Top Chef: On the Hill?

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As many foodies living on the Hill might already know, Bravo is now filming Season Seven of Top Chef in DC. Given that several previous contestants and guests on Top Chef own restaurants on the Hill, such as Art Smith of Art and Soul and Spike-best-milkshakes-in-town-Mendelsohn of Good Stuff Eatery, we are likely to see some familiar Capitol Hill faces and locales featured this season.

Apart from an obvious stop at Eastern Market to search for some Quickfire ingredients, I’m hoping to see challengers face off in a high-pressure cook-off that only the Hill could accommodate.  As an avid fan of the show, I thought of a few competitions that will not only allow contestants to display their culinary prowess, but also highlight some of the best features of our neighborhood.

Nationals Game
Who wouldn’t want to see the chefs cook for a stadium full of hungry, drunk fans? This challenge could be one of the most entertaining in Top Chef history. Chefs could test their skills at turning ordinary ballpark fare into hot dogs and hamburgers with Gruyere and a mushroom jus. Let’s not forget the added benefit of bringing more than five people into the stadium. As someone who doesn’t exactly love baseball, I would definitely come out to show my support.

Cook-off for Members of the House and Senate
A little more high-brow than a Nationals game, the chefs could take a shot at feeding elected officials.  In this challenge the contestants would be able to show off their fine-dining skills. And, in the process, could they possibly bridge the partisan divide with the enjoyment brought by their food? Although worth watching, the Top Chef crew may find this option a little tricky to execute due to national security regulations and all, but nonetheless, still worth pursuing.

Barracks Row
Creating a meal for the troops on Barracks Row seems like a real possibility for a challenge. It would have all the elements of good TV: a display of national pride, men and women in uniform, Padma in a short skirt, and a show of gratitude to our country’s guardians. However, Top Chef executed a similar challenge last season when the contestants fed 300 troops on Nellis Air Force Base. So, depending on the options, we may not see this one in Season Seven.

If you are curious and would like to follow the hunt for the contestants, The Washington Post has created Top Chef DC: The Map where readers can post their latest sightings. Bloggers on The Washington Post’s Best Bites Blog are claiming the chefs have already been spotted at a Whole Foods in Silver Spring –- and, someone may or may not have seen Padma at the Hilton Embassy Row. A Twitter hashtag, #topchefdc, has also been following the comings and goings of the contestants the last few weeks. The premier date for Season Seven has not yet been announced, but I can’t wait to see if any of my competition ideas make it on air.