'Top Chef Reunion Dinner' preview: Anger, fun and games

Fabio Viviani returns to Bravo to host a dinner party with what he calls the most "beloved" chef'testants of seasons past.

That might be stretching it a bit. Sure, Seeing Fabio and Carla Hall on the "Top Chef Reunion Dinner" Wednesday night might bring back pleasant memories, but how about Marcel Vigneron, he of the bouffant "Wolverine" hair and molecular gastronomy attitude?

Warning: Minor spoilers below.

It goes as well as can be expected. Check out this clip of Marcel being questioned by Fabio:

 

Joining the party are Season One's Tiffani Faison and Harold Dieterle, Season Two winner Ilan Hall, Season Three's Casey Thompson, Hung Huynh and Dale Levitiski, Season Four's Lisa Fernandes (really? not beloved) and Richard Blais, and Stefan Richter joining the aforementioned Season Five chefs.

Yes, Team Euro, together again.

Zap2it got to preview the episode, and it was simultaneously fun and disappointing.

The fun stuff:

• Always happy to see the Where Are They Now Stuff, especially happy news like Dale and his "little sister," contestant Sarah Nguyen, are now roommates and hold weekly supper clubs or Richard Blais has a new baby and molecular gastronomy twist on burgers business.
• Highlight clips from seasons past like Hung's cereal Smurf village or the Season Five girls going into judging drunk.
• It's nostalgic to see these chefs rush around the grocery store again, but this time, with bigger budgets.
• Marcel about him and Ilan: "We're culinary brothers of other mothers."

The disappointing stuff:

• As you can see from the clip, Marcel still has a chip on his shoulder and his attitude continues into the dinner.
• Fabio as host isn't that fun. Where are the ridiculous metaphors and sunny smiles? He didn't look right without a chef's jacket either. Oh, but he also gets angry, and well, it's not pleasant when he's angry.
• We'd still have preferred an element of competition, perhaps for a prize?
• We would have liked to have seen a better resolution to Marcel's harrowing experience at Cliff's hands. That was just wrong.

Who are you looking forward to seeing at the reunion dinner? What did you think?

Follow Zap2it on Twitter for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news updates.

Related:

'Top Chef: Las Vegas': Best. Restaurant Wars. Ever.
'Top Chef Masters' second helping ordered
'Top Chef: Just Desserts' picked up, begins casting