Top Chef Season 4

[Coffee Warlord]

Yes, I love this show. Season 4 premiere (right here in Chicago) on right now.

Anyone else watchin?

[JetsIn06]

Holy crap. This is one of my favorite shows and I had no idea it was on. I suck. At least Bravo shows episodes at least 20 times during the week, so I'll definitely watch ASAP.

[MJ4H]

Yeah my wife is addicted to this show and I like to watch it, too. She's watching hard-core right now while I'm paying about 10% attention to it. I will have no trouble seeing this episode again at some point, I'm sure.

[Coffee Warlord]

Tell you what, this is one of the shows I wish I had Tivo or some sort of DVR for. The commercials for Bravo's other shows are...painful.

[Ksyrup]

I can't read this, the 1st ep is one of the shows backlogging our DVR right now.

[terpkristin]

I didn't catch it last night, as I was watching South Park and Lewis Black's new show, but I'll definitely be checking it out on one of the many re-runs. Only down side for me to this show, I really loathe Padma.

/tk

[rkmsuf]

shit, it's back on? love this show. and hell's kitchen which is on again soon I think.

[Ksyrup]

If I had a nickel for every woman who despises Padma...

And yeah, rkmsuf, check the 2008 new shows/seasons thread I started. This one and HK are mentioned.

[Ksyrup]

One of the other boards I post at is largely based in Chicago, which is where this season was filmed. One of the guys posted this today:

< dumb dumb dumb...they were staying in a house not too far from our place on paulina. we thought something was fishy when there were xmas decorations set around this empty new home in the middle of sept.

At least one of the guys on that board is a chef, too, so it will be interesting to read their comments about stuff as the season progresses.

[MJ4H]

My wife loves Padme and I don't like her. Gail Simmons is more my speed. Yum.

This will be so hard to believe for some of you that have read a select couple of other threads of mine, but I have this friend (the best-buy, Maaco, movie-maker, playmate cameraman guy) that is a very good chef (was a professional chef for years) and I like to watch this show with him so he can explain to me just what the eff is going on most of the time. We backlog these episodes on the DVR and my wife watches them when they air and I usually ignore them until I can watch with him. I'm more interested in the food side of what's going on, I just don't understand any of it without help.

[Coffee Warlord]

I'm rootin' for the New Zealand guy.

[terpkristin]

If I had a nickel for every woman who despises Padma...

Well, I just don't think she adds anything to the show. I know she's written a cookbook, but that doesn't really mean she knows much about "being a chef" or what makes food good. Quite often, she disagrees with the other judges about what is "good" or shows "great skill," because she just is too stupid to know. I definitely watch this show for the techniques and the food, not because I care about the fighting they inspire (forced or otherwise) to make it a "true" reality show.

If most women hate her because she's pretty...well, there's that. I think she's pretty. Not super-model pretty, but I don't hate her because of her looks. She just doesn't seem to really know much about food and haute cuisine.

/tk

[MJ4H]

I agree she doesn't seem to know what is going on most of the time. There was one time last season where I think they intentionally edited the show to include as many times as possible where she would just, quite literally, repeat whatever Tom said. I thought it was terrific.

I don't really think she is all that pretty either. I mean, she is mildly attractive, sure, but her look is really not my kind of thing.

Repeating:
Gail freakin Simmons

yeah

[Ksyrup]

She's the host - her knowledge of food is irrelevant. Jeff Probst didn't have to prove he was Les Stroud before hosting Survivor, did he?

And even though she's allowed to "vote" on who wins/loses, we never see how the discussions are ultimately resolved. Just a hunch, but if everyone is evenly split, I don't think she casts a deciding vote. She's just there to move the story along and serve as eye candy.

[Ksyrup]

Gail Simmons is as attractive to me as Tom the Bear.

[MJ4H]

Please! Link to Tom the Bear!

[MJ4H]

Wait does Tom the Bear look anything like Sgt. Grumbles?

[Ksyrup]

Tom the Bear is Tom Colichio, the chef/co-host. Last year, on one of those Top Chef Specials where they bring back former contestants, it came out that Tom has a huge following among certain types of gay men. Tom seemed distinctly unhappy and uncomfortable with that revelation. One of the funniest, out of nowhere moments on a reality show I've seen in some time.

It's up to you to research "bears."

[ntndeacon]

Crap! I did not know this was back on either. I love watching this.

[kcchief19]

As much as I love this show, my appreciate would go up an additional 10% if they could land Anthony Bourdain as a permanent judge instead of just once or twice a season. And Rocco DiSpirito has largely redeemed his reputation thanks to Top Chef, even if I thought he displayed a few of his douchebag-esque qualities last night.

Hard to say I have any favorites yet and won't say too much for spoilers. There are a couple of people who definitely demonstrated potential to get on my nerves though.

[Ksyrup]

I agree about Bourdain, absolutely.

[MJ4H]

Tom the Bear is Tom Colichio, the chef/co-host. Last year, on one of those Top Chef Specials where they bring back former contestants, it came out that Tom has a huge following among certain types of gay men. Tom seemed distinctly unhappy and uncomfortable with that revelation. One of the funniest, out of nowhere moments on a reality show I've seen in some time.

It's up to you to research "bears."

Oh yeah I saw that. That was indeed pretty funny. I really like Chef Tom, by the way. Not in the way those particular followers do, but he seems like a really cool guy.

Anyway, you underrate Gail Simmons!

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I like Tom a lot, too. I wish he was on more as well. I particularly like it when he interviews them as they are preparing something and you can tell from his facial expression that he thinks they are making a terrible decision. If I was one of those people and I saw that, I'd just stop what I was doing, say screw it, and go have a smoke.

[kcchief19]

I agree about Bourdain, absolutely.
I'm still cracking up from the Thanksgiving episode in Season two when he told Mikey that his cooking technique was "Flintstonian" in its execution.

[GrantDawg]

What I loved about this episode was Bourdain not liking the sakee martini. If you make an achololic drink that he doesn't like, it must be bad.

[General Mike]

Is it just me, or are all these people d-bags?

[Coffee Warlord]

I like Mark (the Kiwi).

And like...that's it. The likability of these guys just isn't there. The guy they just axed last week (Erik, the big tatooed dude) was cool as hell.

And one of the lesbos needs to go now. They made their point, no more.

[JetsIn06]

I'm also rooting for Mark. Seems like the only person there that I would like if I met them. Totally agree with the d-bag comment, and I liked Eric also.

Last season had much better contestants, for sure.

[Coffee Warlord]

What I wanna know now.

Is how the hell mushroom bitch (that tall skinny older chick who has made like...nothing decent) still there?

[General Mike]

I hate these people. I'd punch every single one of them in the face, and it would be justified.

[Ksyrup]

We'll probably watch this episode tomorrow or Friday. I don't think there's anything wrong with Richard, but the Beardo Twins and Dale need a good kick to the nads. And I'm glad Peppermint Patty went home a few weeks ago, too.

[PurdueBrad]

There really is nobody likable at this point. It is just a train wreck IMHO. My wife can barely stand to watch and I'm getting close to that as well. I'm to the point where I wish I could just skip ahead to it being Dale vs. Richard because I'm not sure anybody else there can cook with them. And I hate to root for that since Dale is a prick and Richard is fairly arrogant but if I saw one of the others walking down the side of the road, I'm pretty certain that I would swerve to hit them.

[Ksyrup]

Richard may be arrogant, but at least he's quiet about it. And he's clearly the best cook of all of them. If he was carrying on like Andrew, then I would agree with you. I find him pretty well spoken, funny, and dead-on with nearly every decision he makes in the kitchen.

