Top Chef - S8E3 Postmortem

Awwww... another favorite bites the dust. And Stephen.

In all fairness, that was a classy exit by Stephen. His exit interview would suggest that it was carefully crafted, but if so, no matter. You get points either way.

Dale, I'm sad to see go. I felt he didn't get the respect he deserved going into this season, and though I'm sure this elimination won't help, I still feel the same way. Bourdain definitely hit it on the head in his blog, and those who feel Dale didn't belong in this crowd should give him a read, I think.

Killer episode! Much to enjoy. And much to parse (in a good way). Here's hoping for some recipes. Back on Monday.

Discuss!

Comments

[Anon man]

I hereby take back all the mean things I've ever said about Dale T.

@matthew, if Carla tasted Dale's "breakfast broth", please solicit comments from her that you can share. I'm still drooling and I've watched it twice.

As a Fabio supporter, I sense borrowed time.

[lb]

The editing made it so difficult to determine who was in the bottom and top. I was certain about Angelo/Fabio and Dale/Tiffani. But I definitely thought Casey would be in the top and Jamie in the bottom. Surprised.

Also surprised about the winner to an extent. I am really happy for Dale who I think deserved to go further his season. But Angelo's dish sounded so good. I wish they both could have won.

Regardless, Angelo is really dominating. It's a shame we're going back to his shady storyline of sabotage next week. I do think he was being a little too strategic early on in season 7 with the celery and peanut butter. But since then, I felt the editors were overplaying it because they could. It makes me a little annoyed to see them revisit this, first with Marcel last week and now with Tiffany Derry (whose voice is so annoying).

[JJH2]

Damn, I was really pulling for Stephen. He's grown up a lot since Season 1. I find his enthusiasm and social awkwardness to be endearing, and I thought Tre came off like a jerk in refusing to be "educated" by Stephen. But speaking of Tre, he's finally made his appearance. This is the first episode of the season where he hasn't looked totally lost and confused. I'm curious as to know what exactly made his dish warrant a top mention, since all we ultimately got from it at Judge's Table was that it was a very nicely cooked piece of fish.

This is such a strong field that you really do get the impression that anyone can make a top showing at almost any time. I'm really interested to see the recipe for Antonia's peas and carrots, because it seemed like a classic example of taking something very simple and very basic and elevating it.

One of the big benefits the All Stars seem to have is the experience to know that if the challenge requires you to go completely out of your comfort zone, it's better to bend the requirements of the challenge and cook what you know well, rather than go out on a limb with something you don't know how to do. Carla's dish was a perfect example. She executed her food extremely well with only a minor twist, and let Tiffani fall into the firing line for going too far out of her comfort zone. I'm pulling for Tiffani to make it to the finals, but her dish look atrocious. I hope next week is a return to form.

With another top mention (and with Blais seemingly just missing out) Angelo seems to have secured his #1 spot in the power rankings for the duration. He dominated a weak season until the final challenge, but I'm beginning to think I've been selling Angelo short. He's totally killing a strong field even though his dish sounded kind of repulsive.

[bfish]

The judges did seem quite taken with Dale T's dish, but also thought Angelo hit it out of the park. My guess is that Angelo came in second this week. I like Angelo and am pleased any time he does well. At least he didn't start out season 8 saying he would win every challenge. Boo on Tiffany for complaining about Angelo analyzing the dishes served to them in the restaurant ("talking too much") -- my immediate thought was, get over it and listen to what he says, you might pick up something that helps you!

It was funny when the bottom 4 went out to judges' table and Carla said something like "don't do a Jen". It was typical of her to be innately helpful to her competitors! I honestly would be very surprised if she goes the distance but the longer she stays, the better. Carla is a fine combination of skilled chef, competitive but with integrity intact, and a caring person.

[HF]

At least this week's show made food the main focus again after last week's drama, but there are still too many contestants to get any sort of feel for the individual dishes, even the top ones. The show's formula is wearing awfully thin on me this time around.

[nomnomnom]

If this episode is ever topped I'll be stunned. It had every element a successful episode has, and then some.

Angelo is taking a drivers seat, but the remaining S3 chefs are making a huge run.

I know Dom rates challenges as if they are equal, but this one in my mind is worth 5x anything to date. The first EC was too easy to see coming to be valid, and the second was a joke.

Right now I can't see anyone making a real case to keep the top 4 chefs tonight out of the top 8. Honestly, given the nature of that challenge I'm willing to gamble 2 of these make the final 4.

Next week is looking to be another completely disposable episode. Not sure what lies beyond that yet.

[bryanD]

PHEW! [wiping Atlantic Ocean from furrowed brow]
If Tiffani would have been eliminated I might have chucked this whole damn show. The parameters of this episode were That Bad (obfuscation re chefs in toto). BUT, since Stephen and Dale L were sent packing Who Cares? But again: PHEW!!!
Observations:
1) Good. Whether Fabio goes home next week or not, at least the Bravo Fabio-at-tennis-court-jumping-over-tennis-net spoiler will be moot.
2) The urine-stained-sheets-as-room-divider at upscale Townhouse deserve a cultural analysis by someone less churlish than me. Also, the echo chamber pretending to be a cozy private enclave at Marea was bizarre. (The other two restaurants passed my quick inspection.)

