Top Chef - S8E1 Postmortem

Okay, this is already way more awesome than I'd hoped.

Anybody else getting the chills watching everybody else file in? Seriously, this was just so much fun seeing these faces again. Reunion episodes are fine and all, but it's completely NOT the same.

Bourdain's going to be a lot of fun. I hope he doesn't let Fabio shame him into pulling any punches. I'm... well, okay, I'm not really that worried about it.

Great challenges as well. I hope they stay this smart.

Feeling pretty good about the preseason rankings, too!

I don't want to go into too much right now. I'll save it for the rankings on Monday. It's just really, really good to have a lot of these people back on screen. I'm having a blast already.

Discuss!

UPDATE : As pointed out below (thanks, Sam!), Bourdain's blog is up, and it's drop dead hysterical. He may be even more fun to have around in writing.

UPDATE II : Okay, I have to jump in here, since it's being discussed in the comments and it drives me insane. Fabio's most painful (to me) legacy will always be the creation of the Top Scallop MYTH. In Season Five, Jamie didn't touch a scallop until episode six. In that episode, her QF used scallop as a secondary ingredient, and her elimination used it as the central ingredient. So she did double up for one episode, which is what kicked it off. The next episode, because her treatment of the scallop in her elimination dish was savaged, she wanted to go back one more time to prove she could do it, which she did, getting a win. She didn't touch another scallop for the rest of the season. In fact, Leah, who bit the dust just one episode after Jamie, used scallops just as many times as Jamie. In three fewer episodes of the same season, spanning 14 cooking challenges, Ariane managed to squeeze in lamb four times -- nearly a third of her dishes -- but nobody talks about Ariane and Top Lamb. And there are countless other examples of chefs using pet ingredients with far, far greater frequency than Jamie used scallops (*ahem*... pork belly / bacon?), but nowhere through the run of the show has anybody been so tied to one ingredient. It's a completely false perception, and there's one reason and one reason only for it: Fabio got on camera and said, in his lilting Italian accent, "Ees not Top Scallop!" End of rant.

Comments

[JJH2]

I have to say, that was an AWESOME first elimination challenge. Totally great idea. The only problem is that by doing it so early into the season, you didn't get a sense of what everyone's failed dish was, and therefore, what they were doing to improve it. I also wonder how they picked the dish for those who made it to the finale, when losing wasn't the result of one failed dish, but an inferior overall meal.

Too bad about Elia. I liked her on her season until Clippergate. She always struck me as having an interesting culinary perspective. But you had to get a sense she was in trouble when she basically declared she loved the dish that got her kicked off and intended to do the same thing over. Also doesn't help when you botch the fish.

Also disappointed in Jen's showing. Blais, of course, had a fantastic dish. But I agree that the Top Chef rule (as it has evolved, since it actually used to be debatable in the first season as evidenced by the original Tiffani vs. LeAnn timer showdown) is that once the timer goes off, that is it. I think they handled it well - don't put him on the bottom, but disqualify him from winning. He's still my odds on favorite to take it, though.

Stephen Stephen Stephen... I actually would have ranked him higher than last place, but his showing tonight was dismal. His trio of appetizers looked like really bad bar food. Blech.

Please eliminate Fabio next. Can't stand him.

[TxGriff]

Wow- this season is going to be intense. Still too early to get a grip on things. A few thoughts:

-A few people were harsh on Casey, but she seemed pretty strong. It will be interesting to see what she does.
-So sad about Jen's duck. I don't think it will be a recurrent trend though.
-Spike was in the top for both the quick fire and elimination. Never would have guessed.
-Blais obviously rocked it. But, was anyone else off thrown off by his "people remember my season because I didn't win" comment? It was so...egotistical. That is certainly something I think about regarding season 4, but it's not the defining moment. Plus, what an inadvertent insult to Stephanie.

[Daniel]

Yeah..Fabio was already low in my book - but the affected charm that elevated him for so many seems to be absent so far, and the veiled threats of physical violence just come off as pathetic and obnoxious. Amazingly, Fabio's description of Marcel pretty much nailed, for me, Fabio himself.

Agree with JJH2 that the timer issue was handled relatively gracefully. I think it sends a strong message that they are paying more attention to the dictates of the challenges rather than simply the outcomes, and hopefully, they will continue to act in ways that support that.

Some people performed better, some worse than my expectations. I was a little disappointed in Jen Carrol and Tiffany (season 1) as I consider both to be very heavy hitters.

The promo's made me a little nervous...I liked how Marcel either didn't raise his hackles or how they didn't include his raised hackles in the edit. Please, please editors - for the love of god keep leaving most of that crap out - there's plenty of compelling drama to showcase that is completely independent of personality conflicts.

[KinderJ]

I thought this was a strong episode out of the gate. I am really curious to find out more about Blais' dish, and what he did to improve it. It looked interesting, for the fraction of a second I could see it... Stephan is on PYKAG watch. That was... underwhelming. And that prissiness is not going to cut it. You can see who is still hungry, really hungry, on that show. Some of these chefs are going to do whatever it takes to win, and some are just going to freeze and give up. Elia gave up. Stephan looks like he never cared to begin with. Not good.

Good on Spike though. Maybe the next burger joint should be called "Craftiest Motherf@%$#* in Top Chef History". Little hard to fit on a sign, but strong reviews should be prominently displayed.

On the Blais timing thing- I think they handled that about right. Shame, but there you have it. Better luck next time.

And good on Dale too! That's a heck of a turn around.

[Independent George]

Great showing by S4. If I'm not mistaken, all of them earned praise in the EC.

I loved the EC, and I'm glad we actually got to hear something about each dish. I don't think that's ever happened in the first episode before.

I was also disappointed in Jennifer's showing; I think she got cocky by trying to basically do the exact same dish.

[Cousin Sam]

blogs are up. Anthony Bourdain's = hysterical ;)

[Kathy from Austin]

Outstanding episode. Was surprised, as IG was about Jen's showing, but not about Fabio's. Late to the party, but has anyone talked about where Stephan is? I would have thought he would be there.

[Danny]

Just a wonderful episode. I do think that Stephen got the short end of the stick. He was asked not only to make 3 dishes, not one, but to also make dishes he had never made before. Still they did look like a mess. And I am no fan of his by any means.

Elia just seemed to be a ghost of herself. Everyone else looked like they were having fun, but she seemed so grim.

I was never one to be smitten by Fabio's "charms". This is the third time he has gotten upset for having his food criticized. It's part of TC - if you can't take harsh criticism don't be on the show. And yes, TxGriff, I found Blais' comment to be a bit off-putting.

[Dreamboat]

Anyone notice that Blais's hair looks exactly like the elf? Creepy...

I loved this episode. I thought Mike would be toast because his original dish was dismal. He really turned it around and as did Spike and Dale and several others.

I can't wait for next week!!

[mar]

I think Elia's inability to watch the discussion of the dishes was interesting. Sure it's hard to hear, but valuable in more than just a strict judging sense - also to see how your competitors react. But anyone who wants to really improve has to hear the hard truths. Her inability to open up to that type of criticism says to me that she is not willing to look beyond her own ideas. Her twice-failed dish showed little improvement or interest in improving, and that was he downfall.

Late here - don't know if that made any sense.

[pdog]

Great first episode! I agree with TxGriff that Richard Blaise's comments were arrogant. But I'm actually not surprised, he's said this type of thing before (Top Chef Masters). It's disappointing as I used to like him.
I am rooting for Tiffany, surprisingly, as I found her not the most charming in Season 1. She seems to have mellowed and her food was always praised, so maybe it will be a boost for her. I hope Jen bounces back too!

[David M.]

No one is mentioning the winner - Angelo looks strong. Don't forget he was very, very sick during the Season 7 finale, but was dominating that season till then.

Also Jamie did a great job with Ripert's dish and also got called out in the QF for nailing the one successful element of the "apple trio" dish.

[Steve]

I'm disappointed in Elia. She definitely is more creative than either Fabio or Stephen. But it's not like we shouldn't have expected a breakdown from her at some point. Mentally, she had her problems during her season and almost quit. It's still a shame.

Bravo to Angelo, Jamie, and Blaise for reaffirming for us that they were really among the very best alumni. Spike? WTF?! Good for him. Everyone said that he was a fluke in his season. Doesn't seem like it now.

[Sprugman]

I actually think Blaise comes across as confident, but not arrogant (though I'm sure he has plenty of ego). From my POV, the big thing about season 4 WAS that he didn't win, not to take anything away from Stephanie.

In this episode I saw the same sharp, competitive, friendly playfulness & curiosity that I liked so much in his season. For example, I like that he didn't say "my biggest competition is Angelo," but rather "I'm most intrigued by Angelo".

[Neil]

For me personally, I don't mind the arrogance. I doubt there are any top notch chefs out there who don't have a certain level of arrogance about them, some even famously so. On a different note, I too appreciated Blaze and how he was curious to learn something. Reminded me back to a earlier seasons when (I think) Ripert and later Rick Bayless on TC Masters said something to the effect of when you're not curious and stop trying to learn, you don't get any better as a chef.

The top half remaining IMO are (in no particular order): Angelo, Richard, Jen, Dale T., Tiffany S1, Mike, Marcel, Casey, and Jaimie. Looking forward to the rest of the season.

[timothy]

I can't believe that Bourdain actually wrote "felching Mrs. Butterworth" on his blog. I'm sorry; I know there are more important things to talk about, but I can't stop laughing. That is the funniest thing I've read in, like, ever. He is going to be a great addition to the season.

[BritBrit]

I just finished reading Bourdain's blog and I am going to have to agree with timothy that the "felching Mrs. Butterworth" line may be one of the funniest things ever. Definitely read it, looked up "felching", died laughing, came back to life and recorded the quote for posterity. That Mr. Bourdain is a national treasure.

Sooooo looking forward to this season.

[mncharm]

That episode was ******* awesome.

[Nsam]

If they can maintain this standard then this season is going to be EPIC.

I don't want to go overboard on the Spike-love (he is such a weasel, after all), but I'm feeling very glad that he's back this season. That guy was made for reality TV.

I go back and forth on the Fabio/Bourdain thing. I still like Fabio (the charm, the grace of self-awareness to know that he may indeed be the worst chef competing this season), and it's no shock to me that a hot temper and machismo are a part of his personality, along with his charm. But the veiled threat of physical violence is too much, and he should realize that it's a TV show. Yes, it's serious business but also entertainment, and Bourdain is trying to be a judge and also an entertainer.

Gail's illuminating blog says that feistiness and talking back to the judges at JT is the norm this season, so I guess we can expect more of this. Gail, class act as always, mentions how awful it was to see Elia go. I was glad to read that, after seeing Gail SHOUT at Elia that she didn't have to steam the fish, she could have done something else.

[redpoint]

Elia got the loser edit from the beginning. The show focused too much on her. I was disappointed she went home just because it was so obvious it was going to happen. Too bad, I was more interested to see what she could pull off than Stephen, who seems like dead wood.

