Last week, we finished our interview of Bryan Voltaggio with a poll. Judging by the number of responses we’ve received, quite a few of our readers are watching Top Chef along with us – and you’re pretty evenly divided between Atlanta’s Kevin Gillespie and local favorite Bryan as your choice to win it all.
Here at Capital Spice, we want to give you a chance to join in the winning during the finale on Wednesday night. We’ve got a Top Chef prize package that includes a copy of Top Chef Season 5 (featuring DC’s own Carla Hall) and the new Top Chef Quickfire Cookbook. The prizes come courtesy of Bravo’s “Eat Tastefully,” an online series in which Season 3 cheftestant Brian Malarkey whips up healthier versions of winning dishes.
And they can be yours – just in time for the holidays – if you join in the contest after the jump.
Image by Bravo
In case you haven’t heard, Eat Tastefully has been running in conjunction with this season of Top Chef. Each week, Brian Malarkey takes the dish that wins the Elimination Challenge and revises it, making it healthier and more accessible for home cooks. He’s also been sharing his thoughts on the week’s episode via his Get Fresh blog.
Drooling over Bryan Voltaggio’s fig-glazed shortribs this week? Now you can make a version of the dish at home using trimmed lean brisket. If you’re a visual learner, you can follow along with Chef Malarkey’s video. More of a learn-by-doing type? Print out the recipe and give it a go on your own.
And now for the contest…
Bravo is already in the process of bringing their other traveling franchise, the Real Housewives, to Washington. It’s only a matter of time before the folks at Magical Elves pick Washington to play host to Top Chef. We’ve already got a community of current and former cheftestants – Spike Mendelsohn, Carla Hall, Mike Isabella and Bryan Voltaggio – for them to tap into once they get here.
We figured we’d use this contest as an opportunity to show the producers just what a DC-based season of Top Chef could offer.
To win the Top Chef Prize Package, reply to this post with a suggestion for an elimination challenge that highlights something uniquely Washington.
Be creative! Think about locations, ingredients, events and possible guest judges who best represent DC. We’ll read through all your suggestions and pick a winner.
The contest will remain open until the beginning of the Top Chef finale on Wednesday night, so you’ve got a little over 60 hours to give it your best shot. We’ll announce the winning entry on Thursday.
Good luck to everyone!
Capital Spice 
December 7, 2009 at 8:41 am
Dinner at the White House made from the WH garden. Guest judges: Michelle Obama. Yes. Please.
December 7, 2009 at 9:41 am
Hmmmm some thoughts:
-Outdoor catering function at Mount Vernon or Monticello (or even Montpelier). -Michel Richard as guest judge/Chief Intimidator of the challenge.
-Involve the Kennedy Center.
-Chili quickfire whipped up in the kitchen at Ben’s.
-VA winetasting/pairing quickfire.
-Hill visits to talk about sustainable eating/cooking/growing with offices from contestants’ states/districts, followed by reception in the new Capitol visitor’s center.
-I’d like to see them in a dining hall with the director of dining/food services as a judge–GW doesn’t have one, so maybe Georgetown?
December 7, 2009 at 9:54 am
Obtain ingredients for a dish from Rock Creek Park (is this even possible!?) Perhaps expand the search through other DC area Parks.
Obviously it would be hard to obtain a main ingredient but themed on something like raspberries, paw paw, acorn, etc. would be tough but fun!
December 7, 2009 at 9:57 am
What about a late season elimination at Minibar? Jose Andres would obviously guest judge, but each chef could create a series of small plates for a tasting menu. Of course this could be expanded with a minibar theme for a party for 100, which is the way TC has been going lately.
December 7, 2009 at 10:12 am
Burger and Shake Challenge with ingredients from any of Eastern Market South Hall Vendors.
Location: Good Stuff Eatery
Guest Judge(s): Spike Mendelsohn & his family
December 7, 2009 at 10:13 am
Should definitely involve the Supreme Court Justices – the best-trained judges around! The contestants could be required to make quick, healthy meals during a quick fire for the justices to eat during conference. The Justices are a bit older – so focusing on foods that will taste good, but that are also giving you the nutrition you need when your entire day is spent sitting on the bench or researching.
December 7, 2009 at 10:24 am
The Top Chef team enjoys having challenges where the cheftestants prepare a meal for those who support and defend our nation, http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/top-guns-on-top-chef
How about a DC-area challenge where the cheftestants cater a meal at the US Naval Academy for a group of Midshipmen, who will be our future military, political, and business leaders? Local ingredients can include the many seafood items that make the Cheasapeake Bay well-known to locals and tourists.
Guest judge(s)? Any well-known public figure who is known in DC and has a connection with the Naval Academy. You can have one Republican (Senator John McCain) and one Democrat (Senator Jim Webb).
December 7, 2009 at 10:30 am
Quickfire dishes based monument honoree: like cherrywood-smoked [some fish that the Delaware river’s famous for] for Washington, etc.
DC’d also be a good city for the kind of ethnic-neighborhood challenges that’ve been fun in the past, but with a political or historical bent?
Also fun might be donkey and elephant dinners, any kind of terrible pun about filibusters, and also a roofie-hiding cocktail quickfire in Georgetown.