In the end: Still a good episode. Slightly confusing, but improved. Death edits annoying as usual. Live fish still alive: Tiffani, Angelo, Marcel. And Blais ("Flip Burgers"???).

[matthew]

anon man: I don't think Carla would have been able to taste Dale T's dish this time because they were cooking in different restaurants. (Usually they do get to taste each other's food.) She's in NYC for a couple of days doing appearances, but I'll ask when I talk to her tomorrow.

As for the show. Interesting challenges for sure. I thought Fabio was packing tonight. They way they went in the lamb, I was certain that today was his night. The same for Tiffani. Though, I could tell that Dale's popcorn concoction wasn't going over well.

I think Carla did play to her strengths a bit. I asked her briefly after the show what she did, but I wasn't quite clear. I will let you know when I ask her about Dale T's dish.

[pottymouth princess]

matthew, Carla and Asian Dale were both at WD-50, so yes, she could have tasted his dish.

Classy exits from Lituanian Dale and Stephen of the Suit.

Next week? From the previews, it looks like we're back to the chicanery I can't stand. I loved that tonight was just about the food; this is the sort of episode I wish Bravo would "supersize."

Lastly, if Jamie makes another soup, I'll live up to my screen moniker. Y'know what would be fun? Restrict each cheftestant from their "comfort zone" food. Angelo? No Asian. Jamie? Soup or scallops (probably soup). No tanks of liquid nitrogen for Marcel or Blais, etc.

[matthew]

Ooops...sorry. I'm tired.

[HF]

@bryanD, I'm glad you mentioned how different the atmospheres at the restaurants were. I didn't catch the sheet at Townhouse, but it struck me how casual Ma Peche looked, especially when they then cut to the black and dark brown hues of Marea.

@bfish, I disagree about Angelo's blather at the table. When people dominate a conversation, it no longer is a conversation. Who wants to be lectured? At dinner? During a competition? That's being televised?

[Anon man]

Thanks, matthew. Get some sleep. Yes, I did notice they were at the same restaurant, hence the reason I asked. I don't think I've ever been more fascinated about a dish in all the seasons. Breakfast, its what's for dinner.

[Nikki L]

Pottymouth princess - that is a fabulous idea for an episode. They should say each contestant cannot use whatever style/technique they used most often in their season.

This episode was great but I felt like we saw way too little of the elimination dishes. Basically each person got maybe 30 seconds of screen time for their dish including describing it, cooking, and judge's analysis and most of that was the latter. I know 16 dishes is a lot to show but maybe they should reorganize the time a little bit until there are fewer plates to show. Overall, way too much time on the quickfire and the opinions on Stephen's "expert" knowledge of Marea's menu.

[Krazikarl]

I think that I'd say that Blais and Angelo are pulling away, not just Angelo.

Blais won the QF, and it sounds like that was all him. Angelo was on the bottom of the QF despite having the most time. Angelo certainly had a better elimination dish, but Blais's was mentioned as quite good as well, and Angelo probably had a better draw for that challenge anyway (lots of Asian type stuff for him, while Blais had simple, clean food, which isnt really his thing).

So really its those two and then the rest at this point in my eyes.

[Danny]

What a strange episode. It seemed like a fairly vague challenge with chefs being praised for matching the tone of the food at the restaurant or for not matching the tone.....liking that one dish smelled like breakfast but disliking another for being breakfast. And I plead ignorance but that one place just looked like a joke.....food served on top of a goldfish bowl (remember, only use a garnish if it is meant to be eaten - grin) and lamb with an octopus sitting on top of it. Yum yum. It really just seemed to boil down to which dishes were good and which were not so good.

I am very sorry to see Dale go. Much like Jen last week, it must be hard to come so close on your original season (he was the runner-up) to going out so early. The good news is that his confidence is back and he dealt with his dismissal with the grace and humor that I love him for. If he had gone out so early during his season it would've devestated him. Instead, he is secure in his love of cooking. He really is a class act.

Fabio looks beat up. He was everyone's darling during his season and now he is not being so well-received and his charm (to me it has always seemed like a contrivance) is fading quickly.

Tom was on Watch What Happens Live and he addressed the Elia controversy, again offering to introduce her to the many vendors he deals with at the Farmers Market. And Jen called in and it is obvious that neither harbors any bad feelings. Good for you Jen!

[garik16]

@Danny, Dale was the one who people complained it was being like breakfast. Unfortunately for Dale L, he was not at the same location as Dale T., whose egg was loved for being breakfast like (and fitting Wylie Dufresne).

Different restaurants, different tasks.

