine.com/restaurant-awards/2010-james-beard-foundation-awards-winners-announced/

• BravoTV.com: Official Top Chef Merchandise