Top Chef (Season 2)

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The second season of Top Chef began airing on Bravo on October 18, 2006. Padma Lakshmi took over as host, with Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons returning as judges. Filming began in Westwood, near UCLA in Los Angeles, on August 10, 2006. The number of contestants expanded from 12 to 15. The winning recipe from each week's episode is featured on Bravo's Top Chef website and prepared by Season 1 contestant Lee Anne Wong in a web video called The Wong Way to Cook. Unlike season one, there was no reunion episode.

Contents

[edit] Host & judges

[edit] Permanent

[edit] Guest judges

  • Harold Dieterle, Season 1 winner. (Ep.1 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Hiroshi Shima, sushi chef. (Ep.2 Quickfire)
  • Ming Tsai, chef, restaurateur and television personality. (Ep.2 Elimination)
  • Stephen Bugarelli, TGIF senior executive chef. (Ep.3 Elimination)
  • Suzanne Goin, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.4 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Michelle Bernstein, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.5 Quickfire & Elimination, Ep.13 Elimination)
  • Anthony Bourdain, chef, author and television personality. (Ep.6 Elimination)
  • Raphael Lunetta, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.7 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Kristen Woodward, mixologist. (Ep.8 Quickfire)
  • Lee Hefter, chef. (Ep.8 Elimination)
  • Ted Allen, author and television personality. (Ep.8 Elimination, Ep.9 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Mike Yakura, chef. (Ep.10 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Eric Ripert, chef and restaurateur (Ep.11 Quickfire & Elimination)
  • Alan Wong, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.12 Elimination)
  • Scott Conant, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.13 Elimination)
  • Wylie Dufresne, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.13 Elimination)
  • Hubert Keller, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.13 Elimination)
  • Roy Yamaguchi, chef and restaurateur. (Ep.13 Elimination)

[edit] Contestants

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Contestants are listed in order of elimination.

Credit order: Josie, Otto, Sam, Elia, Frank, Emily, Cliff, Betty, Marcel, Michael, Mia, Marisa, Carlos, Ilan, Suyai.

[edit] Elimination Challenge

[edit] Contestants with more than one win

  • Elia Aboumrad, Ilan Hall, & Betty Fraser with two wins.

[edit] Contestants with one win

  • Michael Midgley, Sam Talbot, Frank Terzoli, each with one win.

[edit] Contestants with no wins

  • Otto Borsich, Marisa Churchill, Cliff Crooks, Carlos Fernandez, Mia Gaines-Alt, Josie Smith-Malave, Emily Sprissler, Suyai Steinhauer, and Marcel Vigneron did not win any elimination challenges.

[edit] Quickfire Challenge

[edit] Contestants with more than one win

  • Sam Talbot with five wins.
  • Cliff Crooks with four wins.
  • Marcel Vigneron with two wins.

[edit] Contestants with one win

  • Carlos Fernandez, Mia Gaines-Alt, Ilan Hall, Michael Midgley and Frank Terzoli, all with one win.

[edit] Contestants with no wins

  • Elia Aboumrad, Otto Borsich, Marisa Churchill, Betty Fraser, Josie Smith-Malave, Emily Sprissler, and Suyai Steinhauer did not win any Quickfire challenges.

[edit] Episodes

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Each episode includes two challenges. The Quickfire Challenge is a short, simple challenge with a varying reward each week. The Elimination Challenge is a more complex challenge that determines who goes home. One or more guest judges join the show each week to evaluate both the Quickfire and Elimination challenges. Each week's elimination is announced in a segment called "Judges' Table."

