Top Chef - S7E13 Postmortem

Yowza... another barn burner.

I'm unwilling to take the cynical tack, here. Yes, much of this season has been subpar. But I'll gladly take an exciting finish and enjoy it for what it is. Of course, the preview is setting us up for a colossal disappointment. This would be a bummer of the highest order. Or it's the typical elves preview bait and switch. Which is why I won't be giving it another thought until next Wednesday.

So here's the setup: The chef who should be in his element but is in danger of caving in on himself, the chef who took a while to get rolling but is incredibly self-confident and maxing out his ability at exactly the right time, and the dark horse who has amassed a third of the wins of either of the other two, but has turned out some great dishes and could easily play spoiler if either of the first two stumble even the tiniest little bit.

Has the makings for a great finale! Provided everybody cooks, of course.

Discuss!

Comments

[gilmore]

Ed wins. Goes to the back. Break for commercial. Who will be eliminated.

Commercial - Next week - the finals. They show Ed, Angelo and Kevin.

Duuuuuh. Goodbye Kelly. What a shock when they told her to pack her knives.

Bravo idiots at work.

Ed - no surprise.
Kevin - coming strong.
Angelo - a nervous wreck.

Don't see Angelo winning.

It is Ed's to win or blow, opening the door for Kevin.

[yurd]

Shocker Ed was so prepared with both dishes when he bought ingredients for both while the rest had to miracle something from nothing.

I just want to see him go home.

[mar]

I thought these were crazy challenges tonight timewise - but they pulled it off beautifully (apparently). I fast-forwarded through the commercials so didn't see Bravo's now-traditional screw-up, but totally called Kelly going home based on JT. Would have liked to have seen her in the finals.

The Angelo drama next week might make for a pretty disappointing finals. Will be fun to see past winners acting as sous chef. Wonder how they choose the order of sous chef selection - knife draw? Or random assignment? If they get to pick I'm betting the order chosen is Hung-MVolt-Ilan.

[nomnomnom]

So Ed versus Kevin versus Hung?

Looks like Angelo comes down with Delhi-belly for at least the planning stages. Takes a shot of something in the %@$!!!

No shocker to see Kelly gone. Should have been done a long time ago. Will be forgotten in TC history as fast as apparently her memory of the top chef final in Puerto Rico.

[bfish]

The sous chef choices are interesting -- which of the three finalists will be so unlucky to be stuck with Ilan, while his competitors are getting two of the best of the best TC winners? Actually, IMO, Hung and Mike V. were tops to date. Yes, I picked Hung from the start of S3 and he's about the only one who I wanted to win who won (didn't watch S1 except after the fact).

I agree with mar, it was easy to figure out that Kelly was going home from JT comments. She had problems with both dishes that at least 2 judges agreed on, whereas Angelo's soup was called too thick and salty (may have been played up for effect by editors; we'll have to see what Tom says in his blog) his lamb tartare received nothing but the most major props. In the interest of creating suspense, if the Elves could have located one negative comment about any aspect of the lamb dish, I'm sure it would have been edited in.

Now I do want to try Ed's banana fritters, along with his shrimp and corn fritters from last week.

[Nikki L]

Has anyone else ever noticed that Angelo wears the same shirts as the guys on Jersey Shore...

Anyways, I thought Angelo and Kelly both looked really strong this episode and I was shocked that Kevin had never used a wok before. Padma had it right - you know you're going to be in Singapore, wouldn't you have thought to try that out? I thought Kelly had prepared a lot better for cooking in Singapore but as usual, she couldn't get the flavor balance.

Ed was really annoying though. Angelo was almost likable this week and Ed was still trying to mess with him.

I'm also bummed about next week - it wouldn't be a real challenge if all three couldn't fight it out. Plus, an Angelo-Hung team would be pretty ridiculous. I feel bad for whoever gets stuck with Ilan... Hung and Michael Voltaggio are just leagues beyond him.

Feel better Angelo!

[gdis]

I liked the quick fire and actually did like the challenge - yeah it was a team challenge but they still cooked independently. Two things really bugged me about the episode:

1) QF winner getting immunity; this late in the competition it's ridiculous and I'm glad Ed stepped it up and won. I would have rather seen him get an extra 30 minutes to cook or choose two proteins only he could use - some advantage along those lines. Really poor design by Bravo.

2) My second beef is with having Gail as a judge. The part where she complained about not being able to handle the flavor of Angelo's dish - that slayed me. I laughed out loud when she said she'd rather eat Kelly's because she couldn't handle Angelo's and Tom just shook his head. Seriously - you're in Singapore - as Padma told Kevin: "What were you thinking?" I guess I'm just bitter they didn't bring Bourdain back for this episode.

I'd take Hung as my sous chef over MVolt and Ilan. I think Hung has the technical skills and the willingness to step back for the executive chef. Although MVolt is one of the best chefs in show's history IMHO, I would be afraid his style would creep into my dishes. That's where contestants have lost in the past and that's what you want to avoid.

[bryanD]

Well, time for me to do a Napoleon and switch to Edgar Hoover as odds-on Top Chef...OR!? the Blaise de cette saison(sp? Fr? etc)!
(Keyword: Blaise/ pork blubber...you get the drift..)

BAD: Next week's episode of Marcus Welby M.D. looks absolutely appalling.

GOOD: The chef/sous chef paradox next week should generate interesting critiques here. That should be good stuff (and out of my league...I shall observe).

THIS WEEK? Pretty suspenseful the whole way through. Not bad at all. In fact, with Edgar Hoover immune from elimination and acting all gay toward Angelo, it was kind of like a movie.

[bfish]

I pretty much agree with you gdis about Hung > Mike V. but re: sous chef style influence what about Hosea? He was so fortunate to get Blais as his sous chef and rode that to the win. I can't remember what Hosea cooked (other than not doing dessert) but I thought there was some Blais influence in there, even though RB (at least on camera and as edited) was self-effacing about his contributions.

Others with better memories -- and there are plenty of them in SD-land -- can probably help out with the particulars on S5 final.

[mncharm]

Ed may be a little over the top towards Angelo...but you can't argue with the man, he did beat Angelo at his own game.

Don't love that immunity was given for quick fire, but nice to see Ed pull his weight, ultimately help out all the other chefs by doing his best to deal with the wait staff, and ultimately, winning.

