Top Chefs Deserve Top Judges

I watched Paul Qui’s victory on Top Chef Texas with chauvinistic pride and admiration for his talent. What I didn’t like was the boring cadre of old fart judges like Emeril Lagasse and Tom Colicchio who kept muttering “sweet and savory” and “textural integrity” ad infinitum ad nauseam.

The game has changed. The so-called icons like Bobby Flay, Mario Batali, Cat Cora and of course Lagasse and Colicchio are simply too rich, too old, too bored or perhaps all of the above to sit in judgement on young chefs who have more talent than they do. In no case was this more obvious than the recent Top Chef Texas. What was needed was a peer-judged scenario, or at least a panel of legitimate food writers/critics. The foodie audience (after all they support these reality shows) ought to have a vote as well. Get rid of the dead wood. This is particularly true for Lagasse and Colicchio.

The young chefs who appear on these shows are for the most part so skillful and adroit that the old judges’ inadequacies are for the most part easily exposed. The judges on most episodes of Iron Chef are even worse (the celebrity judges are often embarrassing).

One chef I admire for accepting his own mediocrity in the kitchen is Anthony Bourdain, Les Halles was a joke but his Kitchen Confidential book was a smash as well as his Travel Channel show No Reservations. Still he went with his strong suit. Now if only the amazingly over-exposed Bobby Flay would do the same!