Top Chef: Seattle

[columbia]

That sort of excess was the downfall of both the Roman Empire and LGP Warz.

[tifosi77]

Spoiler:

I am making the lamb stuffed squid, and I am making it soon. The moment she described her dish my ears perked up and I was like "I'm in!"

Loved how Padma smacked down Herr **** "Maybe just stop saying you're the pork guy".

Curious what others think of Last Chance Kitchen...

I have mixed feelings myself. On one hand, it gives chefs a chance to redeem themselves when they could potentially have been somewhat screwed by a team challenge... but on the other hand, they aren't really competing in the same competition anymore and yet still get a shot to come back.

In particular, I think they're going completely overboard this time... the winner gets to come back in the finale, so they don't even have to win their way into that via the main competition... and now we also have this save a chef campaign... at what point is enough enough?

I like the idea of Last Chance Kitchen, but hate the implementation. It was especially bad because every eliminated chef had a chance to cook their way back in..... except for the person that the Last Chance Winner eliminated to make it into the Finals. (Which is why I think the LCK winner has their ticket punched straight to the Final this time around.) I confess, I'm not following it this season.

I do not like the "Save a Chef" thing. At all.

[the wicked child]

I actually didn't follow LCK at all last season until the final episode... and then they got me with the cliffhanger. I decided to just watch it this season since it's only 10 mins.

[the wicked child]

LCK spoilers

Spoiler:

I wasn't really rooting for anyone in particular, but I am now actively rooting against CJ. Big Ceej they are calling him. Give me a break. This guy was in the bottom every week on his second stint. Hopefully someone puts an end to his run or I am going to stop watching.

[the wicked child]

As for the last episode...

Spoiler:

I wish Josh was against someone other than Danyelle... I don't think he is any good, and his mustache annoys me beyond belief. Still a lot of pretenders to get rid of...

I have to agree with whoever was complaining about Josie... No substance, just an obnoxious laugh.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

Josh and Josie in the bottom yet again... Both still there. Wish they could have just dumped all 4 of them last night tbh. Not that I disagree with the decision, just frustrating that all of that obnoxious dead weight is still around.

[Sam's Drunk Dog]

Agree

[the wicked child]

Episode:

Spoiler:

Well, John really fell apart there. He deserved to go home based on his poor performance, but it pains me that some others are still there. I think it's hilarious that Mustache Boy has the gall to criticize anyone else for making excuses when he has been the king of such thus far. Hopefully his time comes soon.

LCK:

Spoiler:

Ug. So sick of CJ at this point. I figured John would have a good chance to knock him down, but he dropped the ball too.

[Fast B]

I'm glad that the pea puree thing came up; that was the first "memorable moment" I thought of.

[tifosi77]

Some underwhelming food the past couple weeks, nothing memorable at all.

[the wicked child]

I loved the idea of the crab stuffed jalapeños as a kicked up game day snack... Was it really top chef worthy though? Maybe not.

[columbia]

no. it was not TC worthy.

[the wicked child]

They should save everyone's time and just put Kuniko back in wherever they're planning. Clearly she is going to win every week. Getting eliminated twice was not enough apparently.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

Once again, the right person sent home BUT Josie escapes yet again. It offends me that not only did she get a second shot, she made it to the top seven.

[the wicked child]

LCK

Spoiler:

I have a feeling CJ's run is going to continue at this point... at least until it gets closer to the finale. There are still some weak chefs left that will almost certainly be eliminated shortly that won't have a shot at knocking him out. That burger that got him kicked out is looking better and better as the weeks go on... all he has to do is outcook one probably weaker chef who may still be reeling from being eliminated instead of surviving the tougher challenges of the main competition.

[columbia]

Spoiler:

Micah's sashimi seemed kind of weak in this context, but Josie seriously needs to go.

Brooke wins the girl next door chef that you wished lived next door award of all time.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

Micah's sashimi seemed kind of weak in this context, but Josie seriously needs to go.

Brooke wins the girl next door chef that you wished lived next door award of all time.

Agreed on both accounts.

Spoiler:

I knew Micah was going to be eliminated the instant he mentioned his theme. That said... Josie is so terrible.

My guess right now is that the people making the finals come from Brooke, Kristen and Stefan. Unless someone else pulls a 180, I don't see them competing long term. if any of them does get eliminated, they could easily be right back via LCK.

[tifosi77]

I loved the idea of the crab stuffed jalapeños as a kicked up game day snack... Was it really top chef worthy though? Maybe not.

no. it was not TC worthy.

I don't know, Colicchio made some good points about it when El Mustachio piped up about the popper at Judges Table. There was some cheffy thought and technique that went into making it, something that Josh would do well to, I don't know, maybe attempt once or twice before he inevitably gets sent packing.

Josh has been in the bottom four out of nine challenges so far, as has Josie. The big difference is that Josh at least has been among the top dishes three times, while every single time Josie has been to Judges Table is because she sucks. The only other chef to do worse, imo, was CJ who was in the bottom of three of the four challenges up to his elimination.

Spoiler:

I've quietly become more and more impressed with Lizzie, then she had two brain fart weeks. If that silly Kindle challenge hadn't been cooked into the elimination when she went up against John, she clearly should have been sent off. Those scallops never should have left the market.