[matthew]

Carla and I watched the show at Spike's place (We the Pizza) last night. He is a really good guy. He and Carla sat next to each other through the show, and it was interesting to hear their take on the episode and some of the contestants. Mike Isabella was also there with this wife. He's larger-than-life in person too, but he's nice and very personable.

I liked the idea of each season working together in the Quickfire. However, I REALLY didn't like the TC NY trio idea. I'm a bit worn down by duos and trios, generally, but, as Casey said, if you're going to do a trio, they had better all work together. The plate was disjointed. Jamie was clearly the ring leader on that team and pushed the trio idea, but only cared about what she was going to make. I sense some foreshadowing there with Jamie. She's all about Jamie. Apparently there is some back story about the TC:NY team in that challenge, but I don't think Carla would appreciate me sharing it here.

Regarding the EC, as much as Stephen did a face plant with his dish, Elia served undercooked fish. I knew she was going home. I thought it was interesting that Fabio, again, went off about being criticized. My mind immediately went back to the reunion dinner that he "hosted." In that episode, he made the big production and speech about how everyone "knew the deal" when they signed up for the show. If they didn't want to be subjected to questions and possible ridicule, they shouldn't have come on the show. I think Fabio could stand to take his own advice. I've been around him quite a few times, most recently in Las Vegas for the Food & Wine All Star Weekend. I, honestly, can't get a good read on him. He is, indeed, quite affable, but it does seem like he wants...no expects...to be the center of attention. It could very well be that I've just never liked dudes like that (bombastic), and is my issue not his.

Good for Angelo, though I'm not sold on him going deep into the season. I think he has a blind spot for over-thinking dishes and he, like Fabio, can buckle when criticized. I'm happy for Spike. I don't think people really take his culinary skills seriously because he's a character. I wasn't the surprised by Jen's showing. She is clearly a talented chef, but after watching seven seasons and TC Masters, it's clear that some chefs are just don't thrive under the particular pressures this show presents. It's one thing to be under the gun on the line at your restaurant. It's another thing entirely to cook under time constraints in an unfamiliar kitchen with other chefs flying around you.

Carla told me the Richard, honestly, didn't know the timer went off, but rules are rules. She commented that the judges are VERY strict with the rules. Carla did say that Richard's dish was really good, though.

It was noisy as hell at Spike place, but I did ask Carla about her EC dish. She told me that she was pleased with the flavors, but was upset that she didn't cut the meat properly. (Hence Angelo's comment about a tendon.) She commented that she learned something from that challenge. In particular that she finally understood what Casey was talking about when she said "elevate" her food. Carla said that challenge helped her break out of sticking to a preset idea of how she prepare, or even plate, a dish. We'll see that means for her going forward. Again...she won't give me any hints or particulars about future episodes.

[Bart]

I got the warm and fuzzies seeing all those characters back in the Top Chef kitchen. I love it already.

Shocked that Elia was the first to go, but understandable why.

Boy, Angelo came roaring out of the gate, didn't he? Wonder if there's some leftover momentum from Season 7.

The elimination and quickfire challenges were very inspired, too. It got me thinking about the season breakdowns:

1: OG, as Tiffani put it
2: Starting to find its groove
3: What happened?
4: The best season
5: The most entertaining season
6: The season with the most talent
7: The season with the most satisfying finale
8: Epic season of Epicness

[UKMatt]

Random comments:
- Richard's comments about everyone remembering _his_ season because he lost... yuk - there's a fine line between confidence and arrogance and he crossed it by a mile.
- I feel like Jamie allowed her team to fail by selfishly pushing them to do 3 dishes as she felt she was the better chef. I believe a true top chef would have figured out a way to succeed with their combined talent. As it was, she failed the challenge because she left herself (and her team) at risk in the EC.
- So over Fabio already.
- I really hated that the second team to cook in the EC were put in different position than the first team. The second team did not know the other team could hear their comments and they then had to cook knowing that the first team would be critique-ing (sp?) their dishes. I would have preferred a different approach so each team has the same information and amount of pressure in the kitchen.

I loved the show though!

[paula]

Loved it last night! And that challenge was perfect. I share a lot of the sentiments already expressed here, especially the thing about Stephen getting hosed with his assignment, since he apparently was the only one who not only had to cook someone else's dish, but he had to do three of them. (Having said that, wow, he's so in over his head with this crowd. Hope he's next to go.)

[Jon Olsen]

On the Internet no one can tell if you're a dog n stuff, but it kinda looks like Fabio (whom my autocorrect thinks I should be calling "Fabiola" and who am I to argue?) Fabio is the First comment on Bourdain's blog. And while felching is funny, the real hilarity has to be "getting stabby with strangers." yeah, this is going to be an extremely entertaining season.

Blais was not arrogant (full disclosure, I've been, like, twitter BFFs with the man for years now and my wife and I sent him a baby gift before the s4 finale, so we're pretty far in the bag for Blais) he was referring to his season as in the personal season he personally had. Not because people remember THE season for Blais losing, they remember how HIS season ended. Sports fans understand this---You Nerds!---as just the way teams and their fans talk (believe me, I live in Minnesota: the words "1998" and "knee" can't appear in the same paragraph without hiking someone's therapy bills) "Our season will always be remembered for how it ended" is pretty much what every sportsball professional says ever, even if they finished six games below .500 and miles from contention. Deal with it people. I'm sure Stephanie isn't crying into her hundred thousand dollars that Richard "insulted" her.

Speaking of the money, how do you think the rest of the OG's (esp Harold) must have reacted last night? "we're giving away a half a million dollars." Marcel had it dead on: "I finished Second and didn't win a dime." (or whatever he said; I can't look at Marcel without thinking about Ilan and wanting to get stubby with strangers so my recollections are unclear) Harold and the boys must be like "Damn you Faison! 200 grand! We broke this pony in without so much as a faretheewell so the rest of this toolbox full of stage four narcissists and psychos could become celebrities over night, and you get a chance to double up on our ass!" (not that Harold has anything to cry about--is Perilla still open? In NYC that's practically a lifetime. He should be building a franchise by now.) or how many of you wondered what went thru the S1's brains when Padma said, "you all know what it feels like to hear me say ppykag." uh no, not all of us. Because our hottie hostess budget was smaller than what they pay for your mid-show wardrobe changes, Padma, we only know what it's like to hear that phrase stammered at us from Mrs. Joel's medicated word-hole.

If only Stefan were there, this would be perfect. I'd even Trade--Fabiola for Stefan, say. Just to taste that perfection.

Also, Marcel's? Big Bowl Of EYE SOUP. Crrreepy.

Let's DO this!

If they're going to

[paula]

Heh. "Eye soup." I thought the same thing! And one more note: When Elia said "Don't eliminate me" at panel, my jaw dropped. The way she delivered that line, and the fact that she said it all, was big-time badass.

[Anon man]

I really like Fabio and his Italian sensibilities, but in the universe of of bad ideas, "pissing off one of the three main judges by yelling at him" is way up there. You Fabio-haters above will get your wish sooner rather than later.

For me, Stephen needs to go away. Even when they first announced the cast, I said "really, him?" The guy isn't really a chef as we know, and even Tiffani noted that he was "rusty.

[UKMatt]

@Jon Olsen:
You said "Blais was not arrogant ... he was referring to his season as in the personal season he personally had. Not because people remember THE season for Blais losing, they remember how HIS season ended."

I really like Blais and I want him to win... but (in my opinion of course) your justification doesn't hold up to scrutiny - Blais is a really smart, articulate guy - there's just no way to interpret the words he used in the way you suggest.

I hope he dials back the dialogue and keeps on cooking great food!

Matt

[TxGriff]

To be clear- I like Blais, and I've never had a problem with talented chefs who have received the arrogant edit (Angelo, Stefan, etc.). What I found misguided by the comment was that I didn't see his loss/Stephanie's victory as a huge upset, certainly not enough to define the season. It was disappointing that he didn't perform at the level we had become accustomed to seeing, but this wasn't the shocking victory of other seasons (Hosea, Ilan...). And I don't think there is anyway to separate his personal showing from the season as a whole, therefore I don't think his comment can be interpreted as such. Still like Blais, still want him (and think he will) do well. Just didn't like the implication of the comment.

Matthew- thanks for the insight! Carla is one of my all time favorite contestants. I hope she has a strong showing.

My predication for next week is a Stephan outing. He just seems so out of place next to everyone else.

[Jon Olsen]

NERDS!

[Bart]

I didn't even notice Fabio had commented on Bourdain's blog. I still like Fabio. Yeah, he was pretty prickly, but are we surprised that he has a chip on his shoulder? A lot of people questioned his ability to cook during a season that some considered weak in the talent department.

I believe all the chefs on this show have serious chops, and a lot of them have something to prove: "I can cook, and I'll show it to you." Look at what everyone's saying about Stephen or Spike and their supposed inability to cook. Fabio's gotten a few slings his way in that respect.

Getting burned right out of the gate has to be more than a little unsettling. No wonder he got a bit chippy.

If he finds his groove, it'll be monkey asses and clamshells again. But until then, I wouldn't be surprised if he snaps back at the judges or other contestants.

[John Coctostan]

TxGriff, I agree with just about everything in your comment. I also can't buy into the idea that Richard was referring to his personal season - his comment about losing came across as self-centered. It reminded me *a lot* of early in Season 4 when I didn't like Richard at all (well, at least the Richard the TV was letting me see). Many of his televised comments came across as quite arrogant, and I was rooting for him to be booted early in the season when his mushy, scaly salmon landed his team in the bottom. Fortunately, he stayed and rocked on. I hope he goes a long way this season, too.

[redpoint]

So what did Spike do to cover up the frozen scallops so well? I don't see any description on the Bravo blog. I wish the show would take a little time to explain the dishes.

[Anon Man]

I wouldn't assume that Fabio's comment on Tony's blog is actually Fabio. I don't think Bravo has much security. Did you guys know that I'm actually Ilan Hall?*

Ok, I left off props to Spike. As Matthew alluded to, I'm in the camp that doesn't like him, maybe because he's a character. But, Bourdain was right, he's "crafty", in the devious, sly sense of the word. Which will carry you far, if not all the way, in a competition.

Lest anyone think, Blais was cheating, I totally believe he didn't hear the buzzer. In times of intense concentration, you can miss that which you are not listening for. As a personal example, I'm a former competitive golfer, and I have had many an example of something loud happening while I'm hitting a shot (jet, train, applause somewhere else), and not notice. It happens. But, the judges were right to "DQ" him.

*kidding, obviously.

[Bill G]

Like Blais a lot and am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt that there was more to his comments than the one sentence they showed. As great as he was in Season 4 I've always felt Stephanie earned her Top Chef win and even if Richard had not choked she still would have won.
Did I really see Paula Deen in the previews? Why?