[General Mike]

I agree. Richard definitely seems like the best cook. You'd have to be pretty good to be an opponent on Iron Chef America, right?

To me, it seems they are really scraping the bottom of the barrel tho, as compared to past seasons. I guess you could say that about a lot of these competitive, non game show, reality shows.

[DaddyTorgo]

Richard may be arrogant, but at least he's quiet about it. And he's clearly the best cook of all of them. If he was carrying on like Andrew, then I would agree with you. I find him pretty well spoken, funny, and dead-on with nearly every decision he makes in the kitchen.

he was also on Iron Chef America - which makes me think that he has more legit "recognition" in the industry than any of the others at least.

I think it does basically have to come down to the two of them, but I have very little doubt that Richard will win.

And as someone else said, at least he's not "in your face" about being better - in fact early on when he had won immunity I appreciated the fact that he was still being an active part of his team and driving them to victory and then in the wedding episode sharing the prize with cake-girl (whatever her name is).

He's not a dick. Dale's clearly arrogrant. Therefore I gotta pull for Richard.

[terpkristin]

...I think it does basically have to come down to the two of them, but I have very little doubt that Richard will win...He's not a dick. Dale's clearly arrogrant. Therefore I gotta pull for Richard.

I agree on the Richard and Dale thing.
Also completely agree about Dale. He reminds me way too much of Hung from last year, who I wish would get a swift kick to the nuts, because I really don't want that wad procreating.

I also like Stephanie, though. She had a few down weeks, where she was really hit or miss, but I like her cooking style.

I still think it'll be Richard at the end. As a side note, I thought he was great with his kid sous-chef a couple weeks ago, which gives him bonus points in my book. :)

/tk

[Ksyrup]

Also, his Seinfeld impression and that whole idea for the "confused" or whatever word they had to work with dish they made was brilliant. You could even hear someone (camera man, other contestant?) laughing in the background.

[kcchief19]

Richard, Stephanie and Antonia are fine competitors. I would have no problem with any of them winning. Richard had some toolish moments early on and I really want to shave that faux hawk off and shove it sideways, but he's growing on me.

But the remainder are douchebags. Lisa can go anytime now. Spike is an absolute tool, and Dale is as well.

Right now I'd bet on Richard ... he seems on a roll. Stephanie has had moments of brilliance and serious lapses. Antonia seems like a great cook but I'm afraid she's going to struggle at some point as a "chef." Just the way the show seems to go, it seems like there will be a cool chef versus a tool at the end. Dale seems the most likely of the tools to make it through, although Lisa reminds me a lot of Tiffany from season one. Spike should have been gone a long time ago.

[kcchief19]

Next week's episode should filter things out a bit ... Restaurant Wars is always a deal breaker for someone.

[thesloppy]

Man, since I had to watch this thing in the PST, I come into this thread all late, and everybody's already said everything good.

It took all of like what, ten minutes of this season's premiere to pick Richard out of the crowd as the obvious winner. There ARE enough variables in Top Chef's wacky contests that he could bow out any time, but his skillz are obviously a level or two above everybody else's, and although he doesn't win every time, people consistently seem to enjoy his food, and almost none of those other toolsheds can say that.

As an aside, I think my first inclination upon watching both Top Chef and Hell's Kitchen for a few seasons was to assume that Top Chef is the more 'pure' of the cooking shows, because it presents itself as a little (okay a LOT) classier, and all the contestants seem to come from much better culinary backgrounds....but really for all of these guys the ultimate goal IS to run a restaurant, and in that context Top Chef's challenges really are kinda useless. Top Chef is all about making them cook around ingredients, or without certain ingredients, or with jaguar fetuses, or in an iron lung, while all Gordon Ramsey really wants is for you to COOK THE FUCKING RISOTTO, YOU DONKEY!! Night after night, day after day. And really, isn't that actually much more representative of restaurant life in reality?

[Ksyrup]

I disagree, because the winner of Top Chef does not get to open a restaurant. That's not a prize on the show. Obviously, most of them want to do that, but that's not what the competition is about or designed for.

[thesloppy]

I disagree, because the winner of Top Chef does not get to open a restaurant. That's not a prize on the show. Obviously, most of them want to do that, but that's not what the competition is about or designed for.


This is true. I guess my point is that up until the endgame it's not so much 'Top Chef' as it is 'Chef Who Can Cook Best Under Goofy Conditions'....which certainly isn't to say that's not an impressive and totally critical skill, necessary to being a good chef, but I think it can result in knocking out cooks who might be better 'pure' cooks, in favor of people who just better adjust to the games rules. But you're totally right that's an obvious design point of this, and all reality shows, and without some aspect of a game it would be pretty damn boring: "I'm going to make a salad" "OK, that was good."

[Barkeep49]

While I have found the competitors underwhelming this season, I have found the challenges to be twice that amount. There were too many catering and team events. The quickfires all felt like rehashes of previous ones.

[Coffee Warlord]

And they axed my OTHER favorite guy on the show last night. Blegh.

I also concur...very tired of catering type events. Seems like there's just a TON of those.

[Ksyrup]

Based on some of the comments, I'm fairly certain I know who got kicked off.

[oliegirl]

I've been watching this show and agree with the hatred toward Dale and Andrew. They are so obnoxious that I fast forward through their interviews/one on one's half the time because everything they say makes me want to throw the TV out the window.

I really like Stephanie, as well as Richard. Living in Atlanta, I'm hoping to get to go to his restaurant at some point. I'd never heard of him (or the restaurant) before the show, and it still isn't getting any press (that I've seen) so who knows what is going to happen.

I still think it's a good show, and even though some of the challenges are a tad overdramatic, it's still entertaining. I don't think they are any more "out there" than the challenges on Project Runway or any of the other "non Survival" style reality shows.

[Thomkal]

I picked Stephanie to win after the first show, so I hope she makes it to the end. The bottom 3 this week are really the three that need to go the most. It will be an interesting battle between the remaining four. Antonia has surprised me, and Richard of course was good from the start. Dale is an ass but keeps winning challenges, hard to believe he will win after Hung won last year though.

[Barkeep49]

I don't think Hung was an ass in the same way that Dale is an ass. Hung could be quite likable and was a good teammate. I don't think that's true of either Richard or Dale.

[oliegirl]

I think Richard is an excellent teammate...giving Stephanie the prize after the Wedding Wars challenge was very impressive in my book. I think he has a good balance of taking the lead and "driving", but not becoming a dictator or having attitude when someone disagrees or voices their opionion, like Dale does.

[Ksyrup]

Yeah, I don't get the Richard hate at all. Especially when he won that one QF challenge, then actively participated in giving great ideas that were used in the main challenge that ended up winning the week. Compare that to the bitchfest that ensued after that one chick won immunity and the events that lead to Peppermint Patty's GF getting kicked off.

[kcchief19]

Top Chef is all about making them cook around ingredients, or without certain ingredients, or with jaguar fetuses, or in an iron lung, while all Gordon Ramsey really wants is for you to COOK THE FUCKING RISOTTO, YOU DONKEY!! Night after night, day after day. And really, isn't that actually much more representative of restaurant life in reality?
I would argue that Hell's Kitchen has even less to do with running a restaurant than Top Chef. I don't think there is any argument that the worst chef on Top Chef is a thousand times better than the best on Hell's Kitchen. And Hell's Kitchen is nothing about being a chef -- it's a show about being a line cook. Completely different from Top Chef.

I'd have to go back and see but it feels to me there have been roughly the same number of team challenges as in the past. I think they have favored team challenges more than duo challenges. To me, the team challenges in past seasons have absolutely been where the show was decided because it was in team challenges that you get to see leadership and authority, which are essentially skills of a chef and completely missing on HK, which is just Ramsey cursing at everyone.

