Top Chef - S7E10 Power Rankings

Criminy, are we really two eliminations away from the finals? Always seems to sneak up on you.

Disappointing episode on a lot of levels. Disappointing performances, disappointing television... not a favorite.

One thing that did impress me was that the chefs really did manage to come up with a diverse-looking set of dishes, particularly given the number of ingredients in the mystery boxes. I don't mind the gimmick of ingredients drifting in midway through prep. But I would have liked to see fewer ingredients. Restrictions bring out creativity to a point, after which they start to force homogenization. I thought they pushed it just a little too far. But either way, brutal challenge, if not the most interesting from a food standpoint.

The elimination challenge, as I mentioned in the postmortem, was just a huge disappointment. Not to take anything away from Tiffany and Kelly, but nobody really seemed to knock it out of the park. And watching others flounder with a challenge that, to be honest, really shouldn't have been so hard was kind of lame. There were no onerous time restrictions, no onerous ingredient restrictions, no crazy unusual flavor palettes to work with, no substandard facilities... and yet, almost half the field at this late stage in the game made lousy food. And nobody did anything particularly interesting. Ah, well.

On with the rankings!

The power rankings are not purely a prediction of who is most likely to win, or an assessment of last episode's dishes, or a reflection of the contestants' historical performance, but rather a nebulous amalgam of all three, combined with a little bit of gut feeling, to provide a relative measure of current awesomeness.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Tiffany Quickfires 2 2 2 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 2 7 0 It's possible I've never had more reservations about a number one this late in the game. The fact that her flavors are always solid is slowly allowing her to rise to the top. But I just don't see a signature style here, something for the judges to get behind. Her winning dish was roasted lamb with pickled onions and glorified baba ghannouj. The elimination winner before that was a pitch perfect but almost stone-cold traditional chicken tamale. Conventional Top Chef wisdom would be that she doesn't have (or hasn't shown) the unique artist's voice that wows the judges in the late stages. Thing is, this isn't your conventional season. Right now, consistently great flavors may be enough to win this thing. As such, I don't see the argument that keeps her out. Yeah, if they're both at their peak I don't see her topping Angelo, but she's riding high and he's at his lowest point of the season, so for this week at least, it's a no-brainer. Subject to change if Angelo comes storming back, but this is a number one position well-earned, I think.

2 Angelo Quickfires 3 6 1 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 1 3 1 And now I'm going to turn right around and say that this is still Angelo's thing to lose, but he needs to get his head back in the game, and quickly. The Beef Wellington was an all-around weak effort, and one wonders if the key for him is to stick to the Asian he knows and (usually) rocks. We've seen this late fade from top contestants before, and they tend to get it back in gear when they catch a glimpse of the finish line. I'm pretty firmly of the belief that if he's operating at or near peak efficiency, nobody in this field beats him. The guy's a pro, and if he makes it to the finals and gets a chance to focus, he's going to come back from the break strong like bull. You can bank on that. But he has to get there first, and if there's been one truism this season, it's that anybody -- anybody -- can fall down at any time.

3 Kelly Quickfires 2 3 3 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 2 4 2 This isn't strictly a numbers pick. When Kelly's on I like her a lot. But it bears mentioning, I think, that Kelly rounds out the four win crowd, doubling up the rest of the pack (minus Amanda). She has her slip-ups -- everybody from here on down does -- but her peaks are solid, I like her style when she's doing her food, and she's shown a nice ability to roll with the punches on a couple of occasions. Yeah, it's a little strange that she can't put together even the most basic Chinese flavors. My hunch is that while an experienced chef, she's not a very experienced eater, which would also explain why her flavors often go flat when she gets out of her comfort zone (though that wasn't the case this week). But she'd have to do less of that in the finals, and she's recently shown some ability to step up to what I'm sure are one or two wacky challenges remaining. A little side note on Kelly's rice. Those who wondered if it might have something to do with her usually cooking at altitude? Bingo. Water boils off more quickly at high altitudes, so you use more of it. Also, if you're unused to rice cookers, in my experience at least, they tend to take a little less water than rice in a pot. So that's a double whammy of extra water usage for Kelly. Result? Mushy rice. Or, if you don't like that explanation, here's the listing for the rice cooker she used on Amazon.com. Most reviewers seem to like it (most people have no idea what good rice tastes like), but complaints of mushy rice make quite a few appearances. A triple whammy, perhaps? Oh... and one more thing about Kelly. Last week, during Restaurant Wars? She's a stone's throw from the Chesapeake, and she's using canned, pasteurized crab meat from Indonesia for her dish. And she still called it "Maryland Crab Salad." I was tempted to penalize her one spot for that alone. Boo.

