2405 replies to this topic

[desdamonab]

Season 2 production has begun in Los Angeles. Tom's back. The new host is Padma Lakshmi, the "first Indian supermodel" and a former Food Network host.

Second Season

ETA a link to Padma's website:

Padma Lakshmi

Edited by desdamonab, Jul 14, 2006 @ 8:03 AM.

[sweet potato]

Season 2 production has begun in Los Angeles. Tom's back. The new host is Padma Lakshmi, the "first Indian supermodel" and a former Food Network host.

Second Season

Padma Lakshmi?
Wow! Top Chef producers must have very specific requirements for hosting.
Pretty, brunette, and be married to an old man twice your age.

Edited by sweet potato, Jul 14, 2006 @ 8:06 AM.

[loser]

Okay, I know why I don't want to see anymore of Katie Lee, but does anyone know if Bravo has offered why she isn't the host this season? I'm just curious if they felt the need to explain it somewhere...

[LizDC]

This is probably the official explanation:

I want to address something you may have heard, that Katie Lee Joel wont be joining us next season on "Top Chef." It is unfortunately true that Katie has left us to pursue other opportunities. She is a dynamic, beautiful woman who is passionate about food with a real zest for life. Everybody at "Top Chef" is going to miss her next season but she will always be part of the Bravo family.

[Nutjob]

Padma Lakshmi?
Wow! Top Chef producers must have very specific requirements for hosting.
Pretty, brunette, and be married to an old man twice your age.

Seems that way. Although I do remember her old FN shows, and she has 100 times more personality than Katie LeeBot. But then, so does a donut.

[sweet potato]

Yes, I am sure Padma will be thousand times more animated than Katie.

I wonder how such a young girl got to be so stuffy and humorless.
(Katie I mean)

I remember some light moments in front of the judges where Tom and Gail would smile or laugh while Katie just sat there like a log with a blank look on her face.

Edited by sweet potato, Jul 14, 2006 @ 11:10 AM.

[porkchop1]

I eagerly await TC2 with Ms Lakshmi as the hostess. She seems to have all the goods necessary to enhance the show. I was particularly interested in the upcoming mini-series with Sean Bean as "Richard Sharpe" - the British soldier who fought under the Duke of Wellington in the Indian and Napoleonic Wars. I have the entire collection of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe books(20 of them). I have to explore my cable tv's capabilities - my son indicated that BBC is somewheres in the 700's wrt my cable tv's channels.

[stlouischili]

At least this one has written a cookbook. One cookbook.

I was hoping they would do better with the host this season. IMO, they need to can the supermodel search and find a host who is a legitimate presence in the food industry.

Any advice on how to get over the fact that she is married to Salman Rushdie?
How do I look at her without thinking "You married that old troll who wrote The Satanic Verses?"

Edited by stlouischili, Jul 14, 2006 @ 12:31 PM.

[keckler]

The new host is Padma Lakshmi, the "first Indian supermodel" and a former Food Network host.

You've gotta be fucking kidding me! Oh, man. Oh man! This is way too good to be true. Padma (married to Rushdie, by the way) was in a truly HORRIFIC episode of Enterprise. She was so bad, she ruined the entire hour (okay, not a far fall, but still) and I just can't believe my recapping worlds are merging.

I wonder how such a young girl got to be so stuffy and humorless.

You just described Padma's performance in Enterprise. Maybe she's gotten better over the years. Lord, I hope so. But I also kinda don't. I am so psyched for the new season, now!

Edited by keckler, Jul 14, 2006 @ 3:09 PM.

[porkchop1]

My wife just found out about Padma Lakshmi being the new hostess of TC2. My wife, who is a foodie, was appalled. It seems she has viewed Ms Lakshmi on the Food Channel a few years back and said she was horrible. According to the wife, Padma talks like Katie Joel but through her nose. There was one show where a bunch of women chefs appeared on a tv show and Padma was the only chef who didn't act like a chef or dress like one. Instead she "slouched" around with her bo-bs hanging out and appeared very unprofessional. Her tv food show was cancelled after a few months. That was a few years back. What can we expect on TC2? A Katie Joel recall? Maybe Bravo should have included a male host in their search.

[keckler]

She was horrible on the show she was on, Melting Pot, which had a bunch of different chefs each individual show -- I don't think it was her personal cooking show. Rocco DiSpirito was one of them. Melting Pot, in general, wasn't a very good show.

Edited by keckler, Jul 14, 2006 @ 6:34 PM.

[Blanky]

Per Andy's Blog from July 14th:

We proudly announced yesterday that Padma Lakshmi will host Season 2 of "Top Chef." She's author of the "Easy Exotic" cookbook in addition to being an actress, India's first supermodel, and former host of two shows on the Food Network. She also happens to be an international food connoisseur who's married to Salman Rushdie. We start shooting in Los Angeles next week and can't wait to get started!

