Ciao House: A Competição

I just binge watched this show yesterday. I came onto IMDB expecting to see it rated around an 8. Boy was I was shocked to read all the negative reviews. I just don't get it. People need to stop over analyzing and just enjoy. (I was going to rate the show an 8, but did a 10 to try and balance out all the overly low ratings).

My husband came home around 3/4 of the way through and he also got hooked on it.

Comments (from reviews) about awful contestants are just not true. These seem like 'normal' people. Not overly hyper, like some shows. I love Alex. She has a good sense of humor and is very kind to people.

Looking forward to season 2.

What a disappointment that.this show follows the Food channel's formula--ridiculous time constraints, cruel food critics, crushed competitors. Alex's biting comments are vicious. Gabriele's arrogance is irritating. They even insult the Tuscan guests--nona's, wine makers, and butcher so far--by allowing them only few minutes and missing a chance for the contestants and the audience to learn about Tuscan food. Isn't learning about Tuscan food supposed to be the point of this show? Apparently not. What a wasted opportunity. Not the best choice of chefs, but if culinary education were truly the goal of the show, there were many missed opportunities.

I like the idea of a competition showcasing Tuscany and the great food in the region and a competition thrown in, but is ruined by the chef voting off someone themselves. Every challenge is a team and ends up getting worse with the lower numbers but the worst part is the voting off one of the team. The judges seem kind of useless as they don't decide who deserves to stay but get to target the more talented chefs as a captain which makes them an easy target for the weaker chefs to gain up on and get rid of. As the show goes on ends up being a showcase of best of the worst with the weaker chefs bringing down the better chefs then taking them out. Making the competition and the show pointless in the end and a loose definition of the word "winner".

Best accidental find I've had. This is the first culinary arts program that showcased what a chef does as a director of a kitchen: organizing, coordinating & utilizing the talents of chefs to prepare regionally themed meals. Moved beyond the gimmicks of single ingredient focus competition to a unique take on elimination. The personality traits of chefs are shown in the what & how they cook, yes; but moreover how & if they can lead. Gabrielle B. Was a great complement to Alex G. As cohosts. Alex shines in her pointed but superbly constructive criticism which helps participants learn & grow. The regional focus backdrop of Tuscany & sharing a villa's small kitchen adds a great dynamic. Beyond a focus on "rooting" for a personality to a fuller understanding of each chef. How do they respond to challenges of all sorts - whether cooking, interpersonal, situational. Steps up the quality of the Food Network's offerings. Can't wait for season 2 & an answer to the question: will Omar return?

We watched the first season of this show only because we were going to be visiting Italy soon. It seemed disjointed and very low budget. We are very pleasantly surprised with the second season. Much more compelling and the production values are far better. We like the concept of team members deciding who will be going home. We also feel like we are learning a lot about Italian cuisine. Alex is not as obnoxious in the second season as she was in the first. If you were not happy with the first season, I definitely think you should give the second season a try. The setting is beyond beautiful and the food looks fantastic. I hope it comes back for a third season.