Top Chef: Just Desserts, Jax REPRESENT!

Be on the lookout for local chef Erika Davis of Jacksonville Beach on Bravo September 15th at 11PM. She has been chosen as one of 12 contestants to compete in the newest member of the ”Top Chef” franchise "Top Chef Just Desserts". From our contact at Bravo -

You may get a sugar high from Bravo's sweetest new series, “Top Chef Just Desserts", a spin-off of the 2010 Primetime Emmy-nominated and James Beard Award-winning Top Chef," premiering Wednesday, September 15 at 11 p.m. ET/PT, and moving into its regular timeslot of 10 p.m. on Wednesday, September 22.  These chefs can have their cake and make it too as the main focus of this competition is the Achilles heel of most chefs: desserts.  This time the pastry chefs will see if they have what it takes to out flambé, out frost and out fudge the competition.  Gail Simmons, a series judge on Top Chef for the past seven seasons, takes on the hosting duties of this highly competitive series showcasing the best of the best in the world of pastry arts.  Joining the judges' panel as head judge is Johnny Iuzzini, one of the country s most celebrated and innovative pastry chefs and Executive Pastry Chef at Restaurant Jean Georges.  Hubert Keller, critically acclaimed chef as well as guest judge on "Top Chef" and finalist on "Top Chef Masters," and Dannielle Kyrillos, entertaining expert and DailyCandy Editor-at-Large will also serve as regular judges for the series.  

Filled with delicious twists, turns and drama unlike anything that "Top Chef" has seen, "Top Chef Just Desserts" features highly celebrated chefs in the pastry world ranging from "Mr. Chocolate" himself, Jacques Torres; the "Leonardo Da Vinci of cakes," Sylvia Weinstock to Wolfgang Puck's famed Spago pastry chef, Sherry Yard and Eric Ripert's Le Bernardin pastry chef Michael Laiskonis, among others.  The challenges featured will be some of the most creative and inventive yet: from timed wedding cakes and flaming desserts to chocolate show pieces and edible fashion.  The series offers a fascinating window into the competitive, pressure-filled environment of pastry chefs at the highest level.  Each episode holds two challenges for the pastry chefs: the first, a quickfire test of their basic abilities and the elimination challenge designed to test the versatility and inventiveness of the pastry chefs.  These chefs will prove that a little sugar and spice never tasted so nice.

The 12 "Top Chef Just Desserts" chef'testants will be whittled down week by week as they compete to outbake their competition.  The winning chef will receive $100,000 furnished by Godiva Chocolatier, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival and a 2011 German Engineered Sport Injected Buick Regal.”

Go Erika, Go! Let’s be sure to cheer on our local chef as she represents the first coast.