FOT Forum
FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Sarah on July 22, 2009, 03:50:30 PM
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August 19. Watch the judges video here (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/videos/the-judges-on-the-sixth-season) and tell me if you don't think it looks as though there's a bullet hole in Toby Young's forehead.
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It does, but more notable is Padma's declaration that Top Chef is "serious and highbrow". I love Top Chef, but seriously, what?
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Yeah, that gave me pause, too.
I was amused that Colicchio expressed relief at the absence this season of crazy hairstyles, stupid footwear, and the like.
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It does, but more notable is Padma's declaration that Top Chef is "serious and highbrow". I love Top Chef, but seriously, what?
In fairness to her, she's going to become a big sitcom star soon.
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What happened to Toby's head?
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BUMP.
Let's do this, people -- pick your finalists based ONLY off this picture:
(http://images.nymag.com/daily/food/20090708_topchefs_560x375.jpg)
Bowtie dbag (top row, three over)
Chest tattoo lady (third row, three over -- not the OTHER chest tattoo lady)
Martin Degrell's Long Lost Cousin (third row, one over)
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
The Technician (bottom row, middle)
**Wildcard: Guy that reminds me of Danny Trejo (bottom row, one over) -- I'm assuming he's going to be "really into" bacon and get dropped three weeks in. I also like Scarfy, but just because we could call him Scarfy.
--Final three
Bowtie dbag (top row, three over)
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
The Technician (bottom row, middle)
--WINNER
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
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chat, damn it.
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Final 3:
(http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/kevin-gillespie.png) (http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/jennifer-carroll.png) (http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/bryan-voltaggio.png)
Also, I really wish I could have participated in last night's Elimination Challenge to whip up a dish to honor my trio of "vices": rails, that one time I got very irritated at someone even though it wasn't that big of a deal, and Big League Chew.
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My thoughts exactly, Omar. Regarding the final three, that is.
I'm hoping the blonde who thinks she's too complicated gets kicked off next week. Her voice annoys me. Although, come to think of it, I'd just as soon see the sexist go.
Andy, I wish I could chat during the show, but my TV is in the other room.
Warning: I'm planning on rewatching the show this morning, so I may be posting again with more extensive random notes.
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I'm hoping the blonde who thinks she's too complicated gets kicked off next week. Her voice annoys me. Although, come to think of it, I'd just as soon see the sexist go.
I was actually hoping to see her get the boot instead of the seitan worshipper. While that dish appeared to be a horrid miscalculation, she seemed to have a lot more potential than Complicated Girl and her bland, overcooked/improperly seared seafood offering. My guess is that CG will be gone very soon.
I always like to see cheftestants incorporate ale into their cooking -- the show largely ignores the rising popularity of beer/food pairings; dopes like Spike once claimed that all beer tastes the same -- so despite the dense doughnuts, I was intrigued by the lady who apparently pulled off a nifty sauce using some Apple lambic. I also liked Jesse Sandlin despite the annoying lip piercing. As noted by the judges, she handled herself quite well when discussing the shortcomings of her well-conceived chicken dish.
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Agreed again, Omar. I thought Seitan Girl was obnoxious but could have produced some interesting food (although her refusal to hear that her dish was bland made me want to punch her). Complicated Girl's food was just sad. As for Doughnut Girl, not only did her dish seem playful and, with lighter doughnuts, delicious, I really liked that her vice was so straightforward and thorough. Re Jesse, I expected to dislike her because I'm prejudiced against overly tattooed and pierced people (believe me, I'm not proud of this), but I really liked her at Judges' Table. Plus her chicken idea was aces.
Did you see Spike on Top Chef Masters, Omar? He was insufferable. In fact, watching the episode with the failed Top Chef contestants reminded me how annoying so many of them have been. Jamie's smugness. Betty's exaggerated enthusiasm. Dale and his temper (although Chiarello was an ass, too). Richard's defensiveness. True, Antonia was quiet and competent, but I had the most respect for Stefan and Carla for not participating at all.
Oh dear. I fear you poor Top Chef fans are going to be hearing far too much from me, as usual. Apologies.
P.S. I just read that Tom Colicchio was once the sous-chef at the Quilted Giraffe. I used to babysit for the couple that started that joint, back when they had just opened the first Quilted Giraffe in New Paltz. After my second engagement, Barry and Susan Wine--or Swine, as they were known in my circle (no, it did not include Spike)--accused me of stealing their loose change. I did not. I may have shoplifted back then (I was fifteen), but I sure as hell wasn't stupid enough to steal from someone's house when I knew I'd be the only suspect. One of the more obnoxious incidents of my mis(or well-it's all how you look at it)spent youth.
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Did you see Spike on Top Chef Masters, Omar? He was insufferable. In fact, watching the episode with the failed Top Chef contestants reminded me how annoying so many of them have been. Jamie's smugness. Betty's exaggerated enthusiasm. Dale and his temper (although Chiarello was an ass, too). Richard's defensiveness. True, Antonia was quiet and competent, but I had the most respect for Stefan and Carla for not participating at all.
I did indeed see this and agree with your analysis. It was fun seeing Anita Lo toss Jamie to the curb. I sort of enjoyed Dale's outburst because, as you said, Chiarello was out of control in that episode.
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Yeah, that "Now I remember what Jamie was like" comment was great.
I was glad Chiarello lost. I didn't even mind that Bayless won: he grew on me over the course of the show, and, although I was rooting for Keller, his food just didn't seem as scrumptious. He is technically amazing, though; it's no wonder Hung was so wowed.
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Yeah, that "Now I remember what Jamie was like" comment was great.
I was glad Chiarello lost. I didn't even mind that Bayless won: he grew on me over the course of the show, and, although I was rooting for Keller, his food just didn't seem as scrumptious. He is technically amazing, though; it's no wonder Hung was so wowed.
I watched the final two episodes of Masters last night and couldn't believe how much of prick Chiarello was, though I'm sure they played it up in editing, especially since Rick and Hubert had such great success with their method of quiet respect. I couldn't believe I had to suffer through Spike two straight episodes but it was great seeing him get picked last and then cut without a second thought by Hubert. I thought the final elimination challenge was a really great idea and I found myself far more interested in the outcome than a standard Top Chef ending, which is usually pretty underwhelming.
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Okay, back again after the second watching.
* I want to smash Mike I.'s face in. "No offense, a girl shouldn't be on the same level that I am." "One less old lady for me to worry about." "I knocked Pretty, Purti, whatever her name is over." Pig. I was sad to see that he can cook.
* I sympathized at first with Preeti trying to shuck clams for the first time, but, come on. Her teammates were giving her tips, she could see what her competitors were doing. Besides, wouldn't basic common sense eventually lead one to try to insert the tip of one's knife nearer the hinge? It got to the point where I wished she'd just climb on the counter and drop the clam to the floor, sort of like the way a gull handles shellfish.
* I was bemused by Ash's statement "being gay in the kitchen is tough." I mean, sure, being gay can be tough anywhere, but kitchens and dining rooms are hardly the most homophobic workplaces going.
* The Jennifer who was booted was strikable, for more than one reason. I mean, trying to blame her crap shucking on the fact that she hadn't done it in a couple of years because she'd had a kid? Nonsense: it's a skill that may rust a little but it doesn't desert one completely. Then her mulish conviction that the mere fact that she used seitan meant she was "bold" and deserved to win? Humbug. There's no doubt she was told to leave not only because her dish sucked but because she had no idea that it did and refused to hear any of the judges' criticisms. She kept insisting it reflected her hot temper even after she'd been told repeatedly it was bland. I suspect she's a better cook than Complicated Lady (Eve), but she wouldn't have lasted long no matter what. Maybe if she'd unpacked she would have had better luck.
* The editors chose not to include one word of the judges' reaction to Ashley's ravioli, which I found odd. She's a cipher to me, but I see from the preview of coming attractions that she has a temper, which his promising.
* The real Atanta housewives are frighteningly vulgar.
* The blue dress Padma is wearing in one of the promos is horribly ugly and unflattering.
* In these germophobic days, I liked that the judges all ate off the same plates.
* I want Hector to get kicked soon because the friend here with whom I discuss the show finds him madly sexy and I don't want to have to listen to her drool over the phone week after week. Sorry, Hector. I know it's unfair.
* Brother Michael looks like Matthew McConaughey. Or Frederixxxxxxxxx, I guess.
* I am surprised by the pronunciation of Mattin's name, but I guess it's because he/it is Basque.
* The underdog I'll be rooting for is Jesse.
Deep, huh?
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Was I the only one who found Wolfgang Puck a little too unforgiving about dude frying the steak? I mean, I know it might be unconventional, but no one mentioned whether or not it tasted GOOD. (I know it wasn't smoky enough, but they just seemed so offended that he decided to cook a steak that way, that they couldn't get past the impropriety of the whole thing)
For some reason I really like Ashley... She might be one of my favorites.
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He was a bit of a prig about it, but I think a lot of it had to do with the perversity of the choice. It's all very well respecting the cooking traditions of one's culture, but to insist upon them even when another method makes more sense is just pig-headed.
I like her, too, because she is polite, self-possessed, and well-spoken. Plus I think she may have a brain in her head. But since there was no discussion of her dish during the show, I have no sense of her talent as a chef. The preview promo, however, seemed to suggest she was going to garner some praise.
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enough with stuffing vegas down our throats. so awkward with the showgirls and the poker chips.
after a season of top chef masters i like seeing the young'uns again but the needless drama and the lower skills seems all the more apparent, especially for people like me who mainly watch for the food porn.
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Apparently a ton of people were glad to see Jennifer Z. go because they were repelled by her overly large ear holes and drooping lobes. I didn't even notice them.
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Just caught up. Sarah is dead on as usual. Don't worry about overanalyzing - I enjoy it.
So much to hate. The stupid Vegas tie-ins mentioned above by kevin, the fucking scallops (always with the fucking scallops)... and of course I want to stab that idiot Mike with his own knife.