4 Muffin Quickfires 1 2 3 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 1 4 2 Ed vs. Kevin was really the only tough call for me this week, and I'm giving the nod to Ed. The main reason is that he just feels like he's warming up to me. His dishes are starting to look interesting (not so much this week, top honors notwithstanding), we're seeing him on the top a lot more, he's got a couple of wins and is building up some near-misses. He seems kind of like he's following the Tiffany trajectory... four episodes behind Tiffany. And when the duck potsticker at the ambassadors' function is the closest you've come to elimination, that speaks pretty well for your ability to keep your head off the block (I have a hard time holding the lunchroom challenge against him, and he was never in any real danger in either instance). Truthfully, I think he's less of a flameout risk than Kelly, but he doesn't have the peaks and I'm still fuzzy on what, exactly his food IS, so I never really considered him for the third spot.

5 Kevin Quickfires 1 4 3 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 1 4 4 I'm not sure what to say. I'm just not a believer in Kevin. I mean, 3-5 is exceptionally tight, even though I felt comfortable picking number three, but I just can't shake Bad Kevin. I named a few reasons above why I went with Ed for number four, but the more I think about it, the most I think it's just because I believe Kevin is headed for a flameout in the next two episodes. Can't really back it up, just a gut feeling. He's been a little too good at blowing it, and even though he turns in a great looking dish from time to time, I have a feeling he's out of extra lives. The other question is whether his belligerence is going to get in the way at some point.

6 Amanda Quickfires 1 3 3 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 0 2 4 As somebody who's routinely in trouble, Amanda's here by default. I've said it before, but she just looks green. That said, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see her sneak into the finals. Kelly and Kevin both have some pretty serious flameout potential, and if they both go, she's in. And that's even assuming that those who look fairly solid remain so for the next two weeks. Thing is, Amanda can put together some great dishes. She just needs a few years' experience to learn how not to make the mistakes she's making. And to not look so completely flabbergasted when she's informed she's made them.

7 Alex Quickfires 0 0 7 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 1 3 2 The exit videos for Alex are pretty damn hilarious. Explaining to the crowd why he was eliminated: "The dish that brought me here to be with you guys was a piece of veal that needed to be dead. Over and over and over again. So, I killed it. Over and over and over again." And on peagate: "So, you know, we've got to do the recipe, right? So there I am with my [unintelligible], and Ed is in the kitchen, so I go, 'Hey, Ed! Do me a favor. What was in that pea puree? I'm doing the recipe and I want to get it straight.'" Incidentally, there's more fuel on the peagate fire there. He mentions that there was a camera right over his shoulder as he was making it. But I soooooooooo don't have the energy for the "Elves buried the evidence!" discussion right now (assuming he wasn't exaggerating, of course). In any case, the edit leading up to service during Restaurant Wars aside, I liked Alex. But he needed to go. And to his credit, he knew he blew it.

8 Kenny Quickfires 3 6 0 Last Week: n/a Eliminations 1 2 4 Kenny, on the other hand, I really wanted to like, but he just made it so damn difficult. The guy had talent, but that talent always seemed to be surpassed by his ego. That can be amusing at first, but after a while it just gets tiresome. Though he boasts in his exit interview about usually being on the top, it isn't as though he was any stranger to the bottom, either. But the point is moot. The Beast is gone, indeed.

Two more eliminations to the finals. Two more eliminations to the finals. Field's wide open!

WARNING : MINOR EPISODE TWELVE SPOILERS AHEAD

Nothing too far off the reservation challenge-wise, it seems. The quickfire appears to be a standard themed affair, involving a figure of speech and ingredient that the figure of speech references ("Spill the beans," "Bigger fish to fry," etc.). The elimination involves running a concession stand at a Nationals game, so they'll be cooking their own food and doing so in the kitchen, and an elimination this late could be a lot worse. Looks like Angelo and Kenny get into it, so we'll see if there's anything to that or if it's a red herring. You never know.