[Dreamboat]

Jon Olson, I agree with you. I am a serious Blais fan from ATL. How do I remember his run on TC? He choked in the finale. That has nothing to do with Stephanie.

matthew, thanks for commenting and the insight!

redpoint, Spike covered his frozen scallops with a nice hearts of palm salad. He made the hearts of palm the star and made the scallops seem like an insignificant afterthought.

[Joanna]

Oh gosh I loved this episode so much. I was really impressed with Jamie, Spike, and even Mike, who wasn't in the top but got some good comments -- I think I underestimated all of them based on their personalities (which I am not such a fan of) and it was nice to see them prove me wrong. I am so excited about this season, it's crazy.

But Stephen... poor Stephen. I didn't start watching the show regularly until season 2, but even from this one episode I can see that he is not going to be around very long.

Also, @Jon Olsen - yep, Perilla is still open. I had brunch there a few weeks ago and it was as charming and delicious as ever. Harold also just opened a new Thai restaurant called Kin Shop. I think it's safe to say he is doing pretty well for himself!

[paula]

My only quibble with Spike's dish is that I distinctly heard Padma say that there weren't supposed to make it a completely different dish--that they couldn't veer too far from the original. Since his original dish was a big fat seared scallop, it seemed like he didn't stay within the rules, and then he was soundly applauded for doing so.

[Narshkite]

Dropping in with a Blais defense. I am a big fan of his professionally and personally. I also confess to having given him a baby gift back when he was cooking at Home here in Atlanta. Sure he has an ego, but much less than he had when he was running the wonderful and amazing "Blais" and just enough to make him successful with Flip! and his other ventures. This man has taken a fair amount of his very valuable time to talk to my son and encourage him to keep cooking (he is 11 now, but this started a couple years back.) When my son said he liked cooking with different types of mushrooms, Blais gave him a huge tub of fantstic mushrooms of types those outside restaurants can't get their hands on (not the magic kind!) and encouraged him to experiment. This guy is generous and lovely. Just wanted to get that in there because he truly is not a pompous jerk, and I can see how the edit might have played that way.

[matthew]

I don't know if the account is verified as actually being Eric Ripert's, but the tweets coming out today? Woah!

@ericripert: I totally agree w/ A Bourdain on Top chef last night!Fabio pasta look. terrible and plating it on paper & then in a plate was a silly gimmick

@ericripert: Bourdain comments were not disrespectful of Fabio & funny. Fabio hopefully will focus much more on improving his food than arguing w/ judges.

@ricripert: And isn't it Top Chef "ALL STARS" after all...As any viewer I have high expectations. Ugly pasta soaked in gravy on paper are no masterpiece!

@ericripert Of course accept Jamie hating our dish at LB & respect that. I hope she improve her knive skill since last. She couldn't filet fish etc

[suzanne]

I wasn't a fan of Blais in Season 4, but he's really grown on me since.

I've noticed that he's often quoted saying very arrogant, at times almost inflammatory things .... but they always seem to be oddly taken out of context -- like there is something missing.

My guess is that the quotes are in response to specific, leading questions; yet we're not given any sense of what that question was.

[Polybus]

I'm in the camp that was not in any way fazed by the Blais comments. Of course, I'm a big fan and that always colors perception, but I just don't see him acting like an egotistical jerk - never did, for that matter. Actually, if you are looking for egotism, just re-watch the first part of the show and listen to some of the comments as the chefs gather at the house for the first time. There is enough ego there to satisfy any urge toward jerkiness. When the show first started, I was put off by what some call "confidence" and what others call "ego". After seven seasons, it doesn't bother me at all.

I believe that this was perhaps the best Episode 1 in the show's history - and that is largely due to the fact that there is a familarity with all of the chefs. As Gail mentioned in her blog, it's a little like seeing old friends. But that wasn't the only reason I really liked it. I thought that both challenges were really well thought out and appropriate (the show doesn't always hit those notes). The QF challenge was fun - not just from the point of view that they were representing the city where their season took place, but also because it forced previous competitors to work together against the other seasons. I loved the idea. And the EC idea was great, too (perhaps for everyone but Stephen). Reinventing a failure (sort of) is a very good test of skill and creativity. Also, I think if you are going to see your competitors critisizing your food, the place for it is at the beginning of the season.

I'm looking forward to Dom's next Power Ranking!

[twelden]

I am surprised by all of the "Blais is arrogant" reaction here as I did not interpret his comments in that way at all. I think it is true that his season is remembered by a lot of people as the "Blais the mad scientist choked" season," in much the same way the 1986 World Series is remembered by many as the "Bill Buckner error" year (sorry I had to bring this up to make my point, Boston fans). Acknowledging this takes nothing away from the NY Mets, just as, IMO, discussing the Blais "choke" takes nothing away from Stephanie. Two things can be equally true: Blais did choke, and Stephanie was a worthy champion, and both are memorable. I am also willing to give Blais the benefit of the doubt since his comment was edited into a montage of other "how is your season remembered" responses. Context is important, and we do not know how the question he was responding to was phrased in order to make that montage work.

If anyone came across as surprisingly arrogant last night, I thought it was Jamie (and I say this as a Jaimie fan). First she disses her fellow chefs during the QF, then takes a couple of shots (again) at Ripert, and then talks herself up quite a bit during her EC clips. I guess I thought most contestants (and one could include Blais in this as well, I suppose) would come back having learned the art of soundbite diplomacy after watching themselves on TV, but perhaps TC success has the opposite effect on people - "I'm famous because of how I acted on TC, so people must like me just the way I am."

All that said, Blais and Jaimie (along with Angelo, himself a victim of the arrogant edit last year) all came out of the gate making great looking food, with the promise of a terrific, close fought (perhaps best ever?) season to come. If they need to be arrogant to keep turning out that level of food, then by all means let the ego trips begin.

[Danny]

Gail has a great blog up at Entertainment Weekly. Just go to their TC re-cap and there is a link to the blog. It is very informative and gives a lot of insight as to how the judges reached their decision after 7 hours of deliberation!

[JJ]

Super fun episode. I was beside myself with joy. Angelo was at the top where he belongs. Let's hope he stays there. I also enjoyed that the two people who dissed Marcel in their opening comments – Elia and Fabio – were on the bottom. I wasn't expecting Elia to be eliminated, but I have no problem with their decision. Despite her claims to the contrary, she still seems to have a lot more maturing to do herself. (I also though she had a lot of nerve commenting on Marcel's immaturity, considering the fact that she participated in the "hazing" incident which, as Tom has said, should have resulted in the automatic elimination of all those who were involved.)

Two more quick observations:
(1) Despite his Elimination win as part of a team and his top four placement, I still think Spike belongs in the bottom tier.

(2) What's up with Dale T? He still seems to have the same hot temper. Notice how he was getting all riled up about Blais disqualification. For what?! Dude deserved to be disqualified for going over time.

[Skoolgirl]

On Blais - Perhaps a little arrogance with that comment but can you blame him. His season was an intense finally and he should have done well, he could have won but he majorly blew it and he knew it. So I can see after the show anytime he meets a fan of TC, they probably mention that to him. "Dude, I thought you were going to win". So to him that is his reality, that everyone remembers how badly he messed up. Wether it's arrogance or the sad feeling of just really screwing up when you had such a chance that created the comment only Blais will know.

I agree that he just didn't hear the buzzer. I'm thinking that it was an intense focus on what he was doing plus he had immunity and wasn't quite as worried about the time as he normally would have been.

Also I think that Season 4 kinda owed their QF Win to Blais, he seemed to take charge of the team and conceptualize the dish. This does not discredit their individual successes on the EC challenge. They all did exceptionally well.

[vizoroo]

Great start for the new season!

I thought you had ranked Elia and Fabio too low, but obviously I was wrong. Stephen and Fabio were both lucky she just didn't cook her fish.

Amazing that Dale T had time to bake cornbread and wander around, but turned his unfortunate butterscotch scallops into a crowd pleaser. And that crafty, sly, devious Spike managed to hide his frozen scallops with a salad.

I am already looking forward to the next episode.

[TxGriff]

Twelden- well I agree with you about Jamie. Why, why, WHY did Fabio and Carla just go along with the trio idea? It sounded like Jamie just wanted to hang her hat on a good dish rather than win as a team. And I know she didn't like Eric Ripert's dish, but good gracious, she needs to learn when to self-edit and keep quiet. Good for her for creating a winning dish out of a concept she disliked, though.

All that said, I hope she sticks around. I don't have a problem with confidence/the arrogant edit if there is talent to back it up. Doesn't take away from the fact that some of the comments thrown out last night were a bit surprising though ;-).

[KinderJ]

I am very surprised by the whole Blaise is arrogant debate. It all seems to be based on one comment, while completely ignoring the very humble, positive things he said during the rest of the episode. I have high expectations for him, and hope to see him in the finals.

Just my two cents on the whole Fabio thing, but I am kind of with Bourdain on this one. Overdressed, soupy pasta is just not good enough at a competition of this level. I am 100% certain that Fabio knows pasta, knows how it should be cooked, knows how it should be served. This dish was a pure case of self sabotage. A real pity.

Also I now kind of want to try Angelo's re-invented dish. Watermelon with spicy ramen? Fascinating.

[bryanD]

"Elia got the loser edit from the beginning. The show focused too much on her."----redpoint

As someone who reached back in time (to the Ilan season! Like an idiot) to dub Elia a finalist again this time in public, I got an awfully queasy feeling as her talking-head edits and narrations began piling up higher and higher over the course of the episode. Old memories of "sure-fire" Vikings Super Bowl wins danced in my head.

End confession. Mooooving right along. Excellent episode. Too bad about the group challenge, though; meaning mass immunities. Of course Elia would have STILL gone home, so no harm, no foul.

"Fabio was already low in my book - but the affected charm that..."---Daniel

Ah! Fabio! The same person who scowled at guest judge Scott Conant when Scott deigned not to use Fabio's exact phrase of sandwich terminology in rating his poor dish! Nothing's changed except there's no Stefan this time around for Fabio to sublimate his gonads through. However, I DO hope he lasts long enough to be paired with a stressed-out Dale Talde over a failing dish, but that would make me an evil person.

"I was a little disappointed in Jen Carrol and Tiffany (season 1) as I consider both to be very heavy hitters."---Daniel

Jen? I had her low to begin with. She came apart during her own season. Yet, true to "Jen", the girl comes on this show bragging again, first thing. Without fish, Jen is nerve-wracking.

"No one is mentioning the winner - Angelo looks strong. Don't forget he was very, very sick during the Season 7 finale..."---Davis M

Not. Saying. Anything. Water under bridge...Except that Angelo mentioned a headache pill being a cure. Hmmm.
With that said, Angelo IS back. (So far.)

