Top Chef Winner Reveal (When/How?)

[dave_c]

After the leak from Season 2, Season 3 did a combined Reveal/Reunion show, which was okay, but a little clunky and cheesy.

Does anyone know when they're going to announce the winner? End of Finale Pt2 or at the Reunion show?

At the end of the Reunion show would really build up the anticipation and a response.
At the end of the Finale Pt2, would seem kind of anti-climatic for the winner.

Any preferences?

My preference would be at the Reunion show where you have an audience to cheer on the winner.

[dockhl]

I think this time the chefs were better but there were WAY too many catering challenges. Boring.

[attractivekid]

which is funny because season 1 and 2 had way too many caterers (and personal chefs) - unlike season 4 where almost all were high-level chefs of some kind

[dockhl]

You're right. They would have done much better at those challenges.

[LikestoEatout]

The Chicago Tribune today (6/11/08) reports that tomorrow (6/12) they will have a live interview with Stephannie at 1 pm. If you go to their website, you can submit questions that she will answer tomorrow. You will probably need to register (free) to participate.

[Pete Oldtown]

They have a surprise for tomorrow. After the show, millions of bicycle messengers will fan out around the country and drop off samples to every Top Chef fan, then WE VOTE.

This season has been awful. I really enjoyed the three previous ones, but this one...these are not great chefs. None of them.

[ChefJune]

<This season has been awful. I really enjoyed the three previous ones, but this one...these are not great chefs. None of them>

You are surely entitled to your opinion, but everyone connected with the show, both publicly and privately, has said this was by far the BEST group of chefs in terms of talent. and from their bios and what I know of a few of them, I would have to agree.

[LStaff]

I also think they are doing a better job with the challanges. They don't seem to be tying their hands as much with severe time constraints, stupid ingredient challanges, or severe money limits.

[attractivekid]

This season has the best batch of chefs, there's really no debate on this.

[ccbweb]

I agree, the depth of the culinary talent this season is far beyond that of he other seasons. There are a few people from previous seasons that could keep up with the current folks, but this group are clearly working at a different level.

[LindaWhit]

Wow - comparing this season unfavorably to the horror of Season 2? Can't quite fathom that one. I agree with the others - this season, for the most part, has the best level of chefs in total as compared to any of the other shows. As ccweb said - there are a few from TC1-TC2-TC3 that could keep up, but overall, this has been the best group IMO.

[Icantread]

I haven't seen anywhere near the level of disasters as occured in past seasons. First truly successful restaurant in restaurant wars? If I remember correctly, they usually had lots to complain about with both restaurants.

[goodhealthgourmet]

just saw the promo again. and i quote:

"find out who will win on the season finale."

so i guess we will know tomorrow. yay :)

[Miss Needle]

I really don't remember a combined reveal/reunion show for Season 3. They did the finale/reveal. Then the following week they played the reunion show. Did you perhaps watch them in succession during a marathon?

[goodhealthgourmet]

it wasn't so much a "reunion" as a special reveal episode. they did it in front of a live audience, the eliminated chefs were there, they showed clips & discussed events that had occurred during the season...

[Miss Needle]

I see what the OP was talking about. Yeah, I wouldn't classify that as a reunion. That reveal show was kind of cheezy (why did they have to wear the same clothes?), but I think I would have that than a potential leak like Season 2. The more Top Chef becomes popular, the more likely that leaks will come out.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"The more Top Chef becomes popular, the more likely that leaks will come out."

it's not even a matter if popularity, really. it's just an inherent risk with all competition shows. food network had the same problem with "the next iron chef" - some journalist inadvertently revealed the winner in an article well before the final episode/announcement aired.