December 7, 2009 at 10:40 am
“Toothpick rule” quickfire challenge! With the no-free-meals-from-lobbyists rules in effect now, lobbyists can only feed congressional aides hors d’oeuvres and “food that you have to eat standing up using a toothpick.”
That has DC quickfire written all over it if you ask me!
December 7, 2009 at 10:43 am
Location for toothpick rule: any of the rooms at the capitol if available or the office of the National Restaurant Association.
Judges: congressional aides, members of congress if available… NRA staff.
December 7, 2009 at 10:48 am
A smithsonian challenge. Draw knives, you get a different smithsonian institution: Air & Space, the Zoo, American History, African Art Museum, Freer Gallery etc… and you have to design a dish or menu highlighting this particular institution.
This could be done in teams (menu), or individually (dish) if there are not too many constestants left…
Judges: Wayne Clough, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, anyone on their board of regents…
Locations: the American History museum near Julia’s child kitchen or at a reception in any Smithsonian space…
December 7, 2009 at 11:03 am
“Chocolate City” challenge – create a savory dish that has to use chocolate in some way.
Judge: Adrian Fenty, Marion Barry, Eleanor Holmes Norton
Location: Ben’s Chili Bowl (or Ben’s Next Door if the kitchen at the original doesn’t work for gourmet purposes), Eastern Market
December 7, 2009 at 11:33 am
Ohh-definitely something involving chili, since Ben’s Chili Bowl is one of the most well-known DC restaurants (through No Reservations, etc.) Let’s see if contestants can make something as good as the half-smoke.
December 7, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Pork. Everyone else in DC talks about pork, here’s the chance for Top Chef to try. Also MD blue crabs are unique and maybe they can improve of the crab cake.
Jose Andres would be great on the show, not to mention chefs like Eric Ripert and Michael Richard who have been on the show before.
December 7, 2009 at 12:48 pm
Shop at the open-air fish market in SW DC for fish, and then the Florida market for produce. Challenge should be to make a meal for DC’s homeless and needy at DC Central Kitchen or Bread for the City. Shine the spotlight on some of DC’s less well-known markets, and challenge chefs to make a nutritious meal with fresh ingredients on a non-profit’s budget. The episode could highlight Bread for the City’s program that sends volunteers out to area farms to collect fresh produce that would otherwise go to waste.
December 7, 2009 at 12:56 pm
1) Embassy Row Challenge (in which contestants prepare different international cuisines representing different countries, with the respective ambassadors judging)
2) Feed the Intern Happy Hour challenge
December 7, 2009 at 1:03 pm
A Presidents-themed elimination challenge:
Contestants must create two dishes for a cocktail party of presidential historians and American history buffs. Each dish is inspired by and uses an ingredient associated with an American President. Draw knifes with president’s name and ingredient.
George Washington – Cherries
Jimmy Carter – Peanuts
George W. Bush – Largemouth bass (like the bass he stocks his ranch with in Crawford, TX), or something inspired by Cactus Cantina, his favorite DC restaurant.
George H.W. Bush – Kennebunkport Maine Lobster. Points off for including broccoli
Harry Truman – Ham Sandwich
Richard Nixon – California Fruit
LBJ – Texas steak
JFK – New England Clam Chowder
Bill Clinton – Quarter-pounder with cheese
President Obama – Dijon Mustard (from his Ray’s Hell Burger trip).
Guest Judges: White House Chef Sam Kass and Presidential Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.
Location: A White House-related/adjacent restaurant/hotel: one of Founding Farmers Restaurant, the Hay-Adams, W, or Willard Hotel, or the atrium space at Old Ebbitt Grill. Alternatively, the American Presidents exhibit in the Smithsonian Museum of American History.
December 7, 2009 at 1:26 pm
As a new resident of D.C., I appreciate how proud it is of its history, and I think a perfect quickfire could play to that. I suggest a dish composed only of items that were available locally when D.C. was first settled. Mt. Vernon might make a great backdrop.
You hear so much about how the first Thanksgiving wasn’t turkey and mashed potatoes; let’s see if we can meld the two by coming up with a historically accurate meal for modern palates. D.C.’s come a long way, historically and gustatorially, and I think we ought to celebrate where we began.
December 7, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Dinner in a museum (for a fundraiser or charity event)
Sourcing local produce (we’re by Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland) and wines.
I’d also like to see something like an embassy dinner, where they create food from respective countries, or a senate/congressman related event where they are assigned specific states.
A little bit of culinary education on everyone’s parts!
December 7, 2009 at 1:38 pm
I’d also really like to see an event hosted at the American Indian museum where they use local produce and create native cuisine. I’m sure this could even be spun into a Thanksgiving-themed episode around when most crops are harvested.
I think there would be a great selection of ingredients giving all the different regions around D.C.
December 7, 2009 at 2:17 pm
A Smithsonian museum eatery challenge – the contestants have to make something that is used at the eateries at the museums and come up with their own unique dish and the winning dish is featured at the museum eatery.
December 7, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Cheftestants will start at the Library of Congress. They will be presented with menus from various state dinners and will be asked to update them using local ingredients and their own personal style. The guest judge can either be the curator/head librarian of the Library of Congress or the White House Head Chef.
