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A weekly Top Chef recap podcast hosted by NBA writers Kevin Arnovitz and Tom Haberstroh breaking down Season 16 as it happens on BravoTV. Follow along weekly as the top cooking competition meets top-shelf analysis. Arnovitz and Haberstroh bring their die-hard fanaticism of the hit TV show and co…

Count The Dings


    • Mar 16, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 56m AVG DURATION
    • 117 EPISODES

    4.8 from 403 ratings Listeners of Pack Your Knives that love the show mention: top chef, arnovitz, tom and kevin, malarkey, ltc, louisville, analytics, nba, cooking, basketball, recap, fantasy, food, reality, season, commentary, analysis, taking, home, talking.


    Ivy Insights

    The Pack Your Knives podcast is a must-listen for any Top Chef fan. As a longtime viewer of the show, discovering this podcast has enhanced my experience and made it even more enjoyable. The hosts, Tom and Kevin, provide insightful recaps and interviews that add depth to each episode. Their commentary is so engaging that I find myself wishing they were hired to provide live commentary during the challenges. Additionally, I would love to hear them recap and reminisce over older seasons like Chicago, the first All Stars, Seattle, Boston, and Charleston, as those seasons were filled with drama and intense competition.

    One of the best aspects of this podcast is the hosts' knowledge and expertise. Tom and Kevin are not only passionate about food but also possess a deep understanding of basketball. This unique combination translates surprisingly well into their discussions on Top Chef. They make clever connections between the cheftestants' performances and sports analogies that are both entertaining and insightful. For example, comparing Buddha's mistake in the Thali challenge to Stephen Curry missing free throws was a perfect metaphor that showcased their wit.

    Another positive aspect of this podcast is the camaraderie between the hosts. Their banter is smart, funny, and keeps listeners engaged throughout each episode. Their chemistry is evident as they navigate through recaps and share their analyses in an empathetic yet detail-oriented manner. Moreover, their inclusion of interviews with contestants adds an extra layer of insider information that fans appreciate.

    However, there are some areas where this podcast could improve. One issue mentioned by some listeners is the audio quality. While one host's audio is clear and crisp, the other seems to have subpar sound quality which can be distracting at times. Investing in better microphones or editing out unintelligible parts would greatly enhance the listening experience.

    Another point of criticism concerns certain tangents that might divert from the main focus of discussing food on Top Chef. Some listeners have expressed their desire for less basketball-related conversations, as they tune in for food discussions and analysis. While the hosts' passion for both subjects is evident, minimizing the basketball talk would help maintain a more cohesive experience.

    In conclusion, The Pack Your Knives podcast is a top-notch recap show that combines a love for Top Chef with a unique perspective from the hosts' knowledge of basketball. The engaging and insightful discussions, along with interviews from contestants, make this podcast a must-listen for any fan of the show. While there are some areas where improvement can be made, overall, it delivers an enjoyable and informative listening experience.



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    Latest episodes from Pack Your Knives

    Season 21 Teaser

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2024 4:37


    Pack Your Knives has big news for the upcoming season… Find out more at https://www.packyourknives.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S20 Ep 14 Fin! with Sara Bradley & Buddha Lo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2023 100:19


    Padma, Buddha and the f'ing liver. In a jam-packed episode of Pack Your Knives, Tom and Kevin recap the contentious Season 20 finale, bid farewell to Padma Lakshmi and launch a campaign for her replacement. Also joining the show are Buddha Lo and Sara Bradley taking us behind the scenes on the finale and this World All-Stars season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 13: Champions in Paris

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2023 83:02


    Our love for this season continues to grow like mushrooms on cow dung. Tom and Kevin recap the infamous Wall Challenge and the mushroom elimination challenge ahead of next week's finale. While reeling from a cheftestant's elimination, Tom shocks the world with a blockbuster trade offer ahead of the final episode. Will Kevin accept? It could swing the entire fantasy season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 12: Goodbye, London!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2023 83:54