"I don't want to go overboard on the Spike-love (he is such a weasel, after all), but I'm feeling very glad that he's back this season. That guy was made for reality TV."---Nsam

Spike seems a righteous guy. Every "controversy" viz Spike stemmed from certain other chefs of the mid-range of experience being angry that they STILL had Spike in their way as the season progressed. This anger-direction would spread to Spike's friends in the kitchen, too---since Spike is a nice guy, he always had friends in the kitchen!----aaaand these angry peoples' names are Antonia and Lisa. (Real prized, those two! *cough*) I predict Antonia's hope predecease Spike's.

Also: Jamie fans should hope Jamie did not bring her Eject button to the competition this time. Her and Angelo (and Jen) are very alike in the way they decide they "won't" win and then make it come true.

Narshkite, Blaise is cool. He has a giant gorilla on his back and seems more than ready (by the results) to wrestle it off in public. I just hope he has honed up dry-heat cooking.

Great blog, Dom. Congrats with Casey! Lookin' good.

[TxGriff]

I should let this go, but- I want point out that I, and most others, never called Blais himself into question. The distinction is that his *comment* seemed arrogant, and that is an important distinction to make. My opinion does not reflect my feelings on his character (which I'm sure is oustanding, although that's irrelevant). I think some on the defensive are focusing on his character or ability as a chef, not the presentation of a comment that came across as, yes, arrogant (my opinion). Whether it was taken out of context, as surely it was, or how it fit into the show as a whole is irrelevant- the reaction is to a how a specific comment appears on air and what that comment implies.

I also think part of the reaction is due exactly to the editing-Blais has always been edited as a very smart, thoughtful, nice guy, so to hear him say anything to even slightly contradict that editing is surprising. It's not that his comment was unfounded or entirely inappropriate, as that's all pretty subjective, rather that it stands out that much more due to the context of the "Richard Blais" we are usually presented with on TV. Had that been, say, Stefan who made the comment, I wouldn't have thought twice about it. And again, I am both a Stefan and Richard supporter- as long as the talent is there, I don't mind some attitude. I can't help my initial reactions, though :).

Ok, really. I'm done. This blog and the TC season are the #1 source of my procrastination at work.

[Danny]

bryanD - I can only speak for myself but I dislike Spike for reasons other than Antonia and Lisa disliking him. When he won a Quickfire, he got to choose products that no one else could use for a box lunch. He chose chicken, lettuce, tomato and bread not because of some grand plan but to stop others from being able to use it. And it bit him since he did virtually nothing with 3 of the products. He again chose the scallops more to stop others from using them than a great desire to use them himself and again it bit him in the behind. And frequently during judges table (where he spent about as much time as Lisa) he was combative and defensive. Add to that some consistently uninspired food and I just didn't like him.

[Polybus]

@bryanD "Every 'controversy' viz Spike stemmed from certain other chefs of the mid-range of experience being angry that they STILL had Spike in their way"

Actually, in spite of the fact that I really like Spike, I found he did in fact create his own controversy. Here are two examples: 1) telling members of the other team that he had "cleaned out" one house when they still had a pantry full of food (Block Party), and 2) treating the other competitors with disdain while he chose his three ingredients that the others couldn't use (Police Academy). Maybe that's all there were - I can't remember - but as I recall he once even stated that he enjoyed "stirring it up". Nothing against Spike. That is part of his character in Top Chef, it's part of the reason a lot of people like him and it's the reason I like him.

I just don't consider him "innocent."

[Skoolgirl]

After this episode I think I have a better outlook on Spike and Casey.

Casey - She showed up, cooked, stayed away from drama. She got called out by Gail for her strong dish just missing out on a top 3 mention.

Spike - Bourdain got it right, Spike with now be addressed as TC Crafty MF. Totally agree that his next restaurant venture should be called Crafty MFer. If he couldn't sell the food he definitely can sell the T-shirts.

I'm wondering if Spike is actually not an egotist at all. He see's his faults and his talents and he utilizes what he has to get him where he needs to go. I think he realizes that he may not be the most talented when it comes to food and uses his other skills and talents to hedge his bets. It's a pretty smart way of doing things.

[Independent George]

Totally agree that his next restaurant venture should be called Crafty MFer.

Sounds like a joint venture with Colicchio...

[Polybus]

LOL IG - well crafted response!

[KinderJ]

I ate at CraftBar a couple of months ago. Good food, but what really impressed me was the service. Attentive, but not overbearing. Friendly, but not fawning. I don't often get to Manhattan, so it was a pretty special meal for my wife and I. The server managed to transform a good-but-expensive meal to a really great meal. How often can you say that about a waiter? And no wonder front-of-house is a fulltime roll in restaurant wars.

...

Actually, was Spike FOH in his season? My memory is crap at the moment.

[Anon Man]

From the previews, who isn't looking forward to the episode, whenever that may be, when its the contestants against Tom in what appears to be a QF. That little clip made me pee-down-my-leg giddy.

[redpoint]

Can I beat a dead horse? In season 4 Stephanie and Richard had the same number of QF wins, but Stephanie had twice as many (6) near-wins as Richard (3). The judges always loved her food. Richard's dishes were clever and intellectual, but Stephanie's always looked soulful and often more delicious. Sure, Richard could have won, if he had a good day, but he was not a better chef. How he really choked was he came in third after Lisa! His remarks, and Jamie's, were completely arrogant, unless they were proceeded by other words unshown that mitigated them.

That is not to put down any of his fine accomplishments.

(Can you tell I would also have rather eaten Kevin's food to Mike V's. Speaking of which, isn't it too bad that Kevin isn't here, and Stefan.)

[TxGriff]

KinderJ- I believe you're right about Spike. Between Dale, Lisa and Spike (oy) I seem to recall Spike being FOH. Stephanie was FOH for the other team.

[Joanna]

To defend Jamie a bit, I think her comments about Ripert's dish were somewhat justified because in the original episode, she mentioned that she really hates celery. And then she was forced to make a dish with celery as a major component, so of course she wouldn't like the end result! I don't think she was knocking Ripert at all.

Similarly, at judges' table, when she was asked if she'd serve the new version - which was obviously well received - she immediately responded no. Girl just doesn't like celery, doesn't want to eat it, doesn't want to cook with it, doesn't want to serve it. Seems weird to me (I think celery is both innocuous and ubiquitous enough that you should learn to like it if you can) but I really don't think she intended to insult Eric Ripert in any way.

[redpoint]

I think it was actually braised celery she had a problem with--and I don't blame her a bit. I love vegetables but, braised celery?

[Polybus]

@KinderJ: "Actually, was Spike FOH in his season?"

Yes, indeed. At Judge's Table, he made allusion to the possible conflict between Dale and Lisa, to which Judge Jose Andres replied, "“You’re showing a lack of teamwork that shows me, wow, that is not what this business is about.” Later, Andres, characterized Spike as insinuating, "Those two [Dale & Lisa]... they have a bad thing..."

I thought that was pretty amusing.

[TxGriff]

redpoint-

I think Ted Allen commented (on this very blog!) that Richard actually came in second, despite the editing. Now, that might have just been Ted's opinion, but I recall that his comments seemed to indicate a collective judges' opinion of the rankings.

[jh]

Having watched all the seasons of TC, I have to say that some of my opinions have shifted on some of the contestants.

-With all the talk about Richard being arrogant (which in my opinion was a soundbite taken out of context), I found Jamie's behavior extremely off putting.

-I used to enjoy Fabio's talk, but in this first episode, I didn't see the same charm. I found him very defensive, and at times, very aware when the cameras were rolling.

-I was never a fan of Spike, but he's growing on me a bit. I don't like how he plays the game, but at least he owns up to it, and he showed that he has some cooking skills.

-I also feel bad for Marcel. He's a really talented chef, but is probably best known for the hair shaving incident, being a "villian", and maybe foams. I think he's matured since S2, but is exhausted from always having to revisit that one incident over and over again.

-Angelo and sexy seem to be taking a small break.

-Carla is a breath of fresh air. Everyone is always so focused on the competition ("I must win", "I must have redemption", "I must show that I'm the best"), it's refreshing to hear a laugh and see a smile. From Carla, I get the sense of "I'm going to try do my best (which is pretty darn good when I'm cooking with love) and have a good time, but if I don't win, it's not the end of the world."

One last thought in two parts:
1. If Richard had finished on time, would there have been any doubt that he would have won?
2. Do you think he practiced making that dish before he came, ie anticipating this challenge?

[garik16]

FTR, this is driving me crazy, at least a few people on this blog have spelled Richard's last name "Blaise." No "e" people.

Also, while i liked the concept of the challenge, I'm not sure I liked it for the first challenge..it really did stifle creativity.

Finally, am I the only one who thinks that if Richard didn't have immunity, he should have been considered for the bottom? Think of the precedent this sets! If you're barely away from finishing your plating (you need a few more drips of sauce) and time runs out, now you can finish your plating and only suffer the weakness of being ineligible for the win. That's a minor punishment if the difference is between losing (due to not finished plating or saucing) and staying.

He had immunity so it didn't matter, but still.

[Bill G]

Never been a Spike fan but I thought he did quite well on Iron Chef America and I think the judges low-balled his scores because of his reputation.
I also thought Alton (who I have nothing but the highest respect for) was very condescending in his comments towards Spike.
Because I felt like they were kicking him in the teeth I've come to see him as a little more of an underdog and was glad he did well in the opening challenge.

[aaalex]

john olsen: you want to get "stubby" with strangers? that's even funnier than bourdain's line. (although i've got to go with "felching mrs butterworth" as a line so good i'd almost be happier reading bourdain's blog while missing the season than the other way 'round.)

bryanD: why the "hmmm" after quoting angelo saying he'd brought some advil? it doesn't mean all angelo had was a headache. it just means the headache was the thing that made it hardest for him.

redpoint: the ONLY person who thought lisa beat blais was lisa herself. she's the ONLY one who suggested any such thing. if you'll notice, DALE has been asked back as an all-star, not lisa. there seems to be pretty much general agreement that lisa was, in all 7 seasons, the worst chef to make the finale. also: speaking about the sending off of dale t, colicchio expressly stated that, had he been at judges table for restaurant wars, lisa would have gone, not dale t. you're going out of your way to insult, but you're barking up the wrong tree.

also, where this first episode is concerned, easily the most arrogant person was jaime. she expressly called out her fellow season 5-ers for being inferior to her. no one has mentioned it but, if i remember season 5 right, she made that soup or something like it before - along with more scallops than you can shake a stick at. she isn't exactly moving out of her comfort zone. and she changed ripert's recipe to suit HER comfort zone and then, when she was praised for improving on her failed dish - not ripert's - she said she still wouldn't serve the fish and braised celery. she is, demonstrably, more selfish and self-regarding than richard blais. blais remembers the season 4 finale as an occasion on which he did not do his best and he believes that, at his best, he could beat stephanie. whether this is true or not, think of the opposite. what kind of chef would blais be if he DIDN'T believe his best could beat the competition? why would he even accept the invitation to return, if he didn't believe that, functioning at the top f his skills, he is difficult to beat. finally, his regard for angelo was one of the most interesting moments last night, not only because it showed blais to be thoughtful about the other competitors but because it allows us to see that dominic was - essentially - right that the top end of season 7 (angelo, et al) were quite strong. and that may be the most intriguing thing about this season: the relative talents of the different season's contestants are very much on display.

what i liked most about the qf and ec on this first episode was that both challenges played with top chef's history. rather than simply going in with challenges that would test the competitors, the elves created challenges that allowed us all to reflect on the series top chef has been over the past eight years. if i died tonight - heaven forbid! - i'd die with the impression that season 8 is one of the - if not THE - season of a show i really, really like.