[the wicked child]

Spoiler:

What frustrates me about Josie is that the judges never seem to mention how this is her second run through the show. I would expect them to hold her to a higher standard due to that. Frankly, I think the show is falling into the trap of keeping her around to create tension. There is no excuse for her to be there otherwise. None.

[tifosi77]

Spoiler:

What frustrates me about Josie is that the judges never seem to mention how this is her second run through the show. I would expect them to hold her to a higher standard due to that. Frankly, I think the show is falling into the trap of keeping her around to create tension. There is no excuse for her to be there otherwise. None.

Spoiler:

The reality is you only have to be better than one chef every week. That's it. You only need to beat one person. That person changes from challenge to challenge, of course. But so long as you are only second worst, you get to stay. That's where I think Josie lives.

I don't agree that the judges should be holding her (or Stefan or CJ) to higher standards because they've been here before. But I do very much think that those chefs should have come in expecting much better of themselves. Honestly, watching them cook now it looks as if they have an air of "I got this" about them, like they thought their poop didn't stink cos they were Returning. And they just have not been up to scratch. Stefan seems to be coming around, but it bit CJ in the arse before he could find his feet ("I did a stage at Noma, ooooohhhhh......") and Josie keeps skating on thin ice.

[tifosi77]

Okay Mrs Tif and I finally got around to watching the pre-Restaurant Wars episode from last week.

Spoiler:

What was Micah thinking?! What a terrible concept for a restaurant as a showcase for your cheffy skills....... I won't cook anything!! And I personally would have rather eaten at Kritsin's restaurant than either of the two that won.

Speaking of Kristin....... what a brilliant idea in the Quickfire! Using a siphon canister to infuse flavor into ingredients in a hurry. Genius. Ginger is my absolute favorite ingredient to work with, so I was already jazzed by the challenge. But the ISI thing was just fantastic. I know she didn't win (or even get a mention as a top dish), but that's a seriously inventive technique that might pay off with some work.

[Fast B]

Spoiler:

Oh for ****'s sake. What does Ms. Horse Laugh have to do to get the boot? Kristin has cooked circles around Josie all season.

[tifosi77]

I'm really not quite sure what I just watched tonight. So I'll just let Tom Colicchio speak as my proxy from his blog.....

Spoiler:

I know what you’re thinking, and I know how you’re feeling, and all I can say is that having now watched the episode and seen everything that went on behind the scenes, I share your frustration. I really do.
*****
It’s bad enough not to do what you’re asked to do, but it’s a whole lot worse to say you’re going to do it and only afterwards reveal that you didn’t… time and again. Had we managed to discover this at Judges’ Table, the outcome of the challenge would have been different, but Kristen wouldn’t divulge it, insisting that the buck stopped with her.
*****
Kristen’s assumption of responsibility and refusal to set the record straight when she could have shows a lot of character. It shows, further, that she truly understands what it means to run a restaurant kitchen and be responsible for every plate that leaves it. I commend her for that.

As you might expect, I wholeheartedly agree with the first two points. The third..... not so much.

Perhaps it's nothing more than the complementary biases of 1) thinking Josie is a zombie hose beast not worthy of oxygen, and 2) being privy to information the Judges didn't have, but Josie's body language and vocal inflections and..... just..... everything about her demeanor and presentation at Judges Table was an indictment of her own performance. After Josie's second infraction of "I'm-going-to-go-roast-the-bones-for-the-stock-but-not-really-psyche!" Mrs Tif put forward the suggestion that Josie was deliberately dogging it, sabotaging Kristen's concept. And as Colicchio says in the quoted bit, it's bad enough to not do what you're told, but it's even worse to say you did do it but reveal later that - whoopsie! - you actually didn't. It's really hard to defend that, tbh.

The level of disgrace Josie exhibited was matched only by Kristen's inability to stand up for herself (mistakenly thinking she was preserving her 'integrity' by not giving a factual recount of what happened during prep and service), which gave the judges a grossly ill-informed view of Atalier Kwan's concept and implementation. That's a not only an act of cowardice unbecoming a chef, it's a disservice to the other two chef/cooks who bought into your concept and executed some pretty good dishes and gave really good front-of-house service.

That said, the combined poopy-headedness displayed by Josie and Kwan is only slightly more contemptible than Brooke's and Lizzie's silence in the face of these critiques. Up to this point, I had been coming around to thinking Lizzie was an interesting cook, and was excited about the possibility of dining at Hudson House in Redondo Beach (my old neighborhood) because I felt Brooke was a real dark horse and possible contender. Now.... I'm not really so comfortable with the idea of enriching Kristen with my patronage, however slight that enrichment may be. (It's also a slight oddity for me because Brooke very much reminds me of my boss, both in appearance and in mannerisms.)

To say I'm disappointed in tonight's outcome is a massive understatement. The only saving grace is that Colicchio seems to realize the judge's effed up something fierce with this one.

[the wicked child]

I'm too angry to say much besides worst. decision. ever.

[the wicked child]

Ok, so I will comment a tiny bit...

Spoiler:

So now Josie who has been in the bottom almost every week is in the top 6. To say this is a joke is a severe understatement. Ridiculous.

Kristen pissed me off for not standing up, and I agree with tif re: the others not speaking up either... shady move by them, IMO.

LCK

Spoiler:

On the plus side, "Big Ceej"' is done. (Unless he gets "saved", but I'm pretty sure Kuniko has that in the bag at this point)