Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Colorado, Ohio Bring It To Top NYC!

When the fifth season of Top Chef airs later this year, it'll have a decidedly "Front Range" flavor. Not one but two Colorado (home of the Java Junkie!) chefs have made the final cut!Hosea Rosenberg, originally from Taos, New Mexico, realized that he wanted to be a professional chef while attending the University of Colorado for his Bachelors of Science in Engineering Physics. After graduation, he began to devote his time and career to conquering his goal. Past positions include cooking for Wolfgang Puck, Kevin Taylor and Sean Yontz, as well as serving as the chef of Dandelion Restaurant and Triana Restaurant in Boulder. He is currently the chef of Jax Fish House in Boulder, CO.Melissa Harrison was born in Maryland and raised on a horse farm. Melissa spent her youth surrounded by farm fresh produce and livestock. Her upbringing influenced her love of food and cooking from an early age. After receiving her culinary degree from Baltimore International College, Melissa relocated to Boulder, Colorado where she currently serves as a Sous Chef at Centro Latin Kitchen and Refreshment Palace. Dedicated to creating soulful Latin America cuisine, her favorite part of cooking is making people happy. Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace has garnered numerous accolades including “Denver’s 10 Best New Restaurants” and “Denver’s Best Restaurants.”Our good friend and faithful reader, the illustrious Eggy reports that she too has a homie in the competition! Chef Lauren Hope works as the Chef Tournant at Jag's Steak and Seafood, the most luxurious and contemporary steakhouse in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sparked by an Easy Bake Oven as a little girl, Lauren's passion for pastry and the culinary arts bloomed throughout her childhood and into her current career. While attending the prestigious CIA in Hyde Park, New York, Lauren met her husband, a USMA cadet. Together they have traveled the country, influencing Lauren's eclectic and free-form culinary style.

6 comments:

h said...

Got any dope on the judge who's replacing Tom Allen?

Big Shamu said...

It seems to me it won't matter who the judge is. It's an interesting situation on Top Chef. No one is ever happy with the amount of face time they get with the possible exceptions of Padma and Tom. The chefs aren't happy when they don't analyze every single plate they put forth especially in the early rounds. That's why you see some really horrible dishes in the Quickfire. Really bad gives you more Face time. The guest judges don't think they get enough face time. Ted complained about being reduced to about 30 seconds of actually speaking time if he was lucky. I would imagine even the sponsors (Glad products, KC Masterpiece, whatever car or stove sponsor) do a lot of barking into producers ears for more coverage.
Ted's replacement won't matter that much since you're not going to be see or hearing much from him.


Here's a quick quiz for everyone: Name the most memorable Guest Judge over the 4 seasons of Top Chef (Outside of Tony Bourdain) by their name.

Anonymous said...

Shamu,

Oh, I know WHO it is, I just don't know much about him. If it's only 30 seconds, it does seem useless to have a 4th "regular" judge.

Memorable guest judges? The arrogant Asian guy with the mohawk. And the guy from Friday's. And Eric Ripert's first go-round.

Troll

The Java Junkie said...

Here's some poop on Toby Young, Troll...enjoy!

Big Shamu said...

I reserve the right to call him Ted's Replacement, in honor of Ted.

Sharon Rudd said...

Golly, Gals, the little link I sent you got me my own tag?

The Blushing Eggplant