The only disappointing thing this year is that everyone knows that the team challenges are about leadership and everyone has done whatever they can to avoid being tagged as team leader because if you fail as leader you're gone. You almost have to force them to take a leadership role in the team challenges because no one wants to gamble and lose. Last season they had a challenge where the winner of the quickfire got to pick the team leader.

[kcchief19]

Yeah, I don't get the Richard hate at all. Especially when he won that one QF challenge, then actively participated in giving great ideas that were used in the main challenge that ended up winning the week. Compare that to the bitchfest that ensued after that one chick won immunity and the events that lead to Peppermint Patty's GF getting kicked off.
My dislike of Richard started in episode one simply because he came across so arrogant. But that has eased with me and he's easily one of my three favorites at this point from purely a likability standpoint.
This is true. I guess my point is that up until the endgame it's not so much 'Top Chef' as it is 'Chef Who Can Cook Best Under Goofy Conditions'....which certainly isn't to say that's not an impressive and totally critical skill, necessary to being a good chef, but I think it can result in knocking out cooks who might be better 'pure' cooks, in favor of people who just better adjust to the games rules. But you're totally right that's an obvious design point of this, and all reality shows, and without some aspect of a game it would be pretty damn boring: "I'm going to make a salad" "OK, that was good."
I agree with this last part -- if there were no limits or rules, you would absolutely get greatest hits dishes with no creativity or challenge.

I still don't get people who think that Top Chef has goofy conditions compared to Hell's Kitchens, where the staple preliminary challenge is cutting chicken or filleting fish. Boring. Heck, even Hell's Kitchen is stealing Top Chef challenges, like the blind taste test.

I think even the quickfires, where there are the most rules and restraints, test a chef's abilities to think quickly and creatively. In season one there was so much grief -- mostly from the chef's -- about the convenience store challenge, but they have really eliminated the gimmicky quickfires.

The most gimmick quickfire this season was the Uncle Ben's challenge -- and I'll agree that anytime the sponsors get involved, it's a bad challenge. But I don't see anything wrong with challenging chef's to come up with a dish using no more than five ingredients.

Since we're all sports fans, I'd argue that the challenges on Top Chef have as much relevance to being a chef as cone drills, shuttle drills, etc. have in sports. In sports, those drills and challenges are critical to developing skills and helping identify talent and ability.

[thesloppy]

I would argue that Hell's Kitchen has even less to do with running a restaurant than Top Chef. I don't think there is any argument that the worst chef on Top Chef is a thousand times better than the best on Hell's Kitchen.

Absolutely, fucking undeniably. The people on Hell's Kitchen are completely and obviously ridiculous.


And Hell's Kitchen is nothing about being a chef -- it's a show about being a line cook. Completely different from Top Chef.


To a great degree, I think you're totally right, up until the endgame, the people in Hell's Kitchen don't really have much if any control over their own destiny at all...but I guess that's really the root of my complaint (and it's the weakest complaint ever, as absolutely I love both these shows). That they're both kind of goofy up until the endgame, when in each show they ARE given a chance to display the best of their abilities, in the best of conditions (relatively speaking)

....but at that point, the raw chances are pretty good that the chef who MIGHT cook best under those, supposedly ultimate criteria, was long ago kicked off the show because he/she didn't make the best dish out of endangered animal parts, couldn't handle being yelled at for 6 solid hours, or because two douchebags from the same home town conspired to get rid of them.

[thesloppy]

I guess what I'm ham-handedly trying to get at it here is:

If we the fans and the producers and the judges of these shows all agree that having real people cooking in the best of conditions IS the ultimate judge and the ultimate reward for having watched the show all year, then why DO they put them through all the stupid challenges? Couldn't we just watch all of the same political maneuvering and comedy, but with people actually cooking things they LIKE and everybody producing the BEST of their food, rather than spending the majority of the shows essentially forcing people to cook the food they least want to cook with. I imagine that the producers would argue "It's too boring"...but that explanation falls apart if it's exciting enough to serve as the finale, and what all the viewers are waiting for.

[terpkristin]

Hmm, I'm not a fan of the Restaurant Wars (and Wedding Wars)-style challenges. I know that they are probably more relevant for those competitors, as they quite often want to open their own restaurant, but I enjoy seeing the finesse of the cooking, I don't care about the melodrama of staying up for hours or of finding the right tablecloth.

This season has been decent, though, I stand by what I said earlier, I think it'll be Richard (and I like him pretty alright), but I'd like to see Stephanie do well. And I hate Dale. :)

/tk

[General Mike]

Send all these people home.

Bourdain can stay

[kcchief19]

Bourdain definitely rocks. I still say boot Padma and rotate Bourdain and Allen in with Tom and Gail as the permanent judges plus a guest judge each week. Bourdain is simply terrific.

Really don't see why anybody has a beef with Richard, Antonia or Stephanie. Richard and Antonia both have great resumes and track records, and Stephanie clearly can cook. Lisa and Dale have rotten attitudes but are decent chefs. Spike is ordinary and really doesn't belong. As long as either Spike or Lisa go next week, it's cool.

Three top chefs remaining are head and shoulders above the rest.

[thesloppy]

I was so happy to see Tony judging this week! Yay! Restaurant wars and Bourdain. I agree with kc that I'd love a judges table of Bourdain and Allen and chef Tom (Gail I can give or take...bring in the bitter old fortune teller lady from the Japanese Iron Chef).

I can only imagine Lisa's day is coming very soon, the tighter things get, the more she keeps talking, yet her cooking seems to be getting worse and worse.

[MJ4H]

I was surprised the booted Dale over Lisa. Was it just because he was executive chef for that challenge? It seemed like Lisa was the weak link all night.

My wife spent the whole episode berating me because I wouldn't take her to an Anthony Bourdain book signing like a year ago or something. I frankly had no idea wtf she was talking about.

[General Mike]

I was surprised the booted Dale over Lisa. Was it just because he was executive chef for that challenge? It seemed like Lisa was the weak link all night.



I would think being the executive chef had alot to do with it. The captain has to go down with the ship, and their restaurant was the http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b160/hk027/Failboat.jpg

Butterscotch scallops? what a great idea. :rolleyes:

[Coffee Warlord]

Lisa has just been consistently bad over the last MANY weeks. And she's entirely unlikable. Kill her.

[Thomkal]

Although there was good reason to send Dale home last night, he has shown more potential than Lisa. He's won a few challenges and deserved to stay over the person who messed up both her dishes.

I can't see Spike or Lisa overtaking the other three now unless one of them just completely messes up.

[timmynausea]

I'm with everybody that Lisa is the worst. I must be in the minority, however, in that I don't really like Bourdain. He actually wasn't bad last night, but in the past I've found him pretty annoying.

[JeeberD]

They've (the judges) said in the past that they only go off of the current challenge's results...past performance doesn't play into their consideration on who goes home.

[rkmsuf]

They've (the judges) said in the past that they only go off of the current challenge's results...past performance doesn't play into their consideration on who goes home.

well that's just bs

[DaddyTorgo]

Richard, Antonia, & Stephanie are class. I think Spike will sneak into the final-4 just by virtue of Lisa getting booted next week, which is fine, as long as he doesn't knock off one of the 3 who deserve to be there as it tightens up.

[Barkeep49]

Restaraunt Wars knocked off Tre last year and I think he was more talented than CJ.

[terpkristin]

I'm with everybody that Lisa is the worst. I must be in the minority, however, in that I don't really like Bourdain. He actually wasn't bad last night, but in the past I've found him pretty annoying.

I'm not generally a fan of Bourdain, either, so at least there are 2 of us.