Can't wait til October.

Edited by Blanky, Jul 16, 2006 @ 11:15 PM.

[loser]

Thanks LizDC for the link to Andy's Blog. I didn't think of checking there... Sounds like he legitimately liked Katie Lee. He must have seen something I didn't.

Edited by loser, Jul 17, 2006 @ 11:04 AM.

[reckless]

I just got this email from CozmoMail. It looks like the show will be at Project by Project's annual food-and-wine charitable benefit is this Saturday, July 22, 2006, at the California Science Center. Here is the announcement:

The Food & Wine Tasting Benefit is Project by Project's marquee event, an annual tradition to raise awareness and funds for its partnership with different under-served non-profit organizations. This year's event will benefit Visual Communications, an organization that promotes media works by and about Asian Americans (www.vconline.org). The benefit on Saturday, July 22, 2006 will feature an evening of savory and dessert tastings graciously provided by dozens of master chefs from Water Grill, Noe, Joe’s Restaurant, Blvd Restaurant at the Regent Beverly Wilshire, Michelia, Boule Patisserie, Roy’s Los Angeles, Cafe del Rey, Dakota and more plus wines and beverages from distinguished purveyors. In addition, there will be a VIP champagne reception courtesy of Crustacean Beverly Hills at 6:00pm. Voted for the second straight year as one of Citysearch’s “Top Ten Things to do this Summer,” highlights include Guest Celebrity Sous Chefs, a premier live and silent auction, and the event will be filmed by Bravo TV as part of an episode on TOP CHEF.

Presale tickets are $115 advanced purchase online until Wednesday July 19 or $150 at the door. VIP tickets $250. Visit www.projectbyproject.org/foodandwine for more information or to purchase tickets.

I went to the website and looked for information about the Top Chef participation, but saw no mention of it there.

[safranal moeity]

that's awesome -- thanks for sharing that reckless. Sounds to me like a great idea for a challenge on the show! Could that also be considered a 'spoiler'?

Edited by safranal moeity, Jul 18, 2006 @ 5:10 PM.

[keckler]

Not if it's being reported in mainstream media (The Washington Post's major Project Runway fuck up notwithstanding).

[ennanie]

Andy's new blog on the Bravo website is a short interview with Harold.

Harold Interview

[keckler]

Okay, Andy from Bravo using "dawg" makes me as uncomfortable as hearing Ryan Seacrest use it.

[Nutjob]

Wow... Harold's sure got some ginormous... lobsters. ;)

[sweet potato]

Thanks for the link.
So, it looks as if Harold found a space for his soon to be restaurant.

I am going to post the link to this new interview in Harold's thread too.

[floretbroccoli]

I guess they added information since the Project by Project link was posted. It now says:

NEWS: Bravo's "Top Chef 2" to Film at Event for Upcoming Episode

Okay, Andy from Bravo using "dawg" makes me as uncomfortable as hearing Ryan Seacrest use it.

I love that Andy says "dawg" but Harold says "dog." Who made that determination?

Edited by floretbroccoli, Jul 19, 2006 @ 3:58 PM.

[LizDC]

A little Top Chef from Andy's Blog.

[sweet potato]

Hmm...Andy writes that the chefs this time raise the level of talent from last year...bigtime.

I guess since the show became a hit more people know about it and therefore higher quality cooks came to audition.

Edited by sweet potato, Jul 21, 2006 @ 12:43 PM.

[Cubbie]

As I reread the Futon Critic piece I realize they are going to have more chefs next year. I wonder how they will handle that in terms of eliminations/episodes.

[Kasha]

Season 2 is going to have an actual pastry chef.

Hot Scooplet: Amanda just learned that Ame's pastry chef, Marisa Churchill, will be one of the contestants on the next season of Bravo's "Top Chef."

[LizDC]

Now that they have one, she'll probably have to "pack her knives and go" before the big pastry challenge.

[biakbiak]

Ame's pastry chef, Marisa Churchill

Her desserts kick ass. The owners of Ame were actually the two of the judges on the Napa challenge, so perhaps they encouraged her.

[Puds38]

Katie Lee-bot was one of the guest judges on Iron Chef this weekend. She still doesn;t seemed to have found the emotion chip.

[Nutjob]

Katie Lee-bot was one of the guest judges on Iron Chef this weekend. She still doesn;t seemed to have found the emotion chip.

She was? I must have missed it, because in the fennel battle, it was Mo Rocca, that lady with the super short dark hair (not the "oily" lady... the other one), and that other grey-haired guy who isn't Steingarten. I'm sure you can all tell what a foodie I'm not since I can't recall their names!