Posted by Rebel Yell, NV on November 17, 2009 at 09:50:28:
Auditioning for the ‘Top’
November 16, 2009 by Renata Follmann
Bravo reality series ‘Top Chef’ holds auditions in Vegas
With competitors raising the bar every season, “Top Chef”’s audition in Las Vegas promises to be the place to find the new winner.
“We love people who are passionate about food and love to express that passion,” said Hunter Braun, head of “Top Chef” casting.
That is what they are looking for. A hopeful chef should have big personality, a passion for food, great knowledge and limitless imagination. It does not sound easy, but it’s not supposed to be.
“This is the ‘Survivor’ of the culinary world,” said Braun. “You have to be able to think on your feet to survive on the show.”
Because of that, the competition starts early. The casting crew encourages chefs from around the country to apply, but Braun warns proudly: “We make sure we have the best and brightest chefs in the country.”
Luckily, the competitors at the Las Vegas Craftsteak (where the owner is “Top Chef”’s own Tom Colicchio) seemed top of the line.
One of the applicants is originally from Hawaii but has lived in Las Vegas for three years now.
Geramy Choo is currently employed as a pastry chef at Encore but hopes to make it to the big screen as one of the participants for “Top Chef: Just Desserts.”
His main reason for entering the competition: “It’s to open more doors to my fellow people in Hawaii.”
Another contestant is Tina Martini. She lives in San Diego and describes herself as an upbeat person.
“I’m fun and positive and I think we need more positives things in the eyes of the public.”
Both contestants were well prepared, arrived earlier and demonstrated the confidence a “Top Chef” needs. They believed they were Bravo material with concrete chances to make it to the show and win the title.
“I watch it in my uniform,” Martini said adding that she religiously tunes in every Wednesday with her neighbor.
Martini was confident with the few number of people that showed up to the Vegas audition.
“If Vegas isn’t packed, then nowhere is.”
But not everyone was on the same page.
Paul O’Conner, from Jacksonville, Wyo., decided two nights before that he wanted to participate in the program and has seen the show only few times.
“It’s something new and I like the competition,” O’Conner said.
The “Top Chef” recruiting team seems to know exactly what it wants. And even though they encourage people to apply, future participant chefs need to have a good knowledge of different techniques and world cuisine.
“It’s a fine line to find balance between pushing the envelope and making it accessible,” Braun said.
“Top Chef” hopes to be a source of inspiration to everybody — chefs, house cooks and even people who never put one foot in the kitchen.
“I hope people at the end of each episode will learn something new,” Braun said.
“Chefs are the hardest workers that I have seen, [but] they don’t get enough appreciation,” Braun said.
He is optimistic that this point of view can change. He said that viewers gain appreciation after watching the chefs on the show bend themselves over backwards to achieve the perfect dish.
As for the applicants, the perfect dish should star in a three- to five-minute tape showing the candidate’s cooking skills — a mandatory step as well as filling out a 24-page application.
This is only the first level of casting. The specifics of the next levels and even how many there are remain a mystery.
And yes, I asked who is the winner of “Top Chef” Season 6 — the one airing right now — and like many of the other aspects of the show, this is confidential too, along with the number of applicants. Braun however disclosed that it is close to one thousand.
If you think you could be the next “Top Chef,” Bravo will accept applications online until Dec. 4. One last cooking tip: Braun said, “We need people to make a composed savory dish that highlights their inventive qualities.”
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