Top Chef Takes LA
The Amazing Race is a reality TV show that involves traveling around the world. We should probably cover that show. But the Amazing Race is stupid and the people on it are obnoxious, so instead we are covering Top Chef. It's about food, it's shot in locations all over LA, and the people on it are slightly less obnoxious.
Warner Brothers Studio Lot: In one of the more dramatic episodes of Season 2, the chefs cater a holiday party Warner Brothers Studio. The WB crew decorates a back lot "city street" to look wintery and festive. According to a Bravo TV blog, they were on the same street as the Huxtables' house. This is where Mia spazzes out and Sam, in his ineffable diabetic way, is hot.
Leo Carillo State Beach: In episode seven the contestants cook breakfast for over thirty surfers over open flame pits on Carillo Beach in northern Malibu. The pits were built by the Top Chef production crew. Since high tide was at 10AM, the crew began setting up the shoot at 5:30 AM. Frank the fat fuck chokes, thank god. You can still smell his tears in the air...oh wait, that's the Pacific Ocean.
Redondo Beach Farmers' Market: Contestants go shopping here for the quick fire challenge in the Raw and the Cooked episode. They are so happy to be using fresh ingredients, but the challenge is they aren't allowed to cook anything.
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank: The five contestants who win the quick fire challenge have immunity. Instead of cooking they donate turkeys and canned goods to the local food bank. This is the first time of many where Mia talks about how she was homeless and only ate out of cans. Plus tons of shots of Sam being a decent guy. Oh yeah, and Mia was homeless and ate out of cans.
Social Hollywood: The Social is a fancy pants spot is where the contestants cook a six course meal for Jennifer Coolidge, beloved actress from Best in Show and American Pie.
Camp Glucose:This is a fat camp. For the challenge, the teams have to make a meal with less than 500 calories. Then they go to the fat camp and the little chubsters choose which tastes the best.
Redondo Beach Boardwalk:For a quick fire challenge, the chefs have to make their own ice cream. Then they have to shill it out on the boardwalk to whiny picky children in the blistering in the heat to little cretins who wouldn't know good bacon ice cream if it melted in their mouth.
South Pasadena Firehouse: For the TGIF challenge, the contestants have to invent a new menu item for the chain. Then they bring their dishes to a local firehouse for the burly mustachioed firemen to judge. They, of course, are too distracted by Padma Lakshmi's tits and thinking, "Fuck dude, I could have written the Satanic Verses!"
The California Science Center: The chefs are split into two teams: Team Korea and Team Vietnam. Each has to create two dishes using the flavors of the country and then serve them to thousands of guests at the a charity event by Project Charity at the California Science Center
Restaurant Depot: The contestants shop here in preparation for the holiday party at the WB lot.
Grub LA: Perpetually annoying and perky but mostly annoying Betty co-owns this LA restaurant specializes in chirpy down home cookin' something the Suzanne Sommers look-a-like never fails to note.
Craft LA: Chef/Host Tom Colicchio's newest addition to his Craft empire is to be opened in Century City's Creative Artists Agency building in April 2007 but delays have plagued the project pushing back the open date for months. As fellow host Tim Gunn might say, "Make it work."
Previously: Christmas in LA, Typhoon: High Asian Fusion Fused with Bugs, LA Homeless Map: Knowledge is Power