    Breaking news: Tom and Kevin went to a Top Chef dinner in Los Angeles at Craft this week! The Pack Your Knives crew not only got to meet Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons, but also the Restaurant Wars winning team and taste their five-course meal. We recap both the night, the Last Chance Kitchen finale and another banger of an episode of Top Chef as the contestants head off to Paris.  Tom H also goes through the archives and researches whether any cheftestant has won four challenges in a row. The answer may surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 11: Battle of the Wellingtons with Mina Kimes

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2023 72:22


    ESPN's Mina Kimes drops by Pack Your Knives for a recap of the Beef Wellington episode. Kevin, Mina and Tom wrap themselves up in the drama, investigate the mystical origins of the Beef Wellington and discuss the double-elimination choices by the judges. Plus, we gawk at a particular chef during a "candid" moment while Kevin offers a scouting report on the Kimpton hotels across the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 10: Thali Time with Thi Nguyen

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2023 97:07


    With Restaurant Wars in the rearview mirror, Tom and Kevin digest the smoked fish and thali challenges of this week's episode and interview Top Chef producer Thi Nguyen. As one of the brains behind the show, Nguyen shares what it's like to work on Top Chef over the years and why they call her the "police" of the competition. She debunks some myths and pulls back the curtain on the impact of Queen Elizabeth's passing on the production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 9: Restaurant Wars

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2023 67:47


    It's Restaurant Wars!!! Or is it? Tom and Kevin air their grievances about the unconventional Restaurant Wars episode and wonder what happened behind the scenes. They rank their favorite dishes and designate the roles that we never got to see. Kevin's squad has an up-and-down performance while Tom's team hums along.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    LG Transparent Conversations Series - NCAA Episode Part 2: The Come Down: The Return Home from the Elite Stage

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 54:17


    Sixty-eight teams enter the NCAA Tournament, but only one walks away victorious. With 99% of the field heading home without a trophy, how do athletes and teams cope with defeat? In this episode of the LG Transparent Conversations series, The Next Chapter discusses how the road home from the Big Dance® can be a pivotal, even defining, moment for many student-athletes. Prim Siripipat and the panel explores the letdown athletes experience following the postseason and how the complicated feelings/emotions can influence the return to normal activities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    LG Transparent Conversations Series - NCAA Episode Part 1: The Big Dance® and the Road to the Elite Stage

    Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2023 56:13


    This episode The Next Chapter continues the LG Electronics Transparent Conversation series, Prim and LG recorded live from Fan Fest during the Men's Final Four Championships in Houston, Texas. Joined by LCSW and founder of AthMindset, Lisa Bonta Sumii, Senior Forward for the Indiana Hoosiers, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Houston Cougar Freshman Forward, Jarace Walker to discuss the road to March Madness. The Final Four® is the ultimate stage for college basketball. In this episode of the LG Transparent Conversations series, we talk about the mental roadmap and challenges athletes face as they work their way to the elite stage. Expectations, pressure, media coverage, achieving peak performance, and even coping with injuries – Prim Siripipat and the panelists discuss the intricacies of the postseason and how it can affect the athlete and team in various ways. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 8: Street Food Fight

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 28, 2023 69:59


    With Restaurant Wars around the corner, Tom and Kevin get their engines rev'd with the incredible Fast X mise en place elimination challenge. Then, Team Haberstroh and Team Arnovitz, each with four cheftestants remaining, fill in the roles of their hypothetical Resturant Wars team. Who's the No. 1 prospect for executive chef? Front of house? Tom and Kevin hash it out and recap LCK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 7: Hands Off with Dale Mackay

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2023 59:14


    Kevin and Tom get their hands dirty with the Gaggan Anand episode of Top Chef: World All-Stars and take stock of the competition as we near ever closer to the Restaurant Wars mark. Cheftestant Dale Mackay of Saskatchewan fame joins the show to talk about his rollercoaster ride on Top Chef, daily life as a triathlete in reality-television isolation and the difference of this particular season vs. Top Chef Canada. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 6: Top Chef is No Picnic

