For those of you still smarting over the way Carla loss the prize on Bravo’s “Top Chef” there’s a new team to root for in NBC’s new entry into the already crowded cooking show arena called “The Chopping Block”—which premieres tonight on the Peacock network. Samantha Johnson, who was Miss Pennsylvania USA 2007 and her mother Angela Brown-Johnson will be the one team ( out of 8 ) representing the sisters. Mom is the chef and daughter is the front-of-the-house face
The previews for the show are all dark and moody and focus on the ascerbic host, Marco Pierre White. He rambles on to the camera about his theories about cooking. Although he hasn’t run a restaurant kitchen in about a decade, his claim to reality show fame is that he once reduced “Kitchen Nightmares” chef/host, Gordon Ramsey to tears when Ramsey worked for him (years later he replaced Ramsey as the host of the UK version of “Hell’s Kitchen).
Why should you watch? Well Philadelphia Daily News columnist Ellen Gray has described Brown-Johnson as “feisty” (my translation: mamma don’t take no mess). But she also knows what she’s doing. She’s the former owner and executive chef at Angie Brown Restaurant Bar Lounge, and is also sous chef and chef instructor at Aramark Campus Inc. And if that is not enough, mom and daughter have opened a new restaurant called Soul, in the Chestnut Hill section of Philly. (I am not sure, but this may have happened after filming wrapped).
But I’m a little intrigued because Gray writes,” For now, all you need to know is that Brown is the kind of character “reality” shows add for spice.” That’s fine as long as she hasn’t been assigned the angry black woman role. Meanwhile, daughter Samantha has a story of her own: in 2007 she had a brain tumor removed. Since they’ve got some of the hallmarks of good reality tv: attitude+overcoming adversity+competitive spirit= an entertaining hour (but only if Marco Pierre White doesn’t talk too much). So let’s see how they do on this show.
If you still can’t get enough of Carla, however, here’s a link to a recent interview with her at people.com.
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