We're now down to 15 contestants on Top Chef: D.C., the challenges are getting harder, and I still haven't come up with snarky nicknames for all of them yet.
For their Quickfire, some Rockabilly-looking dude (much like a brunette version of Johnny Bravo) gives the chef'testants the challenge of creating a pie. I'm assuming this has something to do with being patriotic, pie being associated with America, and the fact that the producers planned this episode right before Fourth of July weekend. If the common belief of Top Chef contestants is that anyone who makes dessert ends up packing their knives, does this mean they'll all get sent home?
In the preview video below, we learn that Borscht (Alex) doesn't like pie. That doesn't seem very American of him. (Insert McCarthyism joke here.) Shaft (Kenny) also reveals true feelings about Angelo, and no, they're not feelings of love and adoration. Big surprise.
During the Elimination Challenge, the chefs must prepare a picnic utilizing the grill on Mt. Vernon for Capitol Hill interns. I'm sure Capitol Hill interns are absolute aficionados at making and judging picnic food at the homes of former presidents. (And you thought I was going to pull out some lame Monica Lewinsky joke. Ha!)
I have fond memories of Mt. Vernon. Those fond memories include getting attacked by bees in the flower garden and the bad interior decorating inside Washington's house (so 18th Century neoclassical Georgian style).
We also learn who our sexist of the season is when Timothy reveals that he doesn't think women can grill. I'm hoping for an altercation between him and Meatball O'Donnell (Tracey) over this.
Check out the preview videos below.
Tune in to Bravo tonight at 9 pm EST/8 pm C, join our Twitter party during the show (Jeff: @JeffHouck, Katie: @culinarypirate), and listen to our podcast here tomorrow! (You can even download us on iTunes!) Check out our fellow Top Chef fanatics, Please Pack Your Knives And Go and All Top Chef, for the latest news (and some laughs).
Videos after the break:
This article appears in Jun 24-30, 2010.