I figured Lisa would get the boot last night, I was quite surprised it was Dale. Lisa better be next. She should've been gone so many times over by now...

/tk

[rjolley]

Restaraunt Wars knocked off Tre last year and I think he was more talented than CJ.Agree 100%. Tre was clearly the better cook last year, but he was executive chef and was cut for a horrible service.

Dale's an ass, but he seems to be an adequate cook and the best on that team. Spike's a whining backstabbing baby and Lisa is a pain in the ass and hasn't cooked well in weeks.

Lisa should've gone, but with Dale being exec chef, AND making butterscotch scallops (how does that even SOUND good? maybe because they use maple with salmon?), AND the other chefs sucked, he was the obvious choice.

The other team (Richard, Antonia, and Stephanie) are the 3 best left and should be the final 3 barring Lisa or Spike pulling a great dish out of their ass.

[terpkristin]

Anybody want to guess who's going tonight, before the show airs (I have no idea what tonight's challenge is supposed to be)?

I'm guessing it's gotta be Lisa or Spike, but we've already seen one "front-runner" eliminated. I'm thinking that even though he's a horrible chef, Spike will get to stay as Lisa is sent packing.

/tk

[DaddyTorgo]

good thing I set the dvr before cracking the bottle

[kcchief19]

I think everyone wants to see Lisa or Spike go. It would be a godsend if the judges decided they both sucked ass and sent them both home.

I just hope the Big 3 make it through. I've put the shows on my iPod and have gone back and rewatched/listened to the earlier episodes. It's been clear from the get go that Richard, Stephanie and Antonia were the class of the crop. Richard has won the most elimination challenges, Antonia has won the most quickfires and Stephanie has won enough of both to be up there with them in total wins. All three also were finalists for the win in the first episode, and no one has won Top Chef without finishing first or second in the first elimination challenge. There's your Top Chef trivia for the day.

[terpkristin]

I wish I could get them on my iPod! I've been watching the previous episodes today (leading up to the new episode) and I'm really tired of Lisa talking about how she's following the rules. I honestly think she's made crappy dishes and tried to stand behind "Well, I followed the rules" too many times (at least in 3 episodes now that I've watched again today).

/tk

[Coffee Warlord]

I cannot believe that no talent assclown Lisa made it.

[kcchief19]

I was rooting for them to boot both Spike and Lisa. Spike is no better than Lisa. I loved it when Tom pointed out that Spike had been on the chopping block seven times and Lisa had been in the bottom five times.

Richard, Stephanie and Antonia are simply so well rounded. I think Richard is the most creative and experienced, Antonia is the most classically skilled and soulful and Stephanie is a good blend of the two. Any of them winning is fine by me. I could really go for a steak right now. :)

Anyone else think this challenge was a bit of an F-you to Hell's Kitchen, consciously or not? The chefs go into a restaurant to cook with Tom expediting the service and eveything goes flawlessly -- no real falling behind, not screw-ups, no burning the damn risotto. It was nice watching grown-up chefs operate in a kitchen compared to the screw-ups on HK.

[kingfc22]

I cannot believe that no talent assclown Lisa made it.

I'm so tired of her act during every time she is critiqued. She always has that smug look to go along with her arms crossed.

[Ksyrup]

I'm not reading this thread yet. Still haven't seen last week or this week. <!--IBF.ATTACHMENT_657976-->
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[Coffee Warlord]

Anyone else think this challenge was a bit of an F-you to Hell's Kitchen, consciously or not? The chefs go into a restaurant to cook with Tom expediting the service and eveything goes flawlessly -- no real falling behind, not screw-ups, no burning the damn risotto. It was nice watching grown-up chefs operate in a kitchen compared to the screw-ups on HK.

Totally agree there.

And yeah. I just want to punch Lisa in the face every time I see her on the chopping block. And I am told my a female coworker that that would not qualify as hitting a woman - we don't think she qualifies as one.

As for the finals. Once they axe Lisa first, I'm pulling for Richard or Stephanie. Steph is just a consistent, quality chef, and she's a local product. Richard, I wanna see what he pulls out of his bag of tricks in the finale. He was at his best when he pulled out the really weirdo shit earlier in the season. Hopefully he goes back to that.

[thesloppy]

Richard just seems like he's on a whole different level than anybody else, even in the smallest details. Just the fact that he called that place a "nationally recognized meat purveyor" last night....who the hell talks like that? Someone who's been cooking fine food for a long time....or someone who's been paid a promotional fee. One or the other.

[Barkeep49]

Or someone who talks in an ornate sort of way.

But I agree that Richard is the favorite, which is a shame cause I've been rooting for Stephanie from the start.

[oliegirl]

I'm a big fan of Stephanie and am really hoping she pulls out a win in the end...there's never been a female to win Top Chef, I think it's time :) Richard is my second place, and Antonia in third.

[MJ4H]

I'm pulling for Stephanie, too. I remember I picked her out in the opening of the first show and told my wife "that's the kind of person they put in these shows and gets eliminated on the first show." Now, I'm just rooting for her on the comedy factor based on that incredible soul read.

[timmynausea]

I'm rooting for Stephanie as well with Richard 2nd.

[Ksyrup]

Just when I'd convinced myself that I already spend way too much time surfing the net, I run across something like this and realize that if I had spent even more time surfing, I'd have found it sooner.

Amuse-Biatch (http://amuse-biatch.blogspot.com/)

[kcchief19]

Just when I'd convinced myself that I already spend way too much time surfing the net, I run across something like this and realize that if I had spent even more time surfing, I'd have found it sooner.

Amuse-Biatch (http://amuse-biatch.blogspot.com/)
That site is much better than it used to be. Scallopgate is fascinating. There are some stories that are not matching up there.

[Ksyrup]

The Anthony Bourdain quote is freaking awesome!

As for me? I could give a rat's a** who the producers or Bravo want to win or not win . What I've traditionally used the Glad Family of Bags for would probably not make a good commercial. When I read the surprising announcement that Michelob, a beer I don't drink and don't much like, was going to be "sponsoring" my Bravo blog, I advised them that I felt compelled to disappoint them.

[MJ4H]

mmmm GAIL looks FINE tonight. DAAAYUMMM

[MJ4H]

oh how the eff do you boot antonia _#)$)@$#$

[Coffee Warlord]

Un. Fucking. Believable.

And did you SEE the little fan poll before that? Wow.

[thesloppy]

As for me? I could give a rat's a** who the producers or Bravo want to win or not win . What I've traditionally used the Glad Family of Bags for would probably not make a good commercial. When I read the surprising announcement that Michelob, a beer I don't drink and don't much like, was going to be "sponsoring" my Bravo blog, I advised them that I felt compelled to disappoint them.

It dawned on me last week, that those poor bastards were always drinking some variation of Michelob....no wonder some of them are starting to cook worse.

[kcchief19]

oh how the eff do you boot antonia _#)$)@$#$
+1
But I did like it when Antonia hugged Stephanie and told her to "kick their asses."

In other news, Spike has apparently been fired by Mai House and replaced by ... Lisa. Spike denies he was fired, but then again he claims that Allen Brothers doesn't carry frozen scallops. I looked at their Web site and you get four 1-pound bags of frozen scallops for $89.95.

Of course two 34 oz. dry aged long bone ribeyes for ... $164.95. Holy schnikes!

[Scoobz0202]

When that stupid fucking cunt made that comment about getting a congratulations at the end I wanted to reach through the fucking screen and strangle the bitch.

You should have gone home, slut. Shut the fuck up.

[General Mike]

Wrong person went home.

[thesloppy]

Lisa really didn't help her fan appeal by using the break to get a '90s bull dyke makeover. Did that look come with a 4X4 truck and the Indigo Girls discography?

