Bravo is launching a long list of “brand extensions” for Bravo shows, with the most emphasis on “Top Chef.” The cookbook is already out, as is a mobile game; the additions include a “Top Chef” cruise in May 2009 (sounds like so much fun to me, except for the cruise part), a “Top Chef” culinary school and — most interesting for us — a “Top Chef” tour that will visit 20 cities, including St. Louis, beginning in New Orleans in a couple of weeks. Here are the available details, with more to come.

NATIONWIDE TOP CHEF TOUR
Kicking off NCTA’s “The Cable Show” in New Orleans on May 18, Bravo will launch “Top Chef: The Tour, a 20-city tour featuring a cooking experience that replicates the challenges on the series and hosted by former “Top Chef” contestants. A customized “Top Chef” 18-wheeler semi-truck will travel to 20 key markets, including New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, St. Louis, Detroit and Denver, giving fans a first-hand look at how to make it as a top chef – complete with cooking demonstrations, gourmet tips and show secrets.