Season 4 of Top Chef premiered tonight and it appears that almost all of the cheftestants have been working in San Francisco, which says a lot about the quality of chefs in the Bay Area. And in a predictable reality show twist, two of the San Francisco cheftestants are a couple, a lesbian couple. How edgy of the Bravo producers, who never met gay-friendly programming it didn’t like.

This year’s show takes place in Chicago and there are a couple of hometown chefs in the competition. On attitude alone, Dale is already a stand out. Andrew is a live cheftestant with a colorful vocabulary. I’m pretty sure I heard him use “cat” and “fat,” as well as the phrase “shark-toothed” to describe competitor Richard. Andrew is obviously ready to “throw down.”

Since On the Line is highlighting Chef David Gilbert’s intern search, I was interested to see where the cheftestants got their culinary training. Here’s the list:

  • Andrew: A.S. Culinary Arts, Johnson & Wales
  • Antonia: French Culinary Institute
  • Dale: Culinary Institute Of America
  • Erik: Self-taught
  • Jennifer: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A
  • Lisa: A.A.S. culinary arts, B.S. food service management Johnson & Wales University
  • Manuel: B.A. in Business Administration from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio, Texas; A.O.S, New England Culinary Institute, Montpelier, Vermont
  • Mark: Self-taught
  • Nikki: A.O.S Culinary Arts, School of Culinary Arts
  • Nimma: Culinary Institute Of America
  • Richard: AOS Culinary Arts, CIA
  • Ryan: Associate of Arts, California Culinary Academy
  • Spike: A.O.S Culinary Arts, C.I.A
  • Stephanie: University of Michigan (undergrad); Scottsdale Culinary Institute
  • Valerie: Culinary Arts, Kendall College, Chicago
  • Zoi: Self-taught

Although three out of the 16 cheftestants are self-taught, the rest of the chefs are culinary school graduates; and not all of them graduated from well-known schools like the Culinary Institute of America or the French Culinary Institute. In fact, two of the cheftestants earned their degrees from Johnson & Wales, the same culinary school as our Chef David Gilbert.

Who gets your vote as this year’s heart throb? Villain? Cry-baby? Arrogant sop? Stephanie looks like a cupcake, but proved her chops by winning the first challenge.

I have one last question. How hard must it be for Rocco DiSpirito to share a kitchen with Anthony Bourdain after Bourdain referred to DiSpirito as a “rat” on his television show. Is being called a rate better or worse than being called a bobble-head? Whatever, Rocco is still a hunk.