Kish Me You Fool—Top Chef Announces New Host

And it’s Wisconsin!

Hope ya like cheese curds and brats!

Will they go to Monty's Blue Plate for the famous meatloaf? I couldn't be more excited about this.

Gail is SEETHING.

Gail isn’t exotic enough to be TC’s host.

I 10000% called that!

She's fantastic on her travel cooking show. A natural on screen.

I won't be watching.

Top Chef has become all orientals, all the time.

I'm sick of it and over it.

Orientals?

Pay it no mind R7. He's a weird Top Chef troll who hates Asians. Very strange. Even for DL.

Brave face from Gail.

Kirshten Kishhh

Will Gail even notice the difference?

I’ll miss Padma, but this is a good choice. I like Kish.

Love her! And glad they picked someone from the Top Chef family.

Her journey to being Top Chef.

Thanks to the producers for not choosing Tyra Banks.

She's doing a lovely job so far. I'm sure it will take her a few episodes to settle in.

They've gone back to picking some real characters after a few seasons of more high level contestants.

Has this actually started?

Haven't watched Top Chef in a long time, but I do love me some Gail.

Why have they never done a spin off called Bottom Chef? I’d watch that.

As a native Wisconsinite, I'm excited that they chose this for a season. I never would have expected it, but I suppose after twenty seasons they needed to dig deeper for locations. I'm disappointed they're based in Milwaukee, although with it being the biggest city in the state and close to Chicago, that was probably inevitable. Milwaukee certainly has culinary cred and history, but I would argue that Madison has a more significant food scene currently. Based on the season previews, they do go there eventually.

There are also plenty of rural towns in Wisconsin tied to its culinary and agricultural history. It will be interesting to see how much they explore of that. Maybe there will even be a challenge in honor of Datalounge's favorite missing Wisconsin boy.

Kish did a great job. I loves me some Padma, but Kish is a natural.

I thought she was great and natural.

Like Padma, Kristen is very warm and sincere with a nice sense of humor. Perfect casting.

[quote]Why have they never done a spin off called Bottom Chef?

That would be Ty-Lor Boring

I like the hunky Mexican chef who won the EC. Also, the French-Italian dude.

[quote]I like the hunky Mexican chef who won the EC

Oh Manny, hot Zaddy.

Sorry there was no Quickfire Challenge, but the pasta, soup, roast chicken challenge was a good one. The right chef went home (way to represent SF, dude…). So what’s next? Brats, cheese, dairy, foraging, beer and pork with frozen custard for dessert?

[quote]The right chef went home (way to represent SF, dude…)

He was pretty awful

So glad immunity is now given after the elimination challenge. Makes much more sense.

Fuck me Manny. Shoot streams of your hot jizz into my quivering asshole. He’s hot.

It scares me when I have a strange attraction to certain lesbians. Kristen is one of them. I find her gorgeous.

Winning the elimination challenge is its own reward. The immunity prize was to make the quickfire meaningful. Why have an immunity prize at all?

^though sometimes they too in case from a sponsor

^toss, dammit

Nothing could be more in character for Wisconsin than Charlie Berens heavily featured on the judging panel of a Miller High Life challenge. Bizarre for Top Chef, but they nailed the local color right out of the gate.

I'm happy to see that DL is still watching. I was just looking for a thread on this.

I like Kristen and the confessionals with Kristen and Gail.

I knew that chef was going home in the first episode. Tom doesn't have a poker face. He sat at the table with his head in his hand. I'm not surprised that Last Chance Kitchen starts AFTER that clown was eliminated. Did anyone catch the premise of LCK this season? Is the challenger someone who wasn't selected to be a primary chef?

I wonder how she lucked into that role because she was an awful actress.

It boggles my mind when people with limited talents decide to toss away an easy gig that pays buckets of money.

I don't know how Padma got the job on TC but she was one of the shows biggest assets. She and Tom balanced eachother nicely.

Did someone ask for Monty's meatloaf? That's Madison, not Milwaukee but close enough.

I noticed that, too, R38, about not including the first eliminated chef in Last Chance Kitchen. I think that's the first time that's happened. Did Tom hate him that much? Or maybe the chef threw a fit after being eliminated. The Bravo TV website has a preview for LCK that introduces the 16th chef twist but doesn't explain who he is, either. I assume he's a bottom rung choice who has to prove himself to get into the main competition.

The fellow who was sent home on Episode 1 had a restaurant that was devoted to reusing ugly produce and off cuts of meat and fish. Yet he complained about having to make a meal out of kitchen scraps. Loser.

He did seem like a real mess, and not at all prepared for competition TV.

Yeah Tom clearly hated the first guy kicked off. I wouldn't be surprised if production wanted to keep hit for cringe value though.

Kristen can’t manage to inject emotion into “Pack your knives and go” like Padma could.

