Here come the varsity players. Bravo has announced plans for a Top Chef spinoff called Top Chef Masters, in which 24 famous chefs will compete for the title “Top Chef Master” and prize money to go to a charity of their choice. The show’s expected to debut in the fall.
The format will be familiar, with a takeoff of the quickfire challenge opening each episode followed by a more demanding elimination challenge. Like the original, it’ll be produced by Magical Elves and Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio will be the show’s consulting producer but — thank you, Magical Elves — Padma will not be the host. To quote the press release:
Food journalist Kelly Choi will serve as the series’ host, and renowned restaurant critic Gael Greene, culinary expert James Oseland and food critic Jay Rayner will serve as judges. The show will feature 24 world-renowned chefs competing against each other in a series of weekly challenges, as only one chef will make it to the finals to compete for the title of “Top Chef Master.”
It’s probably safe to assume some of those renowed chefs are former guest judges on Top Chef. I’d love to see Bourdain compete and, so I can know what the true depths of inadequacy feel like, I hope they bring Eric Ripert. Most of all I’m crossing my fingers that my favorite chef on the planet, the innovative Susur Lee, might compete even though he’s never been a guest judge. He recently added a New York restaurant to his two in Toronto so I have reason to hope.
How about you? Who would you like to see?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
You’ll seldom read me writing that I have a celebrity crush on someone.
Just isn’t my thing, I’m too egocentric. And I think celebrity crushes are silly aggrandizing.
But Eric melts my ego. He is so genuine and unpretentious for someone with so much savoir faire, a rare mix of elegance, kindness (his criticisms are so gentle and soft spoken), and down-to-earthness.
The accent is frosting on the cake, ehhhhh, so to speak.
My silliness for the day.
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Word - I agree with everything you said about Ripert and will add another quality: humility. It’s not a term I usually associate with great chefs in the age of celebuchefs, but the ones who seem to exude it are usually French. Daniel Bouloud has spoken about his wife’s family looking down on him because he was “just a cook” and Jacques Pepin (who, it is easy to forget, cooked for Prime Ministers) wrote in his memoir about being a cook and his surprise at the elevation of cooks to star chefs.
They all seem to be so well-grounded and give me the impression their top concern is the food, not the next piece of cookware they can slap their names onto and flog on shopping channels.
Speaking of that, don’t be surprised if Todd English is part of this new show.
I am very excited about this, but not for reasons that most people have (I don’t think). It is my hope that seeing 23 “real” top chefs go down in flames will encourage home cooks everywhere–even the best sometimes cut themselves, under- or overcook the foie, under- or over-season or crack under pressure. I think this competition might encourage folks to get in the kitchen and just go for it.
All these polished, highly rehearsed shows showing beautiful people producing perfect meals is so not the reality–either in life or in a restaurant. It will be refreshing to see some true professionals either literally or figuratively head from the frying pan to the fire!
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What are those reasons most people have, Jenni?
I think this will be even more polished for many reasons, first among them it’s entertainment and this round, it’ll be marquee names. I hope you’re right about encouraging people to get in the kitchen, but I think people who are already challenging themselves, trying new and different things are the one who might be inspired. Those who think RayRay and Pauler Deen are just OMG wonderful might watch for the names then put Cool Whip on the shopping list.
Ha, it’d be fun to see Bourdain compete but I’m not sure if it’d be particularly sporting. He’s famous for his writing and his TV presentation skills, not his food. I love Eric Ripert. He looks so intimidating and so well-known but he appears to be such a nice guy.
I hope they manage to pull a lot of their old guest judges and some serious, established chefs instead of drawing too heavily from their pool of eliminated contestants. Although some of the past finalists would be fun to see again.
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Hi, Jack. Oh, Bourdain would be great entertainment and I’d love to see him be judged! I agree about not wanting to see cheftestants from the regular show. I don’t think that’s what Bravo has in mind. They’re in a different league from the masters and I don’t think they could keep up.
24 chefs – if this is on just once a week, that’s a six-month show. Oy!