Episode Progress
Chef 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Comments
Ilan WIN IN IN IN WIN IN IN HIGH LOW IN IN IN WIN Winner of Top Chef Season 2
Marcel LOW IN IN HIGH IN HIGH IN HIGH LOW IN IN IN OUT elimin: Finale Part 2
Sam IN IN HIGH LOW HIGH IN LOW WIN HIGH LOW IN OUT elimin: Finale Part 1
Elia HIGH IN IN IN LOW WIN WIN LOW HIGH IN IN OUT elimin: Finale Part 1
Cliff IN IN HIGH LOW HIGH IN LOW LOW IN LOW DQ Disqualified: Sense and Sensuality
Michael IN IN LOW LOW HIGH LOW IN LOW WIN OUT elimin: Unhappy Customers
Betty HIGH WIN WIN HIGH LOW LOW HIGH HIGH OUT elimin: Seven
Mia HIGH IN IN LOW LOW IN HIGH QUIT Quit: Holiday Spirit
Frank IN LOW LOW WIN IN IN OUT elimin: The Raw and the Cooked
Carlos LOW IN IN LOW LOW OUT elimin: Thanksgiving
Marisa IN LOW IN LOW OUT elimin: Social Service
Josie IN IN IN IN OUT elimin: Social Service
Emily IN IN OUT elimin: Food for the People
Otto LOW QUIT Quit: Eastern Promise
Suyai OUT elimin: Into the Fire
  • Purple background means the chef won both the Elimination and Quickfire Challenge
  • Green background means the chef won that episode's Elimination Challenge.
  • Yellow background means the chef won that episode's Quickfire Challenge.
  • Blue background and HIGH means the chef was close to winning the Elimination Challenge.
  • Grey background and OUT means the chef lost that week's Elimination Challenge and was out of the competition.
  • Orange background and QUIT means the chef voluntarily left the show.
  • Deep Red background and DQ means the chef was disqualified and was asked to leave the show.
  • Pink Background and WIN means the chef won the series and was crowned Top Chef.
  • Episode 2: Otto quit voluntarily before Lakshmi eliminated anyone, deciding that his misconduct over the unpaid lychees contributed the most to his team's loss.
  • Episode 4: After allegations of cheating, the judges decided not to eliminate anyone.
  • Episode 5: Josie and Marisa were both eliminated, who worked as a team in this challenge.
  • Episode 6: There were 5 winners in the Quickfire Challenge. These winners did not compete in the Elimination Challenge.
  • Episode 8: The black team (Cliff, Michael, Mia and Elia) lost the Elimination Challenge, but Cliff had immunity and could not be eliminated.
  • Episode 8: Mia quit voluntarily before Lakshmi eliminated anyone, fearing Elia would be eliminated.
  • Episode 9: Starting with this episode, Quickfire Challenge wins no longer confers immunity from losing the Elimination Challenge.
  • Episode 9: Michael won the Quickfire and Elimination Challenges.
  • Episode 10: Both Sam and Marcel won the Quickfire Challenge.
  • Episode 10: There was no winning team in the Elimination Challenge. The bottom 3 was based on each chef's individual performance.
  • Episode 11: Cliff was disqualified for aggressive contact towards Marcel after a joke to shave Marcel's head went too far. Despite this, however, the judges agreed he had the weakest dish of the elimination challenge and would have been eliminated anyway.
  • Episode 12: There was no Quickfire Challenge. Two chefs were eliminated in the Elimination Challenge.
  • Episode 13: Ilan is Top Chef for season two.

[edit] Episode 1: Into the Fire

The chefs await their challenge.
The chefs await their challenge.
  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a flambé dish in a limited amount of time. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Sam.
  • Elimination Challenge: Prepare a dish using all the ingredients in a closed crate to be served to the other Top Chef contestants.
    • WINNER: Ilan. ELIMINATED: Suyai.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Harold Dieterle (Quickfire & Elimination Challenges).
  • First aired October 18, 2006

[edit] Episode 2: Eastern Promise

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a sushi dish in a limited amount of time. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Cliff.
  • Elimination Challenge: Contestants split into Team Vietnam and Team Korea to prepare two dishes using the flavors of the team's country to serve at a charity fundraiser.
    • WINNER: Team Vietnam and Betty. ELIMINATED: Otto.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hiroshi Shima (Quickfire Challenge) and Ming Tsai (Elimination Challenge).
  • First aired October 25, 2006
  • Elimination Challenge Prize: A limited-edition Kyocera KT-300-HIP Kyotop 8.25" ceramic sashimi knife[1].
  • Otto voluntarily withdrew from the show. As Team Korea loaded up their SUV with groceries, Marisa heard Otto say that the store cashier neglected to ring up a case of lychees. She later revealed this to Colicchio, who made Otto take them back to the store. Otto returned to complete the Elimination Challenge, but announced he was withdrawing from the competition during the "Judges' Table" segment.

