Who cares what Leon Panetta or Nancy Pelosi think about the food?
Top Chef has released its lineup for the upcoming season in Washington, D.C., which premieres June 16 at 9 p.m. (that’s right, a mere month from now!). Once again, the cheftestants hail from Colorado (Hosea territory), L.A. (Voltaggio territory), Baltimore (Jill territory), Atlanta (à la Kevin), Jersey (à la Mike I.), and New York City. But we also get some newcomers from Dallas and Nashville. Eric Ripert joins Tom, Gail, and Padma as a judge this season, and the guest list is packed with politicos: Buzz Aldrin, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, White House hottie chef Sam Kass, MSNBC host Joe Scarborough, Congressman Aaron Schock of Illinois, Senator Mark Warner of Virginia, CIA Director Leon Panetta, and NBC White House Correspondent Savannah Guthrie. Whoa. But what about the contestants?
So, uh . . . will some of the challenges forbid the contestants from using salt — you know, to set the appropriate nanny-state mood?