Discuss!

Comments

[Noël Stout]

Why "Muffin"? Did I miss something? Is that Ed's nickname? It's 2:30 in the morning, so chances are I am missing something.

[Skillet Doux]

Noel... that was Ed's self-proclaimed spy name. Muffin Winthrop.

[paula]

"Strong like bull." Hee.

Interesting analysis, and you're right about Tiffany: It's near impossible to pinpoint her style. And that's troubling for a frontrunner.

No four horsemen this season. Sheesh.

[Bart]

Nice ranking. In the post-mortem, I had it listed:

1. Tiffany
2. Angelo
3. Kevin
4. Kelly
5. Ed
6. Amanda

So I have Kevin above Kelly and Ed, but I can definitely understand why you kept him down. You tend to take the larger, overall view while I'm usually more of a believer of the hot/cold streaks.

Honestly, I can't really argue your rankings too much, because after Angelo, everybody's more or less on equal footing. It's a lot of fun as a viewer - who's going to go home next? No clue. But it's bewildering when trying to rank them.

[dach]

Hope Angelo rebounds. He's the only one I see with potential to create something with more wow factor, beyond typical looking, well made fine dining fare we see from everyone else, with at most a few safe or conservative twists, like pee puree, egg plant caviar, asparagus

I regret Arnold not getting more chances to show his distinct style and takes on the later challenges

[paula]

I can't say I miss Arnold at all, especially after reading that interview with him and Lynn after they both got the boot. Dude was strictly a fame whore, looking to churn out soundbites and keep his face on TV. But I agree with you, Dach, on Angelo. I hope last episode was a wakeup call and he really turns up the heat going into the final stretch. We need some food worth getting excited about!

[paula]

Also: Huh-huh. You said "pee" puree.

[timothy]

Re: Muffin Winthrop. We have all heard that meme about creating your "porn star name" by combining the name of your first pet with the name of the street you first lived on, right? My guess is that's what Ed was doing. Muffin Winthrop sounds like it came from that combination, and Ed seems like the kind of guy who thinks, now and again, about his porn star name. As for Tiffany, doesn't she work at a seafood restaurant? It's interesting we aren't seeing more of that. I think if I had to categorize her style, I might call it multi-cultural comfort food. She seems to know how to make food that really pushes people's associations with what grandma from whatever culture would make. Personally, I would love to eat her food. I like Angelo's cooking (from what I can tell) too. A final meal battle between those two would be pretty fun, a contrast of styles: chicken tamale versus watermelon sushi.

[Polybus]

Great job on the Power Rankings, as usual! It's good to have them back...

One question...

Dom said, "Oh... and one more thing about Kelly. Last week, during Restaurant Wars? She's a stone's throw from the Chesapeake, and she's using canned, pasteurized crab meat from Indonesia for her dish. And she still called it "Maryland Crab Salad." "

I must be missing something... I thought that she did a corn soup and chocolate ganache cake and front of the house... where did the Maryland Crab Salad come in?

[JJH2]

Polybus:

It was a chilled corn soup with a Maryland blue crab salad on it.

http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipes/chilled-sweet-corn-soup-with-maryland-blue-crab-salad

Although... Dom, how did you know she used canned crab? Was it glimpsed in the episode? I don't recall seeing it, but I might not have been paying that close attention.

[Polybus]

Ah, thanks for answering my question. I completely missed that!

[Skillet Doux]

JJH2... while they were beginning prep, there was a very quick shot of her setting up, and she had a hotel pan in front of her with five or six huge cans of crabmeat. If you freeze-frame it, you can read the brand, the grade, the word "pasteurized"... everything.

[Lon]

Absolutely my favorite blog to read. Great job as always, Dom. You discover things in the show I never see.

The only constant this season is the surprise of who performs well that episode and who doesn't. We may all be surprised as to the finalists.

[Skillet Doux]

JJH2... here's a screencap:

Canned Crab

[nomnomnom]

The EC for this one may end up looking much like the picnic challenge, no? May need to review who made what there to see how this might go. Amanda did fine in that episode, but it looks like the kitchen challenge will be very extreme.