December 7, 2009 at 3:57 pm
Congressional Challenge: Each chef gets to add an “amendment” to one other chef’s dish, where the amendment is an additional ingredient. The twist is that whatever amendment you add to the other chef’s dish must also be part of your own dish. (To keep people from picking something impossible to cook with.)
Reflecting Pool: After a quickfire in which everyone must create a signature broth, the chefs now must use their broth as part of their elimination challenge.
A Trip to the Zoo: In honor of the many animals in the zoo and their dietary needs, after a tour of the facilities, chefs must create an all-raw-foods dish.
Three Branches of Government: Create a three-course meal that represents the balance of power between the executive, legislative, and judicial branches.
December 7, 2009 at 4:39 pm
The chefs draw knives featuring different ingredients sourced from local farms. Before the elimination challenge is explained, the chef that won the quick fire is allowed to trade ingredients with any other chef.
Each chef is now representing the ingredient listed on their knife and must convince a majority of the other chefs to select their ingredient as the featured ingredient to be used by all of the contestants in the elimination challenge. Each chef must vote, and the chefs cannot vote for their own ingredient. The chef whose ingredient is chosen by the majority will receive immunity in the challenge.
The Secretary of Agriculture and one of the local chefs that has been part of the USDA’s Chefs in the Garden program could serve as guest judges for the challenge.
December 7, 2009 at 7:20 pm
[…] of drama. And Y&H’s buds over at Capital Spice are milking the drama of the finale by organizing a contest to convince Top Chef producers to bring the franchise to the District. The person who submits the […]
December 8, 2009 at 12:16 am
Create a depraved anthropomorphic dish worthy of both Tom Sietsema’s reviews and airport men’s room low-brow literature. Contestants pick knives with charming food descriptors from past Washington Post reviews.
“Explosively juicy meat…”:
Indeed, the chef’s hanger steak, marinated in soy sauce and cherry juice, is as explosively juicy as that cut gets. Volt, 2008
“Veins & nuts…”:
…herb-veined pork sausage; Rice, 2004
…a cakelike brownie (veined with nuts and served warm); Bonefish, 2004.
…to its dense, nut-veined chocolate base; Tabard Inn, 2004
…fat-veined pork belly; Mendocino Grille, 2006
That salmon cake, an ho-mage to Danley’s mother, is a thick, creamy-crisp patty veined with chopped parsley, celery and onions; Station 9, 2007
…the beefy-tasting, sherry-spiked liquid and meat, veined with crunchy vegetables; Local, 2007
…finely ground chicken veined with dark-green sour cabbage; Michael’s Noodles 2009
…tender veal meatballs veined with lemon zest; Bibiana, 2009
“Tongue teasing…”:
What resembles dull yellow mush, for instance, might be a tongue-teasing haleem. 5/17/09
A daisy chain of pickled cucumber and a tongue-teasing clear dip…12/21/08
…set on a summery bed of beans and tongue-teasing chorizo…10/12/08
And a plate of tender sauteed shrimp with tongue-teasing grits. 4/09/08
Stoked with habanero peppers, it is pretty hot, leaving a tongue-teasing trail in its wake. 10/28/94
“Escorts…”:
…and the cloying pad Thai noodles that escort a main course…12/30/07
A whole ear of corn and a cake of potato salad escort the grilled-then-roasted half-chicken…10/21/07
And perfectly cooked tilefish gets an elegant escort of diced lobster,…6/18/06
Herb-paved salmon comes with escorts that bite and soothe:…12/11/05
…but not from the dull clump of chard that serves as an escort. 10/02/05
Panna cotta flavored with buttermilk is first-rate, however, as is its escort of sour cherry sorbet. 9/18/05
“Folds of pink…”:
Folds of pink prosciutto and pieces of roasted red pepper…7th Hill Pizza, 2009
December 8, 2009 at 9:54 am
Seafood elimination challenge at the Maine Avenue fish market. I’d love to see the contestants take their shot at fried fish sandwiches and crabs with Old Bay seasoning.
December 8, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Reinvent the infamous Senate Bean Soup —
their recipe doesn’t sound too adventurous:
2 pounds dried navy beans
four quarts hot water
1 1/2 pounds smoked ham hocks
1 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper to taste
December 8, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Ok, I like the updating a state dinner idea as well as the embassy row challenge! DC has such a vibrant international community. I loved the Top Chef masters challenge where they cooked in students’ dorm… with so many universities in the city, we certainly could do a similar challenge as well.
December 8, 2009 at 12:08 pm
A new version of the infamous Capital Cafeteria black bean soup.
Each chef draws a knife with a different letter of the alphabet on it, has to go to that street and then gets inspiration there.
And of course, Jose Andres as a guest judge!
December 8, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Theme: Pentagon
Ingredients: Only 5 (5 points)
Key ingredient: Cherry (DC is know for the Cherry Blossoms and of course Washington)
Judges: Pentagon or other military brass
December 8, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Feeding all or some of the runners who complete either the Cherry Blossom 10-miler, the Army 10-miler, or the Marine Corps marathon. This could be a night before the race dinner or a post-race, recovery dinner.