[aaalex]

oh, i forgot to say something in jaime's defense: when she was writing a blog for the top chef website, she complained about blandness. she enjoyed the tensions that disrupted season 6. she believes that top chef needs a quotient of aggravation. without it, the show is a little boring. so, it's no surprise she's NOT watching her mouth, NOT trying to be likable. i think she'd find the idea of her own mild likability dull, not worth pursuing.

[redpoint]

aalex--sorry, but you misunderstood me. In no way did I suggest Lisa was better than Richard. All I mentioned was that it seemed (at least strongly by the editing) that she did better than he did in the final finale. I wasn't insulting, I was just saying I personally did not think Richard was superior to Stephanie (thus, it wasn't "his to lose"), and the judges, round by round, didn't think so either. I am very happy Dale Talde is in the all-stars, and I know Lisa being in the final 3 was a fluke. I know my Top Chef, like the Top Chef nerd that I am.

[Skoolgirl]

garik16

Blais Had immunity and wasn't paying attention to time. I mean one could argue if he didn't stop because he had immunity or if he just was so focused he wasn't paying attention.

If you have immunity you know you can't be eliminated, it's different than when you feel your life is on the line.

So actually I think if he didn't have immunity he may have won the challenge. I think with the immunity he was just doing his thing.

but I could see the argument that maybe he thought the rules didn't apply if he had immunity and just kept going.

So it was handled very well either way.

[ally]

I'm loathe to get into particulars about any of the contestants' words or deeds at this point. What we have here is meta-reality. Not only are they chefs (and talented ones at that, what a relief!) but they are also contestants who are not only reacting to their own previous contestanthood but also to their perception of others in past seasons. I mean, TC-Allstars is like a little laboratory of the psychological reactions people have to their own editing. The elves must be having a field day.

In particular I'm thinking of Spike, who as someone pointed out did really quite well this time, and as Bourdain pointed out is a crafty mofo, and so he is so far the chef getting the farthest on relatively limited chef skills, based in part at least on learning how to work the system. If this holds true, the relatively mediocre but crafty will prevail over the pure but relatively mediocre. I just can't wait to see what happens this season. Not only are they going to push out good food, but also those of us who have followed the entire Top Chef Ouevre will be in for a treat, because I think the game has changed considerably with the new insight the contestants have into their own "editing", reaction to their food, analysis that they've seen by bloggers (ahem) etc.

Personality-wise, like others I still don't like Fabio. I still think that Blais has, since his season, ruined his seeming humbleness by declaring himself the Man Who Should Have Won. And I'm not just saying this because of matthew - I hope someone like Carla, who surprised us with her fortitude (and fooditude) and demonstrated such a good soul that cannot be beaten down by bs, wins. Or, in keeping with the theme, I hope that someone truly redeems themselves after having learned from the past. Regardless, this is going to be a great ride. And props to my man Angelo, who cooked and was edited this time so that I almost forgot his creepiness in season 7, and I hope we don't have to see as much of the creep this season :)

Saddle up and ride!

[Jon Olsen]

Yeah four years of listening to this guy on tv and corresponding in various media and observing online, you're really not going to be able to take one line on one show at the end of that four year period and convince me he's an arrogant person in general.

I know some of you (including original poster I was poking at) weren't saying anything about Blais-as-a-person. My reality monitoring hasn't broken down entirely yet. Likewise, you guys have to be enough in touch with reality to know this guy's been like a friend (it's not like we TIGHT or nothing) and so one line in one episode of an edited reality series isn't enough to change that. Unless that line was "Jon Olsen, I am talking to you, you are a dick."

Actually if any contestant ever said that on TC, though? I would be the winner. Maybe we could get Hosea to wear that on a shirt.

[garik16]

@skoolgirl oh yes I agree. With the immunity here, the end result was fine. I'm just saying, that to set a precedent, I would've called Richard in with the bottom 3 (and then quickly sent him out again).

End result would've been the same, but the message - Don't go over time - would've been stronger, as i thought it should've been.

[Bart]

I have to say, I'm shocked (in an amused way) that everybody's talking about arrogance and drama. I thought you guys were all supposed to be caring about the food, not the people :-P

Yeah, chefs have swagger to them. This shouldn't surprise anyone. Read any of Bourdain's books, and you'll come away with the feeling that this sort of swagger and egotism is not only expected, but somewhat encouraged.

All that said, I didn't really care that Blais or Jaime said some arrogant things. What chef on this show hasn't?

Okay, besides Carla.

The reason why it doesn't bother me is because each and every single one of those chefs has to back up their talk.

They can blather on about how they're better than the rest of them, but UNTIL they win that competition, they still have to PROVE that they're better. So let them mouth off! It just means that one of them will prove s/he is right all along and the other 15 will be eating their own words.

If they can't back up their talk, they'll get the PPYKAG treatment and we're in for an interesting exit interview. We, the viewers, win all around.

Unless Carla gets eliminated. That would just make me devastated.

[Bart]

Er, other 17. I forgot, 18 contestants :)

[aaalex]

redpoint: uhm, are you kidding? you wrote (i'm cutting and pasting, here) "How he really choked was he came in third after Lisa!" you wrote that sentence about richard blais. by thor's hammer, i defy you to show me how i misunderstood your words. and, if you write that blais came third, you actually ARE insulting the guy, lisa being thoroughly unimpressive and all. you may not have written what you meant to say, but i don't think i misinterpreted anything.

[TxGriff]

Bart- it's no fun without a little drama :). Looking back at the comments (my own included), this whole debate does seem a bit ridiculous. What can I say, as a viewer since the beginning, I'm creepily invested in this show. In an Angelo sort of creepiness, of course.

garik- interesting thoughts about the reprecussions for going over time. I think this early in the game, and with Blais having immunity, they were just sending a personal message (I firmly believe he was in "the zone" and just didn't notice the timer). It does bring up a good point though about if this happened later in the game with less contestants, where you are either with the winning group or losing group- what would happen then? I can't recall a time where someone blatantly went over the time limit with only a few contestants left, but I might be wrong.

[Daniel]

@BryanD

Yep, Jen definitely did [choke in her season] - Angelo did too, as did many of the other chefs at various times. I'm hoping that all of them keep it together this season, and I also hope you are proved wrong about Jen. I'm looking forward to watching her unfold during the season either way!

@most of you - hearing all the anti-Fabio sentiment makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Nsam]

I'm down with what Bart wrote, but with some quibbles. True, chefs have a swagger to them, almost all of them seem like that. But for some of these cheftestants, I think there's a noticeable swelling of ego that's taken place from the semi-celebrity status they've gotten from being on TC. That means Fabio, Jamie, and, yes, even Blais (and others, too.) Combined with the already-present swagger of their profession, some of the worst cases do border on insufferable. I mean, if Fabio's head gets any bigger, how will he even fit through doorways anymore?

Second, Jamie -- I'm not a hater, overall I liked her on her season. And Aaalex's point is an interesting one, that Jamie believes that the show is not very good when everyone makes nice too much, that the show needs some stirring of the pot. Morevoer, I think she believes, on the show and likely in life in general, that bluntness is the best policy. I think there's value in this, and I respect the attempt at blunt honesty. (On a tangential note I'd say that in life there's too much of people telling "kind lies" when, in my opinion, the tough-to-hear truth would have been much better -- and kinder!) But there IS a difference between honest and meanspirited. I mean, her rather clumsily blunt remarks about Eric Ripert's cooking are perhaps no big deal, because Ripert is up there on Olympus somewhere and her slings can't reach him. (although, I gather, M. Ripert does not appreciate her remarks and has responded in kind on Twitter and in his video blog on the Bravo site.) But putting down Carla's and Fabio's abilities seems more mean-spirited than refreshingly honest. She's got more chops than they do, okay, so what? They don't deserve to be put down publicly. I mean, look around the room, Blais and Tiffani leave Jamie behind in their dust. Thus, when they have to work with her on later challenges, shall we hope they say so about her, just as honestly as she did about Fabio and Carla? (Not even to mention people like Michael V. or Kevin or Hung, compared to whom Jamie looks like a commis.)

One day the club is in your hand but someday the other guy will be holding it, and he'll use it...

[Independent George]

Ok, I just want to weigh in with some minor quibbles on the meta-discussion:

1. I did not pick up arrogance at all in Richard's statement. He was simply stating something very obvious - when most people think of Richard's stint in S4, they don't think of the White Chocolate Wasabi. They think of him 'choking' away in the finale.

2. I don't think he choked, either. Losing does not equal choking. Sometimes, you just get beat, and he had a bad day against a darned good chef.

3. If I'm not mistaken, Colicchio didn't state that he would have sent Lisa home instead of Dale; I believe he said he understood why viewers thought she should have gone home. The context was that he didn't like it when viewers disagreed with his decisions when they didn't taste the food, but he understood their perspective now that he had to watch without being a part of the tasting.

[timothy]

This season is going to be so great, both on TV and on this blog. I am enjoying the conversation. My two cents: I think this show is inevitably two different broadcasts. It is a show about food production and it is a show about personality. The All-Star set-up almost guarantees that on the food production side of things we are going to see some amazing feats and probably some amazing risk-taking and failure as well. I would guess that is what all Skillet Doux readers look forward to most. On the personality side of things, however, it's going to be really complicated. As ally and others note, we are not just getting to see people on television, but we are seeing people react to the way they have been portrayed on television. It makes sense to me that those who have been portrayed well have more to lose on the personality side of things than those who have been portrayed badly. Fabio, for example, can only really slide downhill when it comes to his television persona. He was perceived (not really by me, but by many) as a breath of fresh air and kind of a charming naif (is that the right word?) who said what he thought in his own unique way. Now he is seen as a guy who knows he is popular and who plays to the camera. Speaking purely from a personality point of view, he is almost inevitably doomed to lose. To a lesser extent this is true for Richard. Someone like Angelo, on the other hand, can only go up. He comes into the show known as kind of a creepy guy, and all he really has to do is be less creepy than he was last season and he'll come off well. I really found myself charmed by him last night, and I think that was just because he didn't try to make love to his noodles or pay homage to Tony Robbins. Spike is probably in this same category; he comes in viewed by many as a skunk, so with just a bit of unskunkiness, he will come out fine. I could go through the cast and guess who will come out looking good and who won't, and it would all be based on what reputation they walk in with. Those who walk in with a sweet, funny reputation have more to lose than those who come in with reputations of scoundrels. Maybe Jaime (sp?) knows this, so she is not making any attempt at being sweet or charming. The exception in all of this is Carla who is probably just so genuinely awesome that she will only come across as awesome. All of this, however, is me talking about the show as a reality show. The beauty of Top Chef is that at some point the food takes over. By the end of the season, no matter how they are perceived as characters, the best cooks will be perceived as the best cooks. That's what makes the show good.

