Eventually my poor brain did figure out the right day, and I did get to watch the premiere of Top Chef: DC. The opening included a set of challenges that seem to have become standard for the series: a quickfire of quick chopping and an elimination challenge based on "who you are" or "where you're from." Nothing outlandish or hard, but serious nonetheless.
The results? Not so great. One reviewer called the opening episode "less than tasty." James Poniewozik criticized the contestants for their failures at "representing" when deciding what dishes to prepare to reflect their home state. Despite a top-rated dish being a deconstructed borscht, he also makes it clear: "I no longer want to see any chef 'deconstruct' anything." I'm leaning toward agreeing with him.
At this stage, it's hard to pick favorites. Angelo Sosa, who won both the quickfire and the elimination challenges, is portrayed as a braggart. Not my kind of guy, so he will have to win me with his skills, which appear to be significant, since he's pretty much lost me with his attitude. (Nah, it's not his bravado and boasting that annoys me; it's his name dropping. Been-tos can be a pain in the tuchus, y'know).
While she didn't particularly stand out from the pack last night, Tiffany Derry does give Texas a hat in this ring. Born in Beaumont, trained in Houston, and working in Dallas, she chose to represent "the South" rather than "just Texas." Her dish--Cajun Shrimp & Crawfish Salad, Chicken Fried Tomatillos & Bacon Sherry Vinaigrette--certainly could have been a Texas dish, especially post-Katrina, but Tiffany's goal is to show that Southern cooking is more than biscuits and gravy. You go, girl!
Will this season be less than tasty? Dunno. But I look forward to seeing how it all plays out.
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