December 8, 2009 at 12:11 pm
One of the few foods “indigenous” to Washington is the half-smoke. Tie a challenge in with a little bit of the history of the half-smoke and the various iterations found in DC (preparation, toppings like “cooked onions” in ketchup offered by many carts, etc.). I think it would be very interesting to give the contestants a lot of discretion (and ingredients) to come up with something unique with the half-smoke as the main ingredient.
December 8, 2009 at 12:12 pm
A chili dog competition at Ben’s Chili Bowl.
A jumbo slice pizza competition.
A mambo sauce competition.
Late night post club/bar food.
December 8, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Anything involving Chef Jose Andres or one of his many restaurants- Love him, and he’s (in my opinion) a great DC representative! Or a pastry challenge involving Chef Michel Richard!
December 8, 2009 at 12:15 pm
There are some great suggestions on here already. Here are two more. DC has one of the largest populations of Ethiopians outside of Addis Abbaba. A challenge that forced the contestants to use traditional Ethiopian cuisine in an upscale or unique presentation would be really interesting. Another direction to take would be to set the contestants loose at the Eden Center out in Fairfax county and allow them to only shop there in order to cater an event for one of the large Asian cultural celebrations the city conducts every year.
December 8, 2009 at 12:16 pm
A Smithsonian Challenge.
Really challenge the chefs by making them cook, Native American foods at the Native American Museum.
A Newseum Challenge
A Capital Challenge
Ben’s Chili Bowl Challenge
International or Embassy Challenge
Drag Race Challenge.
December 8, 2009 at 12:18 pm
Jose Andres as a guest judge and then do a creative molecular gastronomy/deconstructed amuse bouche or other small plate similar to Mini Bar
December 8, 2009 at 12:18 pm
You have a dinner set in the Senate Dining Room and get as many high powered people as possible. You could go two ways on this:
1.) The Bipartisan Challenge- Use oen protein and one vegetable/fruit that are not often paired together to make a new an inventive dish.
2.) Republican V. Democrat Restaurant Wars- Create an entire menu based off of the personalities of the two parties, you draw knives to see which team gets which party. James Carville and Mary Maitlin serve as consultants for their respective party’s team and then later as judges. All diners should be Hill staffers from the other party (Pelosi staffers eat at the Republican restaurant etc).
December 8, 2009 at 12:25 pm
I say a challenge using only recipes, indgredients and methods used by our founding fathers (or that period of time)Washington, Adams, Jefferson and could include Lincoln. Use presidential impersonators to help with judging! How cool is that. Could be done at Mt. Vernon? (I know, that’s in Virginia, but close by!)
December 8, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Have a White House Correspondence Dinner elimination Challenge. The challenge is they have to go to Eastern Market for all their ingredients. The guest judge(s) will be a white house reporter like Helen Thomas and maybe former spokesman Ari Fleischer.
December 8, 2009 at 12:26 pm
I don’t see how they could come to DC and *not* do a challenge featuring DC Central Kitchen, especially if it was a quickfire involving DCCK’s food recovery operations, or designing a new item for the Cuisine Solutions Frozen Dinners line that benefits the DCCK.
December 8, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I think a great quickfire challenge would be to play on Jose Andres’ Minibar. Create a creative, playful “one bite” or deconstruction. Jose could be the guest judge, since he represents a lot of DC cuisine, and I think it would be a great opportunity to show off one of DC’s most creative restaurants.
December 8, 2009 at 12:33 pm
A great challenge could be in the theme of non-profit organizations, since DC is the home to so many. Maybe the cast would be put into pairs or teams, they would meet with a representative from their organization (draw knives), and they have to create a dish that encompasses the spirit of that organization (i.e. PETA-no meat; HRC-a theme of equality; nature concervancy-sustainable agriculture; etc.) there could be an organized dinner where the proceeds go to the winning team’s organization.
December 8, 2009 at 12:38 pm
Do a challenge in conjunction with the cherry blossom festival, taking inspiration from both the tree itself and its Japanese origins.
December 8, 2009 at 12:42 pm
How about a challenge for the cheftestants to update a favorite dish of past Presidents? There are lots of books and websites on what each President liked to eat, anywhere from opossum pie to cheese souffles. The guest judge could be the current Chef de Cuisine at the White house.
December 8, 2009 at 12:42 pm
DC is politics. But what people often don’t realize is that DC has a rich and flourishing arts scene, particularly visual arts. We are able to boast the National Gallery as one of the premier art museums in the world with a collection ranging from pre-Renaissance to Modern. On top of that the collections and exhibits are housed in two gorgeous buildings. A dinner gala challenge held in the National Gallery in which chefs may use anything in the two buildings to inspire their meal would bring great attention to this aspect of the Nation’s capital.
December 8, 2009 at 12:45 pm
Create a dish using ingredients found at the DC Wharf on Maine Ave. Seafood, some meats, and lots of veggies can be purchased there, and who doesn’t want to see chefs dealing with half a bushel of crabs?
December 8, 2009 at 12:50 pm
Chefs need to prepare a meal to feed the participants at the National Hot Dog Day hot dog reception on the Hill.
December 8, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Try having a quickfire bagged lunch with a new take on classic sandwiches. Location would be of course Wagshal’s Delicatessen. DC’s oldest sandwich shop.