Smart play to be ready for two dishes. Gamesmanship to suggest each do one? Perhaps, but he's right: the other chefs should have seen that coming.

[gdis]

I agree with Nikki L - Angelo and Hung together would be a freight train. On the flip side, Kevin/Mike V. would be a disaster. Opposite styles and Mike V.'s personality would end up taking over.

bfish - I guess I keep thinking back to the Carla/Casey debacle from the season five finale. To be honest, Angelo is the only one who probably wouldn't be thrown off by Mike V because of his style - Mike V would be able to add to it without changing it.

[timothy]

Yeah, Angelo/MikeVolt would probably be a good pairing. I would want to eat that food. The only potential danger there is if Angelo tries to make love to his food while Mike has the liquid nitrogen out. Then things could get ugly. On another note, Ed should shut down his poorly reviewed NY restaurant and open up a place called Fritter. He'd make a lot of money. I want Angelo to win. He has won me over with the singularity of his weirdness.

[Daniel]

Wow - what is Ed's deal? Ed certainly seems to have a massive chip on his shoulder when it comes to Angelo - the constant desire to 'kick his ass', the multiple snide references to have 'dated the same girl,' and the purposeful (would have been ambiguous had Ed not confirmed it himself) baiting of Angelo in the kitchen. In his own words, Ed does really come off as a douche.

However, he's also coming off as a douche who can cook. All of them did tonight. Had we seen this level of conception, execution, and ambition from these folks in earlier episodes, I think we would have been much much happier with the season.

Kevin's dumbassery with the wok notwithstanding, we saw tremendous performances tonight.

The previews made it seem like the finale is going to suck, unfortunately. Still, it's very nice to see Hung back in the kitchen. He's definitely my favorite of all the winners in the past, and I always enjoy the opportunity to disparage Illan.

[gilmore]

Ilan will be the third sous chosen, unless the first two chefs want to cook in a Spanish style.

[Bart]

Generally, I was a fan of this episode. I liked the immunity - it really gave the contestants a real impetus to actually compete in the quickfire. And as Ed showed, having immunity didn't necessarily mean just skating by to the finish line. I think Ed knew he needed to develop momentum here, so he did the best he could to position himself well for the finale.

I really, really hope Angelo cooks in the finale. The best finale is when all three finalists are on the top of their game. The worst is when someone stumbles and eliminates himself/herself (flashbacks to Carla, Blais).

This should be interesting to watch! I'll be happy with anyone winning, at this point.

[Susan]

My colleague lives near where the original family restaurant is that Hung's mother and aunts runs and he grew up running around. Good food apparently! Her sons knew Hung and he was a bit of a punk in high school. I can see him giving that vibe. He spent the season so defensive it seems to me.

[Susan]

I personally don't buy into Angelo's opinion of Angelo, so I was happy to see Ed beat him at what Angelo felt was cakewalk. I think Angelo is very talented but he seems to fall into the trap of thinking that too much.
And I am sure that shot we saw will miraculously get Angelo back in the game next episode.
That said, even I think Ed went over the top being an instigator last night.
I am really curious if Kevin will rock the homeboy food or kick it up big time next week.

[ally]

I wonder how many of these dishes were planned by the chefs before they got to Singapore. I'm guessing that Ed's quickfire (he said he knew the dish was good) and fritter dish, Angelo's lamb tartare (though he denies it), Kelly's red curry and (clearly, I think) Kevin's potage were planned in advance.

Ed thinks he is "funny". Wow. With fewer contestants, having him as a larger part of the in-action and interview footage is really really unpleasant. He must have developed this "dry" sense of humor (i.e. total d-baggery) in college and has had enough feedback as an adult to know that he is being perceived as a d-bag. I'm not sure if being a self-aware d-bag is better or worse than being a clueless d-bag, but I'm thinking its worse.

[Susan]

Ally, I agree with you. If I have something about me pointed out I decide whether I agree and whether it is worth trying to break as a habit. I would hate to be considered a d-bag.

[Dan V.]

Angelo and Ed seem to be the two smart engineering guys in the office who, on their own, could be tolerable. Once you get them together, though, they'll totally go at each other. Angelo could rub Ed the wrong way with something and Ed feels like he needs to fight back to assert himself.

It's not pleasant to watch, but it seems like something that could happen every day.

[Polybus]

Could Angelo say, "We're cooking our hearts out here" one more time? I don't think I got it the first seven times. Actually, at this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see his chest explode.

I'm very sorry to see Kelly go. I think she's the only one of the four who actually had both a heart and a mind. Personally, I hope we see her again at some time in the future.

[matthew]

Great comments.

I agree with Ally. The more I hear Ed in interviews, the less I like him. He's starting to come across as a stereotypical cocky/obnoxious chef. That may be okay behind the burner, but it doesn't make for an appealing television personality. I don't know about you guys, but I want to like the contestants--not loathe them. I think villains on reality shows are overrated.

Having watched Top Chef since the first season, I don't always trust Magical Elves edits. They are adept at misdirection. (Like all the setup with Padma saying "What's wrong with you?!" to Kevin, but when it aired it was far less harsh.)

I agree with the comments that the chefs had to have spent time studying the cuisine in Singapore and honing some dishes, in the event they cooked "local." Angelo may have never served the lamb tartar, but I am pretty certain he practiced making it in preparation for the show. Carla knew, for a fact, that she was going to New Orleans. It would have been silly for her not to try her hand at some local favorites. It's almost a given. That's what surprised me about Kevin and the wok. Either he was not being honest, or he focused more, as he said, on flavors and not on perfecting his wok cooking technique.

[matthew]

Oh...am I the only one that thought Angelo's reaction to Kelly being eliminated seemed a bit over-the-top? I know the contestants develop friendships over the course of taping the season, but come on.

I also forgot to mention that the Ed's obsession with Angelo is not much different than what we've seen in previous season. Let's not forget how much Hosea went on...and on...and on...about Stefan in Season 5. Michael and Bryan constantly going at it last season cut quickly into my nerves.

[ally]

I thought Angelo really thought he was going home, and that all the tears were of relief. I honestly continue to think he has some oddities (some very creepy) but he isn't at heart a bad person. Unlike Ed, but I already went there :) What's interesting to me is that its the worse (imo) chef (Hosea, Ed) that are always out to get the better one (Stefan, Angelo), and that this sort of simmering jealousy makes them (at least temporarily) better chefs in the end. Something very Shakespearean here.