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enough with stuffing vegas down our throats. so awkward with the showgirls and the poker chips.
after a season of top chef masters i like seeing the young'uns again but the needless drama and the lower skills seems all the more apparent, especially for people like me who mainly watch for the food porn.
Just wait til they have to make a 3am meal for a group of fancy hookers.
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Don't worry about overanalyzing - I enjoy it.
Well, that's one, anyway. Thanks, Martin.
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I enjoy it as well.
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my eyes were drawn mostly to her blob of a throat tat.
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Aw, Andy, you're sweet to say so. Esp. given that I haven't sent you your hankies yet (it's been way too hot for me to be using an iron, a vital part of the process).
Kevin_, I read somewhere that one of the tattoos is a chained heart, the word "sacred" appears on her throat, and "scarred" decorates her upper bosom. A little too fraught for me.
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SO. HAPPY. And yes, agree with everything Sarah has to say. I'm so pissed that my blind choices are again WAY off. At least I got El Beardo right.
Also, Max is recapping on Eater again. I promise this is the last time I will mention it.
(http://eater.com/uploads/2009_08_Showgirls.gif)
http://eater.com/archives/2009/08/top_chef_episode_1_las_vegas_ink.php (http://eater.com/archives/2009/08/top_chef_episode_1_las_vegas_ink.php)
So begins three months of me trying to find torrents of this show and occasionally suckering in and paying on iTunes.
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Am I the only one who was a little annoyed by Ashley's moping about the challenge? I understand, but it can't possibly be the first time she's ever had to prepare something wedding-related.
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Ashley's negativity bummed me out, as well. Fine, hate marriage, but you're there to cook, not to advocate.
My vote goes to anyone who never uses the words "seviche" or "reduction". We're trying to eat over here!
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Ashley's negativity bummed me out, as well. Fine, hate marriage, but you're there to cook, not to advocate.
My vote goes to anyone who never uses the words "seviche" or "reduction". We're trying to eat over here!
Speaking of Ashley, since cheftestants seems to love the tattoos, I would recommend that future aspirants get this phrase inked on their forearm or other readily accessible area: "I am NOT a pastry chef, so I will NOT make a dessert unless I fucking have to."
SPOILER:
Glad to see the droopy, seemingly incompetent Eve get the boot. And kudos to the dear boys who kicked ass (while taking some pretty significant risks like meringue-encased quac and tofu ceviche) like few have ever done in any Top Chef team challenges. Bravo indeed!
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Part of me was hoping they would lose, just to see He-Man Woman Hater Mike lose his shit. I thought it was pretty obvious who was going home, and I was quite pleased it was her.
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* I found this episode very boring. Do they always not even bother to say what some contestants have made in the early stages of the competition? I can't remember, but they're doing it now, and it drives me nuts.
* Ashley was a drama queen about the marriage stuff and a complete dope for making that panna cotta. I mean, come on, "I really feel like there needs to be a dessert. I'm going to make one. Whoops, I'm not a pastry chef. Oh well, I've already decided so I'd better choose a dish I'm especially uncomfortable making." Dummy.
* And since I'm on the subject of gay kvetching, where did Ash come off in ep. 1 presenting himself as the only gay in the village (can't believe I just stooped to an overused Little Britain ref.)?
* I wish Preeti were more competent. She is beautifully good-natured. She even managed to defend herself at judges' table without coming off as defensive.
* What the hell is so hard about pronouncing the name "Preeti," anyway? Mike I. is plainly either mentally deficient or, more likely, his difficulties are code for racism (or at the least xenophobia). What a boob. I was really glad his dish sucked.
* Michael V. is an ass, too, though not as much of one, but at least he's a good cook. Though I'm already bored, bored, bored with the brother vs. brother nonsense.
* The guys were resoundingly better, mainly because they took more risks. The broads were too cautious. I hate it when stereotypes pan out like this.
* I sort of got to like Jennifer in this episode (she's a good laugher and a competent chef), but why does she persist in saying "suh-veech"?
* Why did one of them call something "bread toast"? Seems to me that toast defaults to bread; you only need to clarify when it's something else.
* It was obvious last week that Eve would be the next to go (and I fear Jesse will follow her next week), but I was still delighted she was axed. It was bad enough that she was mediocre, but with her grating voice (and, yes, accent) and her bizarre conviction that she's a daring innovator in the kitchen, she was even more hard to take.
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So maybe I am missing something obvious, but isn't there anywhere legitimate to watch Top Chef online? I know Bravo airs reruns a dozen times a day but it would still be nice to be able to get it when I want.
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* What the hell is so hard about pronouncing the name "Preeti," anyway? Mike I. is plainly either mentally deficient or, more likely, his difficulties are code for racism (or at the least xenophobia). What a boob. I was really glad his dish sucked.
Even worse was the short clip where he declared that he's "the guy who gives everyone nicknames". Eve is a "Ninja"? Not even in Juggalo Land.
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Actually, that was one that I liked: he named her "The Ninja" precisely because she's such a klutz.
One thing to add to my earlier comments: Jesse cries too damn much, and her saying, after facing the judges as one of the bottom four, "I know they''re going to pick me to go--I'm just too crazy!" clinched her fall from grace for me. Well, that and her misguided dishes.
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I've just started watching this show. The contestant portraits on page 1 of this thread made me curious.
One thing that bothers me: I don't get a real sense of exactly what they are making. Project Runway was much more satisfying in that respect. The final output was visual and you get a better sense of process.
On Bravo's homepage, I watch 2 dudes make the guacamole macaroons in detail which I found really helpful. They keep threatening to make TV more interactive and I think that this show is really begging for that treatment.
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I've just started watching this show. The contestant portraits on page 1 of this thread made me curious.
One thing that bothers me: I don't get a real sense of exactly what they are making. Project Runway was much more satisfying in that respect. The final output was visual and you get a better sense of process.
On Bravo's homepage, I watch 2 dudes make the guacamole macaroons in detail which I found really helpful. They keep threatening to make TV more interactive and I think that this show is really begging for that treatment.
I think you'll find the show gets better in this respect as the weeks go on. It's impossible to explain 16 contestants dishes with any depth.
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* I sort of got to like Jennifer in this episode (she's a good laugher and a competent chef), but why does she persist in saying "suh-veech"?
I was also surprised to like Jennifer, especially when she called bullshit on the whole girls v boys thing. Her no-nonsense leadership in the kitchen also makes her not look like a bitch, but rather a professional.
Glad to see Eve go.
Ashley's nagging got on my nerves.
Good point about the pastries (and the tattoos), Omar.
Mike the Ape should die in a fire.
The shrimp looked so boring.
SCALLOPS!
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Actually, that was one that I liked: he named her "The Ninja" precisely because she's such a klutz.
I understand that, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't his stated rationale. Either way, the guy is a FWD.
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It was fun to see FWD Mike fuming.
Also, Preeti's "9/11 inspired me to be a chef" comment seemed a little weird to me.
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Also, Preeti's "9/11 inspired me to be a chef" comment seemed a little weird to me.
You're not the only one. And she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
So since when do the contestants get to decide they're splitting into teams? I was surprised that got by with so little comment from the judges.
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Also, Preeti's "9/11 inspired me to be a chef" comment seemed a little weird to me.
You're not the only one. And she said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
So since when do the contestants get to decide they're splitting into teams? I was surprised that got by with so little comment from the judges.
I think it worked ok within the confines of this particular challenge. I'm guessing if Jennifer hadn't been running things, at least a couple of those dishes would've been disasters. I thought the judges were smart to figure out who was responsible for what, resulting in Mike also being on the bottom.
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Jennifer should have won. She did a remarkable job.
I've got about a page of notes, but I don't have the gumption to edit them into something coherent. Maybe later. If you're really, really lucky.
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Jennifer should have won. She did a remarkable job.
I've got about a page of notes, but I don't have the gumption to edit them into something coherent. Maybe later. If you're really, really lucky.
Please post this material. I was extremely disappointed that Jennifer was not included as part of the top group in the Elimination Challenge. Her Quickfire win combined with her work in the EC was one of the finest performances in the show's history. Her command of the kitchen was a glorious thing to see.
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Jennifer should have won. She did a remarkable job.
I've got about a page of notes, but I don't have the gumption to edit them into something coherent. Maybe later. If you're really, really lucky.
Please post this material. I was extremely disappointed that Jennifer was not included as part of the top group in the Elimination Challenge. Her Quickfire win combined with her work in the EC was one of the finest performances in the show's history. Her command of the kitchen was a glorious thing to see.
100% agree.
But don't worry, I think Jennifer will win the whole thing.
Items:
- The teaming-up bit felt like playground stuff - the buddies team up first, and the least popular ones are left to each other like some sad, hopeless losers (which they are).
- I would've sent Preeti home for those contrived 9-11 comments alone. As it were, that pasta salad looked like something cheap I would throw together as one of three other dishes at a house party (ie not worthy of a cheftestant).
- Preeti's partner - couldn't pick her out of a lineup. Completely anonymous. She'll go home soon.
- Also, I'm sorry and heartless and not an American, but I have little patience for fawning troop admiration. I don't mind them cooking for them, obviously - but people tearing up, proclaiming how they take the challenge extra serious because of the troops, etc, make me wince.
- I like that the brothers are so serious. The younger one (who, quite surprisingly, seems like the better chef) could've been a FWD x 100, backwards cap and all. But he's so grave and serious - love it.
- This episode was the worst so far this season as far as choppy, incompetent creative audio editing was concerned. Felt like the editors really scrambled.
- And I still hate FWD Mike. Nice switcheroo there at the end. And his shrimp salad looked crap.
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But don't worry, I think Jennifer will win the whole thing.
Me too. She doesn't seem to have the cockiness that may have undone Stefan last season.
- The teaming-up bit felt like playground stuff - the buddies team up first, and the least popular ones are left to each other like some sad, hopeless losers (which they are).
I thought that Ron/Jesse team was going to be a massive failure. Still was surprised they didn't end up in the loser's group.
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- Also, I'm sorry and heartless and not an American, but I have little patience for fawning troop admiration. I don't mind them cooking for them, obviously - but people tearing up, proclaiming how they take the challenge extra serious because of the troops, etc, make me wince.
