Top Chef (2006)

“Top Chef” heads to Wisconsin with 15 new chefs, new rules and new host Kristen Kish. With no Quickfire Challenge this week, Kristen, Tom and Gail each task five chefs with cooking a dish they believe is a worthy test of being a good chef. The three favorites from each of the judges’ challenge will be up for the win while the three least favorite will be up for elimination. Before anyone goes home, there will be one more major twist to keep the chefs on their toes. The judges are joined by Wisconsin locals Chef Paul Bartolotta and Chef/Owner of Lupi & Iris, Adam Siegel.

“Top Chef” Colorado winner Joe Flamm joins Kristen for the Quickfire Challenge, tasking the chefs to create a dish featuring hops. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs visit the historic Miller Caves where they must team up to serve a seven-course progressive meal featuring elevated bar snacks.

The chefs are in for a cherry good time when “Top Chef” All-Star alum Carla Hall and actor, director and writer Clea Duvall join Kristen for the Quickfire Challenge. The chefs must make a dish featuring Door County cherries and a mystery ingredient. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs will be putting on a Cheese Festival where each chef will be responsible for creating a dish featuring one of 13 different cheeses. The winning dish will be voted on by the diners while the chef going home will be selected with the help of guest judges Carla Hall and local chef Dane Baldwin.

With no Quickfire this week, the chefs hit the road and take the Frank Lloyd Wright trail to Madison, touring a few of the Wisconsin native’s notable sites, including Burnham Block, Monona Terrace and Taliesin. For the elimination challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating dishes in teams of two that feature duality and celebrate Frank Lloyd Wright’s legacy as “America’s Architect.” These dishes are more important than ever because this week is a double elimination. Kristen, Tom and Gail are joined by last season’s winner, Buddha Lo, and French chef Dominique Crenn at the judges’ table.

While in Madison, the chefs receive a message bright and early from Kristen alerting them that they’ll be shopping for their Quickfire Challenge at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, the largest producer only farmers market in the nation. However, they won’t know what their challenge is until after they shop. Joining Kristen as judges for the Quickfire Challenge are local chef Tory Miller and comedian, director and activist W. Kamau Bell. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs will be participating the time-honored Wisconsin tradition the Supper Club where they’ll be split into two teams to create a traditional supper club menu that they’ll cook and serve at the Harvey House, owned by this week’s guest judges Joe and Shaina Papach.