Back of the House

Ilan May Not Be Top Chef Tonight; Coca Leaf Cuisine

Yesterday’s Ilan Hall winner profile? Just one of two we had ready, says Food & Wine. Read Marcel’s. [Food & Wine]
Related: ’Top Chef’ Winner Revealed — For Real! [Grub Street]

Bruni weighs in on Top Chef, giving the cooking elements of the show a surprising amount of respect. [NYT]

Sara Dickerman looks at the new wave of cooking shows and finds them all totally ridiculous — but entertaining. [Slate]

PrimeTime Tables also gets the Times treatment, a measured but essentially positive portrait of a much-needed service. What’s really interesting is how many tables are set-asides, unavailable to ordinary diners at all. [NYT]

Cuozzo rues New York’s lack of Spanish food, suggests that Alex Ureña is our only practitioner of the real thing. [NYP]

Et in arcadia ego: Trans fat found in vegan restaurant. [Supervegan]

A Peruvian chef is pioneering a cuisine based on the coca leaf. (It doesn’t get you high.) [Bloomberg]

Chefs on the move: Nicole Kaplan, Akhtar Nawab, Christophe Bellanca; Ostia opens, and Ixta closes. [NYT]

Ilan May Not Be Top Chef Tonight; Coca Leaf Cuisine