I asked Hunter Braun — casting director for the next season of Top Chef — if casting the show was getting harder now that the show has completed ten seasons. Without missing a beat, he immediately said, “Yes and no, people now have a lot of preconceptions about what we are looking for, or think that losing for some silly reason will hurt them in their jobs or reputations. But basically, we always have been about finding the chefs with the best technical merit and creativity. Personality is important, but we’d rather have someone who is bad ass in the kitchen and not so TV ready, rather that the other way around.”

When I then asked him about the special challenges of finding contestants among the many fabuloso kitchens of our humble burg, he and I were of like mind: “Many of your sous chefs and chefs de cuisine have great skill in executing other (celebrity) chefs’ recipes, but their creativity and ability to cook and create from instinct suffers….and it is those (extemporaneous) skills that they need in our competitions.”

So how about it punk? You got the chops? You feeling lucky? Have the skills to cook on the fly and conjure up recipes that impress? Then head to STK in The Cosmo tomorrow at 10:00 am for the one and only casting call in Vegas this year.

And don’t be afraid if you have a face made for radio. It obviously hasn’t hurt some people.

And it’s how you face the heat in the kitchen that really counts.

(Here’s a copy of the casting flyer for the show.)

TOP CHEF  IS CASTING !!

THE COMPETITION IS SERIOUS! Every season the bar gets higher, every season it means more to be the one on top – do you have what it takes to be the next TOP CHEF? We are NOW CASTING for TOP CHEF Season 11. Chefs with a passion for food, creativity, a thorough knowledge of cooking techniques and oodles of charisma are what we’re looking for. We want talented, experienced chefs with that flare that puts you over the top.
Please go to Bravotv.com/casting for complete casting information and the application download link. Then, bring your completed application and other materials down to one of our nationwide open calls. No need to bring your knives (or mixer), just check required elements on the application and show up with those in hand to meet our casting producers

LAS VEGAS
Wednesday, February 20, 10am – 12pm

STK in The Cosmopolitan
3708 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89109