One week until the triumphant return of Bourdain.

[Bart]

I wouldn't ding her too much for using canned crab... it is restaurant wars, they have a limited budget that needs to cover everyone's dishes. Some people have to make sacrifices, and she did in this case.

[rab01]

Dom,
Awesome detective work on Kelly's RW dish. The judges comments make even more sense with that in mind.

It's as if she did a dish that would only work when the ingredients pop but was stuck with corn that wasn't fresh-picked and canned crab. I can't remember whether she did the shopping for that portion of the ingredients or her teammates did ...

[Skillet Doux]

rab01... hard to say. She was at Whole Foods while Kenny and Amanda were at Restaurant Depot. Cans that large kind of suggest Restaurant Depot, but Whole Foods might very well have had them.

Really, the only thing that could excuse it in my mind is availability. At least in the Baltimore area, the Whole Foods stocked all kinds of fresh crabmeat options, though I don't know if they do the same down in D.C., and she'd obviously need a significant quantity.

Still just seems like a bad call and, as you point out, she was dinged for it whether or not the judges were aware that was why.

[Megan H.]

It's been slow at work so I've been re-reading some past Skillet Doux posts. I just re-read the Top Chef entries for season five, and found this quote:

"I wonder if this lack of a dominant duo or trio wasn’t an intentional choice on the part of casting. Indeed, when it looked at the midpoint of the season like anybody could win this thing, that was pretty exciting. But I think what we’ve learned is that Top Chef needs those sickeningly talented chefs – two or three of them – who are so driven to lay it all on the line that they see every challenge as an opportunity to astound, safety bedamned. They may leave the field in the dust, and we may lose a little suspense about who will make the finals, but I think the show is better for it."

http://www.skilletdoux.com/2009/03/top-chef-postmortem-season-five.html

Given how Season Five ended, this gives me the heebie - jeebies.

[Independent George]

Megan - but looking back, S6 looks like it fulfilled precisely that premise. And we loved it!

[Megan H.]

I know! My concern is that season 7 is more like season 5 - middle of the season, anyone could win it, etc. I'm assuming the producers read this blog and took Dom's advice and got a spectacular season 6...then seemed to forget it again for season 7. Which worries me.

[Bart]

You know, except for the finale, I loved Season 5. Season 6 was fine, but the chefs on there were just so boring.

Michael Voltaggio, on winning: "I am so excited :| This is the happiest *indecipherable mumble* :|"

I've been having that same problem with this season, but we're finally seeing some signs of life. Or maybe we're just getting used to the contestants.

There's no denying that as far as skill level went, season 6 was exceptional. Season 5 may have lacked in talent, but these people were interesting and a whole lot of fun to watch and listen to.

Season 4 probably had the best mix of talent and characters.

[JJH2]

Dom,

Your Top Chef detective skills are unparalleled!

[ally]

I think if Ed won the title this season, there would be the same outrage as Hosea winning. Especially since Ed has had some moments of sheer d-baggery, whereas Hosea at least seemed kind of goofy and harmless.

[Skillet Doux]

Not entirely, JJH2... Evil Ronnie over at LTH Forum caught it too :-)

As did, I'm sure, plenty of Maryland's food nerds. To them, those cans might as well have had enormous glowing demon horns sticking out of the top. They'd spot them with a sideways glance across even the busiest restaurant kitchen.

[Skillet Doux]

Ally... for that to happen, the audience would have to get emotionally invested in one or two other contestants, and while I like Tiffany, I just don't see her pulling the Carla/Stefan/Fabio love out of a hat in the next three episodes.

My hunch is that the response to this year's finale is going to be a collective meh. We can get behind the food, and we can get behind the personalities (preferably both, though I'll take the former over the latter), but while the stunning parity has been interesting to some degree, this season is, sadly, lacking on both fronts.

[nomnomnom]

And the location for the finale is pretty meh as well. It may be a launching pad for Top Chef Canada, however. That's about all I can figure for that one.