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2023 55:41


    With the most confusing Top Chef episode of the season, Kevin and Tom fight off whiplash and vertigo as they recap the Downton Abbey episode. Tom bids farewell to one of his top picks but discovers a budding crush on another and rants about sandwich toppings. Meanwhile, Kevin does a victory lap on one of his picks who continues to deliver and gets wistful about one of his other cheftestants heading to LCK.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 5: Holiday Vacation with Sara Bradley

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2023 73:19


    Top Chef heads to the Kent countryside, where a shocking ending sends a cheftestant home. Kevin takes issue with the cheftestant's fate while Tom defends his squad. Then, World All-Stars contestant and Season 16 finalist Sara Bradley of Freight House in Paducah, Kentucky joins the podcast! We discuss her stat-keeping, experiences on the show, favorite Jewish dishes, raw eggs and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 4: Spurred Lines

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2023 66:12


    Kevin and Tom put their green velvet blazers on and recap Episode 4 of Top Chef World All-Stars. We get introduced to the glory that is Paul A. Young and deliberate on the value of an English biscuit. After a scouting report on the Tottenham Hotspurs stadium experience, Kevin and Tom hash out the Elimination Challenge and remark about the parity of this season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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    S20 Ep 3: Cheeky Pints & Pub Bites

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2023 65:42


    With three episodes in the books, Kevin and Tom put it on the Ritz for Top Chef's pub crawl. With a double elimination on tap, Kevin and Tom scout the pairings and give their take on the dishes. Has any cheftestant separated themselves from the pack? Kevin and Tom get into it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 2: Rice, Rice Baby with Lorna Maseko

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2023 78:08


    Kevin and Tom welcome in Top Chef South Africa's Lorna Maseko to help recap the show and share her experience of being the guest judge in the All Star Season's second episode. If you were planning a culinary trip to Africa, Kevin and Lorna give you the scouting report. If you weren't planning one, you will now. Finally, Kevin and Tom take stock of their fantasy rosters and bid farewell to a familiar face.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    S20 Ep 1: The Draft

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2023 51:19


    It's our favorite time of the year at PYK HQ: Draft Day! After watching the season premiere of Top Chef Season 20, Kevin and Tom partake in their annual PYK draft of cheftestants while recapping the episode. Who goes No. 1? Where will the elimination challenge winner go in the draft? Where will Buddha, Dawn, Amar and Sara land? Who has the best roster? It's all happening. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Season 20 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 43:42


    Top Chef is back! And so are Tom Haberstroh and Kevin Arnovitz. To get you ready for Season 20: London All-Stars, Tom and Kevin span the globe and preview the 16 cheftestants on the board. Which cheftestants are back? How do we feel about London as a food city? Wait, is there really a Top Chef Finland? All that and more on the PYK season preview. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The Champ is Here! with Buddha Lo

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 53:08


    Kevin and Tom are giddy at the much-anticipated arrival of the Top Chef Season 19 champion, Buddha Lo! They discuss Top Chef reality vs. fiction, where his performance ranks all-time and how to properly cook halibut. Plus, his recent interaction with TMZ at LAX, his Jurassic alligator and how he studied Top Chef. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 14 Recap: The Finale Plate with Sarah Welch

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 4, 2022 65:28


    Another season of Top Chef is in the books! Tom and Kevin recap the season and the final episode with the help of beloved cheftestant Sara Welch. We discuss her Jamaican roots, her bff Buddha, her restaurant Marrow in Detroit and the basics of churning butter.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 13: Cactus Makes Perfect

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2022 47:13


    As the show hits the road to Tucson, Kevin and Tom marvel at the city's culinary offerings and welcome PYK favorite Chef Maria Mazon back to the Top Chef stage. A strong chef goes home, but in Kevin's eyes, the playing field is more level than it seems. Who will be crowned Top Chef next week? Kevin and Tom call their shots as we arrive at the finale.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 12: Gone Fishin'