- And I still hate FWD Mike. Nice switcheroo there at the end. And his shrimp salad looked crap.
Could not agree more. The "I'm glad we can do something like being on a cooking reality show for the troops" sounded so lame, laughable.
And FWD Mike trying to charm Jennifer (who's a lock) in the kitchen was just as lame.
anyway
Glad to see I'm not the only FOT'r mixed up in this new season. so far I really think there have been no surprises
(Watch out big girl with the face studs and horrifying chest tattoo)
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I am in love with Jennifer C.
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I am in love with Jennifer C.
I don't think I'm in love with her, but I would love to work with her.
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* I thought sweet potato ice cream was a winner of an idea as soon as Ash mentioned it. If he'd managed it, he might even have won.
* Mike Iisms: The risotto tutorial. Attributing Jen's Quickfire win to favoritism. "They drove us over in a convoy to the hangar, which is pretty cool, it's like we're going to war or something."
* More than anything else, Jesse's heavy hand with the cayenne brands her as useless. And her self-abuse is wearing thin. Her statement "I would like to do a clam chowder. I think that would be really easy" didn't say much for her gumption, either. And, really, clam chowder in that heat? Sure, in New England, one eats the stuff all summer long, but it's a hell of a lot cooler here. It must have been all the more cloying since Ron apparently favors a thick, creamy chowder. (I do not approve: I don't want my chowder to have the texture of bechamel. I make it with whole milk. Did this very morning, in fact.)
* On a related subject, I was shocked that Tom raised an eyebrow at the idea of chili on a hot day.
* Why are there no burners or pots in military (industrial) kitchens? Seems dumb.
* This show is really reinforcing my dislike of tattoos. Just another kind of uniform.
* That Ash worried that Jennifer might not be able to run the kitchen because "she is a little soft-spoken" gives a great deal of insight into how editing colors the show. All over the Internet, people are calling her a bitch, yet to her housemate she is so gentle as to be ill qualified, potentially, to be boss of the kitchen.
* Though I'm now a mad fan of Jennifer, I found bizarre her declaration that "forty-five minutes to cook potatoes is a bit of a challenge." I also don't blame Michael V. one bit for rejecting her suggestion that his lettuce-bacon taco things be assembled in advance, which would have sacrificed the food just to save a bit of time.
* It was interesting watching Michael V. keep Mike I. away from his dish. I've come to like this V. (I always liked his brother--he's so beautifully reserved, a young Gary Cooper would be the choice to play him in Top Chef Las Vegas: The Movie). At first I thought he was an ass, but I see now that this is mainly because the editing was playing up the sibling rivalry nonsense. In fact, he just seems to be a talented chef who is really serious about what he does.
* Of course, the fawning over the military was obnoxious. "The importance of what we are about to do"? "We made our country proud"? That said, I'm glad all those people had a nice time, and the colonel's thank you speech was very gracious.
* Hector is a blowhard. And if he didn't hate her before, I bet he hates Jennifer now, seeing as how she had to shut him down twice.
* I am looking forward to two eliminations after the quickfire next week.
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* I am looking forward to two eliminations after the quickfire next week.
This thread is great stuff after watching the show. Yes, let's start the blood letting; I say we eliminate five. There are still way too many people on this show. Ron? Really? Hector? Has he done anything that doesn't have "authentic Latino flavors"?
Regarding "legitimate" ways to watch it... not really. Though Omar hooked me on ninjacast last year and it works great (or, at least, hasn't destroyed my computer yet).
Can we ban bacon for every challenge? YES, I KNOW IT'S DELICIOUS. It's just not fair to compare bacon to a pasta salad. I bet if they would have put bacon in the pasta salad it would have been "inspired".
Yes, that 9/11 crack deserved INSTANT elimination. Having been in New York for it I can say that everyone needs to STFU about it as a "reason" for anything, except maybe a medical condition. I quote the delicious gif from Max Silvestri:
(http://eater.com/uploads/2009_09_Preeti.gif)
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I prefer Hell's Kitchen.
Seriously. I could watch that guy yell all day long.
I mean that literally, I could - have you ever seen the schedule for BBC America?
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But it doesn't broadcast Hell's Kitchen, so you only get full Ramsay throttle when it re-airs Boiling Point.
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My favorite lines are when he throws down some meat and screams, "it's RAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!"
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My favorite lines are when he throws down some meat and screams, "it's RAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWW!"
I prefer the show when he Yells At People And Then Changes Their Lives By Not Yelling And Giving Suggestions.
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Dialogue from only cooking show I ever watched:
Martin Yan: Then, when it's nice and ready, look at that, the chicken's very relaxed. The chicken is so relaxed --
Zorak: The chicken isn't relaxed; the chicken's dead!
Space Ghost: Is not, it was just moving, I saw it!
Martin Yan: This chicken's alive!
Zorak: Okay, the chicken's alive. So, Yan can cook. And Yan can go insane. Got it. (whistles)
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"Chef Robuchon really liked your dish."
"That's awesome."
Classy.
(It doesn't sound as dumb when you type it out, but it felt like a Dumb Moment.)
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MILD SPOILERS VIA SCREENCAPS
Hilarious editing faux pas in this episode. Here's the gang after the elimination challenge waiting to hear who won/lost:
(http://img126.imageshack.us/img126/3861/chef1.jpg) (http://img126.imageshack.us/i/chef1.jpg/)
Knock, knock! Someone is at the door! Who is it? Let's find out:
(http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/3373/chef2.jpg) (http://img43.imageshack.us/i/chef2.jpg/)
Oh look, it's Kevin's doppelganger! Or maybe it's a ghost back there in the corner of the first screenshot. Kinda looks like a ghost.
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was it in one of my dreams or on twitter that someone mentioned, "Kevin is a southern Martin"?
either way, it's a bizarro you, nonetheless.
also, Sarah, your post makes me feel like we were watching the show together.
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He looks much more like AST and FOT poster TimBuktu. For a while I was almost convinced it was him. But yeah, I think the good señorcorazon described him as my long-lost cousin or something (at least he didn't break the golden rule of directly comparing him to me, we all know that's a no-no).
This season is so far unrelenting in weeding out the lesser cheftestants and honoring the better ones. No real upsets or outrages yet. (Right?)
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This season is so far unrelenting in weeding out the lesser cheftestants and honoring the better ones. No real upsets or outrages yet. (Right?)
Right. And I hope that changes soon. I love watching disasters from talented chefs.
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This season is so far unrelenting in weeding out the lesser cheftestants and honoring the better ones.
unfortunately, project runway cant say that this season.
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(http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/mike-isabella.png)
Hello, my name is Michael Isabella. My strategy for the Elimination Challenges is to team up with one of the awesome Voltaggio brothers and do basically NOTHING except follow their instruction so as not to f up something I'm clueless about or make a limp, bland, unnecessary side dish that nearly gets me booted!
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(http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/mike-isabella.png)
Hello, my name is Michael Isabella. My strategy for the Elimination Challenges is to team up with one of the awesome Voltaggio brothers and do basically NOTHING except follow their instruction so as not to f up something I'm clueless about or make a limp, bland, unnecessary side dish that nearly gets me booted!
It's going to be glorious when this guy gets his due.
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The ladies are dropping out like flies.
When the girl with the gauges so big that it made me nauseous went home, I was pretty pumped.
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* I'm sad that Mike I. is so good at hitching his wagon to a Voltaggio star. He may think of himself as one of the top guys, but really, if he had not been able to benefit from the reflected glory of Michael last week and Bryan this, his record would be pretty pedestrian. It was Bryan who told him how to deconstruct that béarnaise; I have no faith he could have done it on his own. I know I'm prejudiced (I was so relieved he won neither quickfire nor elimination), but I still think he's a remora who'd be lost without the bigger fish.
* As for Mattin, I was sure he was going to be eliminated because he had so much more camera time than ever before, but I guess that was just because he's French. Still, he almost bought it--which I knew was going to happen as soon as he said he was going to use bacon in his velouté--and now has revealed himself as a liar as well as an unreliable cook. For his own safety, in fact, I was hoping he'd be told to leave, since I feared for his life if he stuck around: Ashley looked murderous when he claimed he hadn't pooh-poohed her suggestion of using asparagus in the velouté. How awkward for him that his vehement rejection was caught on film.
* Michael and Jennifer--what a dream team! I loved the way they worked together: each so confident in the competence of the other that they barely needed to speak. Compare that to Robin's frenetic chatter (she came off as somewhat loony, I thought, as well as suffering from an attachment to passé slang).
* I lust for knives as sharp as the ones these guys use. I almost wept at the ease with which Hector was able to trim that fillet. Too bad he didn't know how to cook it.
DISCLAIMER: I had not read the last page of this thread when I wrote this. I now feel very redundant but figured I'd post it as is anyway.
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If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend the Colicchster's (testing out this nickname) latest blog. It's one of his best!
http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/how-do-you-say-ouch-in-french
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If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend the Colicchster's (testing out this nickname) latest blog. It's one of his best!
http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/how-do-you-say-ouch-in-french
That really is great. He doesn't hold anything back, I was surprised to see how honest he was about everything.
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But didn't you find it odd that he blamed Mattin for the crap cooking of the bird? That was Ashley's doing.
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If you haven't done so already, I highly recommend the Colicchster's (testing out this nickname) latest blog. It's one of his best!
http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/how-do-you-say-ouch-in-french
That really is great. He doesn't hold anything back, I was surprised to see how honest he was about everything.
While his blogs last season were decent, I thought Colicchio was pretty bad on the actual show -- he seemed exhausted, grumpy, and largely disinterested, due in some part to his busy schedule with opening some new restaurants. He seems re-invigorated this season, especially with the boost in talent level and a Big 4 that is kicking total ass.
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But didn't you find it odd that he blamed Mattin for the crap cooking of the bird? That was Ashley's doing.
Good catch.
