Thoughts on the New Quince, Trying Top Chef Frozen Foods

THE MISSION—An epilogue to the Food For Thought fundraiser earlier this month, which saw 20+ Mission restaurants dedicate their proceeds on November 11 to benefit Mission Graduates: they raised over $35,000. [EaterWire]

JACKSON SQUARE—7x7's Sara Deseran shares one of the first real takes on the new Quince, and it's a good one: "When the food started to arrive, it was, in true Tusk style, the work of a perfectionist. It’s not bright, like the food you’ll find at another breed of Michelin-starred restaurant ... Tusk’s fine-dining take on Italian cooking is more of a sable coat: rich, luxurious and classic." More here. [7x7]

REALITY TV— Reader Brian Lerch reveals the new NBC/Magical Elves show won't be the only food show next year to be called "United Plates of America." He's been producing a show of the same name for the last year: "The show premise centers around celebrating cultural and culinary diversity in America. Each episode co-hosts Chad Kessler and Tati Amare are introduced to an ethnically diverse relationship through a viewer video submission or a live skype conversation. The viewers have an upcoming event in which they want to celebrate the uniting of their own distinct cultures in one dish that fuses both of their cuisines together- thus uniting their plates!" That sounds just as good as a glossy cutthroat reality competition. [Eater NY]

TOP CHEFFAGE— In a piece in Time, writer Joel Stein taste tests the Top Chef line of Schwan frozen dinners and realizes they aren't half bad. He also reveals that Top Chef alums are not paid for their efforts. [Time]