Dont forget to use Wagshal’s Market for one of their shopping excursions. The old world butcher shop is the best in the area, plus with their Iberico de Bellota Spanish Pork, they have the ingredients for a really good meal. Especially since many of DC’s finest and most well known shop there.
December 8, 2009 at 12:58 pm
My suggestion is that the Top Chef’s have a lunch challenge that takes place in the Senate cafeteria. They would need to prepare dishes for a group of hungry Capital Hill interns, and either a Senator or the head of the Senate cafeteria could serve as a guest judge.
December 8, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Location: Start with a visit to the Inn at Little Washington for a discussion of locally produced ingredients;
Introduce Guest Chef Judge Patrick O’Connell, one of the finest chefs in the nation
Hold an elimination challenge at Montpelier, President Madison’s home to benefit the Archeology Research Program just a few miles away which would include a discussion of why it was included in the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 1984.
Prepare two dishes in the kitchen at the Inn at Little Washington for each of the 100 attending a charity benefit at Montpelier using the same protein randomly chosen from those selected for the competition by Chef O’Connell from the local area.
December 8, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Bipartisan Pork Challenge
Task: Using pork as the featured ingredient, the chefs must create two partisan courses, each symbolizing a major political party, that when combined create a cohesive bi-partisan meal. How to symbolize the two parties (color, philosophy, reputation) is up to the chef.
Location: (Besides the Top Chef Kitchen?) Old Ebbitt Grill- Classic Cigar Room Bipartisan Party Politics
Guest Judges: Two personalities who define of bipartisan relations- James Carville and Mary Matalin
December 8, 2009 at 1:05 pm
Three ideas:
(1) Preparation and service of meal on the Potomac – e.g., on the Dandy.
(2) PYO. Contestants show what they know about seasonal produce and/or dairy products by visiting an area farm and planning a meal that features capital area products. East coast twist on Napa elimination challenge: Loudon or Frederick County winery and farm tour.
(3) Embassy Row. Contestants select knives that represent different countries and their cuisines.
December 8, 2009 at 1:06 pm
[…] friends over at Capital Spice are hosting a giveaway for a pretty sweet Top Chef prize pack, which includes a DVD of Top Chef Season 5 and the new Top […]
December 8, 2009 at 1:26 pm
I would like to see a challenge inspired by the themes of Michel Richard’s two wonderful DC restaurants: Citronelle and Central. Citronelle is extraordinary because the food is elegant and light. But one eats at Citronelle for the ambience as well as the delectable cuisine. To order a chef’s selection of courses from the menu and taking your time to savor the meal is well worth the investment. Citronelle is like no other restaurant in DC because it creates a dining experience where one simply does not want to leave and you trust that the next dish that the chef selects will be better than the last. However, in DC, taking such time to eat is not always possible. Central is a Bistro catering to the power lunch crowd that manages to capture the elegance, that is Richard’s signature, without compromising taste or quality. I would suggest that the contestants create a full 4-7 course meal with individual wine pairings, with the objective of being light but yet offering that unique quality of wanting to savor ever bite and promotes really take the time to enjoy the overall dining experience. Then I would suggest the contestants pare that menu down into one additional dish that captures the spirit of their tasting menu but could also be served at a Bistro without losing the light and fresh quality Richard manages to bring to the table at Central.
December 8, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Newseum Elimination Challenge – Two teams must create a menu for a coctail party on the roof of the Newseum. The menu items must be “newsworthy”. The contentants can interpret “newsworthy” to mean an innovative dish – something no one has seen before, or a dish that relates to a recent/historic news event (either a play on words, or a recreation of a dish that was the center of a news event). The contestants can cook in the kitchen at Wolfgang Puck’s The Source located in the bottom of the Newseum. Guest judges can include Wolfgang Puck and a prominent Washington based journalist (i.e. David Gregory from Meet the Press).
December 8, 2009 at 1:50 pm
An elimination challenge that centers on soul food cuisine to celebrate the rich history of African Americans in Washington, DC. DC features a number of more upscale soul food restaurants (Georiga Brown’s, B.Smith’s, Marvin) as well as classic “greasy spoons” (Ben’s Chili Bowl, Horace and Dickie’s, Florida Avenue Grill). Contestants must create dishes that show their own take on soul food classics found throughout the DC area. The competition can take place in a resturant located on U Street in DC’s historic Shaw neighborhood. Guest judges can include B. Smith, Adrien Fenty, and Carla Hall).
December 8, 2009 at 2:10 pm
Spy Museum Challenge – Contestants must create dishes for a private party held in the spy museum. The show can highlight notorious espionage events that have occured around Washington, DC. Dishes must relate to all things that make you think of
“espionage”. Contestants can cook in the kitchen at Zola (a spy themed restaurant located adjacent to the spy museum). Guest judges can include the, owner of Zola, the Director of the spy museum, and/or a famous actor who has starred/is starring in a spy-themed movie or a movie filmed in Washington.
December 8, 2009 at 2:17 pm
I don’t know if she’d do it but Valerie Plame (the woman whose status as a CIA agent was leaked by the press) would also make a great guest judge.