[John Coctostan]

Yeah, those weren't tears for Kelly. They were tears for the moment. Even before the elination was announced he was crying a little (but trying to hold in his emotions). And after he didn't have to hold it in any more, it just came out.

[Janet]

matthew, Angelo's weepiness was totally due to him making the final and NOT due to Kelly leaving. He may like her, but the only tears I saw were ones of gratitude for not being eliminated.

So looking forward to seeing Hung in action next week!

[timothy]

I don't know this for sure, but I imagine Angelo and Ed are at slightly different places in their careers, and this contributes to the emotional baggage they bring to the show. Angelo, if I understand correctly, owned/ran a fine dining restaurant that fell through, and now he runs a successful sandwich shop. I imagine he sees Top Chef as a chance for redemption. Ed runs a restaurant in New York, and views himself as finally arriving at the top of the profession. For him Top Chef serves as a chance to be validated. So Angelo has the pressure of "gotta grab my last chance," while Ed has the cockiness of "told you so." Yes, this is speculative psychobabble on my part, but that's kind of what happens with reality tv. You see some behavior and wonder what it is all about. I think Angelo will be fine if he finds some way not to put so much pressure on himself (and if he is not physically sick).

[Magi]

I must know a lot of men who are d-bags because Ed seems pretty normal to me. The way he's treating Angelo is pretty much how the men I've known treat their friends. If you looked closely in the last couple of episodes, it's pretty much how he acted in the kitchen with everyone. I got the impression that no one, including Ed, took the smack talk seriously. I do think they're highlighting the rivalry in the interview segments because it makes for interesting viewing, plus they obviously have a long standing rivalry having known each other before that gives them more fodder. I don't see any real animosity there.

I agree that Angelo's tears are relief. In the stew room when Kelly said she'd be the one going, Angelo told her that he was the one going home. His demeanor and body language all screamed that he thought he'd blown it.

[JJ]

"I want Angelo to win. He has won me over with the singularity of his weirdness"

Totally agree, Timothy. I've always believed in his talent, but I've also become rather fond of him over the past few episodes as his singular weirdness (as you put it) has become more evident. It is this weirdness that got played by the producers as cockiness and calculation, but he is far less calculated than some of the other contestants. And unlike Mr. Douchebag, he seems far more invested in cooking a good dish than in commenting on the weaknesses of the other contestants or talking about "kicking so-and-so's butt." From the previews, I fear another Hosea/Stefan showdown. I just hope this time the right person wins.

[Helaine]

I don't usually check the recipes on the Bravo site (I rely on Dom for that!), but the judges were so in love with the banana fritters, i was curious. While there are a number of individual ingredients related to coating/saucing the fritters, the recipe lists store-bought red curry paste. I don't remember anything specific with Ed buying his ingredients during the episode, but was curious as to how "true" the Bravo recipes are to what the contestants actually used. It seems a bit of a "cheat" to me at this point in the competition to use store bought paste (Kelly made her own Kung Pao flavoring for her CIA challenge).

[louc]

There's a great behind the scenes article in the Atlantic about Top Chef in Singapore and the whole issue with the wait staff.

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2010/09/behind-the-scenes-of-the-top-chef-dc-finale/62645/

I too find myself liking Angelo more and more. His oddball personality has some charm. And he is devoted to food. I fear he's losing his self-confidence though.

[Skillet Doux]

Helaine...

How true the recipes are is really a mystery. I've found obvious discrepancies from time to time, but we know for a fact that the chefs are required to write out recipes for all of their dishes, and whether they're put on the website in that state or if they go through some sort of editing and/or translation, my impression is that they're pretty close even when they're off. But that's more a matter of feeling than hard evidence. There's a lot of variation in how the recipes are structured and written, so at the very least, it's obvious they aren't all being written by the same person, which suggests to me that they're probably posting the chefs' actual recipes, perhaps with some amount of editing.

As for canned curry paste, in a situation like this, where it's a dessert and his "second" dish, I can't say it bothers me. Where I harumph a bit is when somebody uses a canned curry to make *a curry*... that strikes me as a little cheap, if not completely inexcusable depending on the circumstances. I speak only for myself here, though.

[nomnomnom]

I remember when Tre was asked about this in an interview he said they would try as much as possible to scale the ingredient list correctly to the servings, but said sometimes it was really just a guess.

What was often changed he would say is the technique and the adaptations for equipment you might find in a home kitchen. Often those would have little in common with what they did, but would work in a pinch.

[nomnomnom]

Did anyone think the whole "2nd Dish" thing was more Elvish nonsense? Building suspense when all along they knew they'd be doing 2 dishes.

[Independent George]

Was it a canned curry paste, or was it a custom curry mix he purchased from the spice vendor at the market? If I recall correctly, the rules of the challenge was that they had full use of everything in the kitchen, but had $200 to spend on spices in the market. The canned curry paste might have just been a shortcut for a custom spice mixture they couldn't quite reconstruct.

[Danny]

It once again seems that Angelo's apparent strength may actually be a disadvantage. With the Ethiopian food challenge Angelo made a spot on perfect Ethiopian dish only to lose to someone who used the ingredients to make a goulash (although it didn't seem soupy enough to be a true goulash). Angelo has a lot of experience making last night's cuisine. Could he be too close to it to be able to step back and reintrepret? We shall see. All in all a very satisfying episode. I wanted to eat all of last night dishes with the exception of the egg/congee thing - I just never have liked congee.

[Duffy]

Anybody know if the rules allow the chefs to refer to crib cards or ponies of some kind -- whether full recipes or just notes on ratios and foundations for sauces, etc? Seems to me I recall some years back someone was flipping through a little pocket notebook -- I can't recall now whether it was during cooking or after hours in the residence -- but I haven't seen such recently. Anyone know if the chefs are allowed to do any research at all during the competition?

[helaine]

Thanks Dom and nomX3 for the input on the "accuracy" of the Bravo recipes.

