Did you catch ABC's
The Taste last night? A cross between
American Idol and
The Voice for home and professional cooks, Anthony Bourdain, Nigella Lawson, Brian Malarkey and LA's beloved Frenchman, Ludo Lefebvre, pick who they'll mentor in their "kitchens" based on one bite of food made by someone they don't meet until a big reveal. Here are some of the
best one-liners and a more thorough rundown from last night's two-hour premiere, but for the few minutes we caught it (we missed the first hour), there was one guy who gave his full name, Shawn Davis, one of the few professional chefs that wowed the judges, who said he was a chef at a downtown LA restaurant.
Naturally, within seconds we went a-Googling, and it turns out that chef Davis, whose
five-spice tuna showed enough promise that both Malarkey and Lefebvre want to cook with him (Ludo got him), is currently at
the newish supper club H.O.M.E. in Beverly Hills. But that Downtown restaurant he mentioned? It was
Perch, the semi-French rooftop restaurant near Pershing Square, and before that he was at Geoffrey's in Malibu - both of which are known more for the views than the food. Regardless, we always root for the local contestant -
go Brooke Williamson! - so let's keep
tabs on Davis, shall we?