[edit] Episode 3: Food for the People

Betty preparing her dish.
Betty preparing her dish.
  • Quickfire Challenge: Create an original ice cream flavor and serve it at the Redondo Beach Seaside Lagoon. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Cliff.
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a dish updating a "childhood classic" to be served to the firemen of South Pasdena.
    • WINNER: Betty. ELIMINATED: Emily.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Stephen Bugarelli (Elimination Challenge).
  • First aired November 1, 2006
  • Elimination Challenge Prize: The winning entrée will be featured nationwide on the menu of T.G.I. Friday's. (Note: Betty's winning dish has been placed on TGI Friday's menu but renamed "Tuscan Portobello Melt."[2])
  • During this quickfire challenge, Betty suffered a dry ice burn that required medical attention.

[edit] Episode 4: Less is More

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create an amuse bouche dish using $10 of ingredients from a vending machine. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Carlos.
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a meal not to exceed 500 calories to serve at a camp for diabetic and overweight children.
    • WINNER: Team Black and Frank. ELIMINATED: None.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Suzanne Goin (Quickfire & Elimination Challenges).
  • First aired November 8, 2006
  • Elimination Challenge Prize: A cookbook written by Goin and an opportunity to collaborate on one of Goin's famed Sunday supper menus for her Lucques restaurant.
  • At the judges' table, the losing teams made allegations regarding the "bending" or "breaking" of the rules in the elimination challenge by a member or members of the winning team. Sam stated that he saw people using squeeze bottles of olive oil excessively, but refused to name names. Mia stated that Betty had used sugar instead of Splenda; a claim that Betty herself later confirmed, explaining that she thought she had not violated the rules because her team would still be under the 500 calorie limit. However, the other contestants understood that the rules required that once the calorie calculations had been completed by the nutritionists, the recipes could not be further modified. As a result, Colicchio stated that all the contestants would remain "on probation" and no one was eliminated in this episode.

[edit] Episode 5: Social Service

The chefs after the Elimination Challenge.
The chefs after the Elimination Challenge.
  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using offal, the leftover parts of animals. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Sam.
  • Elimination Challenge: Working in teams of two, create a six course lunch for Jennifer Coolidge and 60 of her guests using only ingredients already available in the kitchen.
    • WINNER: Ilan. ELIMINATED: Marisa and Josie.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Michelle Bernstein (Quickfire & Elimination Challenges).
  • First aired November 15, 2006
  • Elimination Challenge Prize: Opportunity to work with Bernstein at the Sagamore Hotel in Miami on the South Beach Food and Wine Festival.
  • During deliberation, the judges could not determine whether Marisa or Josie was more responsible for the outcome of their dish. Because both claimed equal responsibility, the judges sent both home.

[edit] Episode 6: Thanksgiving

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using three different canned foods. Prize: Skip the elimination challenge altogether.
    • WINNERS: Sam, Mia, Ilan, Cliff and Frank.
  • Elimination Challenge: All five who did not win the Quickfire Challenge must work together to make a cutting edge Thanksgiving dinner for the judges and other Top Chef contestants, using the kitchens in the loft.
    • WINNER: Elia. ELIMINATED: Carlos.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Anthony Bourdain (Elimination Challenge).
  • First aired November 22, 2006