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Robin seems like the type who thrives on feedback and nerves combined with Ron pretty much stonewalling her, I think sent her into a little overdrive. What I mean is I don't think Robin is as nutty as the episode made her look. Those frogs legs were pretty weak considering Ron's insistence that classical French cuisine is his specialty. I have a crush on Jennifer and I think Kevin is adorable.
Hi, hope I can join in on this thread. This is the first season of Top Chef I've watched and I am in love with it.
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I can't wait for next week. Has trainwreck written all over it.
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Little to say, but here goes:
* It hurt me to hear Michael Voltaggio rank Mike I. alongside himself and his brother as one of the strongest chefs (and naturally when he won the quickfire, I wept). Where was Jennifer in that list? Throughout this episode, in fact, she was barely present. Way fewer comments, and the show was almost half over before the first aired. Her dishes weren't much, either.
* I was a trifle miffed that I knew Robin wouldn't get cut because we haven't yet heard Eli complain about how she uses her cancer to slide. So, even though those spoiled prawns could have signaled her end (can't believe she didn't taste them), there was no suspense, since it was clear Ron wasn't going to get fired either (although giving Padma a drink she didn't like could well have been grounds). I didn't even need the surprisingly large amount of screen time awarded Mattin to know he was going to be the one to go.
* Ceviche should be banned for the rest of the competition.
* I love Bryan.
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While his blogs last season were decent, I thought Colicchio was pretty bad on the actual show -- he seemed exhausted, grumpy, and largely disinterested, due in some part to his busy schedule with opening some new restaurants. He seems re-invigorated this season, especially with the boost in talent level and a Big 4 that is kicking total ass.
this was largely the reason for me missing last season's Top Chef. you're right, Omar- he's back.
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* I love Bryan.
This gentleman reminds me a lot of the actor Peter Krause.
Also:
Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine. Mattin is from the Basque country and he cooks Basque cuisine.
I laughed at the way the fallen Frenchman giggled and rubbed his hands cartoon-villainingly femininely fist-pumped [see video evidence later in thread] when he discovered that he was in the Top 3 in the Quickfire Challenge. He's weird.
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* Ceviche should be banned for the rest of the competition.
AMEN.
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I was very disappointed to see that next week marks the return of Toby Young. Plus Penn & Teller.
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This gentleman reminds me a lot of the actor Peter Krause.
For me, he's a young Gary Cooper. In terms of both looks and (lack of) animation.
Here's a hilarious picture:
(http://www.voltrestaurant.com/images/content/main_bryan.jpg)
These aren't as funny:
(http://www.voltrestaurant.com/images/content/main2.jpg)
(http://www.voltrestaurant.com/images/content/inquiries.jpg)
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I was very disappointed to see that next week marks the return of Toby Young. Plus Penn & Teller.
What? No. :'(
My face is like Tim Love's in reaction to this upsetting news, not Frenchy's:
(http://eater.com/uploads/2009_09_mattin.gif)
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I was really surprised to hear professionals complaining about grilling on an open flame. And no one grilled a steak...for cowboys?!
Side note:
I've been lurking in this thread and agree with everyone that Mike I. is a complete tool. Some of you have been referring to him as FWD Mike. What's the "FWD" stand for?
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Fuckable When Drunk. (I Think)
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I dont know if it was a case of chefs thinking too hard or not hard enough but someone should have made something steak related. Ranch hands do love their ceviche though.
Haven't decided if the judges' evaluation of Ashley's dish was damning with faint praise. I've started to warm up to her a bit, though to this point she is nowhere near the same league as the best chefs. She's the only one of the lesser chefs I have any attachment to. Robin and Ron need to take off soon.
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I dont know if it was a case of chefs thinking too hard or not hard enough but someone should have made something steak related. Ranch hands do love their ceviche though.
Haven't decided if the judges' evaluation of Ashley's dish was damning with faint praise. I've started to warm up to her a bit, though to this point she is nowhere near the same league as the best chefs. She's the only one of the lesser chefs I have any attachment to. Robin and Ron need to take off soon.
I am not sure if the Chef must be drunk or you must be.
I'm working on it.
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Awww man. I guess I'll just keep my rambles to myself. Wah Wah.
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Haven't decided if the judges' evaluation of Ashley's dish was damning with faint praise. I've started to warm up to her a bit, though to this point she is nowhere near the same league as the best chefs. She's the only one of the lesser chefs I have any attachment to. Robin and Ron need to take off soon.
For a brief moment, I was hoping that they would just throw Mattin, Robin, and Ron all off at once at Judges Table. "Who are we kidding? You're all awful. Let's throw you all out and then just fill the next two weeks with Kevin clips and a 'Where Are They Now?' Special."
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* Ceviche should be banned for the rest of the competition.
AMEN.
Ceviche is the new gazpacho.
And yes, the brief clip of Toby Young making a joke about testicles was enough to enrage me. Tempted to skip next week entirely.
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Side note:
I've been lurking in this thread and agree with everyone that Mike I. is a complete tool. Some of you have been referring to him as FWD Mike. What's the "FWD" stand for?
Factory-Wrapped Douche.
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Awww man. I guess I'll just keep my rambles to myself. Wah Wah.
Since Fredericks seemed to be elaborating on his "Fuckable When Drunk" quip, I'm wondering whether he quoted your post by mistake, WWP. Even if not, I'm sure he in no way meant to discourage you. And, if he did, I'd just ignore him if I were you.
On another note, worse than Toby Young's testicle remark, I thought, was Penn's follow-up vulgarity directed at Padma.
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Awww man. I guess I'll just keep my rambles to myself. Wah Wah.
Since Fredericks seemed to be elaborating on his "Fuckable When Drunk" quip, I'm wondering whether he quoted your post by mistake, WWP. Even if not, I'm sure he in no way meant to discourage you. And, if he did, I'd just ignore him if I were you.
On another note, worse than Toby Young's testicle remark, I thought, was Penn's follow-up vulgarity directed at Padma.
Yes, Sarah I made an error.
Now get back to ignoring me.
Thank You for the edification
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I never ignore you, F. I respect and admire you. No, I was merely suggesting to our young friend that he (or she) ignore you if you were trying to drive him (or her) away from this thread--which I didn't think you were trying to do in the first place.
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Thank you Sarah. While I find Fredericks easy to follow on the radio, I occasionally find his posts near impenetrable on the board. We're all cool here. I also apologize because I'm talking about Fredericks like he's not here.
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Thank you Sarah. While I find Fredericks easy to follow on the radio, I occasionally find his posts near impenetrable on the board. We're all cool here. I also apologize because I'm talking about Fredericks like he's not here.
I'm not here.
I'm
way
over
THERE.
XOXOXO
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Thank you Sarah. While I find Fredericks easy to follow on the radio, I occasionally find his posts near impenetrable on the board. We're all cool here. I also apologize because I'm talking about Fredericks like he's not here.
I'm not here.
I think of Fritzy as the Merry Prankster of the boards.
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On another note, worse than Toby Young's testicle remark, I thought, was Penn's follow-up vulgarity directed at Padma.
Hold on, Penn said something slimy and creepy? Unpossible.
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I know! I was SHOCKED.
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Boring episode. I couldn't get involved in anything.
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am i watching top chef or gross ceviche party?
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Is it just me, or did Bravo totally drop the ball and forget the third option in tonight's poll? The third option being, of course, "Toby is not funny and why is he on this show again?"
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I thought Ron was going to squeak by again. He was consistently mediocre or worse, but he seemed like a sweetheart. That counts for something in my book.
I think I dislike Teller more than Penn after seeing this. I think I know which is which. The dumb one is Teller, right? By dumb i mean many things.
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I think the dumb one is Penn. At least we don't have to listen to Teller's stupid political views.
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I thought Ron was going to squeak by again. He was consistently mediocre or worse, but he seemed like a sweetheart. That counts for something in my book.
I think I dislike Teller more than Penn after seeing this. I think I know which is which. The dumb one is Teller, right? By dumb i mean many things.
Magicians cooking?
I gotta get an antenna.
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am i watching top chef or gross ceviche party?
gross ceviche party makes me look kindly upon the days of triple-windsor steven and marcelverine.
(also, i've never ever had ceviche that wasn't gross in its own special way. i think that's its charm.)
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Oh, thom. I hated that sommelier fellow until he got totally soused on the reunion show. Then I kind of loved him. And I liked Marcel, even though his foams are stupid. I really doubt the editors would cut footage of Marcel being horrible and mean to his competitors, because you know what? I didn't really see any. He was conceited, sure, but Marcel honestly looked like the victim, and Betty was this Mean Girl harridan, and all the cheftestants just seemed to be on Team Betty, and picking on Marcel was a sport, and I just felt so bad for the guy. It was so junior high, and no one would let Marcel sit at their table, so he had to eat in the library, and then the librarian started getting nosy, so then he ate in the bathroom, and then he cried into his peanut butter and jelly foam on brioche.
Am I projecting?
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Oh, thom. I hated that sommelier fellow until he got totally soused on the reunion show. Then I kind of loved him. And I liked Marcel, even though his foams are stupid. I really doubt the editors would cut footage of Marcel being horrible and mean to his competitors, because you know what? I didn't really see any. He was conceited, sure, but Marcel honestly looked like the victim, and Betty was this Mean Girl harridan, and all the cheftestants just seemed to be on Team Betty, and picking on Marcel was a sport, and I just felt so bad for the guy. It was so junior high, and no one would let Marcel sit at their table, so he had to eat in the library, and then the librarian started getting nosy, so then he ate in the bathroom, and then he cried into his peanut butter and jelly foam on brioche.
Am I projecting?
Yes. Marcel was almost as much of a douche as Mittan.
Take off the scarf, Laurie.
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I felt sorry for Marcel, too, Laurie.
Why is this show so boring now? Last season was boring, and this one is boringer. And I'm sick of deconstruction (or decomposition, as someone on Hell's Kitchen said this week).
The best thing about this week's show was that everyone seemed to be really uncomfortable with both Penn and Teller.
I hope Robin goes home next week. Her constant manic babbling makes me feel crazy. I felt huge sympathy for Laurine.