December 8, 2009 at 2:17 pm
Oddyssy Potomac Cruise Elimination Challenge – The challenge is to develop an innovative approach to two regional classics: the half-smoke sausage and the crab cake. The contestants must shop at Eastern Market and the Maine Avenue Fish Market for their menu ingredients. Their dinner guests should be local area crab fishermen and DC sports fans – two groups who will really know these two local food items and have discerning tastes about each. The cruise will also offer a beautiful backdrop to showcase the DC monuments and riverscape.
December 8, 2009 at 2:24 pm
International themed elimination challenge on Embassy Row.
Cherry themed quick-fire during the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Cooking a meal for the homeless at DC Central Kitchen or Martha’s Table.
December 8, 2009 at 2:29 pm
“Bottom of the Bay” Elimination Challenge – Contestants must prepare dishes for a fundraiser benefiting the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Save the Bay initiative. The episode can focus on the sustainablity of the Chesapeake Bay. Dishes must feature ingredients native to the Chesapeake Bay (Blue Crabs, rockfish, oysters, etc). Guest judges can include director of the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, the Governor of Maryland, and any celebrities who have homes on the Eastern Shore.
December 8, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The event can take place at a scenic location along the Bay (i.e. Chesapeake Bay Beach Club).
December 8, 2009 at 3:07 pm
In each city, Top Chef usually has a challenge or two that is charity focused.
At Food & Friends, we provide specialized meals that meet the needs of individuals battling HIV/AIDS, cancer and other life-challenging illnesses.
The contestants would make a meal – the winner’s dish maybe could be added to our menu.
A great challenge and a great way to give back to our neighbors in need.
The meal would need to meet certain nutritional guidelines, survive being blast chilled and re-heated, plus taste delicious. Maybe the contestants could even be responsible for delivering the meals.
December 8, 2009 at 3:11 pm
Cheftestants draw knives listing different museums. They will visit, then create a dish that draws inspiration from the selected museum. (Would be a great “infomercial” for DC tourism.)
December 8, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Foreign Policy Challenge: Chefs must prepare a typical dish (or the the indigenous variation of a universal dish, such as chicken stew) from the countries at the forefront of USG foreign policy (Iraq, Afghanistan, China, India, Sudan, Congo-Kinshasa, North/South Korea, Kenya, Mexico, for example). Chefs must be assigned a dish that they are not familiar with. Guest judges could be the Ambassadors from the respective countries to the U.S., or a mix of the Ambassadors and Department of State Assistant Secretaries responsible for each region; maybe even Secretary Clinton herself!
December 8, 2009 at 4:49 pm
Cooking with beers from Capitol Brewery.
December 8, 2009 at 5:12 pm
simple, i have heard lectures on the horrors of hosting a white house dinner at a party the first family throws…throw them in to try to create a white house dinner party menu in one hour
December 8, 2009 at 5:21 pm
I would have them do a quick on the go breakfast challenge for people that slug. You could chose a location say people sluging to the pentagon. They would pick up their breakfast at the slug line and eat it on the way in and then rate it when they arrived at the pentagon.
December 8, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I second Rob’s Ethiopian suggestion…maybe instead of having to cook Ethiopian food they could just imitate the style — they would all have to cook eight dishes that could be placed at the center of the table on that spongy bread and then eaten with your hands. I’d love to see Padma digging into that.
December 8, 2009 at 6:03 pm
1. Ask them to cook food the way the founding fathers (well, their wives) would have – over a fire. They’d have to use ingredients from the WH farmers market.
2. Since DC is on the edge of the Mason-Dixon line, have them combine Northern ingredients into Southern food. For instance, Maine lobster and grits. Guest judge: Art Smith.
3. Have them go to Etete or another Ethiopian restaurant for a meal and ask them to recreate what they ate.
4. See who can make the best burger using non-traditional ingredients (no ground beef and no turkey). Guest judges: Spike Mendelsohn and Michel Richard (since he has various burgers on the menu at Central).
5. Have them cater a “state dinner.”
December 8, 2009 at 6:05 pm
The chefs would have to draw knives, each knife representing a President and a food they were known for (i.e. Reagan with JellyBeans, Washington with Apples, etc.). Chefs would need to create a modern twist, but make it presidential. Current white house chef could be guest judge and they could set up outdoor kitchen in the park in front of the White House.
December 8, 2009 at 6:08 pm
I’ve grown up in the DC area my whole life. When I lived in the city what I loved about it was that I could go for a long run and see the monuments, pass through Georgetown, cross a bridge and run along the Potomac in Virginia, cross another bridge and be back by the reflecting pool and then re-enter my home area Dupont always hustling and alive. The area is called the melting pot for a reason. All walks of life live here, from all over the world. DC has definite areas with their own signature feels. Dupont, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Chinatown, Penn Quarter, Georgetown, Mt. Pleasant. I think that the challenge should include the chefs each being given an area of DC and have to come up with their own dish that represents that area best. They can ask the people, visit the local shops and markets and then come up with a dish that would stick in that area. A beverage has to compliment it as we have a huge young single crowd in DC that enjoys cocktails, beers and wine. We DC locals have sophisticated palettes.