[Nsam]

@bfish: After watching it twice, I'm pretty sure that it was Antonia who had the line about Jen. Dale Talde urges the chefs on the bottom to stand up at JT, to fight hard, Carla then also chimes in her support, and then says something like "but not TOO hard. Be nice." And then Antonia says something like, "Yeah, don't pull a Jen." Which I would not describe as a helpful comment to the chefs but rather a (deservedly) snarky shot at Jen.

@HF: I'm with you about Angelo. Similarly, I'm with Tre in declining to be lectured by Stephen. But Angelo, as abundantly annoying/enthusiastic as he's demonstrated himself to be during his run on TC, at least backs it up in the kitchen. Stephen, umm, did not.

I think the producers whiffed on an opportunity to add more drama to this episode in a completely legit/uncontrived way. The Quickfire winning team should have had their choice of restaurants for the EC. As it was, Blais' team won, and he certainly would have argued against Marea, which I think must have been his last choice. Can you imagine how he might have KILLED it at WD-50 or Townhouse? (Not sure how he would fare with French-Vietnamese.) A much more interesting scenario, wouldn't you say, than watching Stephen blow it at Marea. (If given the choice Stephen and possibly Spike and Tre would have argued against Blais, not wanting to do MG at WD-50. Hence the drama.)

[Nsam]

Uh, yeah, so I think the producers blew that one, and jeez, why couldn't they supersize THIS episode instead of the one with pastry chef Jonas? But regardless, I'm hard-pressed to think of a TC episode that I've ever enjoyed more. So much awesomeness going on. All-star season, please continue to be this epic!

[vizoroo]

I liked tonight's challenge, but will have to watch it again to get my thoughts together. As a whole, the food looked good.

[Danny]

Thanks Garik 16. I got confused more than once during the episode - forgetting who said their food was like the restaurant's food, who said it was different, who was a little bit country and who was a little bit rock and roll. At Tom's prompting Dale did say his dish was like breakfast and then Tom made an expression that seemed to say.....see, that's a problem.

What we did not hear was a judge saying, "Your dish was really great but it wasn't similar to what is served here so you are in the bottom" or "I didn't love the dish but you totally nailed the style of the restaurant (although you did have tetras under your soup and not goldfish)" Unless I am wrong and that was actually said. I agre with everyone that this would have been a very appropriate episode to supersize.

[Skillet Doux]

"I know Dom rates challenges as if they are equal..."

Not so! Not at all! Not in the least! On the scorecard? Sure. In the rankings? Absolutely not!

[Nsam]

The bonus content, the behind-the-curtain peeks on the Bravo site are always so engrossing to me. And I think the newest bonus vids are especially illuminating. Also, Bourdain is razor-sharp, as usual. Whatever they pay the guy is probably less than he deserves.

[matthew]

Ok. I talked to Carla. She said that Dale's broth was really, really delicious and the spare ribs were very tender.

[matthew]

Oh...Carla commented that there were (as mentioned) hints of maple syrup and pineapple in Dale's dish. VERY delicious, she said again.

[matthew]

Clearly I'm still tired. I meant to say pork belly. Ok...I'm going to stop posting while groggy.

[Bart]

Great episode. I thought Tiffani was a goner. She dodged a big bullet, I think. The exit interviews were very classy. That's how it's done.

As for the rankings, I think I'd still keep Angelo 1 and Blais 2. Yes, Blais won the QF, but it was a team effort (even if it was supposedly all his idea); but Angelo made a top appearance for the elimination dish, while Blais didn't.

To me, that individual dish counts more than a team effort. If Blais had placed, then I'd say switch them around. But Angelo came on top while Blais remained in the murky MOTP. So, Angelo 1, Blais 2.

[redpoint]

1. Angelo
2. Richard
3. Dale
4. Casey

[nomnomnom]

Oops, well as usual misplaced commas bite me. I realize Dom does treat different episodes differently, but they are posted in the grid as equal.

I'm feeling it shaking out a little like this:

Angelo
Richard
Marcel
Dale
Casey
Tre
Spike
Jamie
Tiffani
Carla
Mike
Antonia
Tiffany
Fabio

[TxGriff]

Great episode! One of my favorites of all the seasons.

I keep hearing Marcel's name, and I can't figure out why. So far, both of his individual dishes have been poorly received, even in a challenge that should have been in his comfort zone. He was in the winning GROUP last week, but with the two strongest competitors (imo). Plus it's unclear what he was actually responsible for with that dish. I think he's stronger than what he has shown, but I don't see how his performance so far merits top mention.

Good to see Tre wake up a bit. Angelo and Blaise are clearly the ones to beat at t his point. I think the relative weakness of S7 discredited how strong of a chef/competitor Angelo really is. I'm not looking forward to the return of the "sabotage" storyline next week.

[Anon Man]

Thanks a bunch, Matthew. While I often think to myself, "Hmmm, that looks pretty good", Dale's "breakfast broth" is the first in awhile where I've thought to myself "Dam*it, why can't I just lick my TV?" Really an interesting concept that needed to be tasted. Best to Carla the rest of the way. Nice to see her hold her own in a style of food that clearly isn't her most comfortable.