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I felt sorry for Marcel, too, Laurie.
Why is this show so boring now? Last season was boring, and this one is boringer. And I'm sick of deconstruction (or decomposition, as someone on Hell's Kitchen said this week).
The best thing about this week's show was that everyone seemed to be really uncomfortable with both Penn and Teller.
I hope Robin goes home next week. Her constant manic babbling makes me feel crazy. I felt huge sympathy for Laurine.
Switch to Hell's Kitchen, then we can talk about that.
Boy, Suzanne sure is mean!
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I like the asshole. Is it Ian ?
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Mike, I think.
I like gnome-y Kevin and his adorable beard. My choice for winner so far.
I don't know why no one isn't telling that one chick (the one who made that nasty flan with a chunk of bacon shoved in it) to shut up in the kitchen. I would.
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Oh, thom. I hated that sommelier fellow until he got totally soused on the reunion show. Then I kind of loved him.
Plus he's responsible for one of my all-time favorite TV quotes "I'm always in the top 3 percentile with whatever I do"
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I felt sorry for Marcel, too, Laurie.
Why is this show so boring now? Last season was boring, and this one is boringer. And I'm sick of deconstruction (or decomposition, as someone on Hell's Kitchen said this week).
The best thing about this week's show was that everyone seemed to be really uncomfortable with both Penn and Teller.
I hope Robin goes home next week. Her constant manic babbling makes me feel crazy. I felt huge sympathy for Laurine.
I think this season is so boring because it's been completely predictable. No colossal disasters from a front-runner, no inspired dish from the back of the pack, and the challenges haven't been very interesting. I think I can pretty confidently predict the next three people going home and what the final four will be. Maybe once it gets to that point there'll be a little suspense.
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Yes, knowing with almost absolute certainly that the final four will be the bros, Kevin, and Jennifer does take away some of the excitement. I know Carla came from behind quite late in the game last season, but I don't see anyone knocking any of those four out of the running.
And, b'coat, Suzanne is less mean than smarmy and sneaky.
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You know it's not a good episode when both Penn & Teller and Toby Young show up. They should all die in a mysterious food poisoning accident.
Good to see Ron go, although Ash should've gone too. He botched everything he did in this episode.
I was a bit worried that Jennifer would slump after those brilliant first couple of episodes - they've certainly made her more "fallable" recently - so I was pleased that she made the top four. Her lasagna looked tasty.
My problem with the show right now is this, if I can untangle my jumbled thoughts: I like that the cheftestants in this season are mostly decent (albeit sometimes boring) people who don't create a whole lot of drama, in-fighting, or automatic audience hate like Stefan and those cate. Which would be perfectly fine if the show was all about the food, but since it's a Bravo reality show there's this need to push/promote every little morsel of drama (and since they can't show what doesn't exist they have to "creatively" edit the dialogue instead), and since there's not a whole lot to push, it becomes boring.
So compared to last season, it's much weaker. Vegas is a horrible setting too. All those forced Vegas-themes challenges. Ugh.
"It's not Top Scallop!"
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But we all complained that last season was boring, too, Martin.
I wish they'd dump all the drama and just focus on how the contestants make their dishes. It's very frustrating how little is shown.
Addendum: Just came across this suggestion from Jamie on the Bravo site: "TC should think about shooting on a cruise for Season 7. Seriously, the galleys are intense, the food is not ideal, and the constant movement makes for a very interesting kitchen experience, and then when the boat goes to port, the chefs can get out and compete in challenges that are local to wherever its docked." This is a good idea. Gimmicky, but it could also make for some interesting TV.
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I wish they'd dump all the drama and just focus on how the contestants make their dishes. It's very frustrating how little is shown.
This is exactly why I really liked Masters.
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I know, Sarah. We forget so easily. But at least that season had some colorful characters. If Bravo wants to play that angle, and it looks like they do, they must be kicking themselves for not having a Fabio or a Stefan this time around.
As for the cruise idea, I'm on board! (Sorry.)
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I don't know why it took me until this episode to realize that Ash is not a very good chef at all. I had always mentally grouped him in with the more skilled chefs, though reviewing the episodes in my head, I'm not at all sure why that was.
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Hooray for Jennifer! Solid favorite for me now.
Curveball when it came to who was going home in this episode - the usual "talk about your family = go home" was a red herring!
Show's getting pretty boring though. Hated the quickfire challenge with its ridiculous slotmachine premise.
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I don't know why it took me until this episode to realize that Ash is not a very good chef at all. I had always mentally grouped him in with the more skilled chefs, though reviewing the episodes in my head, I'm not at all sure why that was.
I don't think he is a flat out disaster though like many were - more middling. Him admitting he's not that good compared to Michael was a nice gesture, but a bit strange.
What about Laurine? I can't really think of a moment from this season involving her. Has she been so perfectly average that she has avoided most of the top and bottom call outs? She seems fine and lovely, but rarely focused on. Maybe she is just laid back. Or I have not been paying attention.
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What's up with Laurine? Besides the fact that she's my Blind Taste Test Pre-Season Pick based only on picture TO WIN? Oh, yes, nothing. And she'll go home in 3 episodes.
Kudos for Martin for pointing out the Dr. Red Herring Loser Edit for d-bag brother. Or, as Senora Corazon calls him "Owen Wilson" (obviously, that makes the other brother Luke. Try to prove her wrong.)
For the record, the show is always this lame and cheesy at this point in the season. We just forget the times that it has slapped us in the mouth and only remember the flowers at the end of the season like FingerSwiss and Carla.... Diet Dr. Pepper challenge, anyone? Though I agree, we ain't seeing either of those two characters this season. Wilson Bros? PLEASE. Let us all praise Beardo Kevin and Drinky McJen.
Let's do this, people -- pick your finalists based ONLY off this picture:
(http://images.nymag.com/daily/food/20090708_topchefs_560x375.jpg)
Bowtie dbag (top row, three over)
Chest tattoo lady (third row, three over -- not the OTHER chest tattoo lady)
Martin Degrell's Long Lost Cousin (third row, one over)
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
The Technician (bottom row, middle)
**Wildcard: Guy that reminds me of Danny Trejo (bottom row, one over) -- I'm assuming he's going to be "really into" bacon and get dropped three weeks in. I also like Scarfy, but just because we could call him Scarfy.
--Final three
Bowtie dbag (top row, three over)
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
The Technician (bottom row, middle)
--WINNER
Lady that I can't come up with a Nickname for (last row, first one)
I apologize to Scarfy and Ash.
Cheers to Omar and Sarah for the final three pick of Beardo, Drinky McJen and Luke Wilson. It's like a dream Hollywood Squares combo.
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Were the rest of you convinced that Jen's illness was perhaps booze related? Colicchio claims that she had a fever, but I bet that's just PR. Looked like a hangover to me.
Overall, the episode was boring, which is par for this season's course. Robin is a pain (I particularly liked it when she just barely managed to stop herself from arguing to Padma that curry is, too, Middle Eastern). Mike I. is a turd (no matter how much of a pain Robin is, there was no excuse for his treatment of her during the Elimination). Eli isn't half as good as he thinks he is. Kevin is a good chef and likable to boot. Jennifer and Michael V. are good chefs who take their work perhaps too seriously. Bryan is Gary Cooper (his refusal to discuss his brother's dish in the stew room was exactly how GC would have played that scene). Laurine is dark horse (though I don't she's going to make a run from behind). Ashley gets inarticulate when challenged at Judges' Table--alas, nevermore. About the only thing we did learn is that Ash is a hero worshipper. And that was predictable.
One thing really bothered me, though: There was no effort to insist on the incorporation of the "mood" element in the Quickfire. Clearly, it was thrown in only to fill in the third slot on the machine. From what we were shown, very few of the contestants even bothered to mention how their dishes exemplified the mood they were assigned, and the judges didn't seem to care. Lazy.
Still, wasn't it an odd coincidence that umami turned up three times paired with "stressed"?
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Bryan is Gary Cooper (his refusal to discuss his brother's dish in the stew room was exactly how GC would have played that scene).
This is a delightful observation.
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Thanks, Martin. Finally a reaction to my Gary Cooper comparison!
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Were the rest of you convinced that Jen's illness was perhaps booze related? Colicchio claims that she had a fever, but I bet that's just PR. Looked like a hangover to me.
If that is the case it kind of makes me like her more. Is that wrong? Softens the type a personality she has been portrayed as so far.
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Did Bonnie Prince Billy win this thing yet?
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Did Bonnie Prince Billy win this thing yet?
Who do you think looks like Bonnie Prince Billy? An amalgamation of a few contestants could build one.
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I'm guessing Dave is referring to Kevin.
Postscript: I'm catching up with the blogs on Bravo's Top Chef site this morning and so far have been most impressed by this bit of stupidity from Jamie: "I love the idea of pulling a slot machine, which is completely random and all based on luck, just like it is in Vegas, so it leaves nothing to chance." Luck leaves nothing to chance?
As I've read Jamie's blog, new this season, I've come to believe she's not the brightest bulb (though she thinks she is), and this clinches it. Richard Blais's blog, on the other hand, is fairly perceptive and pleasantly self-deprecating. Harold Dieterle's is sort of hilarious because he's such a blunt writer. Gail's is always boring and overwritten. Tom's is okay and at least offers some insight into the competition. Padma doesn't know how to write, it seems.
Also on the Bravo site is a clip of a taco feast the contestants enjoyed at home one night, included to show how mean people are being to Robin. Now, while Mike I. does indeed behave toward her in his usual turdish fashion, the way she comes into the party late and says, with plucky martyrdom, "Is there one left?" and then, when assured that there's plenty, says, "What's the best one to eat, like if I'm only going to eat one, is this the one?" I'd want to smack her, too.
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Yeah, Robin's pretty obnoxious.
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Yeah, Robin's pretty obnoxious.
Don't worry, she'll be gone soon. I figure they might string her along for one or two more episodes to keep the anger up among the viewers, but she can't last much longer unless someone makes a tremendous mistake.
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I had a dream last night that Michael Isabella is really a fifteen-year-old girl. I was so startled I woke up.
