Next Iron Chef - Battle of the Divas, um, Super Chefs

[ilovepaydays]

Premiere is tonight - this season is probably the most all-star cast yet!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/the-next-...hef/index.html

Anne Burrell - New York, NY
Michael Chiarello - Napa Valley, CA
Elizabeth Falkner - San Francisco, CA
Alex Guarnaschelli - New York, NY
Chuck Hughes - Montreal, Canada
Robert Irvine - Hilton Head Island, SC
Beau MacMillan - Phoenix, AZ
Spike Mendelsohn - Washington D.C.
Marcus Samuelsson - New York, NY

[Lynn226]

Bring on the scallops!!

[Scintillation]

Not at all surprised that Spike was the first to go--I always feel like no matter what show he's on, he's always in over his head.
And Chuck and I will someday be married.

[BigB08822]

I knew Spike would be one of the first ones out. He seems out of his league. I know nothing about him but all the other chefs are so well known and all I know of Spike is that he couldn't manage to even win Top Chef. I feel like most of the chefs in this competition are too good to be on Top Chef.

I do love the casting this year. I know every single one of those chefs and usually I was lucky to recognize two or three. Not sure how they will top this kind of casting without bringing people back but maybe they don't plan on doing this every year, they can't have a new one each year, after all.

[Lanie]

I want the final two to be Anne Burrell and Robert Irvine, for the funnies. Also, I want Anne to win. Because she is awesome. The end.

[Allen]

I knew Spike would be one of the first ones out. He seems out of his league. I know nothing about him but all the other chefs are so well known and all I know of Spike is that he couldn't manage to even win Top Chef. I feel like most of the chefs in this competition are too good to be on Top Chef.

I was surprised to see Spike in this lineup. I've eaten at his restaurant in DC several times and it's great, but it's not the same type of food that these other people cook day in and day out.

Ciarello and Samuelson were on Top Chef Masters (Ciarello took second his season and Samuelson won). I could see some of these people doing that show, but you're right, most of them are past the point of regular Top Chef.

I find myself as usual rooting for Anne Burrell. I find it exciting that this could go any number of ways. I really expect Samuelson to win and he probably deserves to, but I can't say I'm a fan of his at all.

[jeffisjeff]

For me, the only thing that could make up for Zakarian winning the first challenge was Spike being the first to get the boot.

Spike was definitely out of place. But I think that was on purpose - none of these high powered "super chefs" want to be the first to go, so they had to bring in a ringer (so to speak).

[Scintillation]

I'm torn. I want Chuck to do well, but I'm scared this means he won't be able to do Chuck's Day Off anymore, and I LOVE that show.
In all honesty I think Marcus Samuelsson is the most likely to win. He is just orbiting in another solar system in comparison to a lot of the other chefs--the only ones who can probably compete are Zakarian and Chiarello. Robert Irvine thinking he can beat all these guys is just laughable.

[ilovepaydays]

As much as have enjoyed watching Chiarello's shows and I have heard that Bottega in Napa Valley is well worth the $$$ the menu is - I doubt he will win here. They already have three Iron Chefs who are in Italian/Mediterranean Cuisine - Batali, Cora, & Symon.

Personally, I fine with anyone but Alex Guarnaschelli winning. She has always come across as more "talking about cooking" and not really competitive herself at actually doing it.

[skatesindreams]

I would love for Marcus Samuelsson to become an Iron Chef.
The diversity of his cuisine is amazing; and he has the experience needed to succeed.

I was surprised that he was in the "bottom two".
Not surprised that he won the elimination challenge over Spike, though.

[jeffisjeff]

Batali, Cora, & Symon.

Batali is not on ICA anymore. However, last year's Next Iron Chef winner (who was so forgettable that I can't recall his name ) also specializes in Italian. So, yeah, there are still 3 of them.

[Fridge_Break]

I'm hoping Anne Burrell takes it, because she's a badass. (And for the longest time I referred to her as Jennifer Nettles, because I think they look alike )

[emason]

Batali is not on ICA anymore. However, last year's Next Iron Chef winner (who was so forgettable that I can't recall his name ) also specializes in Italian. So, yeah, there are still 3 of them.

Marc Forgione.

[Reuven]

Marcus would be a great Iron Chef.

[peibeck]

Marc Forgione.

I'm rooting for Chuck Hughes or Anne Burrell. Alas, I am sure I will be disappointed.

I like Elizabeth Faulkner too, but she didn't last too long in the season she did "Top Chef Masters," so I am wondering how far she will go here.

[Artemis@BC]

I'm torn. I want Chuck to do well, but I'm scared this means he won't be able to do Chuck's Day Off anymore, and I LOVE that show.

I never got the impression that being "Iron Chef" was a full-time job. Each Chef only does a handful of battles per year. And doesn't Bobby Flay do his "Throw-Down" as well as Iron Chef? So no reason Chuck couldn't continue to do Day Off.

[emason]

I never got the impression that being "Iron Chef" was a full-time job. Each Chef only does a handful of battles per year. And doesn't Bobby Flay do his "Throw-Down" as well as Iron Chef? So no reason Chuck couldn't continue to do Day Off.

Flay also does Brunch with Bobby on the Cooking Channel and everything else that comes down the pike. FN and CC will do everything to promote the winner. Hughes, by the way, has something coming up called "Chuck's Week Off: Mexico". I saw the ad for it last night.

[KHenry14]

Well, some of this is just stunt casting of FN personnel IMO. Not that Alex, Jeffrey, Robert, Beau or Anne don't have the chops, it just seems like cross branding to me.

But I will be astonished if Marcus doesn't win. IMO, he clearly ranks way ahead of the others in not only talent but prestige as well. There was a reason that Spike wanted to cook with him last night, he knows how good Marcus is.

Now if they got Thomas Keller to compete, that would REALLY be an Iron Chef moment.

[BigB08822]

Samuelson was immediately the one I picked as most likely to win. My boyfriend doesn't know much about him and I told him that Spike had no shot cooking against him in the elimination challenge. He thought he actually had a chance after Spike got good reviews. I warned him that it didn't matter, his food can't touch Samuelson and I was right.

Anne is my favorite of the bunch, I just love her.

However, I feel they usually have an idea of who they want to win mostly based on the style of cooking. They need a good mix of Iron Chefs. Samuelson seems like a great fit AND he is probably the best one there. I will be SHOCKED if he doesn't win but I would be happy for a few of them if they manage the upset, especially Anne.

I am guessing Faulkner, Guarnaschelli and Irvine will be the next group to go but one of them will probably squeak by and make it further than they should. My least favorite chef, who always seems like a total ass, is Chiarello.

[Scintillation]

I've heard that Chiarello is in fact a total dick, especially to people he works with. It's not surprising given how in the world of fine dining the executive chef is viewed as being some sort of godlike figure, but still. You could be nicer to your staff.
Spike's dish looked nice, but as soon as Marcus started describing his dish I knew he had won. Spike basically came up with seafood tomato sauce...tasty I'm sure, but not elegant.
Thomas Keller would blast the rest of his competitors into smithereens if he ever came on. Thomas Keller would probably wipe the floor with the current batch of Iron Chefs within an hour, and still have time to mix himself a cocktail.