[edit] Episode 7: The Raw And The Cooked

The chefs arriving at the beach.
The chefs arriving at the beach.
  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a entrée using fresh ingredients from the Redondo Beach Farmers' Market without cooking of any kind by the contestants. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Marcel.
  • Elimination Challenge: Prepare breakfast for athletes with the cooking environment and available tools not known to contestants until their arrival at the challenge. In the challenge, chefs cook for surfers at dawn on the beach using only a fire pit and basic kitchen tools.
    • WINNER: Elia. ELIMINATED: Frank.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Raphael Lunetta (Quickfire & Elimination challenge)
  • First aired December 6, 2006

[edit] Episode 8: Holiday Spirit

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a Bailey's Irish Cream mix drink and an accompanying dish. Prize: Immunity from elimination.
    • WINNER: Cliff
  • Elimination Challenge: Working in two teams of four, cater the Los Angeles magazine holiday party on the Warner Bros. movie lot.
    • WINNER: Team Orange and Sam. ELIMINATED: Mia
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Kristin Woodward (Quickfire Challenge only), Lee Hefter (Elimination Challenge only) and Ted Allen (standing in for Gail Simmons).
  • Elimination Challenge prize: a 20-piece set of Global knives.
  • Mia voluntarily withdrew from the competition during the judges' table segment, believing that she was saving Elia from elimination. Her decision at the judges' table was preceded by a monologue by Mia who expressed her anger and frustration with Cliff's attitude toward her.
  • Teaser advertisements for this episode showed a cameo of Season 1 contestant Stephen Asprinio[3], but he is not shown in the aired episode. The video clip with Stephen Asprinio was included as bonus material on the Top Chef website.
  • Actor Nate Torrence had a cameo in this episode. He is one of the many party guests who go to Team Black's table.
  • First aired December 13, 2006.

[edit] Episode 9: Seven

Betty, Ilan and Marcel in the bottom three.
Betty, Ilan and Marcel in the bottom three.
  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish based on a color drawn from the knife block.
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a seven-course meal, with each course representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins. The sins were drawn from the block, but Michael, as the Quickfire winner, got to swap his his sin, Lust, for Marcel's Envy. Guest appearance by Debi Mazar.
    • WINNER: Michael with Envy. ELIMINATED: Betty with Sloth
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Ted Allen (standing in for Gail Simmons) and chef Robert Ivan
  • First episode during Season 2 that immunity from elimination was not awarded to the quickfire challenge winner.
  • The episode's initial airing ran for an hour and fifteen minutes, rather than the usual hour. The extended version showed Marcel sharply telling Betty to hold service on his dish after she announced she was going to begin service. Prior to Marcel's comment to Betty, an off-screen voice can be heard saying that they were not ready yet and an off-screen contestant can also be heard confirming that they were holding service. The other contestants refused to assist Marcel with service until he apologized to Betty which he did. The condensed version of this episode cut out the other contestants refusing to help Marcel, but still showed him snapping at Betty and his subsequent apology.
  • Michael was the first Top Chef contestant ever to win both the Quickfire Challenge and the Elimination Challenge in the same episode.
  • First aired January 3, 2007

[edit] Episode 10: Unhappy Customers

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a snack using three Kraft Foods products: mayonnaise, barbecue sauce or Italian dressing.
    • WINNER:Sam & Marcel
  • Elimination Challenge: Divided into two teams, the contestants must devise a concept, interior design and menu for a raw restaurant space. Sam and Marcel, as the Quickfire winners, chose their teams. Similar to Restaurant Wars of Season One.
    • WINNER: None (Marcel's dish was selected as the featured dish on Bravo's Web site). ELIMINATED: Michael
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Mike Yakura (Quickfire and Elimination Challenges)
  • First aired Jan. 10, 2007