Last night's episode made me more convinced than ever that Kevin is going to win this thing. Not only does he make consistently good food (and win with it--two Quickfire and three Elimination wins), he makes very American food that somehow manages to be both homey and sophisticated. Michael V.'s food is more dazzling (though he's won only one Quickfire and one Elimination), but I'm betting the judges go for the good old boy (a good old boy who also seems to be a truly decent guy, by the way). (I don't think Bryan will win because, even though he's obviously a wonderful chef and has won a lot of Elimination challenges, he doesn't wow. And Jennifer is coming off as a gifted second banana more than an innovator.)
I bet at this point in the competition, the other contestants must have been royally tired of seeing Jennifer, Michael V., Bryan, and Kevin troop out of the stew room first. These four have won all the Elimination challenges. They have been the dominant competitors from the start. I imagine Laurine, especially, sitting around just waiting for the ax to fall. Eli is just a punk kid, so he probably just bluffed it out, and Mike I., and Robin are clearly delusional, so I'm guessing they spent a good deal of time pretending to themselves they had a chance. (Could you believe it when Robin talked about winning as a possibility? And when she said yearningly [I paraphrase], "If I win this, it would mean I'm invincible, and that would make me feel really good," did you want to punch her as much as I did? And did you also want to punch Mike I. when he bragged about all the different styles of food he'd cooked, including on his list Asian, which last week he acknowledged he'd never made before, and cuisines that everyone else had had to cook as well?)
Random observations:
*This week for the first time I got annoyed with Jennifer's incessant "I'm nervous." I'm sure she always was, but, still, shouldn't her record give her some comfort/confidence? She reminded me of DfK worrying that Tom would forget him.
* And this week Michael V. came off as the jerk I thought he was when the season began. Deliberately goading his brother, deliberately goading Eli--the guy is a bully.
* Toby Young's armpit comment was very classy.
* The guest judge had an absolutely repulsive moustache.
* Robin is horrible, but I hate the way the others gang up on her. The way last night's show was edited, it looked as though the four front-runners didn't join in, which made the behavior of the others even more disgusting to me, since it suggested underdogs turning on the weakest member of the pack.
* I'm relieved Ash is gone. He was a pleasant-enough guy, but, god, what a wimp when it came to cooking. It was painful watching him declare his commitment to making "his own food" and then hearing him say he was going to follow Mike I.'s suggestion rather than make the dish he'd originally planned for the Elimination challenge. As soon as I heard him say that, I knew he was doomed. That boy needed some of Hector's cojones.
* I was shocked that Laurine apparently didn't know what rillettes are.
* Is it not unsurprising to learn that Eli is a mama's boy? And how disgraceful is it that at age twenty-six he doesn't pay his parents any rent?
Restaurant Wars looks like it's going to be entertaining.
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Masterful post, Sarah.
"The guest judge had an absolutely repulsive moustache." So true. He looked like Mr. Belvedere!
As you said, Ash definitely needed to go, but I would have voted for Laurine for choosing to make a dish that she did not know how to make. Incredibly bizarre. Plus, Ash's dish was very bland, but nobody referred to it as cat food.
UPDATE: Just read Colicchio's blog, and he disputes the "cat food" comment and noted that Laurine's salad and chutney were "quite good." So be it!
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You honor me, Scrivener.
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Masterful post, Sarah.
Indeed. I have nothing to add.
Well:
I hate Toby.
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As you said, Ash definitely needed to go, but I would have voted for Laurine for choosing to make a dish that she did not know how to make. Incredibly bizarre. Plus, Ash's dish was very bland, but nobody referred to it as cat food.
Yeah, I was a little surprised she wasn't the one booted. Sounds like they edited it to make her's sound much worse than it actually was.
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Restaurant Wars looks like it's going to be entertaining.
Agreed! I think most of us can agree who the four horses are in the competition (the brothers, kevin, jen).
If this was noted before and i didn't catch it I apologize, but flipping through channels I saw that Eli was an assistant chef for Richard Blaise in 2006 on Iron Chef, a rerun on sunday night! Against Mario Batali, who wears shorts and orange crocs all the time, and tours Spain with Gywneth Paltrow.
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Mario Batali, you say?
(http://i35.tinypic.com/10i5qtz.gif)
Woop woop.
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mario batali riding that scooter in a repetitive and nightmarish fashion is giving me nightmares. Worse than before. Thanks! Can you edit it into a crash?
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Yesterday I rewatched the latest episode as is my wont, and realized I neglected to mention two things in my earlier post:
1. Charlie Palmer's wink when Eli drew the belly knife really added to the pervert look his nasty mustache suggests he's trying to cultivate.
2. Was it not silly that thirty-year-old Michael V. referred to twenty-six-year-old Eli as a kid?
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2. Was it not silly that thirty-year-old Michael V. referred to twenty-six-year-old Eli as a kid?
I don't think so. He certainly acts like it. "You're not my mother" comes to mind.
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You find nothing laughable in the fact that he's calling someone a mere four years his junior a kid?
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* And this week Michael V. came off as the jerk I thought he was when the season began. Deliberately goading his brother, deliberately goading Eli--the guy is a bully.
agreed and Mike V. really doesn't wear baseball hats very well.
* The guest judge had an absolutely repulsive moustache.
maybe I'm naive and everybody knows everybody in the industry, but I thought it was really shady that Charlie Palmer was so familiar with the bros.
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You find nothing laughable in the fact that he's calling someone a mere four years his junior a kid?
Well maybe a little, but I think it's more a matter of mental than chronological age. I've been known to throw around kid with people older than me.
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You find nothing laughable in the fact that he's calling someone a mere four years his junior a kid?
Well maybe a little, but I think it's more a matter of mental than chronological age. I've been known to throw around kid with people older than me.
Don't try that with me.... Kid.
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You find nothing laughable in the fact that he's calling someone a mere four years his junior a kid?
Well maybe a little, but I think it's more a matter of mental than chronological age. I've been known to throw around kid with people older than me.
Don't try that with me.... Kid.
Wouldn't dream of it...Boss
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You find nothing laughable in the fact that he's calling someone a mere four years his junior a kid?
Eli does still live with his parents.
(that one hits too close to home)
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Hello? Restaurant Wars?
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Hello? Restaurant Wars?
Fell a bit flat for me - no real question as to who would win or lose half way into the episode.
Jenn looked pretty fine in her bikini, and then in the quick fire was high fiving her opposition? She's every fella's dream.
Is she losing it though? She and Bryan V. both.
If they do a three person final again I hope it is them and Kevin, though the producers might push for Michael V. in deliberations. Michael V. has become the jerkier of the two Michaels, that was an upset for me.
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Jenn looked pretty fine in her bikini, and then in the quick fire was high fiving her opposition? She's every fella's dream.
Is she losing it though? She and Bryan V. both.
If they do a three person final again I hope it is them and Kevin, though the producers might push for Michael V. in deliberations. Michael V. has become the jerkier of the two Michaels, that was an upset for me.
It does seem like she's been slipping a bit the last few episodes. Despite Mike V.'s jerkiness, I think he and Kevin are the clear frontrunners.
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Hey Natalie, maybe you shouldn't just walk into restaurants. Maybe you should give them a call the day before and let them know you're a vegetarian and will be dining there tomorrow, because chefs appreciate that kind of thing.
Also, maybe you shouldn't sign that Free Polanski petition and then call carnivores worse than rapists.
Just a little friendly advice.
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Hey Natalie, maybe you shouldn't just walk into restaurants. Maybe you should give them a call the day before and let them know you're a vegetarian and will be dining there tomorrow, because chefs appreciate that kind of thing.
Also, maybe you shouldn't sign that Free Polanski petition and then call carnivores worse than rapists.
Just a little friendly advice.
I'd also recommend delivering a good acting performing, which she hasn't done since Beautiful Girls in 1995.
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The part where Natalie, Padma, and Tom were exchanging dick jokes? Awkward.
When that other lady topped them and received applause from everyone at the table? GAH that was awful.
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Eli likes radishes.
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Yeah I don't get it.
Where the hell were the creamy delicious soups and pasta dishes during this challenge? Damn it.
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I know you all missed him this week, but rest assured Toby will be back next week with more horribly crafted put-downs.
I feel for Jennifer, I really do. But at this point she needs a dose of the ol' slap-around, she needs to pull herself out of this slump and rediscover that efficient kitchen nazi robot we've learned to love. By hypnosis if necessary.
So long, Mike - you disgusting piece of filth.
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I've been impressed with Mike V and only slightly twigged by his douchiness but his catty comment about Kevin's win (which was the least horrible out of a whole pile of disgusting fail) has firmly put him in the douche camp with no parole.
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Boo for a Reunion Show and yay for Fabio and Stefan and Carla and the other non-douches.
I kept waiting for Padma to come out at the end and say "Thanks for watching - also, we'll be back next week without Eli and Robyn. YOU'RE WELCOME."
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I like Cake Boss. I watch that show and daydream about having that job.
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I was really glad to see Robin go, if I'm being completely honest. The fact that she came back down and got in the way of another chef during the quickfire pretty much sums her up.
Also, the folks over at the AV Club comment section have dubbed Kevin, Gastrognome. So perfect.
I'm really disappointed in Jen. She was such a strong competitor but something has taken the wind out of her sails.
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I was really glad to see Robin go, if I'm being completely honest. The fact that she came back down and got in the way of another chef during the quickfire pretty much sums her up.
Also, the folks over at the AV Club comment section have dubbed Kevin, Gastrognome. So perfect.
I'm really disappointed in Jen. She was such a strong competitor but something has taken the wind out of her sails.
I feel bad for Jen more than disappointment. She seems like a sweet lady. Hugs and comfort for everybody. Quite a departure from when she ran the kitchen at that air base challenge, when she was so in charge and control. I want her to win, but think it is a matter of chance whether she or Eli goes first now.
I hope she proves me wrong though.
