After assaulting us with that crazy train disaster known as "Top Chef: Just Desserts," Bravo owes us big time.

And it looks like they know it, because tonight's debut of Season 8 of "Top Chef" is an All-Star edition that has the potential to be the show's best season ever.

Seriously, how great does this sound: The producers have brought back 18 of the best non-champion egos -- I mean, contestants -- from the past 7 seasons to compete once more for the top prize. Plus, über-grump Anthony Bourdain joins the judge's table alongside Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons, and host Padma Laskshmi.

Bravo hopes to keep America drooling long after tonight's finale of "Top Chef: Washington, DC," launching a new spinoff that will send viewers to bed with Willy Wonka dreams of chocolate ganache, caramel buttercream, and raspberry coulis.

"Top Chef: Just Desserts" has the exact same premise as the regular "Top Chef" -- a group of hopefuls compete in quickfire and elimination challenges, are judged by a panel of accomplished foodies, and one is eliminated each week until a winner remains.

The glaring difference, judging by the first episode (at least in comparison to the most recent season of "Top Chef"), is that this particular group of chefs seem to skew significantly more insecure and slightly more, um, psycho than their arrogant counterparts.