Top Chef Texas Update: Chef Molly Brandt 'On the Bubble' Bravo's Top Chef Competition

Chef Molly Brandt is one of 29 chefs competing in the Top Chef Texas television series on Bravo.

Well guess what, she has roots in Stillwater.

Following Wednesday's season premiere, Brandt lived to cook another day, but she was put "on the bubble." By the end of next week's episode, 15 chefs will be sent home with knives packed.

When the 29 chefs arrived at the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas they were told they would have to place in the top of their group, earning one of 16 spots in the Top Chef house.

"This is really (explicative) up," Brandt said in the opening scene. "I don't want to have to be cooking for that spot."

Challenge: Prepare a Dish Using One Cut of a Pig

Brandt walked into the chef's kitchen to Head Judge Tom Colicchio and world-renowned Chef Emeril Lagasse.

The chefs served in three groups with an hour to prepare the dish. Colicchio and Lagasse judged the contestants on how they operate in kitchen, their butcher skills, overall technique and the dish.

Chef Brandt chose to work with pig cheeks.

"What are you doing with the pork cheeks?" Collichio asks Brandt.

"I'm going to render out some of the fat and use for a base for a soup," she replied.

Colicchio follows up by asking: "Have you used pork cheeks before?"

"I haven't," Brandt said. "I've used beef cheeks before, but never pork cheeks."

Brandt said she chose to make soup because it's everybody's favorite at the restaurant she runs on the cruise ship.

"I'm kind of dubbed the soup Nazi on the ship," she said. "I think this is a good idea because I don't want to stray too far from what I know is a good thing."

Just minutes into the competition, the first chef was eliminated after Tyler Stone "hacked the hell out of that piece of meet," as Colicchio put it.

"I see Tyler walking away, and it's like 'Oh, my God I don't want that to be me,'" Brandt said. "I put my head back down and start working."

The Dish

In an hour, Brandt made a smoked sweet potato soup, simmered pork cheek and a tequila, cilantro, lime cream.

"I'm feeling pretty confident," Brandt said before presenting her meal to the judges. "People think because I work for Royal Caribbean I work in mass production, but I actually work in the fine dining, so I can totally bring it."

Judges Feedback

Colicchio: "I like the soup. I thought it had a lot of flavor. I kind of want to see more out of the cheeks. I'm on the fence."

Lagasse: "I have to agree with Tom, the cheeks needed to be more prominent, but I'd like to see you cook again."

Brandt Reacts

"I thought I had a solid dish to get a coat, and now I'm on the bubble and I'm not thrilled about that."

Updated From: 5 p.m. Nov. 2

Chef Molly Brandt is one of 29 chefs competing in the Top Chef Texas television series on Bravo.

Brandt currently lives Hollywood, Fla., and works as the Chef de Cuisine at 150 Central Park aboard Allure of the Seas at Royal Caribbean International, a fine dining venue where she runs two six-course set tasting menus over each voyage. She is also the Founder and Chef at Cook in the Kitchen and a Private Chef at Flavors of Italia.

According to the Culinary Institute of America grad's Linkedin page, Brandt was the Pastry and Garde Manger Chef at for one year and one month from April 2004 to April 2005. She has also .

During her time at Marx Bistro, Brandt's resume says she was:

• Responsible for all pastries, desserts, and cold pantry items in a scratch kitchen;
• Designed and created dessert tasting menus for prix fixe special occasion dinners including New Year's Eve and Valentine's Day;
• Assisted chef/owner at a 300-person event for March of Dimes;
• and co-designed menus and created food for cooking classes demonstrated by the chef/owner.

Here’s a link to Brandt's casting video for Top Chef Texas season 9.

Top Chef returns for Season 9 with “Top Chef Texas” premiering Wednesday, Nov. 2 at 9 p.m. central time with new series judges Emeril Lagasse and Hugh Acheson.

Head Judge Tom Colicchio says, "Just like Texas, this will be our biggest season ever."

The Competition

This season there will be a record 29 competing chefs, almost twice the amount of chefs in other seasons.

They will have to compete to become an official chef'testant and then 16 will go on to compete across Texas in Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. Guest Judges and stars for season 9 include Charlize Theron, Pee-wee Herman, Cat Cora, John Besh, Tim Love and Patti LaBelle.

New this season, eliminated chef'testants will have a second chance at the "Top Chef" title through a "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen" webisode series, hosted by "Top Chef" lead judge and culinary mastermind, Tom Colicchio. Each week, two eliminated chef'testants face-off to compete for the ultimate prize -- a chance to return to the show and compete to qualify for the on-air finale.

Fans can follow the "Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen" challenges and vote in each week's Tweet Battle on BravoTV.com, as well as join in the social conversation on the Tweet Tracker.

The Prize

The winning chef will receive $125,000 furnished by Healthy Choice, a feature in Food & Wine magazine, a showcase at the Annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen and will earn the title of "Top Chef."