OK, an astute Rah Cha Chow reader figured this out before I did ... but it appears that next week's episode of Top Chef will take place in Rochester!!!
An anonymous reader asked me whether I had heard about Top Chef coming to Rochester, and I blew it off, just because it seemed unlikely geographically (for those of you not familiar with New York geography, we are six hours away from the Big Apple. If we want to go to a big city, we're more likely to head to Toronto).
Then I got another question and looked at this video of Top Chef on YouTube ... at .21 the Rochester Aqueduct appears to be in the background, and at .29 there may be a shot of the back of the War Memorial (technically called the Blue Cross Arena).
Then the reader above found this article, which said Top Chef served the Foo Fighters at a stop in Rochester.
And I got this right off the Foo Fighters Web Site:
Foo Fighters on Top Chef Next Week
posted on Nov 17, 2008 by Foo Fighters
"The holiday season has arrived, and the chef'testants have a lot to be thankful for. And this year it's not just family these cooks must impress; but also six-time Grammy Award-winning rock band, Foo Fighters, as they join the band for a tour stop in Rochester, New York. Grant Achatz, American chef, restaurateur and recently named Best Chef in the United States for 2008 from the James Beard Foundation, serves as guest judge."
The previews for next week's episode showed the Foo Fighters, so I'm guessing next week's episode is in Rochester!
Here's my prediction: they'll be doing something atThe Dinosaur Bar-B-Que. Here's why:
- The first article talks about Dave Grohl cooking a strip steak at a barbecue.
- The Dinosaur is right about where the shots in the video seem to be taken from.
- The Dinosaur also has a location in New York City.
- I know the Dinosaur caters to the stars that visit the War Memorial, because I saw a big bag of Dinosaur grub being taken in the back door when Keith Urban was here (the story of me by the back door of the War Memorial when Keith Urban was here is a bit pathetic, so let's not go there).
- In the shots I mention in the video above, the chefs are cooking outside.
- The Dinosaur was mentioned in one of the Top Chef blogs last season -- I noted it in the P.S. of this post -- there must be a Top Chef staffer from Rochester.
- (Later) ... I did some more Googling, and it appears that the Top Chef judges were spotted at The Dinosaur.
Let's see if I'm right. (I almost picked up the phone and called the Dinosaur, but tonight is their busy night. Plus I'm a blogger, not an investigative reporter -- but if I'm right, you read it here first!) The Dinosaur scenario is infinitely better than the alternative: the chefs doing a spin on that notorious Rochester delicacy, The Garbage Plate. OH PLEASE do not let the Top Chef contestants do a spin on the garbage plate! Oh please, oh please, oh please...
I can't wait! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!