Top Chef New York

[Kim Kelly]

So I took my mom to the DiL(i)do because it is the kind of place you might take your parents. I mean, it's at the Ritz-Carlton, beachside.

We ordered everything off the tapas menu to get a good sampling. It was good for the most part, but I could get better falafel at the Daily Bread. Jeff was kind of making the rounds, so I told him he got robbed. He kind of grinned and shrugged, but he came by to make us some tableside ginger mango granita or something with liquid nitrogen. For free! Awwww, how sweet!

I think he has some talent, and I would be interested to see how he does outside of hotel cuisine.

[Omar]

SPOILER!









"While we selected the top three and bottom three dishes and discussed them as such, five of the six were actually well done, and the only chef that any of us ever considered sending home that night was Jamie." - T. Colicchio on his Bravo blog.

Whuuuuuuuuuut?  Leah was criticized for not paying attention to the details of her dish and producing a misguided version that flubbed a primary component.  Bizarre. 

Also:

"... this is just turning into a bloodbath. Stefan is so far ahead of the pack at this point that the rest are really backing into a race for second. The guy could turn in a greasy bag of McDonald’s drive-thru on the final challenge and probably still have enough respect built up to win Top Chef outright. The proof is in the numbers: After tonight’s episode, Stefan has notched four Quickfire and four Elimination wins, which already puts him two ahead of any chef from a previous season. He exudes—okay, more than exudes, boasts—an unshakable confidence in his abilities while even his toughest competitors can hardly hold onto their knives in the presence of a culinary artiste like Eric Ripert. He’s going to have to have a massive, Richard-esque meltdown to let this one get away from him, and he’s far more disciplined than the freewheeling Richard ever was." -- Scott Tobias.

[Sarah]

So they got rid of Jamie because her dish was salty and kept Leah because, even though she failed the challenge by not being able to reproduce the original dish, they could stand choking it down?  By that standard, Ariane should have been dumped in episode 2 (I think) and Jill should have stayed. 

I was shocked that Jamie was axed, but she's been annoying me lately and I think she's a few-tricks pony, so I didn't mind as much as I could have.  I did long for the removal of Leah, though, whose pouting reached new heights in this episode.  And isn't Hosea a sour, jealous creep?

Carla, on the other hand, just gets better and better.  I loved it when she said she wants to be one of Eric Ripert's dishes when she grows up.  I think
Ripert would like that, too--he seemed quite charmed by her.

In conclusion, yay, Stefan FinGerSwiss.  If he doesn't win, and it's for any reason less than utter disaster, those responsible for Top Chef will have to fear for their lives.

later:  "We used to catch them in horses' heads in the river in Germany and Switzerland. You rope the head of the horse and throw it in the river or stream, wait a few days and pull it out and here you have beautiful eel."  FinGerSwiss on eels (from the Top Chef site) or a passage from The Tin Drum?

[franks.]

One of the better episodes of the season, I think. They were actually being tested on their chef skills in the quick fire and in the elimination challenge. Eric Ripert added a needed touch of class. I liked how he helped everyone with the dishes as if it weren't a deathmatch.

It's been interesting to see how Carla continues to get better. I really thought she would have flaked out long before now. But she's solid and her confidence seems to grow. Meanwhile, Leah, who initially I thought would hold it together is just giving up.

I liked Jamie, but it seemed clear she was done right from the get go. Ah well.

[Denim Gremlin]

So they got rid of Jamie because her dish was salty and kept Leah because, even though she failed the challenge by not being able to reproduce the original dish, they could stand choking it down?  By that standard, Ariane should have been dumped in episode 2 (I think) and Jill should have stayed. 

I was shocked that Jamie was axed, but she's been annoying me lately and I think she's a few-tricks pony, so I didn't mind as much as I could have.  I did long for the removal of Leah, though, whose pouting reached new heights in this episode.  And isn't Hosea a sour, jealous creep?

Carla, on the other hand, just gets better and better.  I loved it when she said she wants to be one of Eric Ripert's dishes when she grows up.  I think
Ripert would like that, too--he seemed quite charmed by her.

In conclusion, yay, Stefan FinGerSwiss.  If he doesn't win, and it's for any reason less than utter disaster, those responsible for Top Chef will have to fear for their lives.

later:  "We used to catch them in horses' heads in the river in Germany and Switzerland. You rope the head of the horse and throw it in the river or stream, wait a few days and pull it out and here you have beautiful eel."  FinGerSwiss on eels (from the Top Chef site) or a passage from The Tin Drum[/i]?

hahaha i'm so glad someone else was thinking about that during that scene.

[dave from knoxville]

So they got rid of Jamie because her dish was salty and kept Leah because, even though she failed the challenge by not being able to reproduce the original dish, they could stand choking it down?  By that standard, Ariane should have been dumped in episode 2 (I think) and Jill should have stayed. 

They kept Leah because the hoochie-koochie drives the ratings. These guys have about as much integrity as your average college football coach.

[Martin]

"Peace out, bitches!"

[jbissell]

"Peace out, bitches!"

About damn time.  I was pretty worried for most of the episode.

[Kim Kelly]

During the commercial break leading up to elimination, I repeatedly chanted, "LEAH, please pack your knives and GO," over and over again. IT WORKED.

[Omar]

Bravotv.com: When Toby mentioned that he liked his egg whites a little runny, you gave him (a hilarious) look like he was nuts. What was going through your mind when he said that?

Wylie Dufresne: Who likes a runny egg white?

[Kim Kelly]

Yeah, I may not be the biggest fan of molecular gastronomy (SORRY, Grant Achatz, I'm not impressed), but my respect for Wylie Dufresne increased tenfold when I saw him give Toby the hairy eyeball.

[Martin]

Yes. It was obvious (again) that Toby is out of his element.

[Omar]

At certain points throughout the season, it seemed like you gave up a little bit or were exhausted.

Leah: I was just over the whole thing midway through. I didn’t feel like being there anymore, I didn’t feel like dealing with the challenges and all the stress of the show.

http://nymag.com/daily/food/2009/02/top_chef_exit_interview_episod_7.html

[Sarah]

I guess you watched the whole thing, too, Omar.

Blah ep., I thought, though I feared for FGS for a bit.  Poor thing, he was terribly worried--although he shocked me by not even realizing that his fish was overcooked.  But, yet again, Fabio shows himself to be intolerant of criticism.  Yet again Leah was Leah.  Yet again Hosea was a jealous creep (did you catch his smirk when FGS was chastised at judges' table?).  Yet again, Carla was wacky, although her performance rang false and I liked her less. 

This season has sucked.

[Martin]

I agree, Sarah, this season has been one long disappointment.