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2022 48:45


     In this week's episode, Tom hops on a boat and guides Kevin on the joys of fishing. With the competition whittles itself down to the final four cheftestants, we bid farewell to a poor time-management victim. Tom and Kevin rearrange their power rankings as we head into the surprise domestic location of the finale. And lastly, we run through some VRBO submissions from listeners and Kevin recaps some of his favorite restaurants on his recent road trip.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 11: Family Vacation

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2022 51:37


    With a thrilling Last Chance Kitchen finale in the books, Kevin and Tom dive headfirst into the Galveston episode and emerge with a boatful of praise. We welcome back a cheftestant and revisit our chef vs. the field prop with some new information. Finally, Tom, inspired by the show, lets Kevin indulge in the ultimate VRBO parlor game: if you could go on vacation anywhere in the world for $10,000, where would you go? We ask our listeners to send their scouting report to our socials @PackKnives on Twitter and @PackYourKnives on Instagram. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 10: Dinner in Zero Gravity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2022 40:37


    The cheftestants go to space (in theory) and the Earth-y dishes raised lots of questions from Tom and Kevin. We discuss a shaky performance from an otherwise sturdy cheftestant and debate whether we'd take one chef over the field. Also: a deep-dive into crumby foods. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 9: Freedmen's Town

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2022 48:31


    On this episode of Pack Your Knives, Kevin and Tom recap a heartwarming episode where the judges taste the rainbow and do some soul searching. Kevin reveals a personal story of his classroom etiquette and his favorite restaurants on his recent travels while Tom struggles with the quirky scoring. Finally, Producer Mayes surfaces a Top Chef Reddit post that sparks serious domestic debate from the PYK panel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 8 Recap: Restaurant Warrior Hershy Ash

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2022 62:35


    It's Restaurant Wars! Our friend and restaurant consultant Hershy Ash stops by for our annual Restaurant Wars viewing. Kevin, Tom and Hershy break down the Restaurant Wars experiences from Matriarc and No Nem while scratching our collective heads at a certain chef's performance. Hershy offers a lighthearted conspiracy theory and makes a prediction about the winner of Top Chef. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 7: Jurassic Joe Flamm

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2022 72:13


    We dig into this week's episode with our PYK pal Joe Flamm, winner of Top Chef Colorado and guest judge of the Jurassic World challenge. Flamm shares some amazing behind the scenes details from his experience on Top Chef Houston and some old callbacks to Season 15. We also discuss best movie scenes involving food and get the goods on the actual winning individual of the challenge. We get Kevin's lowdown on Nigerian cuisine, tier-out the remaining cheftestants and get ready for Restaurant Wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    S19 Ep 6: Tough Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2022 72:23


    After Top Chef welcomes back an eliminated contestant from Last Chance Kitchen, Kevin and Tom dive into Episode 6's drama -- or lack thereof. The competition show brings in trailblazing women to honor trailblazing women and the chefs deliver satisfactory meals, but hardly anything transcendent. With the help of producer Anthony Mayes, Tom and Kevin try to untangle their feelings about this season of their beloved Top Chef and wonder if its recent softness is a symptom of a broader cultural shift. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    S19 Ep 5: Don't Mess With BBQ

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2022 56:02


    A tentpole challenge is presented on this week's episode, but Tom and Kevin are trying to figure out why this season doesn't seem to be hitting its mark. Tom mourns a surprising elimination, which prompts Kevin and Tom to do a mock redraft of contestants. Who goes No. 1? And can a Last Chance Kitchen juggernaut jolt the season into shape? Five episodes in, the PYK crew are hoping that's the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    S19 Ep 4: Doppelgängers