If I may turn to my beloved, but likely soon to be leaving Fabio, am I the only who thought: Asian=noodles=pasta=do it, Fabio! I don't have faintest idea why he didn't try to do rice noodles or something.

[paula]

I loved this episode. Loooved it. My 2 cents:

1) Dale L. didn't get dinged because he served breakfast. He got dinged because he served a veal chop on top of breakfast. Yuck. But I was really, really sad to see him go.
2) I was tickled by how much fun Marcel truly seemed to have in this episode. He seemed genuinely happy and glad to be there. I didn't watch his season, so I'm not judging this against that, but I found it endearing.
3) Man, Dale T. must be rockin' the meds. Maybe he really is "Serenity Dale" now. I was psyched he got the win.

[Bill G]

Agree with Krazikarl that Blais and Angelo are pulling away but I think Dale T is ready to pounce. It only takes one bad challenge for anyone so dominating doesn't mean much other than to build confidence and intimidate the rest of the field.
Antonia's plate looked really good & Casey continues to hold her own. Not sold on Tre yet.

[nomnomnom]

I find it interesting that they are previewing parts of the episode that actually do not make the final cut. That is new for Bravo, and makes the preview gazers have to work a little bit harder to earn their pay.

Tiffani probably got her last free pass last night. It seems to me she had the same level of complacency coming into this season that Jen had, but was let off the hook for some reason.

[matthew]

Thanks Anon Man. Have you seen the previews for next week? Carla cuts her finger. I remember when she came home, the first thing she mentioned was that cut. It was pretty nasty, but she sucked it up.

Honestly, I thought Fabio and Tiffani were going to get cut last night. I honestly couldn't understand Fabio putting Ricotta on that lamb, and the overall execution wasn't that impressive. Given the judges' comments about Tiffani's dish, I thought they were offended by the melon. It seemed that Stephen's error was balancing the herbs and the fennel. There were compliments for the execution on the protein. I don't know. Sometimes, it seems like the judges hone in on errors by one chef while letting another slide for the same sins. Plus, Stephen immediately stated where he went wrong with the dish. I guess that can save you in a regular season, but not on All-Stars. It's hard to say what happened with Dale. I, too, expected him to go deeper in the competition. Carla is very fond of him. The extended Judges' Table reveals that Dale's dish was a poor concept and too sweet. They finish with a baseball analogy that I think sums up what's been discussed here. Tom said you have to know when to play it safe and when to swing for the fence.

[matthew]

Addendum: I don't know if I appreciate, or am annoyed by, Stephen's candor in the exit interview. He basically puts it out there that he was on the show to ride the wave for the benefit of his brand. I'm sure all the chefs have brand-building in their mind or game plan when they agreed to return, but I found it a little offputting for Stephen to be so forthright about it. Call me a purist, but as someone who has been a fan of the show from Season 1, episode 1, I'm all about the cooking and creativity. I guess that I was a little disheartened to know Stephen wasn't really 100% committed to core of what the competition is all about. It feels like a wasted space on the roster.

[Polybus]

My opinion is that it was a good episode, probably the best in a young season, but I can think of other episodes over the last seven seasons that could top it. In my estimation, anyway.

I was disappointed to see Dale L. go, but he really seemed uninspired in the EC. (Lesson #219 in success on Top Chef: No popcorn in any form.) I was equally happy to see Dale T. break out and get the win. Interesting that Antonia made it into the top and Tiffani into the bottom.

And I agree that Angelo and Blais are pulling away, but this is a really talented group and nothing would surprise me. It's going to be fun to see how things shake out from week to week.

The season may be far from over, but I'm excited for each new episode and that bodes well for the whole run.

[Anon Man]

"(Lesson #219 in success on Top Chef: No popcorn in any form.)"

Disagree. S1 Harold's popcorn ceviche is still beloved.

[Polybus]

Ah, I forgot about that... but I just can't think of any other instance where it's been used successfully. In fact, I seem to remember it leading to maybe one or two eliminations... just can't remember for sure right now.

[ally]

Matthew, that's a great point about "reasons to be on the show."

People there for the publicity (imo): Jaime, Stephen, Fabio (who sounded like he actually wanted to be cut last night, and who looked like it at judges table, too).

Pretty much everyone else seems in it to win it, so far as I can tell. Tiffani looked like she was about to cry last night, which is totally unusual. I just watched Season 1 again in the last few days and she is really tough. Also she wasn't as bad as I remember her. Dave really sold us on her being a b***h at the end, but midseason they seemed to work together pretty well. Her bad arc started when she said at judges table that Miguel should go home.

I loved this episode but I wish they had either supersized it or waited until later in the season to do it so we could see more of the dishes. Dale I.'s really did look terrible. At least nobody put a live fish/animal on their plate though.

Another comment - I think Blais would have done well no matter which restaurant, as would Angelo. However, I don't think either of them would be great at making a really good roast chicken :)

Good luck with the rankings. After the first 5 or so I'm completely lost until the bottom (Fabio).