Also, as another comparison between Hell's Kitchen and Top Chef: What better?

A news set of high-end kitchen appliances, trips around the world, a brand new car.

OR

Driving 20 minutes to the beach to watch Gordon Ramsey wrestle around with his manservant, Jean Baptiste.

[thesloppy]

When that stupid fucking cunt made that comment about getting a congratulations at the end I wanted to reach through the fucking screen and strangle the bitch.


Richard's aside, congratulating her for winning the bronze, was perfect.

[Scoobz0202]

Definitely. Would have been perfect if he had said the to her face.

" Fine. Congratulations on being the second loser. "

[Coffee Warlord]

On the plus side, I did win lunch. Coworker bet on Antonia to win, I bet on Richard.

[Barkeep49]

Antonia? Really? Every story I hear about your work CW makes me wonder about your place of employment.

[Coffee Warlord]

Antonia? Really? Every story I hear about your work CW makes me wonder about your place of employment.

Well, I wonder about my place of employment all the time.

[oliegirl]

I caught up on this show last night, had 3 back episodes to watch...of course I knew how they ended b/c I'd read this thread, but man - I wanted to bitch slap Lisa when she made that comment at the end, being all bent out of shape b/c Stephanie and Richard didn't congratulate her???? Maybe if she didn't have a huge ass chip on her shoulder and play the attitudinal bitch so well, they would have wanted to congratulate her.

If she wins, I will never ever watch another season of Top Chef. Ever.

[rjolley]

If she wins, I will never ever watch another season of Top Chef. Ever.
That's exactly my feeling. My wife said that if she has the best dish, she deserves to win. I don't think she deserves to even be in the finals, so if she wins, I don't think I'll watch again. Last season, even after Tre left, I still felt the finals had the 3 great chefs. This season, it feels like they kept Lisa around simply to for the drama she provides. The poll just before Antonia was voted off proves that for me.

[QuikSand]

Richard's aside, congratulating her for winning the bronze, was perfect.

I have watched about six episodes, including the last two (got caught up last night). Up until last night, I was basically split between rooting for Stephanie or Richard all along. I think that snip of his broke the tie, and now I'm for him, though I'm not all that emotionally invested.

I am a little ticked off at the clearly "seeded" commentary in the interviews. Okay, we get it -- everyone was supposed to use the term "final four" to describe their goal in life when they were down to 6 or 5 remaining players. Don't say "go to Puerto Rico," say "final four." We get it, they have scripts for their candid remarks. I also disliked the totally out-of-place comment in the episode where Spike lost... right after he won the Quickfire, they cut to someone saying "you never know when making that big decision can go wrong" or something like that. Right at that moment, I said to myself "oh, Spike must make a bad decision, and he goes out here. Tough break."

Listen, if you want it to be sports, make it sports. If you want it to be the Olympics, fine, give us plenty of backstory. But I really dislike the peppering in of all the player comments and observation which clearly were made after the fact, and are not genuine.

[Ksyrup]

You must be new to reality shows. They are all like that. And I'm not sure if those comments are not genuine, or just responses to leading questions from the producers. They might be discussing what happened earlier, and why they thought Spike went home, and then clipped that comment out and threw it in earlier in the show as some sort of not-so-subtle foreshadowing.

What I didn't like about a couple of the episodes this year is that they basically gave away who was going home next week in the previews after the current week's show. I often dislike the misdirection/hide the ball angle some shows take, but this was a 180 from that, essentially showing who was in the bottom and why they left. I didn't get why they were doing that at ALL.

[QuikSand]

You must be new to reality shows.

Pretty much. I'll shut up now, thanks. The show basically works, and they clearly don't need the likes of me trying to out-think what is clearly a winning formula, as evidenced by the slavish dedication to this whole genre by the legions of tele-zombies out there.

**grumbles at Mrs Q for getting him semi-interested in this one**

[Qwikshot]

I am enjoying this season. The first season I managed to watch bits and pieces, enough to get me hooked onto season two which was a fiasco. I meandered through season three but felt Hung was so dominant that it didn't really matter (was glad for the lack of drama of season 2).

Season 4 has left me headscratching on the Lisa thing...I have read on other boards that there are still apologists for her, but I just find her to be a really sour person...I don't get the passion for cooking for that I see with some of the other contestants, moreso, Richard and Steph seem like genuine good people, they liked Antoinia and felt bad that she was gone (the whole Lisa asking for congratulations has to be seen to believed).

Yes, the show is a contest, but I think that you can do it with some decent sportsmanship (like Steph picking people to keep the peace rather than pulling a Spike - imagine a Lisa/Dale pairing). I think Andrew would have helped Antoinia better than Nikki, but Andrew was at least proffessional with Lisa (hey he didn't leave a tray of pork bellies out overnight).

There hasn't been the survivor like mentality like season two (season one seemed to be about the food) and while season 3 and 4 have had a few issues, the chefs played professional for the most part.

[oliegirl]

What I didn't like about a couple of the episodes this year is that they basically gave away who was going home next week in the previews after the current week's show. I often dislike the misdirection/hide the ball angle some shows take, but this was a 180 from that, essentially showing who was in the bottom and why they left. I didn't get why they were doing that at ALL.

I didn't see that at all, I watched the previews and when they showed Stephanie and Richard standing there, I thought - wow - did they just give away the final two? But then they kind of panned out and Lisa was standing there as well...did I miss something?

[DaddyTorgo]

I didn't see that at all, I watched the previews and when they showed Stephanie and Richard standing there, I thought - wow - did they just give away the final two? But then they kind of panned out and Lisa was standing there as well...did I miss something?

no...i think he meant earlier in the season

[MJ4H]

We purposefully skip previews of even what is coming up after the commercials in everything we watch in my house. So annoying.

[Ksyrup]

Pretty much. I'll shut up now, thanks. The show basically works, and they clearly don't need the likes of me trying to out-think what is clearly a winning formula, as evidenced by the slavish dedication to this whole genre by the legions of tele-zombies out there.

**grumbles at Mrs Q for getting him semi-interested in this one**

Ha! I didn't mean it that way. But yeah, in essence, most reality shows are not really meant as intellectual exercises for the audience. And believe it or not, but Top Chef is one of the higher quality reality shows out there.

[Ksyrup]

no...i think he meant earlier in the season

Yeah, earlier. Specifically (as I recall), the preview of the ep when Mark got sent home was beyond obvious, and there was another one, too, that I can't recall.

[oliegirl]

Got it.

They have definitely been focusing on Stephanie and Richard the past 5 or 6 weeks, which has kind of made it obvious, but really - other than Antonia who to me was a distant 3rd, who else was expected to win besides them? I can't think of anyone else. I thought Dale had a shot early in the season, as well as Andrew, but their attitudes and egos kept me from thinking they'd make it. That was my problem with the guy who went up against Ilan in season 2 finale - Marcel I think was his name. His ego seemed HUGE to me. He could be humble when he was around Colicchio and the guest judges, etc...but around the other contestants, he was just an ass all the time. I think that is why I like Stephanie and Richard so much - they are the total opposite of that.

[Ajaxab]

I'm thinking Lisa has home channel advantage. ;)

There doesn't seem to be any other explanation for her continually getting through.

[thesloppy]

I'm thinking Lisa has home channel advantage. ;)

There doesn't seem to be any other explanation for her continually getting through.

Bravo is so fucked up. I'm not too big of a pussy to admit I luvvv Project Runway, but some of that shit is just hideous. I watched ten minutes of 'So You Think You Can Dance' once, and I swear time slowed down to a crawl and my synapses stopped firing completely for a second.

