Photo courtesy of Bravo

So long Erik. Soggy corndogs do not make tasty block party food. And what was up with carting out a plate of slop to Rick Bayless and passing it off as tacos with a fine dining twist? Oh wait, that was the challenge ...

This week, we turn our attention to New York transplant Dale Talde, the sous chef at Buddakan who clocked time at Jean-Georges' Vong, along with Opera and Spring (where he worked with fellow castmates Stephanie Izard and Valerie Bolon) in his native Chicago. The cheftestant, who worried on last night's episode about sacrificing "elegance" in presentation at a neighborhood street party, notes that his strengths are in Modern Asian cuisine--Chinese, Japanese, Thai--everything but Filipino. "I cannot cook Filipino food to save my life," he said. Somehow we doubt it.

VM: In the first episode, at least how the clips painted you anyway, you're portrayed as a p-r-i-c-k. Is that fake or real?
"I'm Asian, not the tallest dude in the world and I look like I'm 12. In the kitchen, you have to have a presence about you or you're gonna get eaten alive. You're always running at 100 percent. You don't know when to stop. I have no off button."

VM: Yeah, chefs are pirates.
"I've gotten a lot better about my temper. I've learned to start to relax. You can't go around throwing plates. You'll give yourself a heart attack."

VM: How is the "Top Chef" environment different from your own kitchen?
"When it's your kitchen, it's a collaborative effort. The executive chef, the chef de cuisine, we're a unit. You really have to massage each other's egos here. You can't really say, 'Hey, ---hole, put those ducks in the oven."

VM: What flavors did you grow up with?
"I had home-cooked food everyday. My parents were always like, 'Why are you going to go out when we have food cooked here?' I love Filipino food ... kare-kare, oxtail ... but I'll leave it up to them. I just don't want to make it. I think it must be an Asian parent/child thing."

VM: So you knew Stephanie and Valerie before the show?
"Yeah, Stephanie and I worked together for a year (in Chicago). Our chef de cuisine, Jeff, was a mentor. When Val stepped in (on the set of the show), it was a total shock, but that was cool."

VM: Why do you want to be the next Top Chef?
"I think it's the next progression in my career. I've got that swagger. I used to want to be an emcee when I was kid. I still have part of that rock star in me."

Like the rest of the food-loving, TV-watching world, we're more than a little obsessed with "Top Chef." And our chat with Chicago's Stephanie Izard marks the first in a series of interviews we'll be doing with some of this season's contestants. Have a question you'd like one of the contestants to be asked? Send it our way.

Stephanie Izard, who emerged victorious in the second challenge on last night's season premiere of "Top Chef," had already wowed Chicago with her inventive takes on seafood. In fact, everyone in the Windy City let out a collective sigh when she suddenly closed her restaurant Scylla--which in addition to being named after a mythical sea monster was arguably one of the hottest tables in town--to travel. What? You broke up with us? Just like that?

But wouldn't you know it, Izard has made a comeback, quietly contending in a stew of egos. Last night's gussied-up version of duck l'orange--a braised duck roll with orange reduction sauce--stunned Rocco, Tom and Padma. Izard spoke with Citysearch Wednesday from Honduras, where she is honing her scuba skills. "Scuba is my second love," she said. Naturally.

What was the audition process like?
"I've been a big fan of the show since the first season. I knew Dale (a runner-up on last season) and he encouraged me to go for it. I figured what the hell. Why not? It was a fun process. We got to meet with the producers. A few of them came into Scylla so I basically just sent them everything on the menu."

How is working in this environment different from your own kitchen?
"Being in a new kitchen is always a challenge. There are 16 of us running around like crazy people. It's a little bit more chaotic than most kitchens."

What other food do you like working with?

Just kidding, "Top Chef." I actually love that you shine a light on cities where having a faux-hawk still says "wildcat." The fourth season premiere airs tonight on Bravo at 10pm, and as you can see from the contestant roster, there's no shortage of spiky-haired "cheftestants." I was able to see a screener of the first episode, and can tell you that the show is as entertaining as ever, even if it's hard to know who to root for and who to hiss at so early in the game. As many others have noted, there are a bunch of New York chefs, coming from places like Buddakan, Public and 24 Prince. We'll certainly have more to say about this as the season progresses, so check back here for commentary and maybe an interview or two.

(Photo courtesy of Bravo)

("Gossip Girl": Nowhere near as cool as a monster truffle)

According to a PR note I just received, midtown swankfest Gilt made an appearance on a recent episode of "Gossip Girl." That's one of those shows that everybody seems to be talking about, but I just can't bear to watch because, oh, I don't know, I'm not a 15-year-old girl. Why I watch "Ugly Betty," I haven't quite figured out how to justify. Anyway, this seems like a strange demo to be targeting, even if it is about people from the Upper East Side. Much more in tune with the Gilt aesthetic was the main point of the PR note, about chef Chris Lee purchasing the year's largest white truffle. At 1.51 pounds and $8,000, the note points out that this sucker is "significantly larger than the truffle that Sirio Maccioni of Le Cirque won in a highly publicized October bidding." Now that's how you start a cat fight.

Having only recently reinstated my cable, I never actually watched the first season of "Top Chef," but apparently Dave Martin was one of the more colorful cast members on the show. And now he joins the ranks of TV reality vets with an actual business to his name a few years later. His Crave on 42nd (named presumably to avoid confusion with Brooklyn's Crave) offers a menu that goes heavy on the wacky titles with dishes like Smokey Rubbed Filet Mignon with Groovy Gorgonzola and Sassy Sea Bass with Adobo Honey Butter, Toasted Coconut Couscous and Roasted Veggies. Click through to get the scoop on more new restaurant openings.

(Photo courtesy of Crave on 42nd)

Every food writer and their mother seems to be blogging about "Top Chef" this year, so I feel like most everything worth saying has already been said. My three wishes: 1) That Casey win, despite chopping onions slower than my 10-year-old nephew, 2) That Padma gives us at least one stoned-with-the-munchies comment tonight (she's seemed so ... clear-headed this season, and it's just no fun), and 3) They put the show on at an earlier time next year--this particular viewer's getting tireder than Dale's faux-hawk.

(Photo courtesy of Bravo.com)