Though I do greatly enjoy Top Chef Masters I don’t care for its predecessor Top Chef.  It is not a show about food or cooking; it’s a show about yelling and backstabbing.  Granted yelling and backstabbing between some very talented chefs but yelling and backstabbing just the same.  It’s the same reason I don’t watch Hell’s Kitchen.

Recently I made sure to record a few episodes of Bravo’s new reality cooking competition Around the World in 80 Plates.  The show is hosted by veteran TV chefs Curtis Stone and Cat Cora.  Here’s the official Bravo description:

Around the World in 80 Plates takes culinary competition to the next level as 12 chefs travel across the globe testing their skills and determination. In each episode, the contestants will travel to a different international city where they will learn the local customs, cultures, and cuisines as they participate in a gauntlet of culinary challenges. Ultimately, they will face-off in a kitchen takeover where they will not only recreate, but reinvent the menus for world-renowned restaurants and their demanding owners.

After watching a few episodes I can’t say it’s appointment TV for me.  Cat and Curtis, as expected, are great and the exotic locations are terrific.  But basically it’s Top Chef on vacation.  It’s not a cooking show it’s just another yelling and backstabbing show.  If you enjoy Hell’s Kitchen or Top Chef or Big Bother or Survivor then you’ll probably dig it.  I’d rather watch paint dry.