[Miss Needle]

I think that there's risk in any reality show about leaks. But I think there's a difference as to Top Chef Season 1 and Top Chef Season 4. Nobody knew about Top Chef Season 1 and most people didn't know this show existed during filming. For Season 3, I remember people checking to see when contestants logged in their myspace page to see whether they would be in Aspen or not. People would discuss this extensively. Season 4 -- there were people trying to take pics of them at Whole Foods, taking pics of them when they're leaving their house to go to the cars, figuring out who was in the game by this point. While I would love for Top Chef to come to NYC at some point, I don't know if it feasible with all the fans and bloggers out here, trying to scope out where they'll be filming and seeing who's remaining in the competition. I think it's getting harder for them to produce the show season after season. DH and I joked last week that they're going to have to put them on a desert island if there's a Season 10.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"While I would love for Top Chef to come to NYC at some point, I don't know if it feasible..."

don't jinx us! they have to do one here...i had my fingers crossed for season 5. although you're right, the logistics could prove to be a nightmare. can you imagine the shopping trips at WFM columbus circle or union square? it would be an absolute circus.

[goodhealthgourmet]

ok, i was thinking about this last night, and in terms of budget & production considerations, filming a season in NYC makes the most sense right now. all of the primary judges live here, and tom said in his salon.com interview that every chef he knows wants to be a guest judge, so they could easily find enough local chefs to fill the season. given what's happening with oil prices, doing it close to home means not having to fly people all over the country to film each episode.

[attractivekid]

They keep the booted contestants around as decoys. They're not sent home after they're eliminated. The producers just edit the eliminated chefs out. So if they choose to shop at Whole Foods in New York, you'll still have the eliminated chefs running along with the chefs still in contention so the public won't know/deduce who's been cut. They do this for Project Runway as well anytime the contestants have to make appearances in public in New York.

[Miss Needle]

But if you've got six contestants left and they need to go to the Greenmarket at Union Square for a challenge, are they going to let all 16 roam around pretending to buy things?

[attractivekid]

no, the ones that were cut early aren't there. but the chefs that have been cut 2-3 episodes earlier are. During the tailgaiting challenge, they still had manuel and zoi around grilling even though there were cut

It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing.

still, trying to keep NYC underwraps will definately be challenging for the producers

[goodhealthgourmet]

the spoilers can sometimes come from unexpected places. case in point - i don't know if you watch "the next food network star," but there was a comment on kevin's myspace page posted by one of his friends that clearly indicated he wouldn't be the winner. i read the post right after the season premiere last week, and lo & behold, he was eliminated this week.

[ginnyhw]

As I type this Jen and Zoi are at a live cooking demo at Macy's here in Boston as part of the Gay Pride week festivities. maybe they'll blab.

[srr]

I wouldn't count on it...

[soupkitten]

the tc bravo contract is $1 mil *per* breach. really, it's not right to even ask.

[dave_c]

"Season 4 -- there were people trying to take pics of them at Whole Foods, taking pics of them when they're leaving their house to go to the cars, figuring out who was in the game by this point."

Wow! That's wild to have stalkers/paparazzi (Chefarzzis?) trying to catch glimpses of the cheftestants.

I enjoy the show but not to the point where I'd want to know the results ahead of time. I bet these chefarazzis are the type to talk loudly during a movie about the surprise around the corner.

Top Chef Deserted Isle... lol.
No one can beat Mary Ann's coconut cream pies. However, they need be careful with those radioactive vegetable seeds.

[momjamin]

OK, you made me think of the Gilligan episode when they ate something that made them mindreaders -- can you imagine if the cheftestants *really* knew what each other was thinking?

(Misspent youth, too many reruns in syndication...)

[goodhealthgourmet]

it's difficult to tell from the promos. they show padma saying "one of you is top chef," but we have no way of knowing if she follows that by saying, "and you'll find out who it is next week!"

personally, i'd prefer a reveal right after the final challenge tomorrow. the idea of keeping us all in suspense and having the audience there to support them is great in theory...but the way they drew it out and scripted all that forced, staged drama last season was irritating & tiresome to watch.

tell me tomorrow, so that next week i can just sit back & enjoy seeing the claws come out & the fur fly on the reunion show.

[LindaWhit]

Agreed - I'd rather have it this way as well. Keep the reunion show separate from the finale announcement of the winner. I haven't seen anything about a *live* finale or reunion show, so perhaps they realized last year's combo deal was cheesy as well.