[ally]

Wow you're right. Outrage is way too strong a word. It would be a mildly uncomfortable experience. ;)

[paula]

I thought Season 6 was thrilling to watch. But still, this cracks me up:

Michael Voltaggio, on winning: "I am so excited :| This is the happiest *indecipherable mumble* :|"

[Independent George]

Didn't Colicchio get a new contract just before S6? I remember speculation that the deck was so loaded that year because he wanted to protect the show's street cred in the culinary world. I think this season might have been an attempt to get back to the idea of finding up & coming chefs, which I am quite sympathetic to.

As much as I loved watching the Four Horsemen last season, the fact is that they were all already highly accomplished chefs who really didn't need the show. There's a certain pleasure to be had in identifying rising talent, and I think this season was an attempt to get back to the show's roots. I remember when Steph won S4, Colicchio's blog talked about how of all their contestants, she might have had the most gain by the victory. I think he likes the idea of helping a younger chef move onward and upward. I can't say I blame him.

[Polybus]

I really agree with Bart about S4. I've said it before. Good chefs at the top, goofy personalities, great one-liners. The challenges were great, too. What ever happened to Wedding Wars? I know some people didn't like that challenge, but it made for a great episode.

I hadn't thought about getting back to the roots this season, but it makes perfect sense. I'm not sure I'm as disappointed in this season as many others are, including Dom. I think the lack of distinctive style among the best chefs this year (Angelo aside) is the biggest disappointment. Although we really could have used some goofy personalities.

[nomnomnom]

I don't know about that polybus. In many prior seasons one major knock on contestants was that if they cooked to a style then they were just cooking their restaurant's food (or worse copying their mentor's food). Exhibiting a bit of range is never a bad thing.

I'm not even sure if Angelo's style is really Asian anyways. It's what he seems to go to in a pinch, but his resume doesn't read like that's his overriding style.

[gilmore]

Great job Dom. I enjoy the analysis. After last weeks bomb of a prediction on Alex, I will just sit back, read and watch.

[bryanD]

I discern by the comments thus far today that program expectations have been adjusted downward and the set screws of culinary requirements loosened.

It's all a pilgrim can do. Attempt to contextualize this season within the Top Chef continuum while hoping that this poor season and prior inferior and somewhat hokey Top Chef Masters S2 don't signal there is big trouble in Little China. The ridiculous Top Chef Just Desserts venture signals there might just be. Ditto this weeks QF parameter; may I suggest "Gag me with a spoon"?

On the plus side, and in the spirit of things, the stadium challenge looks entertaining with the wham-bam and the Moonen.

No rankings from me just in case pure luck is finite.

[Skillet Doux]

Polybus... I don't mean to overstate my feelings about this season. I'm finding it perfectly enjoyable. But it's delivering enjoyment at a below-average rate for me :-)

Also, IG, I absolutely agree about getting back to discovering unknowns a little bit. I loved season six, and I'd enjoy another season like it, but I don't know that I'd want that to be the norm. Part of the fun is that each season has its own character. All of that said, while I support going back to the roots a bit and catching chefs who aren't quite as established, I have to ask myself the question, out of the season seven contestants, whose restaurant would I be dying to go out and try? And the answer is maybe Angelo's. There are plenty of contestants at whose restaurants, I'm sure, I'd have a great meal. But there's nobody about whom I'm thinking, "Man, I can't wait to try X's place when I'm in Y city."

[Erin]

I agree with the thought that while the Four Horsemen were amazing to watch, they were boring as all get out. We knew - just knew - from the first ep who would be on the top. I mean, the same four people were on top almost every challenge! We could have skipped the season alltogether and just had a big ole' 2-hour smackdown between them. At least with no clear front-runner this has been interesting to watch from a contest point of view. S6 had very little contest, and the Big Four were all pretty set up before they got there.

[Independent George]

The suspense in S6 wasn't who would be on top, but what they would do to get there. We saw some pretty fracking amazing food that season.

[jh]

I found last season extremely entertaining, not just by the food. Although I could have done without some of Mike I's callous comments, I found the Four Horsemen very intriguing and not boring at all. As far as "the fact is that they were all already highly accomplished chefs who really didn't need the show" that is not entirely true. Of the four, it seems like Bryan needed the show the least. Jen and Mike V had amazing mentors and were high up on the culinary ladder, but didn't have a restaurant of their own. Even though Kevin had his restaurant, he used TC as a last ditch effort to save it from going under. So Kevin really needed the show to keep his job.

