Reality Roll Call

On last weeks Top Chef, the one lesbian and two gay cheftestants crowned themselves “Team Rainbow” in an impromptu genius (and adorable) move over a glass of wine. Now Bravo has created a “Team Rainbow” t-shirt, so anyone can join the club. Click here to check it out and grab one.

It’s almost time for another round of Bravo’s Top Chef, and this season’s contestants are a diverse, skilled and colorful crew, as always. One of them is William Shatner’s personal chef, there are several executive chefs whose culinary education is “self-taught”, a world-traveled chef, and a 21 year-old  culinary student .

To find out more about the 17 chefs who will be competing for the title of “Top Chef.” click here.

TAHOE CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Chef and restaurateur Stephanie Izard, the winner of the fourth season of Bravo TV’s Top Chef, recently signed on to host a cooking seminar at the 23rd Annual Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival, scheduled for September 5-7 in the outdoors at the new Village at Northstar™.

In addition to her Top Chef honor, Izard, 31, took home Bravo TV’s Fan Favorite Award. She is also the first woman to win the competition. Izard resides in Chicago, where until recently she was the chef and owner of Scylla. She is now traveling domestically and internationally, and scouting locations for a new Chicago restaurant.

“We are honored to have Stephanie as a celebrity chef at this year’s event,” said Judy Laverty, director of the Lake Tahoe Autumn Food and Wine Festival. “She is such a sensational and talented force in the kitchen, and we know our attendees will benefit from her expertise and experience. We are looking forward to see what she whips up.”

First The Real World, now Top Chef. Brooklyn is becoming a prime spot for reality television. The upcoming season of the MTV’s The Real World is filming in Brooklyn, and according to Eater.com, contestants on Bravo’s Top Chef,  producers are looking for housing in the city for the season.

The word on the street is that the reality competition show will be taking place in the Williamsburg section of the bourough, although the shows reps will neither confirm or deny this information.

This is a show that I am looking forward to. USA Today reports that Bravo is developing a Top Chef series for kids.

The show, which will be appropriately called Top Chef Junior, will have teenagers between the ages of 13-16 competing to be a top chef. More on this as information is made available.

Congratulations to the very first female winner in the history of the Bravo reality show, Top Chef, Stephanie Izard. Izard, who is 31 years old, was born in Stamford, CT and earned her degree in Sociology at the University of Michigan. She then attended the Scottsdale Culinary Institute in Arizona. She was also the owner and head chef of the now defunkt Chicago resturant, Scylla, before selling it to give herself the freedom to travel.

Each month LesbiaNation.com rates the top ten women of reality tv, and gives their reasons why. Here is their top ten for the month of May. If you want to read the full article, click here. You can also cast a vote for next month’s top 10 on their site.

10. Katherine McPhee of American Idol

9. Amazing Race’s Tian Kitchen

8. Former Nerd Herd member Ivette Corredero from Big Brother

7. Top Chef contestant Josie Smith-Malave

6. Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi

5. Kim Stolz from America’s Next Top Model

4. Dani Campbell from a Shot at Love with Tila Tequila

3. Star of Work Out, Jackie Warner

2. The very first American Idol, Kelly Clarkson

1. Ami Cusack of of Survivor: Venuatu and Survivor: Micronesia

San Diego, May 1, 2008 – Executive Chef of The Oceanaire Seafood Room and Bravo “Top Chef” finalist Brian Malarkey has joined San Diego Living, for a weekly cooking segment. Chef Malarkey can be seen every Friday at 9 a.m. preparing his award winning culinary creations with the same passion and charisma he exudes in The Oceanaire kitchen and that was witnessed by millions of viewers all over the country on Bravo’s “Top Chef 3 Miami.”

“A weekly cooking segment lets me share my favorite recipes with Fox’s viewers and gives them a taste of what goes on in the Oceanaire kitchen,” said Brian Malarkey, Executive chef of The Oceanaire. “I’m excited to get in front of the camera and show viewer’s how to have a great time in the kitchen with a few easy recipes they can make at home.”

LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fresh Dining, Southern California’s leading purveyor of daily, home-delivered gourmet meals, announced that its entire June menu will be developed by Bravo’s “Top Chef 3 Miami” finalist Brian Malarkey. As Executive Chef at The Oceanaire Seafood Room, San Diego’s most acclaimed seafood restaurant, Malarkey will take Fresh Dining customers throughout Los Angeles, Orange County and San Diego on a delicious, calorie-controlled, culinary adventure infused with his signature flare.

“Residents throughout Southern California who enjoy healthy, top-quality gourmet meals delivered to their doorsteps daily, consistently turn to us to meet their dietary needs and lofty expectation levels,” said Fresh Dining founder and CEO Todd DeMann. “This unique menu presented by Chef Brian Malarkey allows all of our customers to experience firsthand why The Oceanaire is the top seafood restaurant in San Diego and why an enormous buzz continues to follow Brian beyond his days on Top Chef.”