I'm thinking there's no way this season's drama can top the bromance.

But then, I thought that no season would be as interesting as the first Top Chef, and that I wouldn't get invested in the following casts, but look at me five years later. Top Chef is the one reality show I can talk about for pretty much the whole week until the next one airs.

Did you guys catch No Reservations in Chicago? Eric Ripert was on that one too.

According to Bourdain's blog, Ripert paid for his flight out to Chicago and his stay on his own dime. He happened to hear that the show was going to L20, and he so wanted to try it out that he tagged along.

I loved that they went to two separate hot dog joints, and the one pizza place they went to was about as unusual a restaurant as you're going to find, although they didn't mention that on the show (Burt, the owner/chef, has the phone number unlisted and takes the phone off the hook when he feels it's getting too loud and busy, and he'll shut down unannounced when he feels like taking a break).

I wish they had gone to some of the more ethnic locations, but I guess since they go to the really authentic restaurants in other episodes, going for Indian on Devon doesn't equal going for Indian in Mumbai.

I did appreciate Bourdain's obvious love of the city--that's nice to see in someone as smart-ass as he is.

OMG, MMaSM is coming back?? I didn't know!! Thanks for the warning!! excellent...

I hope Josea and what's her face broke up with their partners when they got back after the show. The BFs and GFs shouldn't have had to see that and still be attached to the contestants.

Ugly shit.

Did you guys catch No Reservations in Chicago?

Yeah, that was fun. Although I take issue with Tony's assertion that Chicago and New York are the only "real" cities in the US. @@@@@@

Tom has been pretty off of Tony since that insufferable episode where he and his foodie friends were at the Wayne DuFrey (???) restaurant talking about whatever. He was just SO SUPERIOR, it was nauseating. (I may have bitched about that here)

I have this seasons eps on the Tivo, but since Tom can't stand him anymore, I haven't watched it yet.

I think he said they were the only "real metropolises" in the US. I can see that--they both have lots of skyscrapers with individualized architecture, they both have compact (walkable) downtowns with (relatively) decent public transit, and they both still feel a bit older and have that gritty patina that fits an older term like "metropolis" (which always makes me think of Art Deco--the Fritz Lang word association, I guess!).

I think he said they were the only "real metropolises" in the US. I can see that--they both have lots of skyscrapers with individualized architecture, they both have compact (walkable) downtowns with (relatively) decent public transit, and they both still feel a bit older and have that gritty patina that fits an older term like "metropolis" (which always makes me think of Art Deco--the Fritz Lang word association, I guess!).

The same can be said for San Francisco.

Tom has been pretty off of Tony since that insufferable episode where he and his foodie friends were at the Wayne DuFrey (???) restaurant talking about whatever. He was just SO SUPERIOR, it was nauseating. (I may have bitched about that here)

He actually posted in his blog that he thought the show was a huge mistake, he was horribly emabarassed by himself, and that the idea would not be repeated (in a large part based upon viewers reactions).

I just can't wait to see what he thought of B'more this time around. If he still hates it or what. I know he ate somewhere with Snoop from the Wire! I'm pretty sure he got lake trout because he mentioned somewhere (on his blog maybe?) about how it's neither from a lake nor is it trout. It's one of my fave b'more food facts!