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I've been trying to figure out why this season has left me so cold. Part of the fault is mine, I know, but there's something awry with show as well, I think. Is it simply that it's running out of tricks? Or has part of its appeal always been the possibility of train wrecks, and the contestants this season are just too competent? Or is this season's crew just sort of boring, and there's not enough focus on the food to make up for the lack of personality? I don't know. But the fact that I haven't been able to muster the energy to quibble about the show for the last several episodes is telling.
Re Wednesday's episode: Jen is painful to watch. It's almost as though she's trying to get booted. Robin at least kept trying right to the end.
Too bad Michael Voltaggio is such a turd.
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Too bad Michael Voltaggio is such a turd.
"Kevin cooks the kind of food I cook on my day off."
This guy must go.
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Two more things (there were three, but I've forgotten the other):
1. Wouldn't it have been way better if instead of following the chefs on their stupid field trips to the casinos more time had been spent showing them making the food?
2. Wouldn't it also have been way better if Robin had done something with colored gelatin to mimic stained glass rather than attempting to work with sugar?
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Remembered it!
3. From what I've read, many people thought the sight of Padma and Nigella Lawson in bed brought the sexy back to Top Chef, but to me they looked like a couple of TB patients wrapped up in those huge terrycloth robes with the covers tucked neatly around them.
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It looked stupid and contrived, yes. Maybe if they'd been in the same bed.
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Et tu, Martin?
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Surely you got that I was joking. That's a cro-magnon/Mike I. comment.
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Two more things (there were three, but I've forgotten the other):
1. Wouldn't it have been way better if instead of following the chefs on their stupid field trips to the casinos more time had been spent showing them making the food?
2. Wouldn't it also have been way better if Robin had done something with colored gelatin to mimic stained glass rather than attempting to work with sugar?
Sarah -
Stained glass can be made with sugar. This is some my wife did ... And sort of what Robin was shooting for? I saw the fail coming midway through.
(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3262/2824067401_571a0f4106_o.jpg)
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Of course, it can, Scot. But obviously not by Robin, who just might have been able to come up with something prettyish if she'd used gelatin. Which was my point.
As for you, Martin, oh ye of little faith.
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Many apologies, Sarah. I misread your sentence. My wife just finished watching the episode, and wondered where the color in Robin's stained glass was.
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Not a big deal, but I thought it was kind of uneven of Colicchio to criticize Jen for mis-interpreting her inspiration by not over-spicing as Medieval people would have to disguise rancid meat (which I think is a myth actually) and then let Micheal skate for making chicken wings, a dish most commonly associated with Buffalo, NY. Not NY, NY.
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Many apologies, Sarah. I misread your sentence. My wife just finished watching the episode, and wondered where the color in Robin's stained glass was.
Apparently Robin thought a dull beige captured the essence of Chihuly's work.
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Can I just say that Chihuly is kind of a douchebag?
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Didn't you already? (Or was that somewhere else?)
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It was probably elsewhere. Well, he is. A grade-A douchebag.
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I trust you.
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One more thing: "Shit on a shingle" is such a misleading sobriquet. Creamed chipped beef looks much more like vomit than shit.
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One more thing: "Shit on a shingle" is such a misleading sobriquet. Creamed chipped beef looks much more like vomit than shit.
Duly noted!
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Have you never had it? Oh my heaven, it is awful. My mother used to make it from time to time. I tried it because I had to. A mistake. I don't know what Jen was thinking of.
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Speaking of food in general, I was in London over the weekend and had strips of duck in a thick, super-sweet lemon sauce at a simple hole-in-the-wall type Chinatown places. Best thing I've eaten all year. So... shout-out to that I guess.
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Can I just say that Chihuly is kind of a douchebag?
Hey, AFK got to sit in on a Chihuly workshop for children. AFK was maybe 11. Chihuly treated him like a king, even painted his deck shoes Pollack style. He was really cool with those kids.
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Chihuly is Tonya Harding's ex-husband, right?
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Chihuly is Tonya Harding's ex-husband, right?
I believe you are thinking of one Jeffrey Gogoogly.
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Have you never had it? Oh my heaven, it is awful. My mother used to make it from time to time. I tried it because I had to. A mistake. I don't know what Jen was thinking of.
I have managed to avoid consuming s-hit/vomit on a shingle. I do not think I will seek out this dish.
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Chihuly is Tonya Harding's ex-husband, right?
I believe you are thinking of one Jeffrey Gogoogly.
Co-founder of Google.
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Can I just say that Chihuly is kind of a douchebag?
Hey, AFK got to sit in on a Chihuly workshop for children. AFK was maybe 11. Chihuly treated him like a king, even painted his deck shoes Pollack style. He was really cool with those kids.
Well, he was a total dick to my mom. :(
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
Must. Resist. Urge. To. Make. Gross. COMMENT.
Stay Classy, Non-Mike & His Ilk Threads.
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
Must. Resist. Urge. To. Make. Gross. COMMENT.
Stay Classy, Non-Mike & His Ilk Threads.
senor fuerte de la estancia
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
AFK is Andy, but yes, he asked permission first.
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Eli is gone. I was a bit confused about tonight's elimination challenge though, the quickfire judge was talking about how they weaved baskets of zucchini and filled them with something else, as an example of a side? None of the sides seemed to enter that realm. I had never even heard of the competition they were discussing before, though it does sound pretty cool.
Kevin seems a sure thing to make it on next week to the finals, with Bryan or Jen most likely to go.
Thoughts?
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
AFK is Andy, but yes, he asked permission first.
My question was addressed to Laurie, sir, anent her mama's experience with Mr. Chihuly. How could I not know who AFK is?
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A new post for Top Chef-related comments:
* I found it interesting that Michael was not represented in the opening interviews. It seems that the producers think he's an asshole, too--as was borne out yet again by his comment that he could produce in four hours a ballotine better than the one it took that guest judge four months to conceive.
* I loved Padma's heartfelt "Welcome back" upon tasting Jen's dish. And I was very happy for Jen not only for winning the Quickfire and thus getting a confidence boost but for gaining thereby thirty extra minutes for the Elimination. And 'twas heart-warming that she ended up graciously using some of that extra time to help out Bryan.
* I was puzzled by Bryan's pronunciation of "crépinette" as though the "n" had a tilde, but Eli's saying "bo-koo dior" turned my stomach.
* My crush on Bryan grew tenfold when he taught Kevin how to cook lamb sous vide. Still, I think his brother would probably have done the same, although his explanation would have dripped with contempt, and the only reason he'd have furnished it is that he's so convinced he's the better chef.
* Though I would have preferred Bryan to win (I was very worried for him during this episode: he had a lot of face time and was unusually shaky during the Elimination), I am content that Kevin did, both for his sake and because it must have been a knife to Michael's gut. I cannot, however, imagine him doing well in the Bocuse d'Or, unless he spends a lot of time boning up on formal French technique. Either Bryan or Michael (particularly [she says begrudgingly] Michael) would have been far stronger in that competition.
* Padma and Kevin both have bangs next week.
* I'm sure we're all terribly, terribly surprised by the identities of the final 4.
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I agree with everything Sarah said, per usual.
Note that in his new blog Tom C. clarified that Kevin just won a chance to compete for an open slot on the U.S. Bocuse d'Or squad.
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For such a famous cooking competition, all that footage looked like it was shot in the mid-90s.
This week almost made me regret Robin going home last week. Her sure trainwreck of a platter would've been interesting to see.
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Robin platter? YES PLEASE. But let us praise the Moment of Actual Cooking and not Vegas-inspired bullshit.
Yes, that competition is a little like marzipan or a Japanese bento box on trucker pills. Who serves things on a mirror? Does Don Johnson judge? Yes, I'm sure it's all delicious. Can you imagine if Kevin actually learned how to cook like that?
Looking back at the pre-season picks - OMAR picked a final three that could still be in there (Jen, Beardo, Luke Wilson), I've still got Beardo "Martin Degrell's Long Lost Cousin" and Luke Wilson "The Technician". Let us not discuss my other picks. Why has someone not created a full-blown Fantasy Top Chef?
Just want to point out -- I think Top Chef is officially as long (or very close to) the NFL season. Which means it is solidly 4 weeks too long. And could use more blitzing.
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Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
AFK is Andy, but yes, he asked permission first.
My question was addressed to Laurie, sir, anent her mama's experience with Mr. Chihuly. How could I not know who AFK is?
Wait, did Chihuly paint Laurie's mom's shoes too? I am more confused than ever.
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Can I just say that Chihuly is kind of a douchebag?
Hey, AFK got to sit in on a Chihuly workshop for children. AFK was maybe 11. Chihuly treated him like a king, even painted his deck shoes Pollack style. He was really cool with those kids.
Well, he was a total dick to my mom. :(
Did he paint her shoes without her permission?
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* I loved Padma's heartfelt "Welcome back" upon tasting Jen's dish. And I was very happy for Jen not only for winning the Quickfire and thus getting a confidence boost but for gaining thereby thirty extra minutes for the Elimination. And 'twas heart-warming that she ended up graciously using some of that extra time to help out Bryan.
I want to add that right after Padma's "Welcome back" they cut to Kevin, across the room, winking at Jennifer, smiling, like "Nice going". Fine little moment.
Other than that I don't have much to add. Sarah nailed it as always.
Oh, it took me until today to find the episode online, so in lieu of my Top Chef fix I downloaded and blasted through the entire first season of Top Chef Masters, which for some peculiar reason I hadn't checked out before. An excellent show which really showcases the cameraderie that actually can exist among chefs. I really hope they decide to make another season of it.
EDIT: Gale this week - va va voom! Right? (Don't judge.)
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I didn't notice. Lots of cleavage, I presume?
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Yes.
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I really hope they decide to make another season of it.
I believe it was picked up for a second season, along with Top Chef: Just Desserts.
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I think what Bryan did was super classy and absolutely the right thing, helping Kevin out with his sous vide. I'm not sure I agree with him, though, that his brother would have done the same thing. Mike V. doesn't really seem like the kind of guy who would step up like that, especially considering his little digs at Kevin in the past few episodes.
