Las Vegas Weekly

September 16, 2009 · 8:24 AM

Top Chef: Las Vegas into the desert for do-or-die challenges

By Robin Leach

Kevin Gillespie of Top Chef: Las Vegas.

Photo: Bravo TV

After last week’s stare down with the top French chefs of our city, the cheftestants on Top Chef: Las Vegas probably thought it couldn’t get any tougher. But they didn’t know what faced them when the next challenge sent them into the desert to cook a cactus -- and they had to really rough it by sleeping under the stars!

It’s part of the cowboy menu they serve in tonight’s new Bravo episode, where guest chef Tim Love will help decide who’s next to pack up his or her utensils and whisk away! Whoever lives for another week will face magic’s renegade duo Penn & Teller on the Sept. 23 episode, and they’ll have to dodge the magic bullet trick and avoid getting sawed in half!

Steve Wynn’s Director of Race & Sports Operations Johnny Avello bites the bullet now with his odds -- for amusement purposes only -- on the 12 remaining cheftestants. Here’s his current line on the lineup (opening odds, followed by current odds):

Michael Voltaggio, 11/1, 5/2; Jennifer Carroll, 20/1, 7/2; Kevin Gillespie, 8/1, 4/1; Bryan Voltaggio, 15/1, 7/1; Eli Kirshtein, 22/1, 14/1; Michael Isabella, 25/1, 18/1; Laurine Wickett, 14/1, 22/1; Ash Fulk, 35/1, 25/1; Ron Duprat, 7/1, 28/2; Ashley Merriman, 30/1, 30/1; Mattin Noblia, 10/1, 35/1; and Robin Leventhal, 28/1, 40/1.

So it’s neck-and-neck between Jennifer Carroll from Philadelphia and Michael Voltaggio from Pasadena, with Kevin Gillespie in third place and Bryan Voltaggio, Michael’s brother, in fourth. We’ll see tonight at 10 how good Johnny is with his odds. Remember that this is for entertainment purposes only and no wagering as we inch closer to the Top 10.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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