Top Chef, currently Bravo’s best reality show—and I’d say that even if Project Runway were returning—comes back tonight. What excites me: it’s once again set in my city, New York. What doesn’t: they’ve inexplicably replaced fantastic judge Ted Allen with serial self-promoter Toby Young. I’ll suspend judgment on the judge for now, however. The new contestants—17, count ’em, 17—after the jump:
-Alex, 33 – Hometown: New York, N.Y.; Resides in Los Angeles, Calif.
-Ariane, 41 – Hometown/Resides in: Verona, N.J.
-Carla, 44 – Hometown: Nashville, Tenn.; Resides in Washington, D.C.
-Danny, 26 – Hometown/ resides in: New Hyde Park, N.Y.
-Fabio, 30 – Hometown: Florence, Italy; Resides in Moorpark, Calif.
-Gene, 33 – Hometown: Whitmore Village, Hawaii; Resides in Las Vegas, Nev.
-Hosea, 34 – Hometown: Taos, N.M.; Resides in Boulder, Colo.
-Jamie, 30 – Hometown: New York, N.Y.; Resides in San Francisco, Calif.
-Jeff, 30 – Hometown: Niceville, Fla.; Resides in: Miami, Fla.
-Jill, 28 – Hometown: Latrobe, Pa.; Resides in Baltimore, Md.
-Lauren, 24 – Hometown: Cincinnati, Ohio; currently stationed at Fort Stewart
-Leah, 27 – Hometown: Scarsdale, N.Y.; Resides in New York, N.Y.
-Melissa, 28 – Hometown: Md.; Resides in Boulder, Colo.
-Patrick, 21 – Hometown: Quincy, Mass.; Resides in Hyde Park, N.Y.
-Radhika, 28 – Hometown/Resides in: Chicago, Ill.
-Richard, 27 – Hometown: Long Island, N.Y.; Resides in San Diego, Calif.
-Stefan, 35 – Hometown: Tampere, Finland; Resides in Santa Monica, Calif.