That’s because Padma always sounded like she was dismissing an incompetent domestic, r46. Tom seems to enjoy Kristen and so does Gail.

I miss Padma. She was always fun to watch.

I always thought Padma was on the verge of tears when she told the chef to pack up their knives. Kristen just blurts it out but that's ok. I think she's doing a great job.

Padma has historically had hate thrown her way on this board, but she was a great host. She was always refined but quite genuine and empathetic toward the chefs. And she was surprisingly grounded in her attitude toward food, appreciating homey takes as much as high end.

That said, Kristen is a great replacement. She's a natural TV personality, which she's already demonstrated on other shows. Restaurants At The End Of The World is fascinating, and Fast Foodies, with fellow Top Chef alums Jeremy Ford (an adorable lunkhead of a chef) and Justin Sutherland, is also fun, though they tended to choose some obnoxious celebrities for guests. It's also obvious that Tom has held Kristen in high regard ever since her original run on Top Chef.

What the hell was up with Gail at the Cheesefest? I don't think we saw her say a single word, she just nodded a lot. (That was at least the case toward the end; I didn't rewind.) Was she shitfaced? Heat stroke? I've read some articles by folks who were there and it was apparently BOILING.

She spoke a lot at the Cheesefest. You must have zoned out.

Tom is totally in the bag for the 16th chef in LCK. They must’ve really hated that 1st chef they sent home, he didn’t even get a last chance.

The 16th chef is a bit of an odd twist because what if he had lost his first challenge? It would seem like a waste had he been eliminated right away, but then is it fair to the other chefs if he's heavily favored to win LCK in order to enter the main competition as a surprise?

I really want Tom to hate fuck me.

R55, I second that. Tom has the most beautiful eyes.

I’ll always miss Padma, but Kish is doing great. I really like her…and oddly for a total homo like myself, I find her extremely sexy.

R57, you're turning straight. The horror.

Kristen Kish is Classy...

Papi is dreamy.

Manny is quite possibly the hottest chef ever to grace Bravo TV. It's not just his hunky body and gorgeous smile. It's also his sweet and funny personality. Power Bottoms indeed.

Let's have a tribute to the gay contestants over the years.

Way too much time spent this episode on bullshit. No quickfire and no chef’s table made for a dull 75 minutes.

Is the one who famously said: I'm not your bitch, bitch. amongst the gay contestants in the article?

I have to second the nomination of Manny as sexiest male Top Chef contestant. Sexual charisma for days, he’s like the hottest surviving Neaderthal Man I’ve ever seen. In the latest challenge I kept thinking “They can’t cut the two hottest chefs on the show this soon!” And thank god they didn’t.

I love Kish and think she’s stunningly beautiful but as a host she’s a bit bland and soft at this juncture. Obviously she’ll get better and more outgoing as she goes along. But Padma served steaming plates of cunt with impunity, and since that ‘s not Kirstin’s way (or Gael’s) Tom has had to step up and be meaner and tougher. But they ‘re all still finding their way with each other.

R71, I think Frenchie Kevin is sexier. You know he has a thick, uncut cock under that aprin.

It was quite the visual in the last episode with Kevin and Manny, both in shorts, discussing their dishes. It was the perfect opening for a porn scene.

^apron

The contestants aren't as good this season. The judges table was awkward because they were so excited but most of the food was not that good. Kristen is doing fine to me, dfferent energy than Padma but still a good host. But she is very technical in judging while Padma really prioritized the flavor of a dish, so I miss that voice.

I agree that Manny is very sexy, I was also hoping that the team with two hot guys wouldn't get sent home.

Raisaka and Michelle seem to be the two competent chefs that are a cut above the rest.

Kish is being Kish which is great. Notice how her voice cracked on 'please pack your knives...' this week? Love her.

Kristen is like a hot exotic alien supermodel. Love her on the show!

[quote]I agree that Manny is very sexy, I was also hoping that the team with two hot guys wouldn't get sent home.

Especially after Manny dubbed his team "The Power Bottoms".

Is Kevin gay? He gives me gay vibes and I assumed power bottoms was his idea.

R73, probably not. Just French. To quote Legally Blond: The Musical, "Is he gay or Europpean?"

Gay or European?

[quote] The contestants aren't as good this season. The judges table was awkward because they were so excited but most of the food was not that good.

They even sent Kristen in to scold them: Step it Up!

R69: It’s true that the elimination challenge was a bust. But to be fair to the contestants, it was a stupid challenge. It makes sense to have Frank Lloyd Wright as a theme in a state he left a mark on, but honestly, what does his approach to architecture have to do with food? I’m not surprised that not all the chefs could translate that into great food.

Also, why not give them a little more time overall? The dishes might have been better across the board.