[oliegirl]

Bravo is so fucked up. I'm not too big of a pussy to admit I luvvv Project Runway, but some of that shit is just hideous. I watched ten minutes of 'So You Think You Can Dance' once, and I swear time slowed down to a crawl and my synapses stopped firing completely for a second.

I just found out my husband loves this show...preview was on and as I was rolling my eyes and groaning internally at the thought that they actually brought that show back, he was going "ooh -ooh, SYTYCD is back on...make sure you add that to TiVo honey".

I swear my head almost exploded in that precise moment. But it's on TiVo and so far we have 2 episodes to watch. I'll be chanting "marriage is about compromise" the entire time.

[Ksyrup]

SYTYCD is actually a very good show, for what it is. It's better than AI, which I know isn't saying much, but as a talent competition, dance is a far better choice than music (at least for the way they do it on TV). One, a number of these dancers are known in the dance community and they're all well-respected and have some history and credibility; and two, the performances each week aren't warmed-over rehashes of old material, they are fresh choreography.

I don't know crap about dance, but I find the show more enjoyable than AI. I just like AI more because I'm into music. Now that they are done with the auditions, the real show starts next week.

[Thomkal]

That's exactly my feeling. My wife said that if she has the best dish, she deserves to win. I don't think she deserves to even be in the finals, so if she wins, I don't think I'll watch again. Last season, even after Tre left, I still felt the finals had the 3 great chefs. This season, it feels like they kept Lisa around simply to for the drama she provides. The poll just before Antonia was voted off proves that for me.

I think you hit it on the nose here Rjolley. They are keeping Lisa around just because they want a "villain" in the Final 3. Someone to hate. Let's face it Richard, Stephanie, and Antonia are all pretty likeable and good chefs. They seem to like and respect each other, so there wouldn't be many "snippy" comments about each other. For Bravo that would be pretty boring. I think this is clearly a case of the producers influencing the outcome.

I still think Stephanie wins it all though.

[DaddyTorgo]

I think you hit it on the nose here Rjolley. They are keeping Lisa around just because they want a "villain" in the Final 3. Someone to hate. Let's face it Richard, Stephanie, and Antonia are all pretty likeable and good chefs. They seem to like and respect each other, so there wouldn't be many "snippy" comments about each other. For Bravo that would be pretty boring. I think this is clearly a case of the producers influencing the outcome.

I still think Stephanie wins it all though.

i've heard that the producers don't influence the outcome of the judging at all.

[Ksyrup]

Lisa made it because Bourdain was so disgusted by Dale's butterscotch scallops that he had to go, and thus, away went the villain.

Last year, we had Hung.

Year before that, Marcel.

This year, it was Dale. Even Andrew/Spike might have sufficed. If they were desperate, maybe even Peppermint Patty, although she left long ago. But they all got the boot. Lisa is it.

[oliegirl]

SYTYCD is actually a very good show, for what it is. It's better than AI, which I know isn't saying much, but as a talent competition, dance is a far better choice than music (at least for the way they do it on TV). One, a number of these dancers are known in the dance community and they're all well-respected and have some history and credibility; and two, the performances each week aren't warmed-over rehashes of old material, they are fresh choreography.

I don't know crap about dance, but I find the show more enjoyable than AI. I just like AI more because I'm into music. Now that they are done with the auditions, the real show starts next week.

I don't like AI either, I don't really watch the singing/dancing reality shows...I love Top Chef and Project Runway, and my guilty pleasure is America's Next Top Model, but those are the only ones I watch. Any of the ones where the public gets to vote, I generally steer clear of. I think it turns into a popularity contest rather than a real measure of who is the most talented.

DWTS is the one exception to this rule, but there is no real "prize" at the end, other than the trophy. Contestants aren't competing for their future like they are on the other talent oriented shows.

[Ksyrup]

Eh, I don't vote and I don't care who wins (although I will actively root against people), so whether the show has audience voting or not doesn't matter to me.

That's the other thing about SYTYCD that beats AI, too - the judges. On AI, I wouldn't want Simon/Paula/Randy deciding the winners. WTF do they know? ON SYTYCD, the judges - even Nigel - are all former dancers/choreographers. Debbie Allen is as close to a Paula Abdul as they have, and she's not really a joke as far as I can tell. Most of them are in-their-prime, legit, choreographers who I would be very happy to see make decisions.

Not to mention, on SYTYCD, the home viewers decide the bottom 3 couples, but the judges decide which 1 male and 1 female goes home. So there is some element of show control over who wins/loses.

[MJ4H]

Lisa didn't make it because the producers wanted a villain. Lisa made it because Antonia effed up. And Dale effed up earlier. She keeps sliding by because other chefs are choking. It sucks, sure, but there is no conspiracy.

[kcchief19]

Yeah, earlier. Specifically (as I recall), the preview of the ep when Mark got sent home was beyond obvious, and there was another one, too, that I can't recall.
For better or worse, the show is edited in such a way to plant hints and suggestions about which way the decisions will go. Sometimes they do a nice job of smattering the clues in different directions and sometimes not. Somtimes -- like when Mark got sent home -- they almost have no way to avoid revealing the result because the action on the show dictates no other result. There is usually one or two episodes a season where someons effs up or is so completely overwhelmed that you know from the get go they are gone.

I equate the editing of TC and most reality shows with "The Sixth Sense" -- if you don't catch on to the clues and you buy the premise, there's a payoff. But if you don't fall for the premise, it's a huge letdown.

[kcchief19]

Lisa didn't make it because the producers wanted a villain. Lisa made it because Antonia effed up. And Dale effed up earlier. She keeps sliding by because other chefs are choking. It sucks, sure, but there is no conspiracy.
Chef Tom always addresses this in his blogs and interviews, and this week's blog was a blistering attack on people who think the producers manipulate the results for ratings -- which obviously is hard to do since the show is completely shot before the first episode even airs and they don't know who will break out as the fan darlings. But he also equated Lisa with two past cheftestants (love that word) from the past, Dave Martin from season one and Michael Midgley from season two as "adequate" chefs who skated by much further than they deserved because everytime they delivered a subpar dish, they were lucky enough that someone else effed-up worse.
I am a little ticked off at the clearly "seeded" commentary in the interviews. Okay, we get it -- everyone was supposed to use the term "final four" to describe their goal in life when they were down to 6 or 5 remaining players. Don't say "go to Puerto Rico," say "final four." We get it, they have scripts for their candid remarks. ... But I really dislike the peppering in of all the player comments and observation which clearly were made after the fact, and are not genuine.
While the comments are clearly "after the fact" I would believe that are generally genuine. Certainly you do hear some things that appear to be parrotted from the setup to the challenges or the introduction of the judges, but as one of the "tele-zombies" who has read a bit on who the shows are produced, most of the interviews are conducted during the challenges. I could be mistaken, but I think the "final four" versus "Puerto Rico" is a factor of them simply not telling the contestants where the final was going to be filmed until late in the process.

I have absolutely no doubt that the producers manipulate the audience and show us only what they want to show us ... but I'm willing to give a "quality" reality show a bit of willing suspension of disbelief in this area until proven it is not deserved.

[MJ4H]

Yeah, that is where I got the info I used to make my post, Chef Tom's blog.

Man-crush: Tom
Puppy-love: Gail

I love Top Chef :)

[terpkristin]

I still hope Stephanie wins it all. The way she handled having one of her dishes left out overnight (and based on what was shown on TV), not even using it as a potential excuse at judge's table, just makes me like her even more. Don't get me wrong, I won't be "disappointed" per se if Richard wins (especially if he prepares a better dish in the end), but I'd like Stephanie to win.

I couldn't believe Lisa got pissed off that they didn't congratulate her quickly enough for not getting sent hom. Bee-yatch.