My girlfriend and I were saying that Kevin, after the shock of winning the challenge (and a chance to take a spot in the Bocuse d'Or!), would probably offer Bryan some of the money he won, and that Bryan would probably turn it down. It's pretty amazing and heartening to see some real strong talent this season, but even better to see some great people doing well. I would totally hang out with Kevin or Eli.
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Bryan said he wasn't sure that his brother would have agreed to help Kevin.
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Totally misheard that. We must have been talking about what a nice gesture it was. It loses a bit of the selflessness in that context.
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Yes, my theory is that Bryan struggles to be decent, to Kevin (and I think Jen) decency comes naturally, and, for Michael, it isn't even an issue.
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Kevin has been captured on camera saying things that, to someone who is struggling with the prospect of getting kicked off, may come off as arrogant. I think, though, that there's a nervous quality to him where he wants to say the right thing to people that are stressing out, and he's also a little embarrassed by his success in the competition.
Jen looks like she just wants to cry all the time, or sleep, or do anything that is not being on Top Chef. She seems like a good person, but the intensity that she brought to the first half of the season has turned into tension.
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Hello? Snark? Thoughts on Gail's Hot Pockets (don't judge, my wife pointed it out too)?
RIP Jen. It's a shame a poorly constructed sibling rivalry that we also saw coming from episode one did you in. You didn't plan to make this dish so delicious and you used salt that we even admit is tricky? That is MUCH worse than a slimy egg and bullshit shapes bowl! Colicchio says "It may not make sense to you but it was clear to us immediately that it would be Jen who would be going home" which I still believe means "the producers talked to us and we all agreed that have a sausage off with the Brothers and Beardo would be hot."
The teasers for next week make me think that Owen Wilson is going down in flames, which will be worth it.
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I thought it was adorable that Jen still listens to high school mix tapes in her car. Didn't have a car with a cd player until two years ago, and I miss the tape deck.
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Hello? Snark? Thoughts on Gail's Hot Pockets (don't judge, my wife pointed it out too)?
RIP Jen. It's a shame a poorly constructed sibling rivalry that we also saw coming from episode one did you in. You didn't plan to make this dish so delicious and you used salt that we even admit is tricky? That is MUCH worse than a slimy egg and bullshit shapes bowl! Colicchio says "It may not make sense to you but it was clear to us immediately that it would be Jen who would be going home" which I still believe means "the producers talked to us and we all agreed that have a sausage off with the Brothers and Beardo would be hot."
The teasers for next week make me think that Owen Wilson is going down in flames, which will be worth it.
I'm sorry, what were you saying? I was too busy staring at Gail's heaving breasts. (Too much?)
Yeah, RIP Jen. Saw it coming. Definitely producer's decision. Michael's egg dish looked pretty disgusting. He'll probably win the whole thing though - the teaser for next week is probably misleading. Beardo will "play it safe" (because that's his "story" now), Cary Grant will be solid but not enough, and Michael will do something dazzling and daring, albeit not necessarily super tasty, that will prompt Colicchio to write something to the effect of "we knew all along Michael was gonna win, he was head and shoulder above everybody else" in his blog.
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If Michael wins it, I need to move all heavy objects away from throwing distance of me, because I will go all Incredible Hulk and SMASH.
And on Jen's mix tapes, the fact that they started the episode with her talking about her mother had me fearing the dreaded Loser Edit (TM).
No, not too much. As a commenter on Eater said (and I disargee with the first part): "A whole season of me changing channels when Gail is about to speak... Then she goes and wears that blue dress. I cannot stay mad at her. Well played Gail."
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Yeah, RIP Jen. Saw it coming. Definitely producer's decision. Michael's egg dish looked pretty disgusting. He'll probably win the whole thing though - the teaser for next week is probably misleading. Beardo will "play it safe" (because that's his "story" now), Cary Grant will be solid but not enough, and Michael will do something dazzling and daring, albeit not necessarily super tasty, that will prompt Colicchio to write something to the effect of "we knew all along Michael was gonna win, he was head and shoulder above everybody else" in his blog.
I am going to open a restaurant called Playing It Safe. It will serve delicious food that other chefs make on their off days.
As for Gail, I enjoy the infusion of eros she brings to the table.
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Cary Grant will be solid but not enough
He's Cary Grant now?! I hope you meant Gary Cooper because Bryan is lacking Mr. Grant's charm.
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My apologies to Sarah.
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Gail: I didn't notice her breasts at all the first time around, but, after various blogs panted over them, I made it a point to look for them when I rewatched the episode. Turns out they were pretty easy to spot, and, when I spied them, I thought of you, Martin.
Quibble: Bryan is Gary Cooper, not Cary Grant.
Finally: I wish Jen had at least won the Quickfire. Leaving with an expensive car would have taken some of the sting out of her dismissal.
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Gail: I didn't notice her breasts at all the first time around, but, after various blogs panted over them, I made it a point to look for them when I rewatched the episode. Turns out they were pretty easy to spot, and, when I spied them, I thought of you, Martin.
I appreciate that, Sarah.
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The perfect nickname for Brian is BLONDE DRAPER.
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"Blond" (for he is not a lady). And he doesn't have Don Draper's charm, either. But he is my fave, nonetheless.
I'm watching the final ep. right now. Twists abound. And this time I'll remember to keep an eye open for Gail's cleavage.
...
Okay. That's done.
* First things first: Gail's garb was unusually modest. Maybe she decided it was pointless trying to compete with Padma's pregnancy-engorged fruit basket.
* I was at first amused by the twist relating to the sous chefs, but I quickly changed my mind. It hardly seems fair that at that point in the competition a finalist faced the possibility of being sabotaged by having an incompetent sous cheft foisted upon him.
* Sidenote: Borderline personality Jesse became a blonde! And I believe she removed many of her piercings for the occasion.
* The mothers' surprise visit reeked of Hell's Kitchen. Between this and the sous chef nonsense, Bravo really seemed to be desperate to inject drama into the proceedings. Add to that the "mystery basket" course (shades of Chopped), the requirement to make a dessert, and the childhood memory course, this was a far cry from the "cook the best meal in your life" command of previous seasons. I guess they figured the three finalists were all so accomplished that something had to be done to jazz things up, but I really would happily have exchanged all the folderol for an hour devoted entirely to following the three as they prepared exactly what they wanted.
* Sidenote 1: When Tom (or Padma--I don't remember) said, "I hope you had a nice time visiting your mothers," I amused myself imagining a follow-up of "Because if you don't do well, it'll be the last visit you'll ever have."
* Sidenote 2: 'Twas cruel to have the mothers at the final table. Not so much on the contestants' behalf, but because the mamas risked hearing some painfully honest comments from the other diners and because it probably made those diners feel awkward about being honest. Another gimmick, and as pointless as Michael's faux mushroom.
* It was clear pretty early on that Kevin wasn't going to win. And, when Michael did, after a momentary pang, I was happy enough. Kevin and Bryan both have restaurants; Michael does not. And regardless of his personality he is unquestionably a good, imaginative chef. Sure, I'd probably prefer Kevin or Bryan's food, but what the hell. (Actually, I think if Michael and Bryan were merged into one, the result might be the perfect chef.)
Exciting reunion show next week. I'm sure there will be shocking revelations galore.
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Also annoyed about the twists, and the mothers. Unnecessary and speculative. In fact, it made the final pretty boring for me. I'd much rather just have the three final cheftestants in the kitchen, on their own, doing their stuff.
They seemed to downplay Michael's douchiness in the final, and I appreciated that, even though we already know what kind of goon he is. He is a very competent chef though, and probably deserved to win.
Looking forward to the reunion show.
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Top Chef should adopt the scoring system used on TC Masters. I'll go read the blogs and find out why Michael won, I guess. But just by watching that episode I have no clear picture of why Michael was chosen as the winner. Feels like bad storytelling to me; very unsatisfying.
And I agree about the twists as well, particularly the randomization of the sous. Randomizing the order of selection would have been fine, but that was just eh, silly.
I wish that I did not feel as negatively about this show as I do now. I really like the four finalists and I've come to appreciate Tom Colicchio (to a certain degree).
Oh, and that collection of restaurateurs or whatever they were creeped me the hell out. No food would look tasty at a table surrounded by that crew. And Bravo editors: please, no more shots of half picked-over plates of food.
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* I was at first amused by the twist relating to the sous chefs, but I quickly changed my mind. It hardly seems fair that at that point in the competition a finalist faced the possibility of being sabotaged by having an incompetent sous cheft foisted upon him.
Since this was probably the best top 3 (or 4) they've ever had, I wish they could've gone gimmick free. I kinda understand it for the seasons when there is a clear favorite and they need to make things a little more "interesting" but I think most of us find it much more satisfying to watch 3 excellent chefs trying to best each other without any silly twists. The wonderful finale of Top Chef Masters would be a perfect template to follow: dish from childhood, dish from "now", dish from the future (though I guess it might be more difficult since most of the contestants are younger).
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Scott Baio owns a winery?
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Nothing new to say that hasn't been already, but even with the flaws it's sad to see this season go, including all the recaps and this thread. I think next season, though, I'm going to return to only watching halfway in. There are far too many contestants in the beginning (who am I kidding, I'll be downloading EVERY EPISODE).
RIP Top Chef Las Vegas thread, Welcome new Top Chef thread 2010!
Let us pause once more to give Omar a victory lap for his preseason picks:
Final 3:
(http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/kevin-gillespie.png) (http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/jennifer-carroll.png) (http://www.bravotv.com/media/images/persons/bryan-voltaggio.png)
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Yes, kudos to Omar!
That pick-the-winners-based-on-their-promo-photos game is easily the best non-cleavage thing about Top Chef.
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1. Reunion show: Dull. Well, dull and a bit uncomfortable when the Robin business came up. (If you missed the show, be assured that she's still a turd, in case you were worrying. Oh, Mike I. continues to be repellent as well.)
2. Andy Cohen--why?
3. Poor Bryan. I wanted him win "fan favorite" just so he could get a little cash out of this affair. Luck was not a lady to him through the entire show. She should be ashamed of herself.