[vesuvius]

If you're interested, Chicago Tribune posted an interview with Elia; it does not cast her in a very good light. A word of warning - she makes a comment that can be interpreted in a way to suggest the early fall of a beloved cheftestant. Consider this your spoiler alert...

http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2010/12/top-chef-exit-interview-elia-blasts-tom-colicchio.html

[aaalex]

independent george: actually, i'm pretty sure colicchio did say he would have sent lisa home not dale. dominic, can you remember where colicchio said this? it may have been in the post-season round up. in his blog, he wrote it SEEMED to him lisa should have gone home instead of dale and that he understood viewer reaction, but i remember him explicitly saying he would have tossed lisa.

on the other hand, i'm over 50. i'm pretty happy if i remember my own frickin' name.

[jh]

Amazingly, I was able to find Tom's comments on the Bravo's website (!!!!):

And based on what I saw, I expected Lisa to go home.... from what I could see it was a pure numbers game. Lisa's two lousy dishes against Dale's one. End of story.

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/tom-colicchio/so-much-at-steak?page=0,4

I tried combing through the archive, but could find nothing of the definitive statement. The posts (from commenters and SD) had a lot of speculation of what could have occurred.

[aaalex]

jh: good one. this means alzheimer's hasn't set in for me, yet.

nsam: agree with most of your post but i'm not really convinced jaime has more chops than carla. i think the revelation - the coolest storyline in season 5 - was the revelation that carla, in fact, has training up the ying yang, so to speak. in a french technique playoff, carla might beat jaime. and don't forget hoe scallop reliant jaime actually was. she certainly believes she's more talented than the other two but nothing, so far, anyway, really bears that out.

[Nsam]

Elia certainly does not put her best foot forward in that interview. It's sad, how she's lashing out in such a vengeful way at Colicchio and the show. Some of her statements are just wild, bitter accusations (Coke is basically poison! How dare Colicchio make a commercial for them!), and Colicchio's response is completely reasonable.

She thinks things went down unfairly for her? Shrug, perhaps, I don't know, but her version isn't very persuasive. Even if she's right, well, then she caught a bad break. That's life, show me someone who's never had unfair things happen to them. She's humiliated because hers happened in front of millions of viewers, but that's what she signed up for. There are large risks as well as large rewards on this show.

This quick exit doesn't have to define her career, and she didn't have to burn her bridges with Colicchio and the show so bitterly. Look at Casey -- the Magical Elves gave her a horrible edit when she supposedly wrecked Carla's chances in the finale in New Orleans, but Casey's back now and I don't think any reasonable TC fan or foodie is holding any kind of grudge against her. Life goes on.

[Brian]

The editors did some great work during Casey and Dale's intro - replaying the praise they received before cutting to Hung's win. Beautifully timed and appropriately dramatic.

Bourdain's blog has some strong lines, but my favorite was in Gail's. She says that she had a premonition that was "as certain as Tom's shiny head." Which can be parsed in at least a couple equally funny (clean) ways.

And I want to pile on and say that while Carla probably won't win Top Chef 8, that's okay because she wins at life. It is possible to be skilled and competitive without being adversarial, and I love that she lives that on a stage this large.

[Nsam]

Re. the Elia interview that Vesuvius linked -- yeah, be careful of the spoiler. Also, if you don't want to be spoiled, don't study the preview vids too closely. Well, at least not as closely as I did -- couldn't help myself, I'm addicted to this season already...

Re. Carla, as opposed to my earlier post about Elia -- yeah, I'm a Carla fan, too. But I want to point out that she's in her mid-40's. Elia is still just 27, and it shows. I mean, I think back to when I was younger, and, hell, I didn't understand squat about so many things even into my 30's. Elia, I'm trying to say gently, may look back on her hotheaded behavior someday and think the same.

[Skillet Doux]

I'm afraid I must jump in here. I love you all, but this drives me insane. See rant re: Top Scallop, above.

[aaalex]

domenic: which rant re:top scallop? and what drives you insane?

[Independent George]

jh: much as I said in my comment, the entire section in context reads much differently to me:

"And before I wrap up for this week, I have to comment on last week's episode because it's clear Dale's dismissal has been a real bone of contention with viewers. Interestingly, after watching an episode purely as an audience member -- in other words without the benefit of having been there -- it's finally sunk in why our viewers get as riled as they do when the judges' decision doesn't jive with what they've seen. I wasn't at the Judge's table last week. I saw the same version of the show as everyone else.

And based on what I saw, I expected Lisa to go home. She made two dishes that didn't work, and Dale made one. Dale was also credited with executing the short ribs (albeit from Spike's recipe) that were the team's sole saving grace. The judges said they let Dale go because his scallops were the worst dish of the night, and while I know there was plenty that was discussed among them that didn't make it into the episode, and while I certainly didn't taste the food, (which is my typical snarky response when someone gripes about my judgment -- "Look, buddy, YOU didn't taste the food,") from what I could see it was a pure numbers game. Lisa's two lousy dishes against Dale's one. End of story."

In other words, he's basically laying it at the feet of the elves.

[Dawn]

All I want to say is... this season will be awesome. Mostly because of Jen. I love Jen. Team Jen.

No, I'm not biased.

I want the Norris back.

Ps. Clearly I have nothing substantial to offer. I apologize.

[Kyle]

I know that I will probably be the lone voice of dissent in this matter, but I'm really disappointed that Bourdain will be a full time judge. To me, he always comes across as self-important and mean-spirited solely for the sake of being mean-spirited. To be honest, I don't really see much difference between him and Toby Young, both speak in sound bites with out really saying anything. When Toby says something tastes or smells like cat food, people say that's tired and cliched (which it is). But when Bourdain says a dish looks like an animal turned inside out or reminds him of his colonoscopy its witty and hilarious (is it?).

And can we please stop mocking people just for the sake of mocking them. If someone likes to go to Olive Garden or Macaroni Grill, and it makes them happy, who cares. Everyone has different tastes, not just with food, but music, books, movies, tv shows, that doesn't make them stupid or somehow unworthy of living their lives. To me it reeks of the need to continually boost his ego by tearing down other people, and that really gets to me.

Finally, can we please stop tearing down McDonald's while at the same time talking about how smoking is cool?

Maybe it all comes down to an individual's sense of humor, and for me he just isn't funny. While his presence won't keep me from watching, I don't think I'll enjoy it as much with him around.

Ok, I'm done.

[Polybus]

My thanks to Dom for the rant. It's amazing that we have now reached the age where anything that is pronounced and repeated becomes law regardless of reality. And we are dealing with a show where reality tenuously lies in the hands of a few producers and editors. Amen.

[aaalex]

re: top scallops: ohh ... oops ...

re: bourdain: his sound bites feel less rehearsed, less forced than toby young's and they're genuinely funny. it's also possible to laugh AT him, since he pretends to take the Olive Garden so seriously. he can be mean - fabio had a point this episode, though fabio kind of made up with him by writing into bourdain's blog - but bourdain doesn't really play favourites: he mocks ripert, colicchio, whoever's in the vicinity. his snideness is always accompanied by a laugh and, interestingly, he did in a way apologize to fabio for being a little harsh on him and praised fabio for standing up for himself. also: the guy genuinely loves cooking. you can't imagine him saying - as toby young did - that atmosphere counted for more than 50% of the dining experience. all around, i think he's both more serious AND more amusing than toby young. i'm really curious to see how his personality works on colicchio this season. you can tell from the first episode that colicchio is going to have a hard time keeping a straight face.

[aaalex]

polybus: "It's amazing that we have now reached the age where anything that is pronounced and repeated becomes law regardless of reality."

actually pretty much ALL ages have been such. men and women believed the earth was flat, that certain types of humans are inferior to other types, that the sun was eaten by the moon, that love potions work, etc ALL based on hearsay and the repetition of rumour. there's no reason to get all huffy and imperious about errors of fact. the good thing about fora like this one is that these errors can be pointed out, the evidence pointed to and then we go on.

[jh]

@IG:

I was actually agreeing with you. If you look at my entry of the abridged version I posted that "based on what I saw, I expected Lisa to go home.... from what I could see it was a pure numbers game." Thus, I was merely pointing out, as you suggested, that Tom was tricked by editing, but his strong statement of "Lisa's two lousy dishes against Dale's one. End of story" is perhaps what aaalex was referring to.

I actually liked that Tom posted this entry, but I think it gives a little more insight as to how the judges work. If given the option of one really bad dish and one really good dish, versus two less than mediocre dishes, does the one bad dish trump all, or does the numbers game come into play? Would the judges individually come to a different conclusion? and then duke it out, before Gail gets tired and takes a nap...

[Anon Man]

Dom, fair analysis of the Top Scallop issue. But, you still have to admit its a great line in the nature of other great lines from the show's history:

"I'm not your bitch, bitch", "You've insulted Italians everywhere, me being one of them", "Its not top sommelier", "I forgot flavor", etc. A good line is a good line, even if it isn't strictly true. It is TV, after all.

jh, I read that, and I think I see why you see a spoiler, but I think you've assumed that the booted people spend time holed up in a off-cast (or cast-off) house. I know they've done that in the past, but you can't assume that's the case here.

[aaalex]

jh: this new entry of your means i can't actually tell if i have alzheimer's or not. maybe idependent george is right, though. maybe colicchio didn't contradict the jury's judgement so much as suggest his reasoning might have been different. i still hold out hope that on the season 5 finale, he did say something about the matter. if he didn't, i'm eating fish from now on, curse my selective memory.

[jh]

@Anon Man- I'm not sure what you're referencing. I didn't post the link, nor comment about a spoiler.

[Polybus]

aalex, I didn't mean to get all huffy and imperious. Sorry about that. But I do believe that instantaneous communication (web and cell) combined with short news cycles means that errors more frequently never get corrected and pass into public consciousness as truth. I'll grant you that most of these errors are meaningless and merit no huff. However, regarding past misconceptions, in spite of all our knowledge to the contrary, we still say that the the sun rises. No huff intended. ;-)

[redpoint]

Kyle, I agree with you about Bourdain. No, he's not exactly Toby Young, and aaalex has some good points about the comparison, but I don't appreciate Bourdain's snarkiness, and don't like how he grabs attention for himself through it. The focus should be the food. I would so much prefer to hear the more constructive, yet still witty, comments of Ted Allen.

