Top Chef Amateurs

As requested now that Top Chef Portland has wrapped up.

It's watchable, since it's one of the very few cooking shows that isn't hosted by Guy Fieri.

You really should have written “dills.”

I posted the following in the TC: Portland thread before clueing in that this thread had been created. D'oh!

I enjoyed TC: Amateurs, and I think Melissa is even *more* likeable there. Cheerful, supportive, inquisitive, encouraging -- she was fabulous with the home cooks!

She's really shining as a TC-alum superstar, and I hope she continues to capitalize on her success on the show.

And I think Gail did a good job as host.

Fun show so far and some of the food looked really good. I'd love to try the red lentil risotto and the roasted radishes with steak. Didn't understand the gushing over the sloppy, gloppy carbonara-inspired risotto, though, and I thought the gimmicky parmesan crisp bowl seemed amateur indeed. I wondered whether the judges were going easy on the cook because his opponent had so soundly kicked his ass. But who knows? It's so hard to say when you're not there to taste the food.

Totally agree with you about Melissa, r4! Thought Gail was good, too, but I was cracking up at her swanning around in that leather dress.

Gail is fabulous.

If you were a contestant on this show, which Top Chef alum would you want as your teammate?

GO!

Me: Melissa King.