Kevin Arnovitz

Los Angeles

NBA Writer at ESPN

Co-Host at Pack Your Knives

This account is currently inactive.

Articles

The Bear Season 3 Recap: Ep. 9 "Apologies" & Chef Eric Adjepong

Aug 4, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Chef Eric Adjepong knows restaurant kitchens and he knows television — he hosts “Alex vs. America” and “Wildcard Kitchen” on The Food Network. After Kevin and Tom recap Episode 9 “Apologies,” the former Top Chef finalist stops by PYK to chat about what “The Bear” gets right.
The Bear Season 3 Recaps: Ep 7 "Legacy" & Ep 8 "Ice Chips"

Jul 28, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

(Photo by Rodin Eckenroth/WireImage)Sandwiched between two bottle episodes, “The Legacy” puts Sydney on the spot — will she take Shapiro’s offer to become Chef de Cuisine at his new joint, or will she finally sign the partnership agreement and fully commit to the Bear. Tom and Kevin debate what Sydney will — and should — do. They also lament that the sh…
The Bear Season 3 Recaps: Ep 6 "Napkins"

Jul 22, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Bottle episodes can be risky business for a series, but “The Bear” has shined with its one-off productions, from Season’s 2 family stage play “Fishes” to this season’s mood poem of a premier. This episode, “Napkins,” marks the directorial debut of series regular Ayo Edebiri (Sydney) and focuses almost entirely on how Tina (played remarkably by Liza Colón-Zayas) found her way to The Beef/The Bear.
The Bear Season 3 Recaps: Ep 4 "Violet" & Ep 5 "Children"

Jul 14, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Audio playback is not supported on your browser. Please upgrade. Richie’s character is starting to cultivate grace away from the restaurant, even as he and Carmy persist in their sometimes-hot-sometimes-cold war. Tom shares his love of the scene between Richie and his daughter, Evie, and why the two-handed scenes represent The Bear at its best. The two episodes are at its strongest when Carmy and Sydney occupy the kitchen, honing their collective vision.
Interview with Tom Colicchio

Jun 24, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Photo by: David Moir/BravoTom Colicchio is Top Chef’s ranking authority, a lifer who has been with the show since its inception. Less than a week after Season 21’s finale riled some longtime fans of the show, Colicchio visits with Tom and Kevin to discuss what went wrong with the finale edit. He explains the various roles of producers, editors and profe…
Interview with Michelle Wallace

Jun 10, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

From the very outset of Season 21, Michelle Wallace distinguished herself as one of the most authentic chefs to grace the Top Chef kitchen. Not only does she bake the best biscuits in the business, she can execute an elevated homey dish of stuffed lobster pasta with charred corn sauce and crispy chorizo. Two Elimination wins. An additional four top finishes. (The only thing Michelle can’t abide is “chaos cooking”).
Interview with Mina Kimes

May 27, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Kevin Arnovitz and Tom Haberstroh bring their die-hard fanaticism of the hit TV show Top Chef and combine it with their NBA analytical instincts to draft “fantasy” teams, interview contestants and talk about America’s food and restaurant trends. Follow along weekly as the top cooking competition meets top-shelf analysis.
Season 21, Episode 10 Recap

May 22, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

No chef has built confidence and momentum in recent weeks like Savannah Miller. She bagged a Quickfire win with canned corn beef (!), only to slice her hand open while filleting her fish for the Fish Boil. Though it looked like she prepared the worst of the six plates, she was spared elimination. Kevin was on hand in Milwaukee for the Fish Boil, and tasted three of the six fish boil dishes. He shares his impressions of the production, Soo’s beurre blanc, and Miguel’s winning boil.
Season 21, Episode 5 Recap

Apr 17, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

Tom and Kevin discuss how much team competition is too much team competition on Top Chef, as the chefs again split up into two teams to come up with a progressive, 5-course meal befitting of a vintage supper club. The producers inject an edgy dose of conflict into the show when the the teams are restricted to just over $20 per diner, and chefs jockey over assignments.
Live Chat During Wednesday night's Top Chef Episode

Apr 17, 2024 | packyourknives.com | Kevin Arnovitz

When we decided to launch the Pack Your Knives Substack, we wanted to expand our offerings beyond our flagship recap podcast episodes. One of our goals was to create a Pack Your Knives community, where fans of Top Chef could come together and chat about the show, because the two of us aren’t the only ones with strong opinions about who should’ve gone home last week, the degree to which immunity has gotten out of control this season, or whether cilantro should be regulated by a federal agency.