Pea puree count: 1

[Skoolie]

I had a feeling the first time Dale mentioned popcorn. I've never in my experience had that element work with ceviche. Curious about Harolds win on it though.

Also last post I said that if Angelo did really well this episode I would bump him up in my personal ratings to number one over Blais. Not that Blais isn't a contender for that spot, he is and I'm sure he'll prove it very soon.

Tiffani - Come on girl, get it together and make me happy that I put you so far up in the ranking. Her comment about Jen and Jen's food is almost starting to apply to herself.

Carla is a joy to watch - Can we keep her forever? Please!

[mar]

Ally: "Pea puree count: 1"

Didn't Antonia in E1 alter her previously undercooked pigeon peas into a pea puree?

That would make the count: 2. And both from Antonia!

[redpoint]

Not sure why you put Jamie in this category. Jamie's always seemed to be a fierce competitor, not a self-promoter. IMHO

[BK]

Tom says in his blog that Blais' dish was better than Tre's, but that he (Tom) got outvoted.

[ally]

redpoint, imo Jaime (Jaimie? Jamie?) is phoning it in this season. Except last week, when she wasn't there to phone it in, so she foned it in.

mar, I was counting on a good eye to help me out with the PP count, thanks!

Pea puree count: 2

[JJ]

I agree with those who (1) found the episode awesome (2) thought Fabio was going home (3) sided with Angelo against Tiffany (who clearly should have taken some cues from Angelo instead of rolling her eyes and serving such a safe, uninspired dish) (4) found Marcel surprisingly charming (wish his food had been bolder) and (5) not looking forward to another gimmicky challenge and the return of "drama."
In my top four I would place Angelo, Richard, Casey and Tiffani (although her dish this week looked really awful).

[Bob]

Great show. Some observations:

Strike anyone else as odd that the cheftestants all acted like giddy schoolkids at the restaurants? Don't they ever eat out? (Aside from Stephen, apparently). Yeah, I know, it's expensive, but that's how you'd think they would learn about new cuisines and new dishes.

Interesting that those on the bottom basically admitted they screwed up - even Fabio. A welcome change from the first two weeks, IMHO. Bourdain says Dale didn't understand his dish's failings but he didn't pull a Jen, either, so good for him. (Unlike the chicken douette from seasons past, I doubt he'll be working on refining his veal French toast.)

What was Fabio thinking? Has he ever had lamb and/or cheese in an Asian restaurant? Clearly dodged a bullet.

Seems somewhat ironic that Dale T. wins for basically a variation on a dish that sends Jen off. Finally someone scores with pork belly.

I remember a chef once telling me "you eat with your eyes first" - if so, I'd be puking before even tasting Tiffani's dish.

I wish Carla had saved her shrimp and grits for a more opportune time - but then, at least she survived.

Clearly most impressive "stretch" to me was Antonia. Creativity was always her weakness. Bourdain had some very favorable comments about her thus far. I'd move her up a notch - or three.

[Minette]

As usual, Tony had the best lines, "are you aware that David Chang is a notorious egg slut?" (Dale T. was), and of Stephen's salmon, "it tastes like a head shop". Love this show, and to Ally, keep up the pea puree count.

[matthew]

I think Bourdain can be hit or miss. He's like the guy that is humorous when he's relaxed and just being himself, but goes off the rails when he tries too hard to be funny or snarky.

[Minette]

Agreed, Matthew. Good to see Tom get in there too with his Jimmy Page comment.

[bryanD]

"@bryanD, I'm glad you mentioned how different the atmospheres at the restaurants were. I didn't catch the sheet at Townhouse..."---HF

Confession: the sheets description thing was gross hyperbole. I saw no stains. (Only imagined them.)What I should have said regarding sheets in threshold was "German village sex bar pedestrian blind".

"I'm sure all the chefs have brand-building in their mind or game plan when they agreed to return, but I found it a little offputting for Stephen to be so forthright about it."---Matthew

I like all the information we can get (sans spoilers). It's why I'm a stickler for form. Anal-retentive, even!
I certainly ardently wish this contest would get on with an Everybody versus Everybody format where no secret is a good secret. Meaning, for example, that I suspect that the 4 winning dishes last night were not the 4 BEST dishes. Odds are that one team had 2 of the best 4 dishes, but since each arbitrary division of chefs (team) HAD to have a "winner"/representative, well...what DOES that mean? IT MEANS (children under 12 leave the room. 3,2,1.) that Top Chef producers are inserting an UNCONSCIONABLE amount of Chance into this supposed contest of skill.

Rant:off. Leader board reset:
1. Angelo
2. Blaise (I can't deny Mister Showbiz his circus props any longer)
3. Marcel
4. Tiffani (Yes, TC judges probably pulled her chestnuts out the fire. She had an awful night, but since she's still here I can't drop her lower. I smell a comeback. Or is those sheets?)

[ally]

@Minette: WD is the egg slut... Other thing I missed in this episode: More Bourdain!

[nomnomnom]

I found the Page comment a little over the top and inappropriate. I am a little disappointed to see Tom not backpedal from it either as he sometimes does when he feels like his edit made him come off too harsh.

