NEW Yorkers have been salivating for the fifth season of “Top Chef,” which kicks off tonight and for the first time takes place in our humble little restaurant capital of the world.
Will the “chef’testants” take their Gladware containers to Momofuku Noodle Bar, Katz’s Deli or the corner hot dog vendor? Or, since we’re on head judge Tom Colicchio’s home turf, will there be a Team Challenge at the Bryant Park ‘wichcraft, with each group of hopefuls manning a different kiosk?
As it happens, true fans can do better than dream up tantalizing scenarios – they can get a taste of the show up-close and personal with TC himself.
Last month, Colicchio launched Tom: Tuesday Dinner (tomtuesdaydinner.com) – a “pop-up” restaurant that operates on alternate Tuesday nights out of the private dining room of his flagship eatery, Craft.
What makes this restaurant different from any other with a celebrity-chef name attached to it is that here, the celebrity chef is actually the one doing the cooking.
So why doesn’t Colicchio simply try his hand working the burners next door at Craft? Apparently because “all young chefs dream of cooking nightly at the small, signature place that defines them.” At Tom, it’s all about, well, Tom.
To illustrate this point, he presides over an open kitchen that provides the focal point of the muted 32-seat dining room. Not only does Colicchio look exactly like he does on TV, the open kitchen frames him like a high-definition TV set. There are even appearances by celebrity guests (“Gourmet” editor Ruth Reichl is presiding over a table! Gotham Bar & Grill’s Alfred Portale is dining at the bar!).
Lending added drama to the proceedings is the “spontaneous” New American tasting menu “based on what is at the market that day,” which can be paired with excellent wines for a supplement. Prices vary from week to week, but on a recent Tuesday ran $150 for eight courses, and $95 for the accompanying wine.
Because even if it resembles a Quickfire Challenge, a meal that’s been touched by the hands of Tom doesn’t come cheap.
Still, at least you get to taste the results, rather than take the judges’ word for it. The menu recently included lush lobster with soft-cooked egg, shaved foie gras and celery root as well as dry Hudson Valley rabbit redolent of organ meat.
Sure, this is Colicchio unplugged, but for $150, a practice run would have been nice. Especially since we can’t send him to the Judges’ Table.
And just in case you feel a little cheated by the astronomical price tag – dinner for two with wine will set you back at least $600 – you get an autographed menu to take home with you as a souvenir. (Although, for that kind of dough, we wished we’d had Padma Lakshmi playing hostess.)
Of course, there are other ways for die-hard “Top Chef” fans to sidle up to the celebrity chef.
Don’t have 300 bucks to blow on dinner with Tom? According to Citysearch’s Feedbag blog, “Colicchio will be hanging out and eating dinner in the lounge at Craftsteak [tonight], and you can be right there with him.”