Bravo’s hit cooking competition show “Top Chef” transformed The 5 cafeteria into a culinary battleground today.
“Top Chef” is currently filming for its new season “Top Chef New Orleans” around various parts of the city and has now added Baton Rouge to its most recent locale.
Jordan Steinberg, art director for “Top Chef”, said they started production at 5:30 a.m. today filming chefs competing to create the best dish for incoming University freshmen.
The dishes being served included: tilapia a la talla, broccoli salad with herbed yogurt, mustard roast pork, fried chicken, roast beef with potato puree, gulf shrimp, shrimp cake with chipotle aioli and spicy tomato soup with pimento cheese sandwiches.
Thomas Echols, incoming freshman, said the chefs were challenged to feed a crowd of 500 to 600 hungry undergrads. He said they were divided into groups and then took turns getting their meals.
Echols said he dined on the roast beef, and it was good and surprisingly spicy.
Echols also said he estimated there were about 7 chefs and either 4 or 5 judges, including New Orleans’ own Emril Lagasse.
He commented on the unusual aspects of being filmed.
“If you had any logos or anything, you had to like put duct tape over it,” Echols said. “I’ve never been in an atmosphere like that. It was pretty cool.”
Steinberg said the crew arrived in Baton Rouge last night and visited a bar located in Tigerland, although he didn’t specify for what purpose.
Getting the full college experience, he also said the chefs and crew stayed in the dorms.
He said the crew has wrapped up for filming in the Red Stick and will now be heading back to the Big Easy.