[Skoolie]

Having some trouble with my own personal ranking and I know Dom doesn't like huge jumps, her prefers to slowly edge them up and down based on performances but I have realized how much I grossly underestimated Dale T.

I thought he's come back with his temper and refuse to believe he had made any mistakes at all. Clearly we are seeing a new and improved Dale T. I think Tom was right to say he's most improved.

I keep inching him up but I had him so low and with the win I want to place him higher and into the top 5 perhaps even at 3 with his recent win.

Also Antonia I can't figure out what to do with her.

[Bawdy George]

Anyone else see Ripert's smackdown of Elia in his blog? Ouch.

[Peggasus]

I'm sure the info is out there somewhere, but you guys would know: how long is the 'season,' not counting the break between the end and the finals? With eighteen contestants, it's got to be at least two-three weeks, right? More? Are the challenges back to back to back, or do they get a day off in between, occasionally? I'm just curious, because clearly some people can handle the stress of it better.

[amj]

If you read Dale's interview up on the Chicago Tribune's site, he has refined the dish, and it will be available at his restaurant Sprout tomorrow. I'm going to check it out.

[redpoint]

Thanks for the heads up on the Dale interview. It's fascinating and 100% spoiler free! Are we allowed to talk about it or not?
Here's the link
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/thestew/2010/12/top-chef-exit-interview-dale-stumbles-on-a-not-ready-for-prime-time-dish.html

[bryanD]

@Peggasus: Somewhere this season I read that the tournament/quarantine(?) takes "a month". It might have been at Elia's Tribune article. As for days off, all I know is that Jennifer had time during the Lost Wages season to rock the hell out of a bikini one day. Update: watched the bikini clip on youtube. During it Jennifer mentions "cooking tonight". Slave drivers!

[Sourire]

Interesting about the popcorn ceviche comment: As soon as it was said, I remembered Sam's dish from season 2 (spicy shrimp ceviche with popcorn, served as wrath for the seven sins dinner party), but I went and looked, and yes indeed Harold made one as well. Both, iirc were received quite well, so apparently one must stick to ceviche when using popcorn on TC.

[twelden]

Thanks for the link to Dale's Trib. interview, redpoint. It is indeed entirely spoiler free, but it does include this landmine (ABSOLUTELY NO SPOILER MATERIAL HERE):

"The judges have opinions and preconceived notions about us as individuals, positive or negative. The judges are human beings. They're not automatons who are putting everything into consideration. They have opinions about every single one of us and those preconceived notions about us are going to skew.

I know it was gut-wrenching for them to send Jen (Carroll) home last week, but, if you're in the industry underbelly, then you know that Eric and Tom do not have the best relationship known to man. I guess I really don't want to go there."

Is Dale really implying that Tom either purposefully or subconsciously sent Jen packing because he allegedly does not get along with Ripert? Is it even true that Tom and Ripert don't get along - I find it hard to imagine given Ripert's regular TC appearances and role on the Bravo website? Is every TC All-Star exit interview going to be more inflammatory than the next? Is the entire TC All-Star cast taking crazy pills, because otherwise I just don't get why Elia, Jen (albeit only on the show) and Dale would say the things they have said. Who could have imagined that, four weeks into the season, Stephen Asprinio would be the beacon of self-restraint and decorum.

[Elise]

I know there's been a lot of the Angelo Love going on today, and many are saying more about him nailing first place, but for me, it's still Richard all the way, and why, when Angelo did better on the elimination challenge?

Because way back in season 4 Richard came up with a seriously off the wall idea, he took fish (smoked salmon?) and paired with with wasabi and white chocolate.

How did Angelo do so well yesterday? He put white chocolate and fish together again. Now, I don't know exactly how much his dish tasted like Richard's. I'll guess not a whole lot. And I don't want to cut on Angelo because I'm sure you need serious cooking chops to pull that combination off well. But I'd be shocked to see that Angelo wasn't in some way inspired by Richard's use of white chocolate and fish.

[Nsam]

@nomnomnom: Was Tom over the top and inappropriate with the Jimmy Page comment? Perhaps, but I shrug it off because EVERY person on camera, Colicchio and the judges included, is mindful that he/she is an entertainer on a TV show as well as a participant in a cooking competition. Colicchio doesn't want to be overly staid, so much so that the producers start thinking that Emeril or someone would bring in better ratings...

@Matthew: same as above re. your comment about Bourdain sometimes trying too hard. Well, he's trying to entertain as well as judge, it's not always easy to get the balance right between trying too hard and not trying hard enough. I say this respectfully as someone who has also disliked Bourdain at times. I don't watch No Reservations much because I often find him unpleasant there. (Maybe because he's the star there. That much Bourdain camera time might be TOO MUCH Bourdain for me.) But I love him on Top Chef and possibly love his blogs even more. His being hit or miss or going off the rails, well, wouldn't you say that's kind of the nature of comedy in general? I would. I think that good comedy pushes things to the point where its grip on the rails is quite uncertain. Sometimes even the most innocuous comedians go beyond good taste or strike offensive notes because it's hard to see where the line is until you've crossed it. And Bourdain is certainly anything but innocuous, and I think he adds a lot to the show.

