Top Chef Season 5 is coming to a close and we are now down to the final four contestants.  Watching last night’s episode and the commercials leading up to it made me realize even more why I like this show.  Not only does it have the typical Bravo recipe (excuse the pun) that makes for fabulous TV - talented people with skills you wish you had + drama between contestants, but it also has the last four contestants being promoted like the Superbowl Playoffs. Fantastic!

That being said, I decided that it would be fun to find out where “the teams” are coming from.

Huddle round….

Hosea - Jax Fish House Denver, CO - It has won Best Seafood in Denver year after year and apparently has a good happy hour with PBR in cans… count me in!  The place looks cool and I feel like Hosea would be the type of chef to come from the back of the restaurant and hang out - worth it to me.

Fabio (my odds-on favorite to win) - Cafe Firenze Moorpark, CA - I am always hesitant about Italian resturants with generic Italian city names, but this place sounds great.  The people on Yelp gave it really high reviews and the Trio of Creme Brulee seems to be a hit. Va Bene!

Stefan - Stefan’s Catering Santa Monica, CA - In researching Stefan not only did I find his Myspace Page with lovely ladies leaving comments on it, but I also found his catering site which is making me very hungry. And should you wish to learn how to can jams, Stefan offers lessons at your home. Sweet.

Carla - Alchemy Caterers Washington DC - Hmmm, couldn’t find much online other than some events that she catered but… if you want my two cents, I would hire her on a heartbeat based on personality and humor alone (oh and fabulous hair).

So that’s  your play by play for the upcoming Top Chef Throwdown (sorry Bobby Flay).  Hopefully we will have a good match up.  And of course, should you wish you to support your teams check out the Bravo TV Store for Hosea’s I Heart Padma tee , Team Rainbow Tee (belated) or the I Heart Fabio Tee.

Utensils Down!

We were lucky enough to hit the set of The Real World: Brooklyn before they broke it down after filming the show. The sets this year were amazing - the folks at MTV really take time to think about eco-friendly design.

Many of the textiles used in the house, like this Amy Helfand rug, were made in ways that had little impact on the environment - or the people producing the items. And to use the computer this year, the housemates had to pedal away on a Schwinn bike hooked up to a power generator. That’s one way to think twice about browsing the Web!

Check out our full set tour of this awesome house here, and keep coming back for news on the products seen on MTV … and pretty much every other show out there!

Real World Brooklyn begins tonight, and we’ve had the pleasure of taking an exclusive set tour of the house where the shenanigans happen. What we love about Real World of late is that they make every attempt to use socially conscious product in their design. Case in point? Check out this beautiful rug featured in the new house’s living room:

Amy Helfand, the Brooklyn-based artist behind this piece, is committed to fair labor practices in producing her rugs. (We were surprised to learn that many hand-knotted rugs produced overseas actually made by children in poor working conditions. Amy’s work is certified by Rugmark, which guarantees fair labor practices in production.)

Amy told us this fabulous piece is available via her studio for $11,200 - ‘Wild Garden’ design. In case you still need convincing, it’s hand-knotted at 100 knots/inch in Nepal from Tibetan wool and Chinese Silk, and is available in custom colors and sizes as it is made to order. Size is 8′x10′. See the rug on Real World: Brooklyn tonight, and keep coming back for more exclusive products from the show.

Who’s mouth was watering at the sound of the recipes in the last episode of Top Chef? Who’s willing to see if they can master them in their own kitchens?

We’re not suggesting you turn these delicious-sounding recipes into soup as our favorite chefs did on this epsiode’s elimination challenge. We are suggesting that this winter, you hunker down and attempt some of these fabulous Top Chef favorites. The book includes recipes from all three seasons of the show, and a healthy dose of Elimination and Quick-Fire recipes as well. (We’re assured by the show that any recipes that made Padma spit out her food have been edited away!)

And, if you’re dying for more Top Chef must-haves, check out our shoppable selction. Happy Chef-ing!