Top Chef

Chefs from across the United States compete for the chance to have their work treated to the withering glares of Padma Lakshmi and Tom Coilcchio.
Top Chef will return in 2012.

Wednesdays, 9 PM ET, Bravo

Current Season: 10 - Total Episodes: 107
Highest Rated: Ep 12, Season 6

“Finale, Part 2”

by Emily Withrow February 28, 2013 -

Top Chef crashes and burns with a new finale format that kills all hope of suspense.

A-

“Finale, Part 1”

by Emily Withrow February 21, 2013 -

With this many likable chefs, any elimination is bound to feel disappointing.

A-

“Glacial Gourmand”

by Emily Withrow February 13, 2013 -

"Final three" doesn't quite mean what it used to.

“Kings of Alaska”

by Emily Withrow February 6, 2013 -

It's a shame that here, near the end of the season, Top Chef seems to be losing some of its momentum.

Ep. 17, Season 10
“Finale, Part 2”
Ep. 16, Season 10
“Finale, Part 1”
Ep. 14, Season 10
“Glacial Gourmand”
Ep. 14, Season 10
“Kings of Alaska”

Features Reviews

Season

newest oldest

“Finale, Part 2”
Episode 17

Top Chef crashes and burns with a new finale format that kills all hope of suspense.
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C
“Finale, Part 1”
Episode 16

With this many likable chefs, any elimination is bound to feel disappointing.
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A-
“Kings of Alaska”
Episode 14

It's a shame that here, near the end of the season, Top Chef seems to be losing some of its momentum.
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B
“Glacial Gourmand”
Episode 14

"Final three" doesn't quite mean what it used to.
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A-
“Chefs At Sea”
Episode 13

How do you spell the sound of a giant, never-ending fart? Here's a shot at it: ttthhhhhhhhbbbbppppttttttt.
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C+
“Wolfgang Clucks”
Episode 12

Sushi and fried chicken challenges underlie an entertaining episode.
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A-
“Restaurant Wars”
Episode 11

Last week's setup for Restaurant Wars prepped me for what I thought was sure to be an excellent rendition of the classic Top Chef challenge. I can always skip the infighting that happens at the start of these challenges, when the pushier chefs steamroll ...
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B+
“The Battle Before The War”
Episode 10

Never, never serve Danny Meyer a raw fish salad.
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B
“Something’s Fishy”
Episode 9

A misconceived elimination challenge drags down a bland episode.
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B-
“Jalapeno Business”
Episode 8

Never, never question Tom about your seasoning.
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B
“Foiled Again”
Episode 7

A head-to-head berry competition separates the wheat from the chaff.
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C
“Even The Famous Come Home”
Episode 6

With a quickfire challenge judged by Internet sensation Marilyn Hagerty!
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B+
“Pike Place Pickle”
Episode 5

The Top Chef crew disappoints Tom, and hell hath no fury like a mad Colicchio.
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B-
“50’s Food Flashback”
Episode 4

A double-elimination cuts some craziness from the kitchen and tests the chefs knowledge of 1950s cuisine.
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B+
“Tom vs. Emeril: Turkeypocalypse”
Episode 3

In case of a food-related zombie apocalypse, always side with Tom Colicchio.
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B+
“A Shock At The Space Needle”
Episode 2

Three contestants from Top Chef past return to wreak havoc on the bright-eyed Season 10 newcomers.
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A-
“The Ultimate Chef Test”
Episode 1

Top Chef is back to basics and in Seattle.
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A-

"Reunion"
Episode 15

I hate to end this season’s Top Chef blog on an anti-climactic note, but hey, blame Bravo. The network seems to...
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C
"Finale, Pt. 2"
Episode 14

Okay, first order of business: I’m scheduled to interview the Top Chef winner tomorrow (Thursday) morning at 11 a.m....
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B
"Puerto Rico"
Episode 13

Oh dear. I feel like I should just stop here and open the floor to your toxic comments, but I have to come to terms with my...
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B
"High Steaks"
Episode 12