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2022 53:06


    Kevin and Tom unpack what goes down as one of their favorite challenges of Top Chef in Pack Your Knives history: doppelgänger dishes! But first Kevin and Tom reveal their favorite biscuits in America and then praise a sense-deficient cheftestant's rise. A terrific double-elimination challenge cripples one of the fantasy teams and Mayes' squad provides hope to resolve Kevin's lone complaint about this season.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 3: Open Market

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2022 53:53


    Kevin and Tom recap the Asian night market episode and survey the landscape. Kevin unveils his night market power rankings, dominating Tom's impromptu trivia. The two discuss Sam the Potato Man's polarizing behavior. Meanwhile, trade discussions continue as producer Anthony Mayes picks up his very own cheftestant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    S19 Ep 2: Carbo Loading

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2022 47:38


    Tom and Kevin break down the second episode of Season 19. With Evelyn on the mind, Tom investigates hometown advantage. A trade is proposed and the two are officially engaged in negotiations.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S19 Ep 1 Recap: The Draft

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 51:08


    After a season premiere chock full of surprises, Kevin and Tom take part in their fifth annual PYK draft of cheftestants. Who went No. 1 overall? And which pick created the most controversy? Kevin and Tom give their first impressions on the cast as another season of Pack Your Knives gets underway. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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    Season 19 Preview

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2022 38:08


    And we're back! With the season premiere of Top Chef Season 19 Houston around the corner, Kevin and Tom give a scouting report on Houston and the 15 cheftestants. Which cheftestants seem to have a leg up? Which Top Chef alumni are returning? And what's the dirty little secret about bone marrow? Kevin and Tom dig in and get ready for another season of Top Chef. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    S18 Finale Recap: Staff Meal

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2021 64:59


    Ep 13 Recap: Abdication

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2021 57:41


    After the penultimate episode of Season 18, Tom and Kevin debate the merits and joys of hunting for seafood. A Top Chef judge's table scandal has Kevin and Tom fuming. Did Gail, Padma and Tom fail in their duties as judges?

    Ep 12 Recap: Cheesy Bread

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 18, 2021 43:01


    Kevin and Tom break down the final four as we head into toward the coast. A discussion about Dawn's gougères veers into a love letter for cheesy bread at various establishments and other gluttonous exploits. Speaking of exploits, Tom and Kevin indict chefs for taking advantage of one of their own.

    Ep 11 Recap: Blind Ambitions with Gail Simmons!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 11, 2021 54:17


    Kevin and Tom are blessed by the presence of Top Chef judge and culinary expert Gail Simmons, who makes her long-awaited debut on the podcast. Gail takes us through a most dramatic episode of the season and pulls back the curtain on her new Top Chef Amateurs show that launches July 1. Also, our mission to get Kevin on Top Chef Amateurs is one step closer to becoming reality, but he's still mentally two years away from being two years away.

    Ep 10 Recap: Tofu Tourney

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2021 41:29


    Top Chef is coming down to the final five and Kevin and Tom are locked in. This week they discuss Kevin's horrific cooking injury, Tom's frustration with the scoring format, a double feature of Last Chance Kitchens and wish that the show would solve its only issue: not being able to taste the food.

    Ep 9 Recap: Portlandia

    Play Episode Listen Later May 28, 2021 40:29


    Recipe books take center stage as a Top Chef twist rattles the cheftestants and sends an overmatched chef home. While Kevin expresses disdain for complicated instructions, Tom proposes a theory on elimination tells on social media, and they unite to discuss various milks, hipster or not. Plus: which cheftestant is the Jen Carroll of this season?

    Ep 8 Recap: Restaurant Wars!

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2021 57:04


    It's time for the Restaurant Wars. Or is it Chef's Table Wars? Tom and Kevin gather themselves after a shocking elimination and compare the upset to a certain NBA Finals stunner. Kevin coaches up one of the teams on their concept and Tom blasts the hard taco movement.

    Ep 7 Recap: I'm Baaack

    Play Episode Listen Later May 14, 2021 52:20


    Ep 6 Recap: Connective Tissue

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2021 49:56


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