As for judges, there are so many great Chefs in the area that would be remarkable for this. The one that comes to mind is Katsuya Fukushima – Chef of Minibar & Café Atlántico known for his incredible and unique dishes. Definitely need a local celebrity as well. Someone who has been in the area a long time and is well known. Perhaps a politician but doesn’t have to be. Tony Kornheiser or Warren Brown who is especially good because he is a baker who started in DC and landed a career in baking by tossing his Law Degree and taking a risk. Good luck!
December 8, 2009 at 6:12 pm
I mentioned Chef of Minibar & Café Atlántico in my first suggestion He is known for his incredible and unique dishes. This minibar is world known and VERY DC. Another great task would be to have the contestants do a dish meant to be served at his minibar and have him judge. This would be a HUGE challenge as he has a very unique style to his cooking and always has surprises in his dishes. Not typical cooking but really cool and takes a huge amount of creativity and talent to accomplish a great minbar dish.
December 8, 2009 at 6:29 pm
Sheridan Circle is one of the seven circles designed by the original architect of the city, Pierre L’Enfant. Today, Sheridan Circle is ringed with embassies.
Each contestant draws a knife with the name of a country with an embassy on or near Sheridan Circle. They are told to prepare two dishes: One that represents the country they have chosen, the other that is distinctly American but would appeal to people in that country.
Each contestant cooks in the kitchen of the embassy of the country they choose. Ideally, they would each have a partner in the person of the chef from the embassy. But the twist is that they can advise one another, but the Top Chef contestant cooks the first dish, the embassy chef the American dish.
They serve their dishes to the staff of the embassies in Sheridan Circle.
December 8, 2009 at 9:17 pm
What is more Washington than the A-list, intimate Washington Dinner Party? Real Housewives will die to attend exclusive parties catered in the themes of our four stellar D.C. cheftestants – Spike’s Capitol Hill bright lights carnivore quickfire; Carla’s new frontier – comfort food meets Logan Circle; Mike’s Mediterranean Melodies; and Bryan’s Golden Harvest from the Chesapeake family garden. Venues to include historic homes of Washington notables (e.g. Marjorie
Merriweather Post’s Hillwood Estate, where presidents and heads of state dined and were entertained).
December 9, 2009 at 12:14 am
I’d say to highlight this area’s ethnic diversity in a challenge where contestants are assigned a different cuisine (ie: Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Ethiopian, Turkish) to be inspired by to create a new dish. The judges could be chefs or owners of corresponding well-known ethnic restaurants (ie: someone from Four Sisters would be the Vietnamese representative.)
OR
Have them work the food booths at the Smithsonian Folk Life Festival!
December 9, 2009 at 4:12 am
The owner of Ray’s Hell Burger, Michael Landrum, will be one of the judges. He will show the contestants the burger that Obama ordered at his joint. The challenge is to deconstruct and downsize it to tapas size. The dish has to be good enough to be served at Jaleo. Hence the other judge will be Jose Andres, king of tapas in DC.
December 9, 2009 at 8:01 am
[…] giving away a Top Chef season 5 DVD and Quickfire Challenge cookbook to any amateur producers with sure-shot plans to lure the Top Chef cameras to D.C. for a future […]
December 9, 2009 at 9:34 am
Forget Embassy Row, DC is such a melting pot of nationalities and immigrants. How about a DC Farmer’s Market Ethnic Cuisine Fusion challenge on Florida Ave. NE? The Quick Fire can start at the Best Equipment Restaurant Supply Store where they have to load up on the equipment they’ll need (except ranges and ovens, of course), then over to the wholesale DC Farmer’s Market a block away where they can shop for everything from goat to octopus and lemon grass to collard greens. The best fusion of 2-3 ethnic dishes wins. Shrimp Pad Thai Alfredo or Coq au Vin Curry anyone?
December 9, 2009 at 11:52 am
Guest Chef? No Reservations host, Anthony Bourdain.
December 9, 2009 at 11:17 am
i’d like to see the cheftestants do a challenge at the national archives or the library of congress. create a dish based on a historical document?
December 9, 2009 at 11:41 am
Food on the go. Each contestant has to set up their own lunch cart (like On the Fly or the taco guy in the window at Dupont) and offer the best lunch fare for the busy downtowners, Hill workers, and tourists. This will be the ultimate fast food challenge. Lots of people eat at their desks. Presentation and marketing – i.e. the truck, table, location will count.
December 9, 2009 at 12:20 pm
A contest of the truly all-american meal, need to combine foods and flavors of all dif types of ethnic [Asian, Latin-American, Mediterranean, German, etc] and regional [Southern, New England, etc] flavors to represent the diversity of this country.
December 9, 2009 at 12:39 pm
Meet with Members of Congress and or the WH about the obesity problem among US children. Have contestants make a healthy, low fat lunch and or dinner for school children. It has to be something delicious, and low-fat but also something that families can learn to make themselves.
December 9, 2009 at 1:06 pm
I think they should have a challenge at Lincoln’s summer home
http://www.lincolncottage.org/events/index.htm
and have to cook a civil war era meal for special guest judges from the movement that Saved the Lincoln summer home
December 9, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Unfortunately, a big part of DC dining is the political banquet circuit. A very DC-esque challenge would have to involve preparing a memorable meal for a 500+ crowd of political wonks. Many places in DC are known for tieing in the dessert with the organization, such as chocolate coins, cakes with name airbrushed on them, etc. The challenge should require that contestant do something similar for the client.
