The beginning of this new school year marks the return of many of our favorite shows. The premiere of Top Chef: Las Vegas occurred on the same night as the finale of Top Chef: Masters. The sometimes deemed inferior, Top Chef: Masters managed to reduce some of the anticipation for the normal Top Chef over the summer months, but fans are still understandably excited for the return of the real Top Chef.
The host of the show, Padma Lakshmi, promises that this season will bring “more chances to win big than ever before.” That certainly fits in with the Las Vegas setting of Top Chef season six. There will likely be some very interesting Sin City themed challenges including the occasional high-stakes Quickfire Challenge. These challenges give the contestants the opportunity to win large cash prizes.
This season promises to be bigger and better in every way. As always, the guest judges include some big names from the culinary world as well as some big celebrities. The season premiere started off with a particularly recognizable guest judge, Wolfgang Puck. Other judges include Tyler Florence, Todd English and Natalie Portman.
The contestants for this season reinforce the bigger and better nature of Top Chef: Las Vegas. They include some of the most experienced chefs of any of the seasons as well as a few chefs on the other end of the spectrum. Like always, all of the contestants seem to have their strengths and weaknesses.
The chefs from this season include a 2009 James Beard nominee and a chef who worked with Eric Ripert, a superstar in the French-American culinary world. Of course, there are lesser-known chefs as well including a caterer and several restaurant owners.
All of the chefs are given an equal chance of winning the grand prize. This prize is normally $100,000 and a feature in Food and Wine magazine. However, this season’s prize is even bigger than previous seasons because it also includes $100,000 of merchandise from Macy’s.
This season also has the added drama of a sibling rivalry. The two brothers, Michael and Brian Voltaggio, are expected to be very competitive with each other, and it is already apparent that this is true. Although they live about 3,000 miles apart, that competitive sibling rivalry is still very much alive.
Top Chef is a rare type of reality show. In most shows of this genre, the contestants frequently fight or argue, but this rarely happens in Top Chef. It’s refreshing to watch a show with people who are respectful to one another for a change, and to many people, this is one of the more alluring aspects of the show.
As a relatively new Top Chef aficionado, I can report that I have thoroughly enjoyed the show since I began watching it. While most new fans will not understand some of the culinary terms used in the show, they will quickly pick up on them. You may even learn a thing or two about cooking from watching Top Chef.
Avid fans of the series are naturally very excited for the new season, and they are definitely excited for good reason. The first two episodes of the season were filled with different twists and exciting challenges, and I fully expect to see more twists and turns as the season progresses.
If you already watch Top Chef, then the new season will surely live up to your every expectation. If you don’t currently watch the show, then Top Chef: Las Vegas will definitely turn you into a fan of the series. I know I look forward to the rest of season six and many more seasons to come.