[jh]

A perfect example of truthiness in journalism:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30699302/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

[Anon Man]

JH, mea culpa. PEBKAC error on my end. It was Vesuvius who posted the link to the Elia interview, with the supposed spoiler in it.

[Skoolgirl]

Re Elia , on her loss and her interview.

Funny how she mentioned how much more mature she is now, it didn't seem to come off that way in her cooking or in her interview.

First off I knew that anyone who didn't see the problems with the dish that got them kicked off the show was going to have trouble staying out of the bottom 3. Both Jen and Elia thought since they made it to the final that their dish was fine and didn't need to be improved upon.

The only difference between Jen and Elia is that I believe that Jen learned from this. Elia did not as apparent by her interview she insisted there was nothing wrong with the dish.

Elia, you claim how much more mature you are now since being on the show yet you had nothing to add to refine your dish and make is better. It was as if 23 year old Elia showed up to the competition.

It also must have been 23 year old Elia that showed up for that interview.

In the interview she complains that some of the other contestants did not follow the rules because they tweaked the dish. Did she not realize that was the point of the challenge, to reinvent the dish into something better. She also complained that some dishes didn't contain all of the ingredients. I think I recall Tom telling them they must use Most, which means not all. I'm not sure on the exact ingredients but I feel like everyone was within the context of the challenge otherwise they would have DQed more than just Blais.

In the interview she comes off as a sore loser, who blames everyone else but herself. Then to top it off she insults Tom several times who was probably very instrumental in giving her the chance to participate in Season 2 to begin with.

Oh and BTW I think those that saw a spoiler in that interview are just reading to heavily into it. I couldn't figure out what the spoiler was until I read the comments lol.

[Tony]

Anon- Please don't forget this gem from Mr Blais himself toward Lisa:

"You've won the f@#** bronze medal. Congratulations. There you go.”

[Skoolgirl]

Re: Bourdain as judge.

Personally I love the guy.

I learned something about the role of an Alpha dog recently when my miniature pinscher began socializing with other dogs. Instinctual habits she displayed over the other dogs, ears and tail movements, the looks, etc. She wasn't trying to pretend to be an alpha female she was the alpha female. It was natural to her.

Bourdain is the alpha dog, he says and does what he wants and people respect him for that.

Toby on the other hand acts like a sniveling little puppy trying to pretend to be an alpha dog. He is forced and rehearsed and Bourdain is just so natural at it.

[Karen B]

Re: Bourdain-I watched the show twice to check my initial reaction to him, and it was the same the second time around. I didn't find him particularly funny, and I actually thought he was a bully. I have been a big fan of his for years, loved his show No Reservations, but he really hit me the wrong way on this show. Yes, critique the food, that is why you are a judge,and yes please be witty if you are able, but at a certain point it goes too far, and for me he did so on this episode. There is telling truth to power, and then there is being the power (a judge) and using a bludgeon rather than a scalpel,in criticizing.Perhaps it is the pressure of always having to top himself, or live up to his reputation, but I found him off-putting. I hope this is not an indicator of how he will be all season. Otherwise, loved loved loved the show, it exceeded my expectaions. Also love this site and the chance to obsess about the series!

[Bart]

Karen - I'm not one to get into psychologically analyzing people on reality TV, but I think you might be on to something when you said "There is telling truth to power, and then there is being the power (a judge) and using a bludgeon rather than a scalpel, in criticizing."

For a long time, Bourdain was the rebel, the outsider, the guy working in the trenches at a good, if uninspiring, steakhouse. (Les Halles does offer tasty, familiar food)

But now that he's permanently a judge, I don't think he's going to change his snarky, outsider-y behavior just to conform to the lofty standards of being a Top Chef judge. The difference this time is that he's not speaking truth to power, but speaking *his* version of the truth to those who are under his thumb, so to speak.

Anyway, to quote Catherine Tate, I'm not bovvered.

[Bob]

My two cents worth:

Watched the episode - again - last night, and it's interesting that the only two chefs who felt there was nothing wrong with their dish the first time were on the bottom. I suspect the judges cut Stephen some slack because they weren't really his dishes from S1. I think they've changed the rules since to require every chef to be responsible for at least one dish for restaurant wars.

Didn't Jaime get dinged not once, but twice in S5 - second time by Emeril Lagasse after she and a couple other chefs were given a second shot and the South Beach stud won the cook-off?

I'd cut Fabio some slack. I too wish he'd get back to his former charming self, but I suspect he's also feeling a bit like he'd rather be a "successful chef" than a "top chef". Hate to say it, but how many cheftestants on this season are basically unemployed, or running burger bars? Anthony Bourdain might not like his pasta, but middle-aged ladies in Moorpark go nuts for it. Not to say ability to run a restaurant is being judged (other than, of course, during restaurant wars) but there's more to be a well-rounded chef than using liquid nitrogen.

I suspect one reason Bryan V. isn't on this season's show, and Stephan Richter as well, is they're too busy actually, you know, WORKING for a living.

Finally - Dom, feeling a bit better about Casey? A bit more nervous about Jen?

[Skoolgirl]

I think if you choose to come on this show you better bring some thick skin with you.

Many Judges have been mean over the years to the Top Cheftestants.

Who found it hysterical when Wolfgang Puck threw Laurine’s bacon doughnut across the room calling it a golf ball

or saying the Jen Z's Seitan chile relleno was something that if you cooked at home no one would ever come visit you?

[Skillet Doux]

"I think they've changed the rules since to require every chef to be responsible for at least one dish for restaurant wars."

Correct. I believe it was either an S6 or S7 (don't recall which) change. I could look it up, but... I'm lazy.

"Finally - Dom, feeling a bit better about Casey? A bit more nervous about Jen?"

I'm reluctant to feel too much better or worse about anybody after one episode. But better about Casey? Maybe a touch. More nervous about Jen? Yeah, but not entirely surprised. Incidentally, aside from being called out on the bottom, that was about the worst thing that could happen to Jen early on. In S6, her confidence took a little shot and then started to snowball. But here's hoping we don't see the self-doubt slide, Part II.

[Elise]

And the game is on!

The Blais comment didn't bother me at all, because that's primarily what I remember his season for. He should have won, he didn't, and judging by the comments about his food, if he had cooked the dish he did in season 8 episode 1 instead of what he did in his finale, he would have won.

Maybe someone else remembers, why did Stephen get sent home for food he didn't cook? Was the food his idea, but it was bad? Were the judges trying to get the whole, 'this is a cooking competition so you need to cook,' idea across? I don't remember season one well enough to have any idea.

I was sad to see Elia go on this one, not on the merits, but because I prefer her to Stephen.

Finally, all hail the great Bourdain! So, so happy to see him back. Really, one day they should just do a show with him, Rippert, and Tom. Call it Top Chef, Snark Edition, and let the three of them comment further on some of the grand moments of the show.

[Skillet Doux]

"Maybe someone else remembers, why did Stephen get sent home for food he didn't cook?"

It was Restaurant Wars the wedding challenge -- 24 hours to cater a wedding -- and the short version of the story is that he was more interested in being a sommelier and a restaurateur than a chef, so while his teammates were deep in the weeds back in the kitchen and fighting just to get the food to the tables, he was spending all of his time lecturing the FoH staff on the tiniest minutae of four star service, leading to the famous Tom quote and rationale for his dismissal, "This is Top Chef, not Top Sommelier."

[bryanD]

"bryanD - I can only speak for myself but I dislike Spike for reasons other than Antonia and Lisa disliking him. When he won a Quickfire, he got to choose products that no one else could use for a box lunch."----Danny

All true. If I were a severe underdog (as Spike saw himself, surely), I would have to. Especially for a teevee foodertainment program. It was within the rules---indeed designed into the rules---and the producers loved him for it. Objection overruled!....:-)

"I just don't consider him "innocent."...Polybus

Would you settle for Not Guilty?
And while we're at it, these people are all contestants competing for big money in a sudden death format. Like the missiles aimed at Spike, the cant of *kitchen etiquette* is usually whipped out under stress by nervous or self-entitled opponents nervous of losing out on that big money.

"bryanD: why the "hmmm" after quoting angelo saying he'd brought some advil? it doesn't mean all angelo had was a headache. it just means the headache was the thing that made it hardest for him."---aaalex

I could see a penicillin joke or even a cocaine joke as an homage to Angelo's supposed Singaporean extremity and the fire next time. Tylenol 3---the good stuff, maybe. Not Advil. Also, Angelo was cured prematurely. By about about 8 days.

"...and I also hope you are proved wrong about Jen. I'm looking forward to watching her unfold during the season either way!"---Daniel

Jen is velly intellesting.

Re: Bourdain says this/that. Bourdain is great. He's akin to Mark Twain the Journalist (Roughing It, etc).
Fans of Mark Twain's "non-fiction" will understand.
Ah, hell. Too obscure: Bourdain must lob bombs. Like Twain, Bourdain must fire for effect. Everything really happened, But Bourdain makes it *better*.
Again, Bourdain is great; don't misunderstand..
...but make sure to Mix w/ 4oz Tom

[Jon Olsen]

You know how to characterize Bourdain? It all wraps up in that dish Thomas Keller made for him out at French Laundry, when Bourdain and Ripert went out there with a camera crew (for Cook's Tour, I believe) and FL served them 20+ courses.

Typical of the man, Keller nails the whole thing in multiple dimensions: he served him a "coffee & a cigarette" dish, dusting it with a couple grains of tobacco worked out of a marlboro.

Basically, Keller showed Bourdain a HUGE amount of respect, applying the Keller intensity of focus and wordplay to fondly present a fellow chef with something that refers directly to a significant personal moment (and chapter title in Bourdain's breakthru book).

It also happens that tobacco is poison if you eat it. Maybe not in the small amount used, but one does not actually eat tobacco. That's the whole Bourdain experience in a nutshell: respectful of other chefs, but also a little poisonous (a lot, in fact, if you swallowed it).

As an ex-smoker, I know the drill, so I'm not as put off. People who aren't addicted, they're not going to like it so much. If you earn his respect (and that takes a LOT) then he's going to give you the reverence you've earned. But as this is all a mass media occurrence, there's the added layer that the whole process takes place in public which means it's still going to be kind of hard on the stomach lining.

[Danny]

Dom, the "This is Top Chef, not Top Sommelier" line was actually preceded the previous episode by the elimination of....I cannot remember his name but he was eliminated at that time....when Tom said "This is Top Chef, not Top Sous Chef".

[Danny]

Yikes. I also realized that I should not have just posted that with complete certainty but I remember him being eliminated before Stephen - I'm probably wrong. BTW, I would love to know what happened to Mr. Cheetos from S2 who cooked great under painkillers but seemed more like a TGIF cook.