December 9, 2009 at 4:54 pm
A lunch in the stately Senator’s dining room inside the US Capitol. Known for being the hideaway of the Senate, traditional American fare, and of course senate bean soup. The challenge, to create a lunch that utilizes the best local farm products purchased at Eastern Market to showcase the contestant’s take on the setting and traditional American gastronomy. Each should also be required to pair their lunch with their own take on the classic Senate bean soup.
Senate Dining Room
United States Capitol
December 9, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Northern Virginia is the heart of horse country. How about having the contestants cook a fox hunt breakfast? These are big fox hunting events in the area with much pomp & circumstance. Probably the most prestigious Hunt Club in the DC area is the Middleburg Hunt Club. Several dignitaries have been members (I think even Jackie Kennedy was a member). For a guest judge, Robert Duvall or Olympians Karen & David O’Connor.
December 9, 2009 at 7:25 pm
A quick fire challenge: cook with blue crab or oysters.
Create an updated version of a colonial meal using only the equipment available during the colonial period. Guest judge – one of the Colonial WIlliamsburg curators or chiefs.
December 9, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Another idea:
Have the contestants draw a knife with one of the smithsonian museums on it. They then have to create a dish inspired by that museum.
December 9, 2009 at 7:56 pm
In conjunction with Ben’s Chili Bowl restaurant, the contestants have to make chili. The contestants can draw knives to remake one of the types of chili on Ben’s menu.
December 9, 2009 at 9:47 pm
Proof Restaurant, in Chinatown, hosts a “lunch crush” special including your choice of a glass of wine & a meal light enough for you to return to the office, yet delightfully fulfilling. It is also located directly across the street from the National Portrait Gallery, shedding light on an elimination challenge demanding creativity. Have each of the chefs create a lunch crush dish, using the primarily locally grown ingredients from Proof, pair it with a wine and relate each to a portrait from the gallery.
December 10, 2009 at 7:44 am
[…] Kitchen, One for One | Leave a Comment We know, we know…we promised to announce the winner of our Top Chef DC Elimination Challenge this morning. We were blown away by your response: more than 80 suggestions that touched on […]
December 10, 2009 at 8:27 am
The quickfire contest should have the chefs cooking only with hot air. Something DC is known for and get an invection company to sponsor the challenge.
Then get a few politicians to judge the food.
December 10, 2009 at 10:23 am
DC is home to one of the most diverse populations in the world, and thus one of the most diverse representation of restaurants.
Contestants should draw knives each naming a country who has a significant population of people and restaurants in DC (El Salvador, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Morocco, Mexico, China)and creat a dish representing that country’s cuisine.
Similar to the challenge in which guest chef’s provided a bag of ingredients for each contestant to select, a chef that heads up a restaurant typifying each of these country’s cusines could provide a bag of inspirational ingredients to each contestant.
December 10, 2009 at 7:30 pm
The perfect setting for a quickfire challenge is Mount Vernon. The contestants must use the bounty of George Washington’s farm and distillery, cooking in the kitchen on the grounds. Because the kitchen space is so limited, it might be a better idea to have them pull knives to receive a recipe from the time GW lived at Mount Vernon and they must put a modern ‘spin’ staying true to the main ingredients.
Of course, I will be a judge along with the Director of Mount Vernon and/or some other noted culinary historian associated with Mount Vernon.
December 13, 2009 at 11:44 am
I think the obvious here would be to have them create a new dish for Ben’s Chili Bowl. It’s the iconic DC culinary experience, after all. 🙂
January 3, 2010 at 12:45 pm
Nice site – Here’s wishing you a very happy and prosperous new year !
June 11, 2010 at 7:42 am
[…] news and insights into Top Chef DC as the new season debuts next Wednesday. As you may recall, we held a contest soliciting challenge ideas for a Washington-based season at the end of last year. Who knew the folks at Bravo would be paying such close […]
June 14, 2010 at 7:35 am
[…] Capital Spice, we’re especially interested in seeing how everything plays out. When we ran our Top Chef DC contest back in December, we had no idea that the show was going to be filming in town just a few months […]
June 16, 2010 at 10:11 am
[…] TW: When I heard the rumors that Top Chef was going to be filming in DC this year, I read a lot of blog conversations on good themes and locations for challenges. Someone suggested a challenge involving DC school […]
June 24, 2010 at 7:54 am
[…] we promised to give a shout-out each time one of the suggestions made during our “Top Chef DC” contest last season makes an […]
July 1, 2010 at 7:39 am
[…] Your suggestions in action this week: […]
July 8, 2010 at 9:40 am
[…] for your suggestions from our contest last […]
July 15, 2010 at 8:06 am
[…] now to your suggestions that showed up in this […]
July 28, 2010 at 3:07 pm
They should have a challenge where they take dishes that haven’t worked and make them work. They need to re-make the dishes that have sent people home.
July 28, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Great idea, Lucia! Thanks for the suggestion.
July 29, 2010 at 7:45 am
[…] there were ever an argument to be made that the producers of Top Chef paid close attention to our contest at the end of last season, it’s this week’s Quickfire […]