I'm a food reporter with the Courier Journal in Louisville, and last year I was invited to watch the production of 5 challenges on Top Chef season 16. (I even got to be a guest at the early-season Restaurant Wars.) AMA!

What happens if you are asked to taste/eat something you dislike or are allergic to or is too spicy for you?

From an email for the first dining experience I attended: "We cannot accommodate food allergies or dietary restrictions." Basically, if you can't eat it, you're out of luck. And if you don't like it, well, hopefully you'll get to say what you dislike on national TV.

Do you know where those servers in Restaurant Wars were hired from? Did they have as little experience as it seemed on TV?

I *believe* they were employed by the catering company that hosted the challenge. Which means they probably didn't have the same experience with a table system that a restaurant server would have.

Hi, I am from Columbus, Ohio and I have heard about a restraunt in Louisville called "Shenanigans" did Top Chef stop there and if not, why?

A Courier Journal food critic gave that restaurant a pretty negative review a while back, so they probably avoided it. (Also, hi, Wolf. How's it going?)

Did you make a Reddit account just to ask that question? Bravo

How much of the meals do the judges eat, percentage-wise?

I didn't really get a good look at the finished plates, so I can't throw out a percent. But a crew member did tell one of my co-workers who attended a challenge that Padma gains a few pounds each season. I'd say they're eating quite a bit of the food.

Do you have a link to a website that will let people read what you've written?

Sure do! All of our Top Chef content is here: https://www.courier-journal.com/search/top%20chef/

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I could eat scallops every day of my life if they weren't so damn expensive - and if I knew how to cook them well.

I've always wondered how they manage timing for appropriately temperatured food; hot food hot, cold food cold. Do you have any insight as to how they achieve this?

From what I saw, the judges ate the food pretty quickly. (From a previous answer: At the Maker's Mark challenge, for instance, I watched the chefs finish cooking then immediately carry their plates out to the judges' table. The chefs also make an extra dish for the "food porn" camera, so it's not like the food is waiting while the crew gets photos.)

At a catering-type challenge like in the first episode, it might be harder to keep dishes hot or cold. But the chefs would know what was expected of them in advance and could prepare.

How many takes did it take to get a typical Top Chef scene?

What was the biggest difference between filming and watching Top Chef?

The takes varied greatly based on what was being shot. For instance, there's just one take for each quickfire. The chefs really only get the set time to cook. There are no do-overs. But Padma might have a couple takes to explain the challenge and to count down the remaining minutes. At one quickfire I saw, she walked back into the kitchen after all the contestants had left to do "pick-ups," where she said "Five minutes, chefs, five minutes" a couple times. It was kind of funny to watch her talk to an empty room.

I think the biggest difference between watching the production and the final episodes is all the down time. On TV, it looks like the chefs have just seconds to decide what dish they're going to make, but they really have a few minutes to debrief on the challenge before starting it. They also have to wait in a "stew room" before and after receiving quickfire challenges. It really is an all-day effort.

Where would you most want to get sent for work?

I'm a reporter in Louisville, Kentucky, and my primary job is to cover our local food scene. So I've never actually covered Top Chef until this season - and I likely won't get to again. BUT, I would love to see the show go to Philadelphia, which is represented by two chefs this season. I personally like the city's vibe, and I'd love to learn more about it.

What’s your favorite restaurant in Louisville?

Follow-up: what’s your favorite restaurant in Louisville that I can afford?

Bandido Taqueria

How does one become a food reporter? Is it a well paid job?

I honestly have no idea how one becomes a food reporter. I feel like I fell into this position randomly. But food is something everyone has opinions and memories of, and I love getting to learn about the people and traditions that exist in our city.

Do you agree with the judges choice for best restaurant?

I only got to personally eat at one restaurant, Thistle. But I think I agree with the judges' pick. Third Coast seemed like an absolute mess, and Thistle had a lot of inconsistencies. My table ordered two of each dish, and one of our appetizers came out without its sauce. Our two short ribs were cooked completely differently. And the puree on the scallop dish was, as the judges said, sickeningly sweet. So I see why Pablo was sent home. Also, my god, anyone who spends all night creating a server manual needs to be rewarded, so I was glad to see Brian win.

What are your feelings on pineapple as a pizza topping?

Ya know, I can't say I'm a fan. I like my pizza with just pepperoni, no sweetness to cut the salt.

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who like pineapple on pizza and those eat lesser pizzas.

Welp, put me down as lesser.

The time to completion of a dish and filming the judging has to take a fair amount of time. How to they keep the food warm and edible for the judges to evaluate?

I actually don't think it does take that much time between finishing the challenge and presenting their dishes. Though it may vary. At the Maker's Mark challenge, for instance, I watched the chefs finish cooking then immediately carry their plates out to the judges' table. I'd think the food was still warm at that point. The chefs also make an extra dish for the "food porn" camera, so it's not like the food is waiting while the crew gets photos.

Hello! what did you ate for New Years Eve?

Hi! Funny enough, I had pepperoni pizza from Turoni's in Evansville, Indiana. It's a tradition with my friends there.

Hellow, fellow Louisvillian with Evansville ties!

Turoni's is always a solid bet back home, but man I miss Kipplee's strombolis and GD Ritzy's burgers & ice cream.

GD Ritzy's is a classic. So good.

Cool to see another redditor from Louisville. What is your favorite restaurant here in our city?

That's very tough; there are so many that do different things well. I'm going to say something potentially blasphemous here, though, and go with Portage House in New Albany. But it is owned by a Louisville chef!

Two questions:

1) Is a hotdog a sandwich? (obligatory for culinary related AMAs) 2) How many hours of footage would you guess they shoot to get enough to edit down to a single episode?

1. A hot dog is a taco. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2018/12/12/a-hot-dog-is-a-taco-a-steak-is-a-salad-a-pop-tart-is-a-calzone-let-the-cube-rule-explain/?utm_term=.54a40434f895
2. At least 12. (Pure guess)

I’ve actually never heard of that place, I’ll have to give it a shot here soon. Anything in particular that I should try?

The menu there changes frequently, but the last thing I got was shrimp & grits - and it was delicious. https://www.eatportagehouse.com/

Did you invent any absolutely new recipe?If so..share with us.

I'm much better at putting words together than ingredients, so I have no personal recipes to share. But I did get four recipes that chef Newman Miller used in his Kentucky family dinner on the second episode. You can find them here: https://www.courier-journal.com/story/entertainment/television/2018/12/13/makers-mark-chef-behind-kentucky-meal-top-chef-season-16-episode-2/1748963002/.

When I moved away from Louisville in the late 90s, the food scene was pretty 'meh', but I hear it's gotten really good. What has that improvement looked like over time? Has it gradually gotten better year by year, or (say) was there a year where things suddenly and markedly improved?

I think the improvement was more gradual, but I've only lived here 5 years, so I didn't experience the whole shift. I think a part of what happened is that coastal cities got too expensive to open restaurants in, so local chefs who trained in other cities returned to Louisville to start their places. Sara Bradley from this season is one example (though she's in Paducah).

As we get more national attention, outside restaurateurs have started looking to open places in Louisville (again, where they can get cheaper real estate), and I think we'll still see more of a rise in the number and quality of restaurants before there's a decline.