[edit] Episode 11: Sense and Sensuality

  • Quickfire Challenge: Create a dish using Nestlé chocolatier products.
    • WINNER: Sam
  • Elimination Challenge: Create a romantic 5-course menu for celebratory couples in Santa Barbara. Sam, as the Quickfire Challenge winner, was allowed to choose which course he wanted to execute and which proteins he was going to use. The remaining contestants were not allowed to use the same proteins that Sam chose. Sam elected to cook the first course and use lobster and scallops as his proteins.
    • WINNER: None (Ilan's dish was selected as the featured dish on Bravo's Web site). ELIMINATED: None. DISQUALIFIED: Cliff
  • After the elimination challenge, but before the judges' table segment, Cliff approaches a sleeping Marcel and wrestles him to the ground. Ilan, holding a borrowed video camera from production, can be heard encouraging the other contestants to forcibly shave Marcel's hair as Cliff holds Marcel down to the ground. Marcel angrily gets away from Cliff and goes to sleep in a bathroom.[4][5] The next day, Colicchio, having seen the video footage, approaches Cliff and states that the show's rules expressly forbid contestants to touch one another in an aggressive manner. As such, Cliff is asked to leave the show. However, it is mentioned that during the judges' deliberation that Cliff's dish is the weakest of all five, and that he likely would have been eliminated at the judges' table anyway.
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Eric Ripert
  • First aired January 17, 2007

[edit] Episode 12: Finale, Part 1

Marcel and Ilan preparing their dishes.
Marcel and Ilan preparing their dishes.
  • Quickfire Challenge: None
  • Elimination Challenge: Create two dishes based on classic Hawaiian dishes with a twist. Each chef must combine their signature style with traditional Hawaiian flavors and cuisine.
    • WINNER: Marcel & Ilan. ELIMINATED: Sam and Elia
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Alan Wong.
  • First aired January 24, 2007.
  • While the judges were deliberating, they stated that it was too difficult to find a dish that tasted bad, so instead of choosing two losers they decided to choose two winners.
  • After the Elimination Challenge, but before judges' table, Ilan, Sam and Elia discussed how rude they felt Marcel had been in the kitchen during prep time. At that time, Ilan encouraged Elia to accuse Marcel of cheating in front of the judges. At the judges' table before the final decision was announced, Ilan spoke first, with Elia making the actual accusation, about their perception of Marcel's "cheating." However, neither Elia or Ilan offered any evidence. Colicchio bluntly responded to their accusations that kitchen behavior meant nothing to him, he was only concerned about the food.
  • During this episode, it was revealed that Sam was voted Fan Favorite.

[edit] Episode 13: Finale, Part 2

  • Quickfire Challenge: None
  • Elimination Challenge: Prepare a five-course meal to be served to the usual judges' panel and five additional guest judges at one of two restaurants in the Hilton Waikoloa Village. Ilan cooked at Donatoni's Restaurant while Marcel cooked at Imari Restaurant.
  • The judges compared Ilan's dishes to Marcel's, as follows:
Ilan Hall, Top Chef
Ilan Hall, Top Chef
  • 1st course: Marcel
  • 2nd course: Ilan
  • 3rd course: Tie
  • 4th course: Tie, slight edge to Marcel
  • 5th course: Tie, slight edge to Ilan
  • WINNER OF TOP CHEF SEASON TWO: Ilan RUNNER UP: Marcel
  • Judges: Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, Hubert Keller, Michelle Bernstein, Scott Conant, Wylie Dufresne, Roy Yamaguchi
  • First aired on January 31, 2007
  • Previously eliminated contestants Sam, Elia, Michael, Betty, Mia, and Frank were asked to return as potential sous chefs for Ilan & Marcel. Each returnee was asked which finalists they would prefer to work with. Elia, Michael and Betty chose Ilan. Sam, Mia and Frank chose Marcel. Ilan and Marcel were then allowed to choose two chefs. Marcel chose Sam and Michael and Ilan chose Elia and Betty.
  • At Judges' Table, Hubert Keller represented the collective panel of guest judges.
  • During the episode, viewers chose Ilan to win over Marcel in a SMS poll.

[edit] See also


[edit] Contestant and judge sites


[edit] Notable Media & News Coverage

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