Start the betting, folks
Chefs from five Top Chicago restaurants will vie for the title of "Top Chef Master" in the new season of the Bravo cooking-contest TV show, beginning April 7. Chef Rick Bayless of Frontera Grill in River North won the first round. Can one of those Chicago chefs keep the title?
What do you think? Give us your prediction of how the season will go and we'll give you a prize if you get it right. In the event of a tie the judges will pick the winner based on your response.
Among the 22 chefs competing are:
-
Graham Elliot Bowles
of Graham Elliot in River North. -
David Burke
of David Burke’s Prime House in River North. -
Tony Mantuano
of Spiaggia on the Magnificent Mile. -
Marcus Samuelsson
of C-House in Streeterville. -
Rick Tramonto
of Tru in Streeterville.
Masters, Judge: James Oseland , Jay Rayner , Gail Simmons , Tom Colicchio , Padma Lakshmi
- Graham Elliot Bowles
- David Burke
- Tony Mantuano
- M. Samuelsson
- Rick Tramonto
Yeah, we know that Burke and Samuelson aren’t full-time local chefs, but if they win, we’ll be glad to claim them. Check out the competion.
Before April 7, post a comment here predicting which of these five chefs will win or come closest to winning and why.
We’ll offer a prize to whoever gets it right. (If more than one reader predicts the last Chicago chef standing, we’ll judge based how eloquent and close the entries are.)
The grand prize:
Pick the order in which the Chicago Chef finish and you can host a segment of Dining Chicago on TV with me at one of Chicago’s most famous restaurants, along with dinner.
For others who come closest, there will be gift certificates from these fine Chicago restaurants:
- $150, Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse, River North.
- $100, Cafe des Architectes, French, Gold Coast.
- $100, Sepia, global, West Loop.
- $100, Angelina’s Ristorante, Italian, Lakeview.
- $100, Pazzo’s, Italian, Loop.
- $75, Phil Stefani’s 437 Rush, Italian steakhouse, River North, or other Stefani Signature Restaurant.
- $100, Bice, Italian, Streeterville.
- $100, Devon Seafood Grill, River North.
- $50, Zapatista, Mexican, South Loop.