"tom colicchio" news and stories

Just when we were hoping Tom Colicchio could see his way to opening a Craft branch in Queens. But it's not to be. With the opening of his newest upscale eatery, Riverpark, in a Manhattan biotech complex overlooking the East River, the celebrity chef, who spent a decade building his Craft empire, says he's retiring the Craft brand to preserve its caché.

"I don't see opening more Crafts in New York City or anywhere else in the U.S.," Colicchio told Crain's for a piece on Riverpark. "The assumption is that it's a chain, and that dilutes the brand."

In addition to the original on East 19th Street in Manhattan, Colicchio has opened Crafts in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Atlanta and also has 'wichcraft and Craftsteak restaurants, Eater NY reported.

A cup of instant coffee served with a high-end lunch and a spritz of perfume on the side? How many ways can we say this combination-event seemed off-the-beam? But this, in fact, was on the menu for the debut of the new Starbucks line of flavored VIA coffees.

The ubiquitous coffee company invited Slashfood to sample a tasting menu created by chef Sisha Ortúzar at Tom Colicchio's new Riverpark restaurant, in Manhattan, to highlight its four new flavors of Starbucks VIA instant coffees: Mocha, Caramel, Cinnamon and Vanilla.

The event was hosted by Starbucks and by New York Times Scent Critic Chandler Burr, who paired each coffee with a perfume that highlighted its flavor.

• Some bakers are taking homemade a step further, unplugging their appliances and getting their hands dirty.
• If you're a fan of matsutake mushrooms, this is your moment.
• The California grape harvest is running late. Really late.
• Top Chef's head judge, Tom Colicchio, gives his restaurant, Craft, the same critical attention he gives his contestants.

In one of the bigger surprises of this year's Emmy Awards, Top Chef took home the award for "Best Reality Competition Series," beating out The Amazing Race. It was Top Chef's first win in this category (even though it's been nominated four consecutive times) -- and the first win for any show aside from The Amazing Race, which has had that category in lock-down since the award was introduced in 2003. The Top Chef team of Padma Lakshmi, Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio and the rest of the producers took the stage in disbelief to accept the award.

The award was given for season six, Top Chef: Las Vegas, which featured one of the stronger competitions of recent memory. It certainly helped that the contestants were much more down to earth than backstabbing. The finale aired on December 16, 2009, where Michael Voltaggio edged out his brother Bryan Voltaggio and Kevin Gilespie to take home the title of "Top Chef."

In related news, Top Chef is currently winding down season seven, in Washington D.C. Bravo has just announced that the show's finale will take place in Singapore, marking the first time a winner is crowned outside the U.S. or its territories (season 4 ended in Puerto Rico).

Want more of Gail Simmons? Watch Gail Simmon's and get her recipes on KitchenDaily.com.

Okay, Top Chef. Time to bring it. The first three episodes in D.C. have been, well, a bit underwhelming. As we awaited episode four, we were beginning to wonder if those lackluster ratings have less to do with the unsexy locale and more to do with the mostly simpering cast of characters Bravo's assembled this time around.

Sure, there have been sparks of life here and there: Frizz-haired Andrea never ceases to bring the sass. Headstrong Arnold can't give up feeling put-out by his snotty colleagues -- even as he snottily complains about barbecue grilling clogging his pores. And Alex -- well, Alex is one of the biggest jackasses the show has put in front of us in a long time. (Asked what he'd do with a Quickfire cash prize: "A hooker and an 8 ball, please!") But at least we loathe him, eagerly awaiting his every Andrew Dice Clay-ism. Did we mention he's from Hollywood?

But mostly it's been the Kenny and Angelo show, both to Top Chef's benefit and detriment. We hate Angelo and his ridiculous malapropisms (this week: "It's like you want to get out of the pool and the piranhas are biting you!"). But we have to say we kinda-sorta admire his "magazine cover food," to use guest judge Jonathan Waxman's description. Sure, it's not what we'd make -- like this week's marinated "beef slivers," everything he makes looks dainty and fussy, like it should be presented in lettuce cups or rice-paper baskets -- but it takes skill we can't deny.