[Skoolie]

Tweldon, I just read this as well.

I think Gail Simmons mentioned in her blog about having to be professional for All Stars as over the years they have gotten to know the contestants. She mentions how tough it is to see them go because there is some sort of connection.

It could work the opposite as well. I have no way of knowing if Ripert and Tom had a falling out but in the recent video Blog Ripert did, he rips into Elia and defends Tom. So I wouldn't say they have a rift but maybe Tom would rather have Eric as a judge than Jen as a contestant since it would be unfair to have them on the same season.

Of course that is just me trying to figure it out, not that I've heard that or anything. I'd be curious to know more about why Dale thinks this.

As far as the emotions running high and the exit interviews being filled with drama it makes a little sense. On their seasons, these chefs did really well, excelled and gained a lot of respect. There is no one that came aboard on the season that didn't have a shot at making it far. This was there second chance on showing us they can do it and prevail and when sent home early there are much emotions going on and hearts and egos crushed.

[Skoolie]

Elise,

good memory I had forgot about that.

I googled it and came up with this. It looks to be the recipe Richard created and I can't wait to see the differences and similarities of Angelo's dish.

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/23935392/ns/today-foodwine/

and that is meant to say I don't think Angelo should be dinged for inspiration but just a very interesting note.

[Skoolie]

ahh and even better source as it was a team challenge.

http://recipes-stage.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_4/episode_4_1/soy_tapioca.php

It was andrew "culinary boner" DiAmbrosi, Dale T. and Richard Blais. Blais was responsible for the white chocolate wasabi sauce

[Nsam]

Re. Levitski's Tribune interview -- here and in his exit interview Dale shows himself to be honest in his analyses, a very candid and very emotional guy, and I love him for it. Except for his speculating about Ripert and Colicchio's relationship in the context of Jen Carroll's elimination, which of course is speculating about Colicchio's integrity as a judge, which is outrageous to me and I don't think Dale himself is in any way prepared to follow through on that kind of accusation...

Also he shows disdain for David Burke, or at least David Burke's food and restaurants, which makes me raise an eyebrow. But, shrug, it's his career, if he doesn't want to play nice with Burke and is willing to burn that bridge, not really my business.

So twelden, I guess I'd say I feel reluctant to lump Dale in with Elia and Jen. I don't believe he's taken crazy pills, but he is very emotional and frank to a fault. Also, I think the dynamics of this season and the atmosphere in the house, about which he has interesting things to say in his interviews, also got to him. (And don't forget, then he had all that time living sequestered with Elia and Jen and the others in the losers' house, in which they probably had very little to do except to vent their bitterness about how unfair their eliminations were. Maybe that rubbed off on him...)

Okay, now watch him do further interviews in TV Guide or wherever in which he totally goes off worse than Elia and Jen combined and makes me feel foolish for trying to defend him...

[HF]

"(although you did have tetras under your soup and not goldfish)".
Bettas. Siamese fighting fish.

Twelden: "Who could have imagined that, four weeks into the season, Stephen Asprinio would be the beacon of self-restraint and decorum."
Hah!!!!!

bryanD: "German village sex bar pedestrian blind"
Hah!!! Hah hah hah!!!!!!!!!! :^)

Elise, I'm with you, Richard over Angelo. And I can't help but think Tiffani and Casey will be there too.

I meant to post this yesterday... The teams were chosen at random at the beginning of the show by how they walked into the room, right? How odd then that Angelo went to the Asian restaurant, Marcel went to the GC restaurant, Stephen went to the Italian restaurant. Poor Carla and Fabio, they were unlucky.

[Skillet Doux]

re: Popcorn and ceviche, that's actually a traditional accompaniment in Ecuador. And Peruvian ceviche is often topped with cancha, which are the oil-toasted kernels. So it's not a crazy, wacky invention. Which is why it's been done by so many -- Harold, Sam, Eve, Christopher Lee on Masters... perhaps a couple of others.

re: Pea puree, I doubt it'll play as heavily in this season as it did in season seven. Season seven was shot at the hight of fresh pea season. They're pretty much irresistible.

"Because way back in season 4 Richard came up with a seriously off the wall idea, he took fish (smoked salmon?) and paired with with wasabi and white chocolate."

My thought EXACTLY :-) Which isn't to take anything away from what I'm sure was a great dish, and aside from the fish/chocolate combo, it seems they have little if anything in common. I was just surprised that the editors didn't reference Blais' white chocolate sauce for the salmon.

[HF]

Anon man: "If I may turn to my beloved, but likely soon to be leaving Fabio, am I the only who thought: Asian=noodles=pasta=do it, Fabio! I don't have faintest idea why he didn't try to do rice noodles or something."

