This was one of my favorite episodes! Not only did the quickfire involve my favorite (and apparently Tom’s favorite) challenge: the relay race, but the elimination challenge was a wedding! How much more fun can you ask for?

But the chefs might have a different opinion. While they loved the relay race, I don’t think they had too much fun in the elimination challenge after staying up for 36 straight hours consisting of 14 hours of prep work before the actual wedding buffet service.

Warning: Spoilers after the jump!

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Leave it to me to completely fall for the Top Chef Cookbook. Even though I have my occasional tiffs with the show, I’ll always be a fan of Top Chef. So why not indulge in some memorabilia? There are certainly some recipes on the show I’ve always wanted and it’d be great to have them all together in a handy little book.

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This week’s episode was all about “the neighborhood” and Chicago is full of neighborhoods. Challenged by reinventing a Mexican staple into fine dining, and catering a block party by stealing ingredients from the neighbors, these chefs discover that good camaraderie and teamwork doesn’t always pay off, unfortunately.

Find out what we think about the judge’s decisions. Warning: Spoilers after the jump!

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Top Chef always finds the best of the best. Highlighting Chicago with some of its finest offerings this episode, we got to peer into the likes of Chicago’s own Green City Market, and the Lincoln Park Zoo.

Wylie Dufresne, owner of WD-50 and a highly renowned molecular gastronomist, guest judged both the quickfire and elimination challenges.

For the quickfire, chefs were brought to Green City market, a highly sustainable farmer’s market in downtown Chicago. They were asked to make an entree out of five ingredients total that they could either find at the market or in the Top Chef pantry (salt, pepper, oil and sugar omitted).

Warning: Spoilers below!

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Mmm deep dish pizza! I really can’t think of a better way to start off the Chicago season.

Shaking hands and introducing themselves over a buffet of famous pies and beer from Uno’s Pizzeria (the inventor of deep dish), our cheftestants were immediately immersed into Chicago’s laidback, and very delicious, culture. I was even a little bit jealous; I’ve had the pizza of course, but not an entire buffet like that.

But the best part about Top Chef is just how fast they suck you in. I never think I’m going to like the people I don’t know yet as much as prior seasons that I had become very familiar with. But the first episode always proves me wrong. I can already name almost every one without research, and I’ve even picked up on all the drama.

Warning: Spoilers after the jump!

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Ever since Top Chef Season 3 came to a close, we’ve been bursting at the seams in anticipation for season 4, also known as Top Chef Chicago. And tonight, we’re finally feeding our appetites! Yes, Top Chef Season 4 begins tonight and will be on every Wednesday at 10/9 CST. With a season filmed in our very own hometown, how could we not be excited?

So, we’re going to start a little something we like to call: Top Chef Chicago Watch. Every Thursday, we’re going to rehash each episode right here at Chew on That. We’ll go through the rundown of each Chicago locale visited and the Chicago-inspired challenges the cheftestants had to face (ahem, tonight just might have something to do with Deep Dish Pizza). We can’t wait!

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