Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
Top Chef Takes on Turkey--and Foo Fighters
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 27, 2008
Modified Nov 27, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Nov 27, 2008
Modified Nov 27, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last night, Top Chef aired its Thanksgiving-themed episode that featured a holiday meal for the Foo Fighters--and their entourage--as the Elimination Challenge. Grant Achatz, named Best Chef in the U.S. by the James Beard Foundation last year for his Chicago restaurant Alinea, was the guest judge for both the Quickfire and Elimination challenges.
When Padma Lakshmi told the cheftestants they need to "roll" with things before the Quickfire, she wasn't kidding: The Quickfire initially required the contestants to put their own spin on a previous Top Chef recipe (from the Top Chef cookbook, natch)--but then midway through the prep, Padma and Grant announced they changed their minds and wanted soup (enter Swanson's broths product placement), using the ingredients they were already using. As former Top Chef contestant Andrew Twittered last night, "Chicken broth and tartare...awesome."
For the Elimination Challenge, they were split into two teams (Team Sexy Pants and Team Cougar) and headed to Rochester, to cook for the Foo Fighters, who said they were fans of the show and they had their share of bad Thanksgiving dinners on the road. Taking into account a number of vegetarians and their concert rider (the Smoking Gun has an old one that says "REMEMBER CAULIFLOWER BLOWS"), the chefs also had to deal with a less-than-ideal cooking environment to make food for 60 people. The prize? Getting to see the Foo Fighters perform, while the losing team cleans up.
Tagged
Foo Fighters
thanksgiving
top chef
Top Chef New York
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
Spoiler alert: It's still 26.2 miles.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 2:36 p.m. ET
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
"Kelly Clarkson has put us in danger," says the co-owner of Art of Play.
By
Sonia Rao
The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?
By
Lindsay Lee Wallace
Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?
By
James Ramsay
What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.
By
Jayson Greene
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .