Competitive cooking never looked as good as it does on Top Chef, a foodie favorite that educates as much as it entertains. Its contestants are a truly talented bunch (well, maybe not this season), whose mouth-watering dishes make stomachs growl — and, occasionally, gag — via ingenious challenges that range from cooking with food out of a vending machine to setting up a full-service restaurant in 24 hours. Add to this some impressive guest judges of the Anthony Bourdain variety and you have the one show that could upset The Amazing Race’s eight-Emmy domination in the Outstanding Reality-Competition Program category. |