IG - the recipe just says
"•12 teaspoons of red chili paste per portion (store bought)"
So, i'm not sure if that's a grocery store or the spice market store. and, you can argue that it's fine either way b/c he either 1)used what Top Chef stocked in their kitchen or 2) bought a pre-mixed paste at the spice market.

I guess b/c i was impressed with how Kelly worked out the Kung Pao for the prior challenge, the words "Store-bought" stuck out to me.

however, i can certainly see many arguments against my concern that it's a "cheat".

[ally]

I do know that someone got busted for looking at design books on project runway when it was on bravo. I doubt they are allowed to bring recipes or any written material. Hence the provided notebooks on this episode.

[bryanD]

"Anybody know if the rules allow the chefs to refer to crib cards or ponies of some kind"---Duffy

It appeared as if Ed was reading something on the table before him during Tom's walk-through. He was mixing and reading while talking to Tom.

"Seems to me I recall some years back someone was flipping through a little pocket notebook"---Duffy

The pencil-behind-the-ear was Dieterle's trademark.

[GlennM]

@nomnomnom

Er, Puerto Rico is a US commonwealth. So this was the first "international" final. [Don't want to get into politics here, I think it's crappy the US still has commonwealths.]

I'm glad they're all cooking well. I'm glad Kelly went out with her head held high.

Now I just need to find a supplier for a propane flamethrower to go under my wok...

[mo pie]

Just seeing Michael V. makes me depressed about how much this season's chefs suck in comparison to the top four last season. I did think Kevin's egg/tapioca thing was really creative and interesting, though. Too bad I kind of hate Kevin.

I also really want a woman to win one of these seasons, and not leave Stephanie alone. Carla should have done it two seasons ago. I was rooting for Tiffany or Kelly to do it here. Now I have nobody left to root for!

[HF]

I hope nobody else is going to refer to Ed as "Mr. Douchebag" in next week's comments. One of the things that impressed me about the commenters here was that people weren't referring to Alex in earlier episodes as "The Great Gizmo", etc... as they were in many other blogs.

[ally]

I dont think Ed LOOKS like a douchebag. Just acts like one. Even he admits it :p

Why "next weeks comments"? If you know something of significance, I'd rather not have anything hinted here. :(

[paula]

That was really fun to watch. Seriously, I take back what I said last week about "too little too late." That was a good ep, with impressive cooking and (mostly) grown-up behavior. Of course, next week will probably suck. I think the final episode is always a let-down.

Ed's a dick. I hate people like that, who build themselves up by mercilessly picking on people who can't take it. And why is it so surprising that he'd kick ass on this elimination challenge? Yes, I give him credit for wowing the judges so thoroughly, but still: Was there a chance in hell he'd rest on his laurels and take a chance at souring the judges' opinion of him by serving something safe or even mediocre? Right before the FINAL final challenge? No way. He had nothing to lose and everything to gain, and being a very good chef, he made the most of it. He didn't have any emotional/psychological stress weighing him down like the others did.

Timothy, your post about Angelo and Michael V. cracked me up. Just want to give you props for that. :)

[timothy]

Ha! Good, I'm glad you laughed, Paula.

[Kenny]

I wonder if, since they call the contestants back in right after judges table and before they go to bed, Angelo finds out he'll be cooking with Ilan, which causes his sudden onset of 'OMG I'm so sick I cant possibly cook tomorrow.'

Perhaps we'll know if he shows up with a shaved head, or a design shaved into his hair, and saffron. On a separate note, it was interesting that he wore a rosary during interviews. The only people I know who've actually been at a Top Chef event said the food was nothing to rave about in the least, and it was a semi-finale, so one never really knows what is going on.

Sorry to see Kelly go. Ed almost has the personality of Tiffani it seems, though his cooking is evidently spot on at the moment.

It really is anyone's game, and thankfully the politics are (hopefully) not an issue anymore.

[Daniel]

@Kenny

What were 'the politics' and how were they ever an issue?

[Kenny]

@Danny, Dom requested at the start of his power rankings this season to leave politics out iof the discussions. The fact that the show was filmed in DC evidently made politics an issue.

[Skillet Doux]

When it comes to politics, everybody seems even more sensitive than usual right now, and I figured one or two snide comments about politicians who appeared on the show could turn things very nasty very quickly, so I wanted to clearly mark that as off-limits. Just wanted to make sure I'd spend the season facilitating a Top Chef discussion and not refereeing a partisan flame war.

But I think, Kenny, that Danny misunderstood and thought you were referring to the politics of something related to the show, and not *politics* politics.

Or I'm the one who's misunderstanding. Which is probable given the hour.

[Bart]

On a totally unrelated note, I read an article by the Times of Trenton about Kevin Sbraga - he and his wife had a son not too long ago, named "Kevin Angelo"

Wonder if the kid was partially named after Angelo Sosa!

[nomnomnom]

It looked to me that for sure Hung was set to go with Angelo. It's a coinflip for the other two, but I think Ilan appears to be working with Ed. If you want to read in between a handful of lines Hung is setting up to go it alone versus the other two pairs of chefs himself.

Now they did fly Tiffany and others out there so there's a chance they bring them to help, or perhaps just to have dinner.

[Daniel]

@Skillet - I thought Kenny was saying that the mere presence of politicians on the show was somehow grist for partisan issues.

Perhaps the producers felt the same way - the politician cameos felt a bit forced and I don't recall any of them really offering anything in the way of useful critique - though the completely serious comment that one guy made about toothpicks magically preventing lobbyist abuse was pretty hilarious in a non-partisan way.

[Anon Man]

On the politics politics thing, I don't feel like this season, despite being in DC, was especially political. Sure, they had political guest judges, some of whom were more amusing and interesting than others, but that's no different than the usual cadre of guest judges, some of who are terrible and some of whom are not.

I accidently saw the result before I watched it, but finally did watch it. Ed came across as kind of a db with the "of course we're cooking two" stuff. Plus, this "team" concept is completely over-done. Its a team in so far as they don't want 8 shrimp dishes, but really, that's it. After watching it, I've come to the conclusion that all three remaining have amusing personality defects. Angelo's is quirky, Ed appears to be on Lithium half the time, and Kevin has this bi-polar happy-angry thing going.

Semi-related, for those who watch Master Chef, there was a really funny moment where Joe B. was critiquing a dish from the Indian contestant and said it could have used a drizzle of olive oil to "make it more....", at which point Graham cut him off and said "...Italian?", and everyone laughed.