As it was mentioned before, it's pretty difficult to cast the show. In terms of talent, where do you draw the line for being "too accomplished"? EC, sous, Michelin star? Should the show be geared for young up and comers versus older chefs that are just looking for a break? Hung and Harold were sous chefs, but Stephanie had her own place. It's also very hard predict who will flame out or rise to the occasion. The fact that top four from last season actually stayed at the top for the whole season, is actually pretty impressive.

[Polybus]

NomX3 writes: "I don't know about that polybus. In many prior seasons one major knock on contestants was that if they cooked to a style then they were just cooking their restaurant's food (or worse copying their mentor's food). Exhibiting a bit of range is never a bad thing."

Perhaps I was unclear. I think that a chef can have a unique style and still not be locked into a limited range of dishes. Would cite Blais as an example. He had a unique flair, which apparently could be recognized, but within that style, he showed great range - and could go out on a limb with something that no one else would even consider, such as the Willie Wonka dish (wasabi and white chocolate had the other contestants totally beside themselves).

I'm sure that Dom could express this much better and I'm positive that he has in the past. I think the idea of cooking "to a syle" is not what I meant. It might be the difference between saying "I cook Asian" and saying "I cook me, regardless of what type of cuisine I'm working on at the moment." I hope that helps to clarify what I was getting at.

[Anon Man]

Dom, the whole foods I go to in the DC area has crab, but not enough to serve all the people in restaurant wars. Also, the crab is sometimes out. If you want a lot of crab, go to a crab shack or a fishmonger, or call ahead.

[vizoroo]

Have to say I'd be prone to try Kelly's restaurant in Vail, before Tiffany's in Dallas. Hmmm, maybe because I'd rather go to Vail than Dallas.
In the last challenge they definitely seemed to be on top.

[Nsam]

Have to say I'd rather try Kelly's restaurant in Vail or Tiffany's in Dallas before Ed's in New York -- and I live in New York! Plein Sud just got reamed by Sam Sifton in the New York Times:

http://events.nytimes.com/2010/08/25/dining/reviews/25rest.html?ref=dining

[Anon Man]

While Tiffany has certainly showed herself an able technician and some level of creativity, I'm still not sure I would want to go to her restaurant if I were to find myself in Dallas (which I rarely do aside from DFW). She runs what appears to be a largely seafood-based establishment, which screams "Texas" about as much as shrimp and grits screams "Chicago". My first stop in the Big D would be Tim Love's place.

[JJH2]

vizoroo:

Yikes. That review is absolutely brutal.

[Susan]

I think Amanda has serious flameout potential and her point of view / green factor will get her this time. But I also would not be surprised to see Ed or Kevin here.
We are down to the wire...and while it is a crap shoot on what may happen next, there also isn't much drama in the personalities left. I don't forsee too much "OMG, he/she said that?" moments ahead.

[nomnomnom]

Anon: Just FYI Tim Love's place is in Fort Worth, but I wouldn't let that stop anyone. It's certainly the best take on regional cuisine going. And the guy isn't even from Texas.

My wife has been to Tiffany's spot when she was away on her honeymoon and said the menu and place was so-so. It's an absolute jampacked scene right now though. One of the hottest places going.

I figure Amanda is gone barring some complete disaster tonight, which when you put the chefs in a closet to cook can certainly happen. They've been very deliberate in getting rid of chefs this year from the last 10 on down which doesn't bode well for her at all. The decision next week could be much tougher. I still think Bourdain will not care for Kelly's style, but it would be a fairly difficult production decision to go with 4 male chefs to Montreal.

[Independent George]

My wife has been to Tiffany's spot when she was away on her honeymoon and said the menu and place was so-so.

I'm sorry, but I completely misread that sentence the first time I looked at it. :)

[JJ]

Dom, I'm in absolute agreement not only with the rankings but also with your reasoning for the rankings. I too have reservations about Kevin's "belligerence" (and haven't been much more impressed by his wins than his losses). I'd be happy if your 5 and 6 were the next two to go, although, as you say, there is no certainty that this will be so. For me, the only contestant I absolutely don't want to see get sent home before finals is Angelo, b/c – as you say – he is the only one that seems to have the potential to bring the WOW factor to his food.

