Pack Your Knives - podcast cover

Pack Your Knives

Count The Dings
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. In Season 23, Chef Sara Bradley replaces Kevin as host to provide insight from the mind of former competitor and current kitchen guru.
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Episodes

Season 6 Rewatch Teaser

Kevin and Tom preview their upcoming rewatch of Season 6 Las Vegas and discuss their memories of the star-studded season. @packknives on Twitter packyourknives on Instagram www.countthedings.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 23, 202022 minEp. 50

Top Chef's Magical Elves

Kevin and Tom bring in Magical Elves executive producers Doneen Arquines and Tara Seiner to take us behind the scenes on Top Chef. Plus, Kevin and Tom's big announcement about PYK's next chapter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jul 01, 202056 minEp. 49

Finalists Roundtable

Tom and Kevin are joined by Top Chef Season 17 All-Star finalists Melissa King, Stephanie Cmar and Bryan Voltaggio to review the epic season, get the inside scoop on their music video and learn about their future endeavors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 23, 202039 minEp. 48

Cooking GOAT

Kevin and Tom recap the Season 17 All-Star finale and debate the winner's placing in all-time Top Chef ranks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 19, 202058 minEp. 47

With Chef Kevin Gillespie

Tom and Kevin sit down with Top Chef Season 17 All-Star Kevin Gillespie to talk about his run on Top Chef, what viewers didn't see about his pork coppa, his Atlanta community service initiatives and his decision to re-join Top Chef after his cancer battle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 15, 202048 minEp. 46

The Final Three

Kevin and Tom review Part 1 of the Finale, debate the merits of Voltaggio's home game and assess the critiques of the Italian chefs. Plus, Kevin and Tom share their picks for Top Chef Season 17 winner. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 14, 202054 minEp. 45

Duffles of Truffle

Tom and Kevin recap the Tuscan truffle hunt episode and bid farewell to a juggernaut. Uproxx's Vince Manciini, the man behind Top Chef Power Rankings, joins the show and discusses the season and why he loves the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 08, 20201 hr 8 minEp. 44

Champagne Padma

Kevin and Tom go deep on 30,000-foot cuisine, gush about Champagne Padma and discuss Chef Brian Malarkey''s moment of crisis at the judge's table. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 31, 202052 minEp. 43

Let The Games Begin

Kevin and Tom piece together their brains after a mind-blowing week of Top Chef and Last Chance Kitchen and break down the Olympics episode. Later, Top Chef Jennifer Carroll joins the show to dish on this season, the Philly food scene, her past appearances on Top Chef and the Whodunnit mystery of Top Chef All-Stars: Who turned up the heat on her coriander cashew butter? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...

May 27, 20201 hr 14 minEp. 42

With Top Chef's Tom Colicchio

An interview three years in the making, Kevin and Tom finally land their biggest guest in PYK history: Top Chef head judge Tom Colicchio. The Emmy award-winning, James Beard award-winning chef reveals his favorite season of Top Chef, explains why Kevin and Tom's Elimination Challenge pitch needs serious work and tells us why he initially turned down Top Chef. Colicchio also shares his food policy reform ideas and reflects on his secret friendship with UNC basketball legend Dean Smith. Learn more...

May 21, 202033 minEp. 41

Straight-Up Hunger Games

ESPN's Mina Kimes joins the show and breaks down the Summer Camp episode with Kevin and Tom. The trio assess the favorites for the rest of the competition and debate Voltaggio's stock. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 18, 20201 hr 4 minEp. 40

Comfort & Chaos

Kevin and Tom battle on the merits of this Restaurant Wars and break down the jewel episode of Top Chef with special guest Season Colorado winner Joe Flamm, who tells us about his new Croatian restaurant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 11, 20201 hr 14 minEp. 39

On The Double

Kevin and Tom recap Episode 7 of Top Chef All-Stars and get on the phone with cheftestant Eric Adjepong to talk about this season, that damn mood board and the promising future of West African cuisine in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 04, 20201 hr 10 minEp. 38

Monkeys On Crack

Tom and Kevin bid farewell to a Top Chef fan favorite, crown the greatest of all-time six-episode start and argue, once again, about Brian Malarkey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 27, 20201 hrEp. 37

Doubles

Kevin and Tom recap the loved-ones episode of Top Chef All-Stars, assess the virtues of Malarketing and sketch out the tiers of remaining cheftestants. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 20, 202052 minEp. 36

Now I Get / I Get What I Want

Tom introduces Kevin to Kelly Clarkson before breaking down the first contentious episode of the season. A mid-round juggernaut emerges from the group while Kevin loses another cheftestant in Last Chance Kitchen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 12, 20201 hr 3 minEp. 35

'Jus Eat?'

