Top Chef Chicago

[Omar]

I thought Harold's comments about Bourdain were extremely bizarre.  I actually had to read them several times to make sure I wasn't missing something.  Bourdain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and spent the next 20 years running various kitchens in NYC restaurants, including the highly-respected Les Halles.  Not to mention traveling around the globe sampling world cuisines for the past five years or so.  The notion that he has no credibility in assessing the food on a reality television program because his highest-profile post was at a bistro-style restaurant is absurd.  Plus, Bourdain (and guest judge José Andrés) injected some life into the proceedings, unlike the increasingly narcotized Colicchio, barking out the same old notes about improper seasonings and other minor quibbles, often with an annoying 'tude.  Harold is very talented, and by all accounts his restaurant is top-notch, but he, like Hitler, is a grade. A. JERK.  I do agree with him regarding Padma's food critiques.  I'd rather listen to Stevie Blue serenade Lisa with "Chocolate-Covered Hearts" than listen to Padma's commentary.  Then again, she's probably better than Gail Simmons.  Ew buoy.

Also, is it just me or are they really starting to overdo the looped-lines voiceover.  It seemed particularly bad this week. 

[Laurie]

(although I'm remembering now that during the Common Threads challenge she talked about how she was raised eating upper-crust food--what, one wonders, is her definition of "upper-crust"?).

Crème brûlée?

[Sarah]

Funny Laurie.  In response, I offer these gems from the Top Chef blogs:

From Team Top Chef:  "I've never tasted Dave Martin's famous mac 'n cheese, but this certainly cut the mustard." 

From the comments thereto:  "I was sick to my stomach tonight when wonderful Spike was voted off from frozen scallops, not his fault"  [if not his, whose?]

[Martin]

I thought Harold's comments about Bourdain were extremely bizarre.  I actually had to read them several times to make sure I wasn't missing something.  Bourdain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and spent the next 20 years running various kitchens in NYC restaurants, including the highly-respected Les Halles.  Not to mention traveling around the globe sampling world cuisines for the past five years or so.  The notion that he has no credibility in assessing the food on a reality television program because his highest-profile post was at a bistro-style restaurant is absurd.  Plus, Bourdain (and guest judge José Andrés) injected some life into the proceedings, unlike the increasingly narcotized Colicchio, barking out the same old notes about improper seasonings and other minor quibbles, often with an annoying 'tude.  Harold is very talented, and by all accounts his restaurant is top-notch, but he, like Hitler, is a grade. A. JERK.  I do agree with him regarding Padma's food critiques.  I'd rather listen to Stevie Blue serenade Lisa with "Chocolate-Covered Hearts" than listen to Padma's commentary.  Then again, she's probably better than Gail Simmons.  Ew buoy.

Also, is it just me or are they really starting to overdo the looped-lines voiceover.  It seemed particularly bad this week. 

Can I just say I really liked this post? Thanks.

(And yes on the looping, gets worse every week.)

[joanna]

I thought Harold's comments about Bourdain were extremely bizarre.  I actually had to read them several times to make sure I wasn't missing something.  Bourdain graduated from the Culinary Institute of America and spent the next 20 years running various kitchens in NYC restaurants, including the highly-respected Les Halles.  Not to mention traveling around the globe sampling world cuisines for the past five years or so.  The notion that he has no credibility in assessing the food on a reality television program because his highest-profile post was at a bistro-style restaurant is absurd.  Plus, Bourdain (and guest judge José Andrés) injected some life into the proceedings, unlike the increasingly narcotized Colicchio, barking out the same old notes about improper seasonings and other minor quibbles, often with an annoying 'tude.  Harold is very talented, and by all accounts his restaurant is top-notch, but he, like Hitler, is a grade. A. JERK.

i don't think that harold was saying that bourdain wasn't qualified to be a judge; i think he was saying that he wasn't qualified to replace tom specifically.

as far as his chops are concerned, bourdain does a truly excellent job in his own book of convincing you of how undeserving he is of his success: he says he graduated CIA when it wasn't competitive at all and anyone could graduate; he fully admits to the fact that he lucked into all of his early executive chef positions when he wasn't ready yet; and he's never owned his own restaurant so he's never created his own menu from scratch (which several top chef contestants have) -- he was mostly just cooking other people's recipes, which is what any competent sous chef can do.

i have several friends in nyc who are chefs, and none of them are grade a jerks, and they all share harold's opinion of bourdain.

bourdain is just a personality.

[joanna]

sorry to get all worked up about this, by the way. bourdain is who i wanted to call in with on tuesday and say that i would never trade lives with*, so i was already ramped up about this.



*sorry, bourdain and jared leto. so no one get me started about jared leto!

[mokin]

Let's not forget that you are a vegan, Joanna, and Anthony Bourdain is the Vegan Anti-Christ.

[jbissell]

I do agree with him regarding Padma's food critiques.  I'd rather listen to Stevie Blue serenade Lisa with "Chocolate-Covered Hearts" than listen to Padma's commentary.  Then again, she's probably better than Gail Simmons.  Ew buoy.

Surely the Katie Lee Joel era has not been forgotten? She was the absolute worst. It's funny, when I go to check the episode info on my cable, they still list her as host of the show.

[joanna]

Let's not forget that you are a vegan, Joanna, and Anthony Bourdain is the Vegan Anti-Christ.

if i had gotten started on his idiot opinions, i could have gone all day.

he's an ABBA-hater, you know. it's even in his wikipedia entry.

[Laurie]

I do agree with him regarding Padma's food critiques.  I'd rather listen to Stevie Blue serenade Lisa with "Chocolate-Covered Hearts" than listen to Padma's commentary.  Then again, she's probably better than Gail Simmons.  Ew buoy.

Surely the Katie Lee Joel era has not been forgotten? She was the absolute worst. It's funny, when I go to check the episode info on my cable, they still list her as host of the show.

I said in the chat that I would not trade places with Katie Lee Joel. I would trade places with Padma, now that she's divorced ol' Rushdie.

[jbissell]

"congratulations, you won the fucking bronze medal"

I've really warmed to Richard of late.

[Andy]

this is totally off topic, but:

this year the voice overs are ridiculous.  they're so obviously edited in, it's like they didn't even try.

and I like Bourdain, although I used to find him unbearable.

[erika]

Fucking Lisa of the Nasty Chins!



She's got such a 'tude and not enough talent to allow one to dismiss it.

GOOOOOO STEPHANIE! (Richard is warming to me too but I still like Stephanie more.)

[jbissell]

GOOOOOO STEPHANIE! (Richard is warming to me too but I still like Stephanie more.)

Yes, I hope Stephanie pulls it out but I have a bad feeling that she is going to make some mistake that costs her in the end.

[Omar]

Perhaps they edited out additional Judges' Table criticisms of Antonia's dishes, but I don't see how undercooked peas and an ill-advised plating decision are greater offenses than Lisa's medley of mishaps. 

Spike was very likable in this episode.  One of Richard's skills is bringing out the best in other chefs (e.g., Dale during the Improv challenge.)