FLW was not the key to the challenge. It was “duality.” I guess that’s somewhat abstract, but “sea and land” (aka “surf and turf”) was just a bad application. “Tension and release” might have had promise, especially since it related to FLW, but they didn’t really know what to do with it. Something about “comfortable and uncomfortable “ using an unusual spice the chef hadn’t used before? No. Light and dark—not as applied literally. Rich and poor was a good idea. Chicken and egg? Just no.

And no matter what the theme, the real key is make good food. There were a lot of cooking errors in the last episode.

It was painful watching those two female chefs snipe at each other. I don't think I ever remember an episode where who was being to PYKAG was so telegraphed .

I'm surprised they haven't done a Top Chef Hawaii or Alaska yet.

I think there was a Top Chef in Hawaii.

Alaska? Do they have a culinary scene?

Hawaii would be expensive.

Top Chef only goes places that gives them financial incentives to go to.

R69, it's still early, but I agree that this season has had a minor dip in talent, or at least creativity. I became worried when like half of them were okay with doing a potato croquette in that EC.

I love Kish as the new host. At first I wanted her to have a unique delivery of the infamous "please pack your knives and go" but I'm now fine with her just saying it however it comes out. It's the new way. She's settling in quite well, especially with her critiques. Such a fun show still.

[quote] But Padma served steaming plates of cunt with impunity, and since that ‘s not Kirstin’s way (or Gael’s) Tom has had to step up and be meaner and tougher.

IMO, Padma said things that were warranted. Tom was more short-tempered and meaner, IMO (compared to Padma).

R82, the season finale of Season 2 was set in Hawaii, I believe.

New Mexico could also be potentially interesting.

Manny and Kevin were like Dumb and Dumberer. Their duality was “light/dark”? That was lame and so lamely executed. Manny’s pasta looked thick and inedible. He’s very sexy but his early win seems like a fluke.

I love Dan. What a sweetie.

Those two loser chefs got a real stealth edit up to a point and then it was so clear they were going home. I’m sure the reality of their partnership was even worse. Total self-sabotage. Kish kind of jumped the gun on their dismissal. She should’ve said, “You had our least favourite dishes,” let the panel talk and then said, “Please pack your knives and go.” It was awkward that she’d already said that and then Tom starts giving critique.

Loved the architectural tours.

Also, if you’re really interested in duality, I highly recommend Naomi Klein’s Doppelgänger. Great listen.

I like Kristen Kiss -- amazing to think that on her season she fell on her sword by taking responsibility for her team's failure (it was the no-talent Josie who messed things up). She fought her way back and won. She came this close to receding into oblivion.

I hate it when there's no Quickfire Challenge. I would be perfectly happy with a whole episode of QCs. Nice to see all the FLW buildings (they couldn't go to the SC Johnson HQ in Racine?), but that was a dumb challenge. Duality, sure, Duality + FLW, no.

I think if Manny had gone home last night I would have stopped watching.

As the poster at R73 when Kevin started talking about his girlfriend this ep I was surprised and sad.

This cast is too nice. Everyone was upset Laura spent 300 from the budget, but none of her teammates would actually confront her about it, they just let her do it.

All of the chefs know "how to be on TV" now. The Asian female who is now on Last Chance Kitchen is absolutely insufferable. I think #16 tanked the breakfast challenge to not make it look like a steamroll, but really what is the point of having this guy on if he isn't going to the main competition.

The chefs this season are all pretty mediocre I don't see anyone with mad skills and an intense personality like past seasons. I'm rooting for Manny only because he has a hot ass, but it looks like he may not be cooking forever.

Best episode yet! The elimination was a shocker. Manny and his BFF working out at the beginning of the episode made me as moist as a Betty Crocker Bundt cake.

The new Asian guy is pretty hot.

R97 Manny is a power bottom.

Kevin and Manny bringing back the Power Bottom talk while they get filmed working out. Those two know exactly what they are doing, but I am not mad about it.

I did like this episode. The judges were actually excited about the food which they hadn't been for the last few episodes, the top dishes were clearly actually good.

Surprised to see Raisaka and Michelle as the bottom two, and Raisaka eliminated this early but that dish seemed terrible. Throwing some steamed eggplant and crab together with no real flavoring agents? What was she thinking.

I was surprised to find out that LCK is still going on. When the Black guy went home last week, Tom said he'd see him in LCK. Why bring the mystery guy in so soon?

I love Michelle. She seems like a genuinely nice, humble person. Sad to see Raisaka fumble after such a strong start but I have a feeling she'll be back.

There are two returns from Last Kitchen r101, one happens fairly early on and one close to the end. They have done it that way for the last few seasons.

Thanks, 103. I obviously have not been paying close attention to this show.

I was shocked that Rashika went home!

I do feel she is setting up for a Kristen-style return, though.

Savannah's dish sounded intriguing. I thought she would get the win.

Manny clearly likes his nips worked, going by their perkiness under his gym tshirt. My favorite dish!