It saddens me to report that Scott is down for the count tonight, laid up by chills and fever. (And not Top Chef...
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A-
"Restaurant Wars"
Episode 11

Could Dennis Miller please sentence Dale and Lisa to six months of hard marriage? Or barring that, perhaps a double elimination?...
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B+
"Serve And Protect"
Episode 10

You’ll pardon me if I start with this personal anecdote, which I feel compelled to share whenever cops and food intermingle....
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B
"Wedding Wars"
Episode 9

So how do you follow up by far the worst episode of the season? With by far the best, naturally. Everything was clicking...
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A
"Common Threads"
Episode 8

So a 15-minute Quickfire centered on microwavable Uncle Ben’s rice and an Elimination challenge where contestants had to make...
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B-
"Improv"
Episode 7

“The asparagus were supposed to be erect?” This from pastry chef extraordinaire (and guest judge competentaire)...
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B+
"Tailgating"
Episode 6

In an earlier column, I listed a couple of important rules any Top Chef contestant should keep in mind if they want to...
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B+
"The Elements"
Episode 5

Wow. I’ll guess we’ll have to start with the coda first, since the show hasn’t had a coda before, unless you...
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B
"Film Food"
Episode 4

As the Film Editor of the A.V. Club, based here in Chicago, I was particularly excited about tonight’s episode—so...
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B
"Block Party"
Episode 3

Tonight’s episode neatly demonstrated two important rules that all Top Chef contestants should know going in, yet some...
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A-
"Zoo Food"
Episode 2

Oh Valerie and Stephanie. Such good friends, and why shouldn’t they be? They’re both from Chicago. They work out...
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B
"Anything You Can Cook I Can Cook Better"
Episode 1

Hello everyone, and welcome to the Top Chef blog, brought to you by the A.V. Club and the Glad family of products. Just so you know...
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A-

"Finale: Part II"
Episode 14

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B
Finale: Part One
Episode 13

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B
"The Last Supper"
Episode 12

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A-
"Le Bernardin"
Episode 11

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B+
"Super Bowl Chef Showdown"
Episode 10

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A-
"Restaurant Wars"
Episode 9

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A-
"Down On The Farm"
Episode 8

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B
"Focus Group"
Episode 7

As a critic, I tend to cringe whenever one of my kind pops up in movies or on TV, because they’re inevitably cast as...
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B+
"12 Days Of Christmas - Martha Stewart"
Episode 6

“Merry Christmas!” Just once, I’d like to see footage of the contestants giving season’s greetings...
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B+
"Gail's Bridal Shower"
Episode 5

Oh man, where to start? After last week’s dip into mediocrity, I was worried that a 75-minute episode covering Gail’s...
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A
"Today Show: Rocco DiSpirito"
Episode 4

First off, many thanks to Noel Murray for covering the fake Thanksgiving episode while I was off having actual Thanksgiving in San...
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C+
"Foo Fighters"
Episode 3

Hey Chef-heads! Scott's winging his way to San Francisco to spend the holidays with his in-lawsand to continue...
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B+
"Show Your Craft"
Episode 2

Before I talk about tonight’s hugely entertaining episode, the Chicagoan in me has to express a little bitterness. When it...
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A-
"Taste Of The Five Boroughs"
Episode 1

Welcome once again to the Top Chef blog, as I take you through another season of scallop-searing, demi-glace drizzling...
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B+

"Season Finale: Part II"
Episode 14

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B
"Season Finale, Part 1"
Episode 13

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A
"Culinary Olympics"
Episode 12

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A
"Strip Around The World"
Episode 11

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B
"Meat Natalie"
Episode 10

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B
"Restaurant Wars"
Episode 9

-
B+
"Pigs And Pinot"
Episode 8

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B+
"Dinner Party"
Episode 7

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B-
"Penn & Teller"
Episode 6

-
B+
Vivre Las Vegas
Episode 4

-
B
Camping
Episode 4

-
B+
"Thunderbirds"
Episode 3

-
B+
"Bachelor/Ette"
Episode 2

-
B-
"Sin City Vice"
Episode 1

-
A-

"Finale, Part 2"
Episode 14

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B+
"Finale Part 1"
Episode 13