Kevin and Tom get their art history on and break down Episode 3 of Top Chef All Stars. Also, a cheftestant gets picked up off the waivers and a trade is proposed. www.countthedings.com www.patreon.com/countthedings Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apr 05, 20201 hr 12 minEp. 34

Wicked Oops

Kevin and Tom recap Episode 2 of Top Chef All-Stars and pay tribute to culinary legends Jonathan Gold and Floyd Cardoz. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 30, 20201 hr 13 minEp. 33

The Fire Next Time

Tom and Kevin recap the season premiere of Top Chef Season 17. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 22, 20201 hr 1 minEp. 32

Draft Day

After the long layoff, Kevin and Tom are back for Top Chef Season 17 All-Stars. Ahead of Thursday's premiere, it's time for their third annual Pack Your Knives draft of cheftestants. Kevin and Tom make their picks, break down each contestant, tweak the fantasy scoring system and review the Los Angeles cast as we await the star-studded return of Top Chef. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 16, 20201 hr 9 minEp. 31

"Congratulations, you are Top Oyster and Buttermilk"

Tom and Kevin review Season 16 and recap the surprising finale in Macau. Per PYK tradition, the finalists --- Chef Eric, Chef Kelsey and Chef Sara -- join the show to answer all our burning questions about the finale -- Eric's menu, what was in their luggage and the things they couldn't say on air. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 18, 20191 hr 26 minEp. 30

Durian and Spirit Animals

Kevin and Tom recap the Final Four episode of Macau and discuss the virtues of durian and the game theory of cooking with the stinky fruit. Chef Michelle Minori joins the show to explain why she's the quickfire champ, fava bean prep and of course, her admiration of a certain Golden State Warrior. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 12, 20191 hr 20 minEp. 29

High Top Chef IQ

Kevin and Tom discuss Macau, this season's darkhorse and chef Eric's performance. For the second half of the show, cheftestant Kelsey joins the show and dishes all things Top Chef including the one rule she'd change, the Restaurant Wars fiasco and the secrets of the party boat challenge. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mar 05, 20191 hr 17 minEp. 28

Bye, KY

Kevin and Tom are joined by Top Chef superfan and ESPN personality Mina Kimes to recap the Kentucky finale, handicap the remaining chefs and reflect on Season 16's drama (or lack thereof). Who's going to win in Macau? One chef or the Field? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 27, 20191 hr 15 minEp. 27

Kentucky TKO and WaffleGate

Tom and Kevin recap the Muhammed Ali episode, discuss fried chicken spots and bid farewell to a juggernaut on the show. Cheftestant Sara Bradley joins the show to discuss WaffleGate, being a Southern Jew, Paducah cuisine, her sensitive nose and what it's like to be the Kentucky representative. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 19, 20191 hr 18 minEp. 26

Homemade!

Tom and Kevin analyze the most contentious episode of the season with the help of cheftestant Eric Adjepong. What's the best food? Who's to blame for WaffleGate? Is Eric a big, bad bully? We also talk Ghanaian cuisine, Eric's beloved Knicks and what really happened at Rupp Arena. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 11, 20191 hr 27 minEp. 25

Grand Ole Opportunity

Kevin and Tom review the season's cheftestants after yet another first-time winner steals the show. We also hash out our hypothetical songs of inspiration, handicap the favorites and scout the next episode at Rupp Arena. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feb 03, 20191 hr 2 minEp. 24

Soiree or Kegger?

Kevin and Tom analyze all things Boat Party Wars -- Eddie's draft, the jiggle juice and whether their souls belong to Team Blue or Team Green. The hosts also pay tribute to the late Fatima Ali, a PYK and Top Chef fan favorite. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 28, 20191 hr 2 minEp. 23

Carne! Brother!

Kevin and Tom dissect Episode 7 like Dario Cecchini on a Decca patio. Kevin parades Eddie while Tom laments Brian. Also, Kevin and Tom talk to old friend Brother Luck about his up-and-down year on Top Chef and Last Chance Kitchen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 21, 201959 minEp. 22

Brian And Justin

Top Chef cheftestants Brian Young and Justin Sutherland join Kevin and Tom for a recap of Restaurant Wars and the latest Canapé episode 1606. Why did the cheftestants go on a hunger strike? Which cheftestant practice quickfires before the show? What are they up to now? On the latest episode of PYK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jan 16, 201954 minEp. 21
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