[Bart]

Anon - Yeah, that was funny. I also liked Ramsay's face of sheer incredulity and how he basically told him to STFU. He might have used those actual words, come think of it.

On a Top Chef note - I was thinking about this earlier...while I love seeing familiar faces for Sous Chefs, I still think my favorite Sous are established master chefs (think Season 4). What do you guys think? Top Chef Alum or Peerless Stars of the Culinary World for the finale?

[Duffy]

For the finale, the sous chef should be a well-credentialed real-time sous who can be trusted to dig in and help out. Top Chef alums seem just right, although bringing back recent losers may be risky.

One thought might be to allow the final four to bring along their own sous from home.

The established masters in Season 4 may have been great TV -- but for the contestants,it had to be a little intimidating. (Although it was revealing to watch Stephanie order Rippert around.)

[paula]

Bart, for me, nothing was cooler than seeing Eric Ripert step out from the shadows to sous for Blais. I totally geeked out watching the dynamics between the cheftestants and their famous helpers, and seeing how well both sides played their roles.

[paula]

Oh, I just looked it up. Ripert actually assisted Stephanie...but whatevs.

[Polybus]

STFU hmmm... satanic tartar facilitates unction... sitting tight fulminates ulcers... standing table functions utterly... star taster formulates ultimatum... stupid translations freely undulate... I dunno...

[rab01]

I like having established chefs one day (who then take part in the meal) and competent in-season returnees the other day.

For example, the rapport between Hung and Rocco diSpirito was great - especially, Rocco's line at the table about how he thought Hung was giving him makework to keep him out of the way until he tasted the final dish ...

I just don't want two contestants to get great sous chefs while the other pulls an Ilan or a Preeti.

[HF]

"I dont think Ed LOOKS like a douchebag. Just acts like one."

"Ed's a dick."

I was irritated by some of the stupid soundbites from last week, this week it's the stupid comments. I'm not saying you're stupid, I'm saying what you posted was stupid. It's not a popularity contest, it's a damn cooking competition. I understand that since we can't taste or smell or even properly see the food we look to other things to judge the contestants by, but I can't imagine the judges are thinking too much about the chef's personalities when they're at Judges' Table (except in the team competitions, where leadership seems very important). I'd hope that they were judging taste, technique, presentation and menu selection.

Now when choosing your favorite restaurant, by all means let the personality of the staff influence your choices.

I don't know anything about the final results. I said next week because I figured this weeks comments were winding down.

I wasn't even going to post another response, but I did so I could post this... usually when people are compelled to insult someone, it's a reflection of what they don't like about themselves.

[bryanD]

"...while I love seeing familiar faces for Sous Chefs, I still think my favorite Sous are established master chefs (think Season 4). What do you guys think?"---Bart

I realize the presence of familiar sous chefs gives the production crews the dialog and human drama and faces all production crews crave, but I instead (this will never happen) would like to hear Tom tell the assembled finalists on that final day, "It is now O7OO hours. At 1800 hours you will each serve a first course for x people, followed by a second course at 1830; a third course at 1900, and the last course at 1930. You will have xxx amount of money and will each have a car and driver at your disposal until service. You will be ON YOUR OWN in the kitchen until the servers arrive at 1730. No judgments will be made regarding multiple (redundant) market runs for ingredients, nor if you feel an extra 2 hours of sleep after this briefing will do you good. You will be judged solely by what's on the plate, the provenance of which can in no way be obfuscated.

That would be lush and edutainographic.

[Anon Man]

@Bart, This year's sous chefs will be master chefs from Singapore, but only one of whom will speak English and the QF will be for his or her services.

[ally]

HF, what I was saying is that there is a difference between making fun of how someone looks (Gizmo), which I personally don't care a pin for, and criticizing how they act (like a huge d-bag), which I do.

For example, some things LOOK like words, but they act like flames.

[nomnomnom]

They put up another preview which all but confirms

Kevin - Volt
Ed - Ilan
Angelo - Hung

Absolutely no sign of the current season chefs, but they clearly shot that right after JT for the prior episode. Angelo already looking pretty pale there.

[rab01]

If Ed wins with Ilan as his sous chef (and Angelo was recovered enough to cook properly), then I will put aside all doubts and admit that Ed really, really earned the title of Top Chef.

[HF]

"For example, some things LOOK like words, but they act like flames."

Great line! :^)

[paula]

I guess I'm just a dick, then, HF.

I'm not saying Ed doesn't deserve to win Top Chef or even that I'm rooting against him (I'm not). His cooking was impressive. But really? We can't comment on someone's personality on a reality TV show without that comment being "stupid"? I respectfully disagree. It's not like any of us are ONLY commenting on the personalities. It's just part of the conversation.

[Nikki L]

@HF - I actually think Tiffany lost because of her personality. She put out very strong plates and in my opinion her menu was a lot more challenging as she made duos of each course. However, JT asked her sous chefs what they thought of Tiffany and her performance. Since they didn't like her they had no problem calling her out and pointing out that she had no input on the dessert (which ended up being their favorite dish). Harold's team loved him though and could not stop singing his praises at JT. In fact, I think Tiffany's team was singing Harold's praises too and they didn't even taste his food. Harold won. Personality matters.

@bryand - that would be fantastic! It sounds like Kitchen Impossible a little bit... Or is that what you were going for?

[Daniel]

have to side with paula here, HF. And while I appreciate your attempt to insulate yourself from your own insults by claiming you are insulting the comments, not the people who make them, that still leaves you in the untenable position of self-labeling your own comments as stupid by claiming that the comments of others are stupid. Just sayin ;).

You can like Ed as a chef while still acknowledging that his behavior as a contestant is obnoxious - and when he himself points out that he's being a douchebag, you can't really fault other people for noting and being put off by it. If you choose to completely ignore the personality information on the screen, then more power to you. But it makes zero sense to hold people to the standard of judges who not only have access to information we don't have(how the food tastes and smells), but have almost zero access to theinformation we *do* have(how utterly douchey Ed has been acting)

And by the way - since they make a big deal about 'fan favorite', this is indeed a popularity contest - one which gains the winner a very nice chunk of change.