[Amanda P.]

@Independent George - I also could not figure out why nomx3's wife was going out to dinner on her honeymoon without nomx3.....

[jse91]

Anon - You know Texas is a Coastal State, right? Seafood is a BIG part of the food culture. You are right in that it isn't as central to Dallas culture - but Dallas is just straight up strange anyway. The Texas Gulf Coast is one of the best places to eat seafood and Dallas is just a couple hours away, so the potential exists for very fresh shrimp, oysters, crabs, crayfish. Now, being that close doesn't mean they go to the trouble to get that stuff fresh, but they could.

Also, I believe Tiffany has Beaumont and Houston connections, which means the woman should know seafood. I was hoping, when they had the crab quickfire that she would pull out a variation on barbecued crabs, a regional specialty in the Beaumont/Port Arthur area. They are amazing.

So anyway, Texas seafood - Yes.

[Rodney D Young]

If in Dallas, go to Dean Fearing's place (Fearing's in the Ritz-Carlton). The man invented regional Texas (if not Southwest) cuisine and puts a can of Texas whoopass on Love's Ft Worth place.

[TxGriff]

Personally, I'm a fan of Stephan Pyles in Dallas. Not the new tapas place, but his original location downtown. I would say it's more Southwest than "Texas" food, but it's excellent.

And yes, Dallas is a bit different than the coastal cities (Houston) or the "cowboy" cities (Ft. Worth) or Tex Mex cities (San Antonio). In fact, I don't think there is a stereotypical "Texas" cuisine since all of the major cities and regions are so different.

[nomnomnom]

Fearing, if everyone remembers was one of the major mentors to both Casey and Tre on this show in prior seasons.

[PerryMB]

The Fearing brothers and Tre also won an iron chef battle.

[TxGriff]

Nom and PerryMB,

I think you are confusing Dean Fearing with Kent Rathburn. Tre worked at Abacus under Rathbun, and the Rathbun brothers (as well as Tre) were on ICA battle Elk (I believe they beat Bobby Flay). Casey worked at Shinsei, which is owned by Rathbun and Fearing's wives. Rathbun and Fearing both worked at the Mansion, which is why I think they get confused so frequently.

[Ranhorn]

I once had an amazing lunch at the Mansion when Fearing was there...had a sandwhich, of all things...had a funny name like "Jizzbomb" or something...leanish duck (yes, lean) with a creamy sauce...man, oh, man was it good

[nomnomnom]

I believe Tre worked first under Fearing and then moved to Abacus later, but I could be mistaken. Both of them, I think, worked at the Mansion at one time or another but never actually in the same kitchen at the same time.

[Duffy]

Dom -- not to beat the tired horse but to revisit Kelly's decision on canned crab -- recall her objective: to get something up that she could prep fast and leave for others to finish, so she could get to her FOH duties. Picking over a bushel of fresh crab is not something done fast. It seems to me that her compromises usually have a logical reason underneath.

[Polybus]

Duffy, I like Kelly, too, but I'm more inclined to think that she might have changed her dish or altered it in some way - she's proven before that she can do that.

[bfish]

I think one of Dom's points on the crab is don't call it Maryland blue crab if it's imported from Malaysia (or wherever; didn't check the post). And I think he acknowledged that they may not have had MD crab at Whole Foods. Certainly if local crab is carried by or available in the store, they have picked crab in cans or plastic containers, not whole crabs that have to be picked. Of course, only at your own peril would you serve it to TC judges without some secondary sorting through looking for shell fragments!

(I live in VA, not so far from the Chesapeake, and while this area's no foodie magnet, I don't think stores here sell out-of-area crabmeat or oysters; it would be rejected by customers. To be noted however -- some seafood sold by local packing houses is actually harvested elsewhere, e.g. the Gulf though maybe not anymore!)

So I think the choice to use the inferior product if local crabmeat is available is one issue, and "truth in advertising" in devising the name of the dish is another.

[gdis]

something interesting to note with the maryland crabmeat:

On the "Hudson Valley" episode of No Reservations, it was mentioned that the majority of the crabs harvested there were actually sold in Maryland. (Please correct me if I'm mistaken).

[Erik N]

Nice QF for Ed...the rare well made gnocchi.