Anyone watching Top Chef this season?

[Jenise]

I just watched last week's episode. I don't think I've ever seen any contestant dominate the way Tristan does/has. Very impressive.

I like him too! Took a look at his page and he styles himself as an oxtail engineer. Hard not to respect that - which makes me want to do oxtails again sometime soon!

[Jenise]

His creativity is off the chart, but he's also a very smart player. Like not making Mexican food out of the Chipotle stuff, and the anchovy ranch dressing with his Armenian pizza (Lah Mejeune) because it would cause conversation. Cesar is right up there with him in talent, but he miscalculates too often.

Having fun with this season as well. Really like Kristin in the role as Diva Judge this season. She's a natural.
Also binge watched The Chef's Table: Legends. Features Jamie Oliver, Jose Andres, Thomas Keller and Alice Waters. The food porn is stunning. Really appreciate the back stories. Some of it I already knew, but some of it was new to me, especially Thomas Keller. Grant Achatz provides personal commentary on Keller, and I was stunned at how emaciated he looks. I wonder if his cancer is back? I've tried to watch Yes, Chef with Martha Steward and Jose Andres but it doesn't hold my interest. The formula has already been done with Top Chef. This one is not even a good approximation let alone better, IMO.

[Jenise]

I like Kristin too. She's fun to be around in ways Padma, who I liked, never quite was. Speaking of other food shows, Padma is coming out with another show, called something like America's Culinary Cup. Sounds like an attempt to compete with Guy Fieri's Tournament of Champions but without the smarmy hype of contestants being the "best chefs in the world" and fakery of the Randomizer (which is so "random" that it never lands on the same item twice. Hmmm!) I'm looking forward to the Chef's Table, I had that drop on my calendar. Haven't seen it yet, but a picture I saw of Grant very recently had me thinking the same thing: very emaciated.

I skipped Martha's new show. It sounds mean; reviews complained that the contestants are obviously encouraged to act like spoiled brats. Not a surprise for Martha's personality but does surprise for Jose.

Know what foodfluff I'm actually enjoying? Next Level Chef. The three hosts get along great, there's true camaraderie there, and they seem to genuinely care about the contestants, who are very supportive of each other. Very shocking season with an 18 year old girl being the one to beat; her knowledge, skillset and instincts are way way beyond what anyone her age should have.

...fun to be around in ways Padma, who I liked, never quite was. Speaking of other food shows, Padma is coming out with another show, called something like America's Culinary Cup...

Padma is interesting. I always liked her sensibility on Top Chef, but it's been years since I've seen the show.

Now I follow her on IG where she comes off so needy, with all these intimate videos of her and her daughter. But, I guess that's the nature of the beast, they have to feed the algorithms! She lives across the street from me, so I see her around the neighborhood and at the farmers market filming content. On balance, a force for good!

[Jenise]

Yes, Padma's good. She very much made Top Chef the success it was and still is. How fun that you get to run into her--I love that about New York, that celebrities can mix with normal people. L.A. isn't like that at all.