/tk

[Ksyrup]

We just watched this week's episode tonight and my wife was stunned that Antonia went home. Lisa is a miserable human being. She constantly bitches about everything, and her body language is atrocious. Her slouched, crossed-arms, pissed look on her face stance - which she does for everything, not just when she knows she's in the loser's bracket - is so off-putting, I can't stand to look at her.

The comment to Richard and Stephanie after the fact was not only ridiculous, but it also demonstrated that she knew she didn't belong. That was total insecurity rearing its head. Richard's comment was awesome - "What did she want? Congratulations, you got the bronze metal." I wouldn't be upset if Stephanie won at all, but Richard kicks ass.

[Coffee Warlord]

Ball game.

Didn't care for the way they did this finale. My favorite part for the finale was always, "alright, go shop, go nuts. No restrictions, no nothing, just cook for us."

And the meals woulda been better if they had a sous chef on day 2 to work with. There's only so much you can do without that extra set of hands.

[DaddyTorgo]

Ball game.

Didn't care for the way they did this finale. My favorite part for the finale was always, "alright, go shop, go nuts. No restrictions, no nothing, just cook for us."

And the meals woulda been better if they had a sous chef on day 2 to work with. There's only so much you can do without that extra set of hands.

I agree. It was kinda bull. Still I'm frankly surprised that Richard laid as many eggs as he did (I think maybe had he been allowed to shop for things he might have ended up better?). Just glad that Stephanie won, as for a while there it seemed like the judges were leaning towards Lisa...

[oliegirl]

Ball game.

Didn't care for the way they did this finale. My favorite part for the finale was always, "alright, go shop, go nuts. No restrictions, no nothing, just cook for us."

And the meals woulda been better if they had a sous chef on day 2 to work with. There's only so much you can do without that extra set of hands.

I did wish they had been given more freedom in what they were going to cook...the ability to really plan a menu, shop, etc. But I liked that they didn't have a sous chef the second day, like Tom said "we want you to live and die by your own hands"...these guys are the best of the best, they should be able to do it on their own.

I'm thrilled that Stephanie won, I was really worried for a while when they were raving over some of Lisa's dishes. And her comment to Stephanie after the meal "I feel like you nailed 1 and 3, and I had 2 and 4"...with Richard sitting right there! I couldn't believe she said that...I just hate her and am SO glad she didn't win...

[DaddyTorgo]

I think everyone liked Richard's dessert. I'd say that although they didn't show their total-votes on each dish, steph nailed 1+2, lisa nailed 2, and richard got 4, or at least made 4 a split

[thesloppy]

Yay for Stephanie! I pretty much counted her out from the beginning, but she kept changing my opinion, little by little, every week. All of her food always sounds tasty. Richard always seemed a mile above everybody else in terms of technique, and I guess that finally ended up being his undoing, as he let his flavors become secondary. Even in two-dimensions, his food even looked kind of flat and soulless this round, and I swear that's the third time we've seen that banana scallop.

[oliegirl]

Yay for Stephanie! I pretty much counted her out from the beginning, but she kept changing my opinion, little by little, every week. All of her food always sounds tasty. Richard always seemed a mile above everybody else in terms of technique, and I guess that finally ended up being his undoing, as he let his flavors become secondary. Even in two-dimensions, his food even looked kind of flat and soulless this round, and I swear that's the third time we've seen that banana scallop.

I agree that he should have gone with something else besides the banana scallop and bacon ice cream (gross!), each of which he'd done before in the competition. I tend to think that had he pulled off something new for his dessert, he might have been able to pull off the win. He didn't do great with any of his dishes, but he'd been such a strong competitor throughout the whole competition, they might have had a harder time deciding between him and Stephanie. Who knows. I need to go to the website and read the blogs, should be interesting :)

[JeeberD]

Dude, I need to get my hands on some bacon ice cream. Talk about Man Food!

[kingfc22]

So glad that Lisa didn't win. The judges had me worried because they kept raving about Lisa's dishes.

Poor Richard pulled a Greg Norman.

[MJ4H]

I picked Stephanie from the very beginning! Woohoo!

:D

[albionmoonlight]

If you ratchet it down by a factor of 10,000 or so, I can relate to Richard's problem. I like cooking and think that I am pretty good at it. And I can remember one grillout where I was trying to really impress some people and ended up performing well below my typical. Sometimes, you just overthink things. Cooking is a lot about trusting instincts and having fun. When you stop doing those things, you end up underperforming.

The analogy to sports is pretty apt, I think.

I also think that the final challenge should just be "Here's $1,000 and a day to prepare. Cook us the best meal you can." Making the final challenge too game-like (you have to pick your proteins from these stacks. We are taking away your sous chef with no notice.) seems to take away from the essence of the competition. Let all the run-up elimination challenges be things like "All of your ingredients have to start with the same letter." But the final should just be no-holds-barred.

[Barkeep49]

I was rooting for Stephanie from the start. That said, I wanted Richard to bring his "A Game". If she could beat that, then bully for her, but that's not what happened and so I feel her victory is cheapened. I also strongly agree that the artificial limiting of their ingredients was disappointing.

[QuikSand]

Okay, I am more or less new to the genre and all... but one comment on process.

Selecting an eventual winner out of a sizable group by mostly eliminating the "worst" single person one at a time for each stage and essentially carrying over nothing from stage to stage -- it's simply a rotten way of selecting the most worthy person. It obviously is appealing for television purposes, and above all else that's what this is (I do understand that). But as much as this sort of thing wants to be sports -- it isn't. It's entertainment, start to finish.

I'm fine with Stephanie winning it all, she was clearly really good. If it were judged by a more reasonable system designed to reward established excellence over the whole competition, I think she and Richard would have been well ahead. With this silly system, it's no surprise that Lisa likely made it within a narrow margin of winning it all.

[GrantDawg]

Okay, I am more or less new to the genre and all... but one comment on process.

Selecting an eventual winner out of a sizable group by mostly eliminating the "worst" single person one at a time for each stage and essentially carrying over nothing from stage to stage -- it's simply a rotten way of selecting the most worthy person. It obviously is appealing for television purposes, and above all else that's what this is (I do understand that). But as much as this sort of thing wants to be sports -- it isn't. It's entertainment, start to finish.

I'm fine with Stephanie winning it all, she was clearly really good. If it were judged by a more reasonable system designed to reward established excellence over the whole competition, I think she and Richard would have been well ahead. With this silly system, it's no surprise that Lisa likely made it within a narrow margin of winning it all.


Aggreed. There really ought to be a consideration for past performance in the desicions. Lisa would have been gone four weeks ago if that were the case.

[albionmoonlight]

Okay, I am more or less new to the genre and all... but one comment on process.

Selecting an eventual winner out of a sizable group by mostly eliminating the "worst" single person one at a time for each stage and essentially carrying over nothing from stage to stage -- it's simply a rotten way of selecting the most worthy person. It obviously is appealing for television purposes, and above all else that's what this is (I do understand that). But as much as this sort of thing wants to be sports -- it isn't. It's entertainment, start to finish.

I'm fine with Stephanie winning it all, she was clearly really good. If it were judged by a more reasonable system designed to reward established excellence over the whole competition, I think she and Richard would have been well ahead. With this silly system, it's no surprise that Lisa likely made it within a narrow margin of winning it all.

I think that the entire season's worth of work boiled down to "You get first pick of protein piles and/or sous-chefs. And, by the way, that choice is itself corrupted by the as yet unknown fact that your sous-chef will be taken away without notice."

I agree with what you said. This is entertainment and not sports. Mrs. A and I enjoyed it a lot. But, for the competition minded, it is a silly system.