All in all, your comment makes very little sense on multiple levels and probably came off as much more antagonistic than you had intended. And if my response comes off more antagonistic than *I'm* intending, then respectfully blame my lack of sleep and a screaming puppy who only just nodded off.

[ally]

Regardless, I'm glad HF was not letting on that Ed is the next Top Chef (although he may be D= ). Because then we might say something like "Top D-bag", which would be totally inappropriate (but funny).

Officially, I'm rooting for Angelo, because at least through the magic of elves he has had some redemption, and through the magic of my smellovision I am convinced he is the best chef. Okay, I don't have smellovision but I still think he has had the most compelling body of dishes so far, and the most coherent point of view. If Ed wins, at least he'll have that, and not just the smoldering ashes of the New York Times review.

[timothy]

HF- Yeah, I'll just come right out and say that for me this show is a popularity contest. The show is competing with all the other forces in my life at 10:00 pm on a Wednesday to see if it can be the most popular option for winding down the day. I would like to humbly assert that I usually do have other options, but Top Chef wins because it is fun to watch. Why is it fun? I am definitely a person who likes to watch good cooks make good food. (Admittedly, I just watched Paula Deen make a casserole out of crushed potato chips and white bread, so you know my standards aren't that high). But I also watch personalities. I don't watch a whole bunch of things on TV (Kardashians, Real Housewives) because I don't like those personalities. And I will stop watching Top Chef if all of the people on it come across as mean, vengeful, racist, homophobic, or whatever else. The point is, I am not going to pretend that I am not watching this television show for the personalities. I am. And if one comes across as a dick or a douche, I kind of am interested to know that other people feel that way too. Yes, perhaps we should be delicate with our language because this is a family blog. So let's just say that I don't want Ed to win because his cockiness seems rooted in a kind of arrogance that I abhor, while I want Angelo to win because his cockiness seems rooted to an insecurity, and since I have insecure moments myself, I relate to him. (But let's be clear: I only relate to him a little bit. I've never, for example, had crabs).

[bryanD]

@bryand - that would be fantastic! It sounds like Kitchen Impossible a little bit... Or is that what you were going for?---Nikki L

No, I was just fantasizing about ideal contest parameters that would eliminate all elements of chance and would be a pure test of skill. The Top Chef judge-producers sometimes seem as if they wish to make the contest easy on themselves since the insertion of game show stumbling blocks does the winnowing-out for them. I consider strange sous chefs, celebrity sous chefs, and sous chefs with baggage to be stumbling blocks. As someone in this thread has already said, the TC finale is always an anticlimax. I just said why. Even the enormously entertaining 1st season (wherein everybody's fave, Harold won) was polluted by yoking Tiffini to hostile losers and malingering shlubs. And it was STILL close. Could Tiffini have won on her own, with time, instead of almost winning while at an extreme disadvantage? These alternate narratives should be designed out.

Message to Colicchio: please don't wanly reintroduce the meme that TC quantifies kitchen leadership. You tend to insert this or withdraw this concept depending on how mishandled the contest parameters turn out. It has alternated from season to season at finale. That's another reason for eliminating the NEED for sous chefs.

"If Ed wins with Ilan as his sous chef (and Angelo was recovered enough to cook properly), then I will put aside all doubts and admit that Ed really, really earned the title of Top Chef."---rab01

I hear where your coming from, however, Ilan will not morph into "Ilan" when by himself, alone, or "new". "Ilan" requires a cultivated clique around him, and the presence of an isolated person smaller than himself with confirmed, observed non-violent (safe-for-"Ilan") behavioral characteristics. So there is not time for Ilan to become "Ilan" this episode. If "Ilan" remains sublimated inside Ilan, then Ed has a good team. (Ilan was recognized as a skilled spicer all through his season (2)

[Hiemdall]

I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to meet the Volt brothers, Stephanie, Harold, and Ed in person. They gave me the impression they are generally very nice people, just very different personalities. Some are more suited on camra (Stephanie, Bryan, Harold), others not so much (Michael, Ed).

The Elves edit the show heavily to create drama, it isn't even done well as you can see easily them reusing the same expression over and over again. Many times they will take interviews for different episode and put it where they think will create the most drama. Take whatever they showed and look between the lines.

This is what my take on Ed. He is the type that talks too much but harmless in nature. What he said most time he doesn't take it seriously. At the end of the day, I see him as a rather helpful and generous person. Just look at how much he is willing to help executing other people's food in more than one occassion (yes, even Angelo's) when he isn't required too. No D-bag will do that. He told me that he is opening the Terlato magnum he won during a send off for a friend who is moving away from NYC. That is a rather generous gesture!

I tend to refrain from making such harsh judgement from a reality show, and I don't always trust what I hear on the news unless I experience it first hand or have done some research. However, everybody can post how they feel, it is the freedom of speech. One can form the opinion of another poster without actually have met them. Have people never met someone who might be quite different in real life than behind the keyboard?

[Merlin's Nephew]

A testimony to the power of editing: according to this interview, Ed's best friend in the house was not Tiffany, but Angelo!

http://www.wetpaint.com/top-chef/articles/exclusive-qa-with-top-chef-season-6-cheftestant-ed-cotton

[nomnomnom]

Well the same type of dialogue was all over the stephan season, and it turned out everyone loved the guy. I think it's funny all the people here are so suckered in by the editing to think Ed is a bad guy, or unlikable.

[Allen Ted]

Boy did they make Kelly look physically awful in this episode. Seems they came straight from the airport to the challenges, seems they could warned the contestants to be ready to be on camera as soon they land. They really shot her in a poor light. No makeup. Awful clothes. No favors.

[Skillet Doux]

Allen... You mean the contestants couldn't possibly have anticipated that they might be on camera the moment they set foot off the plane? :-)

Seems to me that seven seasons in, any contestants who aren't prepared to be filmed at any moment have only themselves to blame if they're caught off guard.

[bryanD]

"This is what my take on Ed. He is the type that talks too much but harmless in nature. What he said most time he doesn't take it seriously."---Heimdall

Right. You have just described the classic snitch. He doesn't require payment from the Sicherheitsdienst to snitch. It's just in his nature to make himself "harmless" to the SD. (And *lovable* to us!)

