MasterChef Tryouts Hit Chicago This Weekend, Graham Elliot Judging on Sunday

The big weekend has arrived and if you're ready to cook, MasterChef wants to see you. An open casting call is scheduled for the Fox show Saturday and Sunday—and judge Graham Elliot will make an appearance on the second day. So get ready to shine if you think you have a crack at the ultimate $250k purse.

Now that Chicago has shown the rest of the country we're more than the hog butcher to the world and that our chefs stand up against anyone else in the country, it's your turn to make our city proud.

"This is a chance to show the rest of the country that Chicago is more than hotdogs and deep-dish pizza," Elliot told us this morning via email. "Make sure you bring your A game, and if you forget it at home, then pray your B game is better than the other contestants A game!"

When you arrive at the open casting, make sure to bring one prepared dish to be served at room temp; you will not be able to cook or warm anything on site. You can pre-register, but don't forget to bring your filled-out application, a current photo of yourself and of your plated dish you plan to present to the judges.

The auditions, taking place at Le Cordon Bleu in River North, are one in a series of stops to find the country's best amateur chefs. Show host Gordon Ramsay and restaurateur Joe Bastianich, the third judge, have already seen some promising people in New York, L.A. and Orlando, Elliot said.

And while the tryouts certainly mean a lot for anyone trying to land a spot on the show, the judges' egos are on the line, too. "I have a lot riding on this personally as Joe and Gordon will give me countless amounts of shit if Chicago doesn't produce." Hear that contestants? Don't do it for your future. Don't do it for your family. Do it for Graham Elliot. He's not pretty when he cries.

· MasterChef Open Casting Calls [MasterChef website]
· MasterChef Season Two Casing Coming to Chicago [~EChi~]
· The Eater Awards 2010 Winners, From Coast to Coast [~EN~]