Why Tom Colicchio’s Return to Form on Top Chef This Week Had Me Hooked Again

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🚨 Warning: This narrative discloses the elimination from the “Foraged in Fire” episode of Top Chef, which was broadcast on May 29. If you haven’t watched it yet, you can stream the episodes with a Peacock subscription to stay up-to-date!

The TV show “Top Chef: Destination Canada” is nearing its end on the 2025 television schedule, with the last four chefs preparing their final dishes in the Canadian wilderness before this week’s episode takes them to Milan, Italy. Watching Season 22 has been enjoyable, but it’s puzzling that some past errors persist. However, there is one particular element of the competition that has been noticeably absent recently. The episode “Foraged in Fire” was a welcome return to its best form.

In the outdoor kitchen stations, the Top 5 contestants – Tristen Epps, Cesar Murillo, Massimo Piedimonte, Bailey Sullivan, and Shuai Wang – hurriedly prepared meals using items they had gathered for a Speed Round Challenge. Tom Colicchio, the judge, moved among them, asking about their dishes.

As an ardent admirer, I find myself pondering: Why hasn’t he been challenging them like this throughout the entire season? There’s something thrilling about observing this distinguished chef grill contestants with questions, all while they scramble to keep cooking and maintain respect towards the one who wields their culinary destiny.

His indecipherable facial expressions and smug grin (observed during his conversation with Shuai Wang earlier this season) likely frustrate the chefs, yet I find it intriguing to grasp his opinions on the dishes as they evolve. Particularly, I appreciate his analysis for the audience, explaining each chef’s position, potential issues, and aspects to focus on. As he mentioned in “Foraged in Fire,”

“I love getting inside the minds of these talented chefs… Understanding their progression, identifying potential pitfalls, and pointing out what we should all be watching for is an essential part of the competition.

This is quite an engaging task. It seems to me it scrutinizes a particular skillset, and on occasion, exceptional culinary creations emerge from such situations. Here’s hoping we see some of those today.

As a cinephile, his smiles often leave me pondering the depth of unspoken thoughts within him. Truly, these moments are what fuel my passion for cinema.

This season or even over the past couple, we don’t see Tom Colicchio doing what he used to do more frequently. One reason could be that he now has a companion miniseries called “Last Chance Kitchen.” In this series, eliminated contestants compete for a chance to rejoin the main competition, so much of his famous wit and snark can still be found there.

On Top Chef, it appears that the relatively recent host, Kristen Kish, is taking charge quite effectively. She offers insights not just as a judge, but also from her personal experience as a former contestant and winner of the show.

At the close of the May 29 broadcast, Tom Colicchio’s forecast proved accurate – as the final chefs stepped up, they delivered dishes befitting this stage of the contest. During the elimination round, Kristen Kish fought back tears behind her sunglasses and struggled to find words, acknowledging that it was tough for her to part with:

Massimo, please pack your knives and go.

Which among Tristen Epps, Cesar Murillo, Bailey Sullivan, and Shuai Wang will emerge victorious in Italy? More crucially, with Last Chance Kitchen wrapping up for the season, can we anticipate more of Tom Colicchio’s insightful commentary in the main show?

You won’t need to wait much longer for the outcome. Go ahead and grab a bite first, and then join us at 9 p.m. Eastern Time this coming Thursday, June 5th, as Top Chef resumes on Bravo. Alternatively, you can catch it streaming the day after on Peacock.

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2025-06-04 16:38