-
B
"Gastro-nauts"
Episode 12

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B
Making Concessions
Episode 11

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B-
"Covert Cuisine"
Episode 10

-
B
"Restaurant Wars"
Episode 9

-
B-
"Foreign Affairs"
Episode 8

-
B
Power Lunch
Episode 7

-
C+
"Cold War"
Episode 6

-
A-
"Farm Policy"
Episode 5

-
B
"Room Service"
Episode 4

-
C+
"Capitol Grill"
Episode 3

-
B
"Outside The Lunch Box"
Episode 2

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A-
"What's Your Constituency?"
Episode 1

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B

"Season Eight Finale"
Episode 16

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A-
"Last Supper"
Episode 15

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A-
"Island Fever"
Episode 14

-
B
"Fit For A King"
Episode 13

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C
"Give Me Your Huddled Masses"
Episode 12

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B+
"For The Gulf"
Episode 11

-
B+
"Lock Down"
Episode 10

-
C+
"Feeding Fallon"
Episode 9

-
B
"An Offer They Can't Refuse"
Episode 8

-
B
"Restaurant Wars: One Night Only"
Episode 7

-
A-
"We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat"
Episode 6

-
B+
"Dim Sum, Lose Sum"
Episode 5

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A
"Advantage Chef"
Episode 4

-
A-
"New York's Finest"
Episode 3

-
A-
"Night At The Museum"
Episode 2

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B-
"History Never Repeats"
Episode 1

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A-

“Finale”
Episode 16

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A-
“Fire And Ice”
Episode 15

The final three chug towards the finish line with a so-so challenge.
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B
“Culinary Games”
Episode 14

The franchise reaches new elevations and new lows in a single episode.
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C-
“Mentors”
Episode 13

An old friend returns to spice up the last regular episode.
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B
“Block Party”
Episode 12

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A-
“Bike Borrow & Steal”
Episode 12

The season stumbles toward the finale with a challenge that tests the chefs' ability to... ride a bike?
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C
“Fit For An Evil Queen”
Episode 11

-
A
“Restaurant Wars”
Episode 10

-
B
“BBQ Pit Wars”
Episode 9

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B+
“Tribute Dinner”
Episode 8

If you cook for Patti LaBelle, you'd better make sure not to serve ambiguous meat.
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B
“Game On”
Episode 7

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A
“Higher Steaks”
Episode 6

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B-
“Don’t Be Tardy For The Dinner Party”
Episode 5

-
B+
“Red Hot Chili Cook Off ”
Episode 4

-
B+
“Quinceanera”
Episode 3

-
B+
“The Heat Is On”
Episode 2

-
B
“Everything’s Bigger In Texas”
Episode 1

-
B

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TNT makes Wednesday that much more complicated by adding Southland to it
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Tonight's Supernatural features Hitler somehow, so we're naturally recommending it
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In Soviet Russia, FX's The Americans watches you
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TV Club Classic becomes 17 percent more Canadian with Slings & Arrows coverage
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Nick Kroll hopes to get a boost for his new sketch show from the Workaholics
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Remember when you thought Nashville held such promise, then prepare yourself for disappointment
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Meet (West) Virginia on Buckwild
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New TV trickles back in, so The Hour, its job done, leaves the airwaves for another year
New TV is back, so The Hour, sensing its job of entertaining us through the holidays is finished, leaves us for another year. Also: An elderly clown falls in love with a teenage orphan. Seriously!
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Top Chef proudly presents a roller skating Padma Lakshmi
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Don't stop believin' our Sopranos reviews will run forever
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Christmas? Modern Family is more popular than Christmas now
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Emmys hate many of the things you like, really like Downton Abbey
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Is Survivor the only great reality TV show?
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In honor of Leap Day, Top Chef ends yet another season
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Suburgatory’s all like “Hey, everybody still thinks Jersey Shore is funny, right?”
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