[Danny]

bryanD, while it is true that Spike broke no rules, it is impossible for me to imagine the Volt Brothers, Kevin, most of the winners, heck most of the contestants, doing the same thing. They would have had confidence in the food they were going to cook and the examples of contestants attempting sabotage over the seasons is very short indeed. It just makes me respect him less and I found him and his friend (Mr. no-grain Maki roll) really insufferable and tie that in with his one real culinary contribution to TC lore to be a really well-seasoned soup - nope just not a Spike fan.

[Skillet Doux]

Danny... eek, you're right, I'm conflating my episodes! It wasn't RW, it was the wedding challenge. Same deal, though... too caught up in FoH to help in the kitchen. That was Miguel who went down in RW.

As for Mr. Cheetos, that was Mike Midgley, whose mugshot still graces the Power Rankings from time to time when an under-talented chef grossly overstays his welcome :-)

[bryanD]

"bryanD, while it is true that Spike broke no rules, it is impossible for me to imagine the Volt Brothers, Kevin, most of the winners, heck most of the contestants, doing the same thing."---Danny

Actually, uber-chef (and Winner) Michael Voltaggio had an equally uber-complicated up-front-slash-(emphasis on Slash!)passive-aggressive kitchen manner designed to fluster all but the psychologically strongest competitors in the room. His bullying of whatzername was most unbecoming. Yet I bear no ill will. And yet Spike... he of The Hat (yes, it's dumb), everybody hates.
Not...gettin'..it.
And as Dom Himself points out, the guy is a Taster. Maybe a Maestro of Soup, which IS Good Food!

As for Kevin (since you mentioned him tangentially): I miss him and Stefan, indeed. If your untergripe is that K is absent, that isn't Spike's fault in the slightest degree.

Again the Spike:PERSONAL thing began with My-Baby-Eats-This-So-Here-You-Go Lofaso and the admittedly talented Storm Brewer, Lisa the Black.

[Bob]

Dom - does TC provide the cheftestants more detail on the specific rules related to each challenge off-camera than they reveal on TV? (That is, on EC's, no time on QF's, I imagine.)If you read the "exit interview" with Elia from the The Trib that one of the posters linked (bitterest. rant. ever.), she suggests that they were told to make essentially the same dish as before, not to stray, and she faults many of her competitors for taking too many liberties with the original recipe. So, for example, Blais put a crust of some sort on his pork belly which wasn't there in the first version, and it's not clear Dale Talde even used a butterscotch sauce at all with his scallops.

But, then again, why make them make the EXACT same dish unless the failure was one of "technique" rather than "vision"? It's not as if butterscotch and scallops will suddenly taste good together this time.

BTW, all the talk about "Top Scallop" - has anyone on TC ever made pork belly that was actually a winner? Seems to me they never have enough time to get it tender, and I recall even the great Kevin Gillespie screwed it up in his finale (hey - it was "toothsome", not "chewy".) However, seems in this show (two hours to prep, one to cook - for a single dish!) a couple chefs finally did it right.

[Skillet Doux]

Bob... I don't know if it's a practice that has changed over time, but Lee Anne has indicated that all of the contestants receive sheets with more detailed rules for all challenges. So most of the time, when it's "challenge announcement... Go!" it's actually "challenge announcement... okay, here are your sheets, take a while to read them over, here's a bunch of discussion of the challenge, think about it a bit, okay... everybody ready?... Go!" with everything in between edited out.

[bryanD]

"Dom - does TC provide the cheftestants more detail on the specific rules related to each challenge off-camera than they reveal on TV?"---Bob

Scuse'! And Dom is essentially right..but:
And here I shall brandish the One Thing!! that viewing the trainwreck that was Top Chef Just Desserts *Taught Us*:

(and no, I shall not go into "The Red Hots were for my mommy!" backstory or sickening details regarding the reason for it)

Here goes: There was an emergency break in the action (TCJD ep. 2?) that totally broke the 4th wall. In which we, the viewers, learned that there is, in the QF challenge, a vast chasm of time between the description of the challenge and the GO! in which everyone "scrambles" to make a dish in "15-20 minutes".

In reality, as the props are removed (on-stage), the producers sit down (in the stew room)with the contestants and *go over* (line-by-line, on paper, safety meeting-style) the exact rules of the "quick fire" challenge.

So the QF has a hidden, down-low, planning opportunity WITHIN this meeting. Which explains the crazy-good dishes that certain chefs come up with *so quickly*.

This meeting surely takes up 10-15 minutes.
I am sure the "any questions?" opportunity is exploited as any of us would....:o)

PS: I find this perfectly acceptable. QF serves a definite purpose. And it IS still Quick compare to EC.

Just not THAT quick!

[Nsam]

Yay, Blais tweeted a shout-out to Skillet Doux: "Want a good laugh, check out Max Silvestri's Topchef Allstars recap @EaterNY. Supoer fan? Spend a few hours at Skillet Doux..."

For those who think we shouldn't read too much into that possible spoiler in the Elia interview -- I sincerely hope you're right. But I've tried to glean as many clues as I could elsewhere, and I'll go on the record and say that I believe the spoiler is for real.

But in a field this strong and with luck, as always, playing a big role surprises are to be expected, yes? A weaker chef could go deep or, even more likely, a strong contender could stumble/get unlucky and go home early.

[timothy]

I'll jump in on the Spike conversation. Do you remember him in the first season of Top Chef Masters? He was "interviewing" for soux chef, and he thought the interview process was a little absurd, so he refused to do anything he was asked and just said, "If you hire me, I will be great," or something along those lines. In certain circumstances his actions would have seemed kind of ballsy, cool, and I would have laughed. But there is some indecipherable way that he came across as knowing that he was ballsy and cool, and it just made him seem miserably full of himself to me. It's all subjective. I wouldn't be surprised if he is a decent human being. But his TV persona just rubs me the wrong way. Bourdain, on the other hand, kind of acknowledges that he is not the best chef in the world, and when he is funny, he is really funny, so his attitude actually amuses me. I can't explain it, but Spike doing Spike makes me ill, and Bourdain doing Bourdain makes me laugh. Go figure.

[bryanD]

He was "interviewing" for soux chef, and he thought the interview process was a little absurd, so he refused to do anything he was asked and just said, "If you hire me, I will be great," or something along those lines.--timothy

Have you ever joined the military and endured a preliminary full-physical and there are 30 fellow recruits standing in two ranks buck naked with you and a navy doctor on a stool rolls down the line in front of you with his face 10 inches from your junk?

Same thing.

"But I've tried to glean as many clues as I could elsewhere, and I'll go on the record and say that I believe the spoiler is for real."---Nsam

Wrong board. Thunkyoo.

[vesuvius]

@bryanD - I'm still shocked that "the Red Hots are for my mommy" didn't make it into an episode of The Soup!

[Alamos Road]

Is it too early to place bets on this season's T-shirt design? I'm thinking "Yeah. They're still frozen." would be good.

[timothy]

bryanD-I am kind of dense at times. I don't get your military analogy at all. But it doesn't really matter. I am not too heavily invested in arguing against Spike's likability. I am willing to see what he does on the show. If he cooks well, let him stick around. I guess I was just making the point that...well, never mind. It doesn't really matter. It's all just opinion anyway. For whatever reason, I don't enjoy watching the guy as much as I enjoy watching other characters. But let's see what he does in the kitchen.

[Elise]

@Alamos: "Yep, they're still frozen," (visual of rock hard scallops being dumped out of a bag) has got to be the best line of episode 1.

Also, onto the cocky statement of the day award, I rewatched the episode, and am rather surprised to see no one picking up on Jen saying she was the reason her season was so tough. Not to knock her as a competitor, because when she was in Jen Norris mode, she was kick ass, but I was kind of under the impression that there were three other chefs there who were just as good, if not seriously better at ass kicking, and pretty much no one thought she was really going to take all three of them down to win the finale.

[redpoint]

I cracked up reading the EatNY post! "Top Chef Old Friends"!!!! That's perfect. I think that's what it should be called from now on.

[bryanD]

"I don't get your military analogy at all."---Timothy

This was in regard to TCMasters: Spike volunteered/accepted pay/got roped-in to add color and variety to Masters---probably figuring it would be a lark---and promptly gets exposed as a recalcitrant baton preparer---perhaps he's slow, lousy, etc, at making batons. Point is, he felt vulnerable. Not Spike's finest hour trying/wishing to hide his nakedness behind ambivalent actions and gestures and being a dick.

@bryanD - I'm still shocked that "the Red Hots are for my mommy" didn't make it into an episode of The Soup!
Posted by: vesuvius

Too gonzo! Too amok!
On the bright side, The Soup will always have Regis!

[Jeff]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this show!! And this blog. As far as missing Cheftestants, I was hoping for Kevin (Bryan was too boring to bring back sorry), Stephan, and LeeAnn (probably knew too much and they couldn't) as additional cheftestants.

As for the Quickfire, it confirmed what I always thought were the strongest seasons (3, 4, & 6). I actually loved Season 3 as there were more breakout competitors during that season than any other (who would have predicted a Dale/Casey/Hung finale?).

The Elimination Challenge was awesome and I don't have many comments to make save one: There has been a lot of criticism going around about letting the cheftestants watch each other. In case NO ONE remembers that's exactly how they did the very first elimination challenge of the very first season. They had them cook in two groups and they got to watch each other's criticism. I know waaay to much about TC lol.

[timothy]

@bryanD: Got it. Makes sense. Thanks for the explanation.

[doktarr]

Random musing - how would your ideal allstar cast have differed from this one? Assume the gender ratio can't be any more skewed than it currently is, and assume winners are off-limits. My picks:

S1: Stephen out, Lee Anne in
S2: Elia out, Sam in
S3: No change
S4: Spike out
S5: Fabio out, Stephan in
S6: Mike out, Kevin and Brian in
S7: No change

That's only 5 substitutions. Honestly I can't complain.

[garik16]

Doktarr, I'd do the following:

S1: Stephen out, Lee Anne in
S2: Elia out
S3: No change
S4: Spike out
S5: Fabio out, Stephan in
S6: Kevin and Brian in
S7: No change

Essentially, I'd be the same as your, except keep Sam out (leaving S2 with just Marcel) and keeping Mike I in.

Mike I. did show some talent on S6...it's just well it was hard to make an impression with the 4 horsemen. Still might be impossible with this cast, but I feel he deserved a shot.

[timothy]

I think it would be cool to have had some kind of qualifying round episode where all of the people who were eliminated on the first episodes of various seasons had one challenge amongst themselves, and the winner of that challenge got to begin the season with this group.

[gilmore]

Timothy, I finally watched the episode yesterday and had mentioned to my wife that they should have a season where the first two out from seasons 1-7 were the contestants.

As to who should not be on this season, Stephen for sure. Lee Anne or Dave from S1 would have been much better.

We have no idea who was asked and could not or did not want to give it another go.

This should be like Masters, without the camraderie. $200k will do that to a person.