"A testimony to the power of editing: according to this interview, Ed's best friend in the house was not Tiffany, but Angelo!"---Merlin's Nephew

Unless they actually ran around together, I'm not surprised due to their past mutual relationship regarding school, and now finding themselves thrown together in a strange setting, they have an In with each other. It's happened to me; it's happened to Mark Twain (Roughing It). Being thrown together in a different (unexpected) PLACE is more important than space of TIME, for this phenomenon to be felt. (Time elapsed in same place just tends to make things awkward)

"They really shot her in a poor light."---Allen Ted

Let's face it. Kelly got fat. Only a hoop skirt could have helped her before the remorseless enbiggening electric eye.
What WAS weird though, was Mister Asia (Angelo) wearing blue jeans and a tight shirt in Singapore. I've been in the area (Philippines). It requires days for westerners to get acclimated. Until then, you are dripping sweat while sitting down. Tight clothes will make your entire body cascade with sweat---none of this "moist" stuff over there! We're talking waterfall! Angelo must have been as if in a freaking oven. Sweaty legs does not a happy chef make. Weeeeird season.

[ally]

Ed didn't say Angelo was his best friend. He "hung out with others" but he "related to" Angelo. I'm assuming this means he thinks Angelo is a d-bag also. ;)

[Skillet Doux]

Okay, folks, do we really need to take the discussion in that direction re: Kelly?

[Danny]

Nikki, you are right that Tiffany's treatment of others was one of the elements that led to her defeat. Not only because of being asked who they thought should win, it also made her two sous chefs feel unmotivated and to get drunk rather than give 100% during the cooking. It also affected season 2 when all 4 of the sous chefs said they wanted Ilan to win and thought his food was better. When Tom pointed out that Ilan's chefs hadn't tasted any of Marcel's dishes they still went on about thinking that Ilan's dishes were better. Interesting that this question wasn't asked of the chefs after season 2.

[HF]

Sorry for my delayed response, I spent most of yesterday watching the history channel.

Up front, I'm sorry for pulling the discussion off the topic of food with my original comment, at least it's sparking some lively debate. And sorry for the length of this post...

@paula, who am I to say what you can or can't post here? It's not my blog.

@Daniel, I didn't think your comment was antagonistic at all. I think calling someone a douchebag is stupid, you think me calling someone's comment calling someone a douchebag is stupid, big wheel keep on turning. Besides, you used a smiley. And puppies are cute.

Again, it's not my blog, but the comments on this blog impress me because they are insightful and civil. Calling someone a douchebag doesn't seem either to me. What was it they did that makes you not like them? I haven't seen Ed acting too badly, but I'm not paying 100% attention and a bunch of people are agreeing with you, but what was it? Don't answer that, I'm sure I'll catch it in the finale or during a rerun.

What do I care who wins, how will that change MY life? Their careers have probably all been advanced no matter who wins. All three of these guys can be jerks. I hate how Kenny swears all the time, and is it OK for Angelo to say Ed looks like a potato on national television? That's pretty low if you ask me. Has anyone busted his chops for that?

Everybody's personality becomes irritable at times and what rubs you the wrong way is part of who you are. Remember when Tom said to Tracey "Calling this Italian food is an insult to Italians... me being one of them!"? The camera cut away and when it cut back to Tom he was rolling his eyes in the bitchiest way imaginable. Did anyone else feel like I did... wanting to jump through the TV screen and wring his Italian stump of a neck? If so, should he be replaced as a judge because he can be irritating? Or Padma because she can come off as elitist? Probably not, that's just a reflection of me... as you've suspected, I alternate between being a bitchy elitist and an elitist bitch.

@timothy, I'd say arrogance is rooted in insecurity too. Otherwise, I agree with everything you said. Really a nice post you made... I want to party with you, cowboy (name the movie).

Of course there is some production input into who gets eliminated, it says so in the disclaimer that zooms by at the end of each show...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/320792
...but Kenny was wildly popular and he got the boot, so it can't just be personality. I completely despised that he said "The Beast" every episode, but that's just something that bothered me personally and I don't want to allow that to tint who I think should have won this season. I didn't care much for Hung's personality in Season 3, but watching him break down that chicken in the speed challenge was jaw dropping, and in general it seemed he deserved to win. This season, I would have liked to see Kenny in the final, I thought he displayed some impressive kitchen skills. I don't feel bad for him though, he's going to do just fine...
http://jacksonville.com/entertainment/food-and-dining/2010-09-01/story/dining-notes

"No, I was just fantasizing about ideal contest parameters that would eliminate all elements of chance and would be a pure test of skill." bryanD

The ideal parameters for neutrality would probably be similar to how auditions for major symphony orchestras work in this country... until the final rounds, everyone plays exactly the same music and auditions are done with a black screen separating the player from the judges. Makes for some pretty dull television, though.

I cannot stand that they ask the contestants "Who would you send home?" That is complete production bull. I haven't watched every episode this season and have missed a couple of seasons entirely, so how often have the chefs' answers to those type of questions ended up effecting the judges' decisions? Makes for some pretty good television, though.

So, to sum up this rambling post, Angelo looked like a sweaty dorky pansy douchebag in his ugly shorts with his crying and his fake hugs and anyone who wants to see him win is a sweaty dorky crying fake-hugging ugly-shorts-wearing name-calling Russian-bride-ordering pansy douchebag. Who apparently can cook like crazy. Nyah :-P

[potty mouth princess]

My take on Ed is that he thinks he's being sarcastic/funny, but he is so deadpan it comes out as douchebag. Even if he wins, he's still about third in line in terms of douchiness. Ilan, of course, wins that award hands down, but there was a LOT of complaining about Hung during his season and here last year about MVolt's sour personality. And there's Hosea, who pulled double-duty as both a douche and a homewrecker. Basically, that means that Harold (who was a pretty cranky customer himself - "I'm a chef, I don't cook from gas stations") and Steph are the only winners who are universally liked. This season is not going to change that.

The preview for next week that follow the episode itself (not shown independently that I have seen on other Bravo programming since) shows Hung running to Angelo's bedside for what appear to be instructions. Definitely partnered up and Hung probably gets the shopping list and Angelo miraculously gets up to cook and wins the whole shebang. Frankly, if this was a personality contest, I'd send them all home, so I'm going on food alone to judge next week. Small note: the notes people see chefs referencing during challenges are likely prep lists, which are apparently legal...remember Dale Talde going ballistic over his during RW?

