I enjoy Bravo’s Top Chef, particularly Season 5 with Fabio and Stephan. So I was stoked about last night’s premiere of Top Chef: Masters .

God, I was an idiot for staying up.

Unless something changes, I will not be watching the show. It was horrible. They changed the concept of the show completely, relying on a “star” point system to determine the winner and the first “quick fire” challenge involved the Girl Scouts judging the dishes. I understand that it would be a faux pas to have a real food critic rate these illustrious chefs, but to hear biting comments about what they prepared is what Top Chef was/is about.

Esther and I discussed it last night, the participants probably didn’t want there to be anything too negative said about their food because ultimately it would hurt their business. An understandable, but poor choice on the part of the producers. Take for example, Iron Chef America, that show the judges talk smack about a dish all the time. Does Bravo assume that people who don’t watch Food TV go out to high-end restaurants? I mean, I make that assumption in regards to the Paula Deen crowd on occasion, but that is just me.

The other part of Top Chef Masters that was lacking was the interpersonal conflict. In Season 5, everyone knew that Stephan was the bad ass, clearly thinking his competitors were less qualified and skilled than he. Again, with Masters, the everyone should play nice philosophy didn’t sit to well. I get the gentleman’s rule of not talking trash, but it is a competition, I would have like to have seen what the competitors were like the next day, after they had a chance to revel in their glory or lick their wounds from a beating.

Overall, Top Chef Masters: Meh.

[rate 2]