Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions of the New (York) Top Chefs

Top Chef: New York (Season 5 of the series) starts tonight (Wed. Nov. 12th) on Bravo at 10pm! I had been enjoying Top Chef for a while but I really got a bit obsessed this past summer when I started catching up with as many old episodes as I could.

So in anticipation of tonight's season premiere (sadly with no Ted Allen this year), here's some gloriously uneducated preconceptions about the new contestants! (Since they proved popular with the latest Survivor and The Amazing Race)

In opposite alphabetical order:

Stefan Richter, 35
HOMETOWN Tampere, Finland
RESIDES IN Santa Monica, CA
POSITION: Chef, StefansCatering.com
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Confident and fatherly and will totally boss people around yet people will love it.

Richard, 27
HOMETOWN Sayville, Long Island, NY
RESIDES IN San Diego, CA
POSITION: Executive Sous Chef, Confidential Restaurant & Loft, San Diego
No picture available.
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The big lovable bear (in both the snuggly sense and the big gay one (I'm just assuming since he works at Pecs, a San Diego gay bar)).

Radhika Desai, 28
HOMETOWN Chicago
RESIDES IN Chicago
POSITION: Executive chef at Between Boutique Café & Lounge in Chicago
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Can play nice but will be easily swayed to one side by peer pressure.

Patrick Dunlea, 21
HOMETOWN Quincy, MA
RESIDES IN Hyde Park, NY
POSITION: Culinary student
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The twirp, the young buck, the bouncy energetic-to-the-point-of-annoyance contestant.

Melissa Harrison
HOMETOWN Maryland
RESIDES IN Boulder, CO
POSITION: Sous chef at Centro Latin Kitchen & Refreshment Palace in Boulder, Colo.
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Thinks she's all hippie dippy zen-like but is truly a bossy know-it-all.

Leah Cohen, 27
HOMETOWN Scarsdale, NY
RESIDES IN New York City
POSITION: Sous-chef at Centro Vinoteca in New York
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The girl with the heart who needs a boost of confidence.

Lauren Hope, 24
HOMETOWN Cincinnati
RESIDES IN Stationed at Fort Stewart, in Georgia
POSITION: Chef Tournant, Jag’s Steak and Seafood
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Like your little sister always trying to prove she's better than you as you try to swat her away. Or the coolest contestant this season. Could go either way.

Jill Snyder, 28
HOMETOWN Latrobe, PA
RESIDES IN Baltimore
POSITION: Executive Chef, Red Maple
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Strong and independent and definitely ready to clash with the others all to prove that her looks have nothing to do with her success.

Jeff McInnis, 30
HOMETOWN Niceville, FL
RESIDES IN Miami
POSITION: Chef de Cuisine, the DiLido Beach Club
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The All-American guy who will be liked for having the least personality.

Jamie Lauren, 30
HOMETOWN New York City
RESIDES IN San Francisco
POSITION: Executive chef at Absinthe Brasserie & Bar in San Francisco
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Strongwilled and bitchy when she has to be but we will like her anyways.

Hosea Rosenberg, 34
HOMETOWN Taos, NM
RESIDES IN Boulder, CO
POSITION: Executive chef at Jax Fish House in Boulder, Colo.
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The big bro of the group. Goofy but determined.

Fabio Viviani, 30
HOMETOWN Florence, Italy
RESIDES IN Moorpark, CA
POSITION: Owner, Cafe Firenze Italian Restaurant Martini Bar
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Has all the signs of a douchebag but will be a completely surprising sweetheart.

Eugene "Gene" Villiatora, 33
HOMETOWN Whitmore Village, Hawaii
RESIDES IN Las Vegas
POSITION: Executive Chef, Executive Sushi Chef & Chef Consultant
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: This year's Dale or Hung. I mean come on, Pacific Fusion is his specialty AND he looks all asian gangsta? Whatever.

Danny, 26
HOMETOWN New Hyde Park, NY
POSITION: Chef De Cuisine, Babylon Carriage House
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Most likely to say "Aye Oh, Oh Aye".

Carla Hall, 44
HOMETOWN Nashville, TN
RESIDES IN Washington, DC
POSITION: Owner/Chef, Alchemy Caterers
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The quirky dame that is cooler than her glasses but slightly a know-it-all.

Ariane Duarte, 41
HOMETOWN Verona, NJ
RESIDES IN Verona, NJ
POSITION: Chef/owner of CulinAriane in Montclair, NJ
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: Loved for being the mom of the bunch and grating for all the nagging.

Alex Eusebio, 33
HOMETOWN New York City
RESIDES IN Los Angeles
POSITION: Executive chef at Restaurant 15 in Los Angeles
Gloriously Uneducated Preconceptions: The attitude guy that will verge on hilariously uncooth and annoyingly uncooth.

And the first chef to be cut? I'm going to make a dartboard guess and say it's Hosea. First winner? Stefan.