No way Ed and Ilan win, or even come in second. That pairing is maid of FAIL. I love, love, LOVE Hung; since I really don't like any of the remaining cheftestants, or much of their cuisine, I guess I'll root for Hung, but won't be disappointed if Volt takes it. Anyone but Icklan and his 50 watches.

[HF]

I looked back to the E. 11 comments to see if anyone busted Angelo for his potato face comment (we didn't) and reread this...

"I don't know which season is worse - these people are more ho hum bitchy whiney than out and out asstastic."

You have earned yourself a fan ally, that's dead-on hilarious:^)

[timothy]

HF -- I agree that arrogance and insecurity come from the same place. Good point. I will admit that my taste when it comes to Top Chef contestants is completely irrational and subjective. Hell, I didn't even mind Lisa that much from season 4. She made miso honey bacon which kind of won me over. And my favorite contestant/chef of all time may have been Marcel. So, yeah, I want Angelo to win, then Kevin, then Ed, but my preferences are pretty meaningless to anyone else but me. I am hoping for some good food. I hope to be inspired to whip up something good in my own kitchen.

[Anon man]

@hiemdall, Interesting that you say Harold is at ease on camera. I always got the impression from him that he was a tad uneasy with his celebrity, which is why he took his money and opened a pretty down to earth place. And, IIRC from that many seasons ago, even Tom made fun of how nervous he was in the front of the house. Maybe he's gotten used to the spotlight, or maybe just comes across as more shy than he is in person.

[HF]

I just watched the rerun of the second half of the NASA episode and the entire Final Pt.1 episode...

I had missed the 15 second clip where Ed is describing his own douchebaggery, so I owe ally and paula an apology. He was the first to mention douchebag, so there's nothing stupid with you bringing it up. My apologies.

I disagree with him though... I lived in Boston for 10 years and Ed's from Boston, his "humor" is the behavior of a Masshole. It's telling someone they're being an idiot as bluntly as saying "you're an idiot" but without saying it. Example... Angelo can't work with other people. He's going to be polite and say "Ed, can I use your spoon?" Whatever dude, IT'S A SPOON, but when some point of service is actually important (it's hard to see in the episode what exactly it is) Angelo can't be bothered at which point Ed busts him with "Come on Angelo, I'm sick of this sh*t."

In the episode and a half I watched, Kelly made fish, fish, a soup with fish and, I think, fish.

Holy psychological trump card Batman, Ed has immunity but has planned a second dish that he's going to surprise everyone with at the end of service... until Tom busts their chops and forces Ed's confession. He just handed them all cards saying "I want this the most, triple your efforts or I've got your number". That's not Massholism or doucheyness, that's coming to the finals with your game face on and playing to win. You could see it in the chefs faces at Judges' Table when Padma said "Holy Asian extravaganza!", Ed's food blew them away.

Anon man, you were right... Kelly had the first "alone time" on camera and she wass the loser. I'll make my own prediction... they are not going to give Angelo a $35,000 car and also the $125,000 prize. It's between Ed the favorite and Kevin the dark horse.

[Hiemdall]

@Anon man. I didn't mean that Harold is at ease in front the camra. He is very shy person even in person and does seem uncomfortable in a crowd. I meant his personality is more suitable to receive a "likeable" cut on the camra so it works to his benefit in having a large fan base much like Kevin. It is harder to do a villian cut on him as oppose to someone like Michael V. Who is really fun to talk to in person. Bryan is the same on and off the camra except I was expected him to be taller in person. Kevin was even shorter :).

In order of my food preference for their James Beard events:

1) Volt brothers
2) Stephanie
3) Kevin
4) Harold

To everyone's delight, all dinners were fantastic and with NO execution error. Which is very impressive considering the other big names had mishaps cooking for 80+ people with so many courses and a tiny kitchen. Interestingly that I was talking to some others at the foundation. I had not realized that Bryan was invited to do an event in the Beard house the year before. But they had to cancel the event due to low interest. How TC had turned that around as the event was sold out the day it was announced to its members (3 months before the event), way before the public offering. I was fortunate to be seated in a table with full view of the kitchen so I was able to watch them cook all night. Very impressive and extremely focused. But they do have it easier. They were only cooking 1/2 of what a normal guest chef would do since the event was from both of them. Even with their similiar style, you could instantly tell which dish belongs to which brother. TC had really done alot for Bryan even though he didn't win many prizes. With its non metropolitan location, VOLT was in serious financial trouble. I was glad to hear things have turned around since.

[ally]

The judges are in love with Ed's food and I really don't think Ilan will do much harm as a sous chef. He may be helpful, as he will "relate to" another d-bag ;) Angelo is sick. Kevin is, well, Kevin. My guess:

1. Ed
2. Angelo
3. Kevin

[Bart]

Holy discussion!

I wanted to pop in to say one thing real quick:

@Timothy - I totally agree. I love watching this show often because of the personalities. Yes, we can talk about food in the loftiest of terms, but at the end of the day, I watch TV to be entertained. The contestant's personalities play a big factor in that.

I don't - and shouldn't - feel any shame in admitting that. Certainly, different people watch this show for different reasons, and some do it because they're serious students of food and are really passionate, and that takes precedence over personality. There's nothing wrong with that.

But there's also nothing wrong with wanting to watch a show to get entertained, a show that happens to have cooking in it. Me, I like both, and shows like Top Chef meet my needs wonderfully.

I do want to be clear - like Timothy, it depends on the personalities. I don't want to see Top Chef turn into Big Brother-lite, with catty drama. I like it when people are genuinely entertaining and gregarious (see this season's Tracey or Stephen), and not nasty and deceitful.

[Steve F.]

Anyone have ideas as to why Bravo posted three preview videos and then took two of them down?

I think I saw all three and there was nothing blatantly revealing the finale's secrets. Am I wrong?

[gilmore]

@Steve F - there is no accounting for the logic and techniques used on the Bravo site.

In competitive endeavors, I will trash talk and harass my friends much more than someone I don't like. Someone I don't like, I will focus and internalize, not trying to give them any more motivation. Motivation is already high when facing friends - we both want to defeat each other. With that in mind, I am not surprised that Ed likes Angelo. I would expect that they will be friends long after this season.