Step off, "Vampire Diaries"! "Top Chef All-Stars" is officially the sexiest place to be on TV. Oh, and the show is good, too.
The talent is tremendous, the food is delish (we can safely assume), and the guest judges are more spectacular than ever! Here's our breakdown of the new season, just for you, along with a peek at the crazy Quickfire that kicks off the season:
Sexy Starter: To borrow a phrase from another TV cooking series, they kicked everything up a notch this season on "Top Chef," and it's all just sexy. For example, there's a new theme song for "Top Chef All-Stars," and we think the music is improved and extra spicy.
Plus, being All-Stars, this cast gets special outfits to set them apart: new black chef jackets that add a li'l somethin'-somethin' to the show. The women are dressed to the nines (we're looking at you, Casey and Jen), and the men are all spruced up as they deliver their best Tyra Banks fierceness to the camera. Look, we know it's a cooking show, and that's our favorite part, too, but we're digging this mini-makeover — and so will you.
Just Call Him Tony: World-renowned foodie Anthony Bourdain is back at the judges table — and he couldn't fit in more perfectly. He's quick-witted (and sometimes a little mean), but his expertise is a welcome addition to the familiar critical conversation conducted by Gail Simmons, Tom Colicchio and Padma Lakshmi. Plus, he proves to be an entertaining foil to fan-fave contestant Fabio.
Quickfire Craziness: Do you have a favorite season of "Top Chef"? Well get excited, because the premiere of All-Stars pits city against city, challenging contestants to create a dish that best represents that season's location. (FYI, using "big apples" isn't really that clever, Team New York.)
Oldies Are Goodies? Ehhh, that's debatable. We always look back fondly on season one's Tiffany and master manipulator Marcel, but if the premiere is any indication, the classic contestants are going to have to pick up the pace if they plan on making it to the end with the likes of recent alum Angelo and Professor Blaze, aka Richard.
Guest Stars Galore: Who better to serve up All-Star elimination challenges than guest stars like Paula Deen, Jimmy Fallon, Joe Jonas and Elmo, just to name a few?
Shock and Awww: The first "Top Chef All-Stars" elimination is so sad and unexpected, it almost turned us off to the entire season. But the remaining talent was enough to convince us that there is life after week one.
Don't miss the" Top Chef All-Stars" premiere this Wednesday, Dec., 1 at 10 p.m.