[Thomkal]

I picked Stephanie to win after the first show, so I hope she makes it to the end. The bottom 3 this week are really the three that need to go the most. It will be an interesting battle between the remaining four. Antonia has surprised me, and Richard of course was good from the start. Dale is an ass but keeps winning challenges, hard to believe he will win after Hung won last year though.

Quoted for bragging rights. :) Glad she won, she was the most consistently good chef throughout the season. Feel bad about Richard, he just looked unhappy and nervous the whole time they were in Puerto Rico and choked. Have to give Lisa some credit after (finally) creating two dishes the judges really loved. I was really worried the judges were going to pick her.

[Ksyrup]

Although Lisa skated by and made it further than she should have, I think the judges did, by and large, eliminate people who really didn't deserve to win it all. And then in some cases, like with Dale, even though he was good most of the year, he screwed up so badly in one week that they had no choice but to eliminate him. I also think Lisa could have won it all based on her final performance if the judges had been given a blind taste test, but the judges essentially awarded Stephanie's entire season by choosing her over Lisa. And Richard, like Dale, took himself out of serious consideration. So I have no problem with how the vote-off worked. Until you got to the top 5 or so, there wasn't anyone who went earlier who had a legit argument for being in the top 5. Dale and Antonia probably deserved to be in top 3 over Lisa, but I thought she acquitted herself well in the finale. And believe me, I'm no fan of Lisa.

[kcchief19]

Selecting an eventual winner out of a sizable group by mostly eliminating the "worst" single person one at a time for each stage and essentially carrying over nothing from stage to stage -- it's simply a rotten way of selecting the most worthy person. It obviously is appealing for television purposes, and above all else that's what this is (I do understand that). But as much as this sort of thing wants to be sports -- it isn't. It's entertainment, start to finish.
I'm not sure I agree with the line that this is entertainment and not "sports" -- or more precisely, a competition. The implication is that entertainment and sports are mutually exclusive, and I can't say that they are. Sports are entertainment; a movie is entertainment. This show is closer to a sport than it is to a movir. I guess I'm surprised that sports fans would have a problem with this format, since we revel in the notion that simply because you win the most regular season games, that doesn't make you World Champions. If the Yankees win 116 games but lose the World Series 4-3 to the wild card from the NL, we don't go ahead and give the title to the Yankees anyway. How can we not appreciate that format?

I think there's a middle ground there to be had. If the format of the show was merely to pick the best chef based on a cumulative evaluation alone, I don't think any of us would watch. One chef could easily wrap the thing up halfway through the season and what enjoyment would that be? To me, that's what reality TV would be on PBS. We like sports because they are entertaining. What's wrong with an entertaining cooking competition?

That said, I do think they should relax the rules on disallowing appraisal of past performance in determing eliminations. Case in point was Antonia versus Lisa. Had Lisa been far better than Antonia that night, sure I could see eliminating Antonia. But she kicked Lisa's butt all season long. Why boot Antonia based on an imperceptible differene between the two that night when there had been a wide gulf the entire season?

I can distinguish between that and using past performance to give Richard the win over Stephanie despite the final outcome because the gulf between the two wasn't severe. Richard and Stephanie were different chefs, but their win totals were similar and the chasm was as wide as the gap between Antonia and Lisa in terms of performance.

[kcchief19]

Dale and Antonia probably deserved to be in top 3 over Lisa, but I thought she acquitted herself well in the finale. And believe me, I'm no fan of Lisa.
I was sweating bullets the entire episode because it was clear that since Stephanie and Richard weren't getting under her skin, Lisa was finally relaxing and cooking well. I'm surprised that as good at "playing the game" Richard was he didn't try and provoke her and set her off so she get in the weeds.

I was fine with either Stephanie or Richard and I think either would have been worthy, although even by Richard's own admission Stephanie won the finale cleanly.

I also wasn't a fan of the structure of the finale. Even though the ingredients were top notch, I didn't like the restriction that the selections and menu placed on the chefs. It seemed that it left too much to chance that you get lucky and wind up with ingredients that work well with your approach. I think Richard wound up with some ingredients he might not have chosen and made some poor decisions trying to work them together, while Lisa got ingredients that played right into her strength with Asian food.

I also wasn't crazy about the celebrity sous chefs this year. Last year the three sous chefs were Rocco Dispirito, Michelle Bernstein and Todd English, three chefs that I think are generally on par with one another in experience and acclaim. My first reaction last night was that whoever wound up with Eric Rippert was going to win. Dan Barber and April Bloomfield are both tremendous chefs (I know more about them now than I did last night) but Rippert in my book is just a bit better. Even though all three are amazing chefs, I think there was an advantage in having someone with Rippert's reputation working on your dish and giving you a little bit more confidence. I'm sure the sous chefs didn't contribute much to the dishes but I think there was a psychological edge.

[QuikSand]

I'm not sure I agree with the line that this is entertainment and not "sports" -- or more precisely, a competition. The implication is that entertainment and sports are mutually exclusive, and I can't say that they are. Sports are entertainment; a movie is entertainment. This show is closer to a sport than it is to a movir. I guess I'm surprised that sports fans would have a problem with this format, since we revel in the notion that simply because you win the most regular season games, that doesn't make you World Champions. If the Yankees win 116 games but lose the World Series 4-3 to the wild card from the NL, we don't go ahead and give the title to the Yankees anyway. How can we not appreciate that format?

First of all, I'd disagree that sports is necessarily entertainment. It's obviously possible to televise sports, and bundle it up with all manner of human interest fluff, and create something beyond the sports itself for purposes of entertainment. Obviously. But the core purpose of conducting a sporting event is for the participants -- whether it's a little league game or a professional event, the core of a sporting event is the participants competing against one another by the rules of the sport.

And, in case you think I'm being inconsistent in criticizing the manner in which the champion is picked here -- I would agree that your baseball example also represents a pretty poor way to select a champion in an organized sport, and I have always felt that way. In the interests of entertainment, we are often willing to make sacrifices in the (poor word choice here, perhaps) integrity of the competition itself. Baseball is an excellent example, due to the contrast between the number of regular season games and the number of games in a playoff series. I'd probably argue that college basketball is the worst offender -- they create a fabulous entertainment spectacle that is enormously popular, and it's impossible to argue that as a bad thing for the enterprise, but a one-and-done tournament on neutral courts for 64+ teams gives massive short shrift to the regular season, and the result is exactly what you'd expect, the meaningful college basketball season doesn't begin until about a week or two before the final tournament starts.

It's dramatic and entertaining to have an elimination of the worst person each week. It's a tried and true television formula. It's a poor way of determining who is the best of the group, and especially poor in determining rank order on beyond the eventual winner.

[thesloppy]

New season starts tomorrow, right? I'm preparing my culinary boner.

[terpkristin]

Damn, I forgot to setup to DVR it!

(makes note to self to run home during lunch)

/tk

[MJ4H]

Hooray!

[JeeberD]

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!

[Coffee Warlord]

BRAVOtv.com : Top Chef : Season 5 : Bios (http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/bios/index.php)

We have, yes, Chef Fabio.

[Coffee Warlord]

And, talk about small world.

BRAVOtv.com : Top Chef : Season 5 : Bios : Hosea (http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/bios/bios.php?c=hosea)

I met him when I was touring CU-Boulder's engineering department. One of the guys doing the tours.

[JeeberD]

Looks like there may be a bit more eye candy than last season, which is always nice...

[digamma]

Updating my Top Chef dining experiences, Antonia opened a Tavern/Bar/Grill around the corner from my house. It's very solid. I walk up for a drink or small bite a couple of times a month.

[CrimsonFox]

Wasn't she the one that made excellent pasta from scratch ? I think she was.