It's time to get serious about Top Chef Masters. After starting with a whopping 24 chefs, they've narrowed down the field to six finalists, who'll now go head-to-head in grueling challenges until just one chef is left standing. I've been following the season closely, and while it's not as compelling as its predecessor, Top Chef, it's still a pretty entertaining show. Here's why:

1. Clearly, TC Masters is a kinder, gentler version of TC. The judges are much less critical, and the cheftestants all seem to get along really well. There's no backstabbing, no petty fighting. While this means a lot less drama (and, ok, ultimately makes for less gripping TV), it does mean you get a lot more warm fuzzy moments, like Roy Yamaguchi, Art Smith, Michael Cimarusti and Jonathan Waxman refusing to sabotage each other as they shop for mystery ingredients for their fellow chefs to cook with. It's really cool to see these chefs interact with each other and see the respect each has for his or her fellow chef masters.

2. It's awesome seeing these well-known chefs in the flesh, in action. You may have seen pictures of them before, or you may have only heard of them and their restaurants. A few have been on TV before. But it's wonderful to see these respected, revered chefs at work, to watch their cooking styles, see how they think, and get insights into their personalities. You'll learn what a spazz Rick Moonen is, see the quiet thoughtfulness of Suzanne Tracht, and be charmed the exuberance of Art Smith. You'll laugh, you'll cry... it's better than Cats. (Just kidding. Nothing is better than Cats.)

3. The chefs seem to be having a ball with it. While they're serious about winning, they're not taking things *too* seriously (see point #1 -- no fighting, no sabotage, no drama). Some of them mess up, but they're able to take it in stride; they joke around, have fun with ingredients and techniques, and aren't afraid to take chances.  

4. All the cheftestants are playing for the charity of their choice, which adds another element of warm fuzziness to the whole show. Even better, most of the chefs have a personal connection to their charities, whether it's an aunt with breast cancer (Anita Lo) or a nephew waiting for a heart transplant (Graham Elliot Bowles). A lot of the chefs say that winning $10,000 for their charities (the prize for winning one of the intial episodes) would be their biggest achievement to date. Awwww.

Ok, let's face it -- Top Chef Masters isn't as good as Top Chef. By the very nature of the way the show is set up, it can't be. But it's a cool way to get a glimpse of some well-known chefs in action; if you're at all intrigued by chefs and restaurants across the country, it's nice to get a little insight into their personalities and what makes them tick. And now that we're down to the top six, I'm excited to see the real action begin.

I'm pulling for Anita Lo -- she's from New York, after all -- but I think Rick Bayless and Hubert Keller are strong contenders, too. I'm betting that they'll be the top three standing, with Anita (hopefully) taking it all.

Who do you think will win Top Chef Masters?

--Maggie

photos: kelsey mcneal/bravo