Someone did... Tom C. wrote almost exactly the same thing on his blog:^)

[ally]

off topic but...

is bawdy george the same person as independent george, just in a different mood?

just wondering...

[Bart]

Re: the supposed Tom/Ripert enmity...

I don't really buy into that too much. I believe that Ripert and Colicchio are professional enough to work together and I don't think that Colicchio would let something like a personal dislike of Ripert affect his judgment. I think Jen Carroll went home because she deserved to go home that particular night. Plain and simple.

Granted, I'm only seeing Tom/Ripert on TV, but given their success, their cooking style, their demeanor on the show and in interviews - I believe they're both capable enough of setting aside whatever personal differences they have (if any!) and focusing on the job at hand.

It may very well be true that they don't like each other, but I honestly doubt that affects their ability to work together. Lord knows they've done it often enough on Top Chef.

[Joanna]

You know what my favorite thing about this episode was? That Dale T. won WITHOUT using MG techniques. At first glance, I thought the chefs at WD-50 would be at a disadvantage because molecular gastronomy isn't really something you can pick up in a day. Marcel of course was excited to be cooking there, and Tiffani seemed to be familiar with the techniques but my guess is she doesn't use them in her own cooking which is why she just threw a bunch of "MG technique" on a plate instead of carefully crafting a good dish.

But Carla and Dale both managed to make something that could fit in at the restaurant without going MG-crazy. I always liked Dale (temper issues aside) but he shot way up on my list this week. Between this win and his ref-worked butterscotch scallops, I would definitely put him in the top 5.

[Polybus]

Amen, everyone, on S4 E4 smoked salmon, faux caviar, white chocolate & wasabi. That is one of my nominations for best episode ever - the movie challenge that gained Blais the "Willy Wonka" moniker (with contributions from Dale T. and Andrew). It also brought forth a terrific "Christmas Story" dish from (of all people) Brian and Mark and a great "Top Secret!" dish from Stephanie and Lisa. It was a challenge that tested creativity really more than anything else - I love those challenges!

[Anon Man]

I remember the white chocolate fish. One thing I remember is that someone (Jen B.?) said "that sounds horrible", and Ted Allen who was a judge wrote like half a page of a blog drooling on his keyboard about it.

@HF, Ah, I haven't gotten around to the bravo blogs this week. I re-watched part of the show last night and I noticed a clip where Angelo says "Fabio will make pasta" and Fabio says he won't. Its hard to tell from the clip, but maybe Angelo was teasing him and it worked to get him off of thinking about pasta? Crafty if that's what he did. Probably unintentional.

This whole Ripert/Tom thing has to be overblown. The show is largely Tom's, no? If they hated each other Ripert wouldn't be so common a guest.

And, lastly, on this whole "Stephen brand" thing. I thought Stephen and Dale were both honest and gracious in their exit interviews. Stephen knows he isn't the most polished line chef and has gotten less polished over time becuase of what he does. Heck, even in the S1vS2 special he said he's more a restauranter than a cook. I was shocked to see him there in AS. But, really, after S1, isn't everyone, to some extent looking for a little publicity? $100K in and of itself isn't exactly Survivor money, so the real payback is a bit of celebrity and the business that goes with it. I don't think there's anything wrong with that, if done in moderation and with class.

[Bawdy George]

Ally, that's funny. But no, purely coincidental, I've been using that moniker for years - I guess IG and I are both Seinfeld fans in addition to TC. Here's the reference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxuYdzs4SS8

I'm so sorry to see Dale L. go. A truly good guy, and his asides are so amusing, the show is worse off without him. Bourdain's blog post indicates the respect he has for Dale and I was very glad to read it.

[chrish]

I thought Stephen's comments regarding brand were completely fine too. It would be naive to think that publicity is not a major consideration for all these contestants. I think the difference for Stephen is that it was pretty obvious he wasn't a real challenger for the title or even to make the finals. Probably just about everyone else in this seasons came in thinking s/he has at least some realistic shot of making the finals (and if you can get to the finals, then who knows).

But it's not as if Stephen gave up or phoned it in, he seemed to compete hard and really pretty respectably. He was good to have for a bit of color and a very different background than the other contestants.

[Elise]

@ HF Blaise, Tiffany (the Red?), and Casey for the final three...

Hmmm...

At this point I honestly don't know. My psychic vibe level view is Blaise, Marcell, and Angelo, but it's just that, a hunch. Nothing to back it up. I mean Blaise and Angelo are doing quite well this season, but we're three challenges in. Dale, could easily pop up and run with it. I can see Tiffany the Red taking it. Casey, I'm thinking no on, but it's not impossible.

Short of Spike or Fabio taking the whole thing, there really isn't a winner that I'd consider totally out of the blue.

[Keifus]

Hi there, I was recommended your blog last month, and I've been enjoying the commentary.

One of the most satisfying things reading this blog (and now you got me on the Bourdain pieces too) is that the judging is straight up. I'm happy to have my suspicions dispeled that Lisa's and Stefan's losses were based producer's decisions. Nope, it was the food, or at least it was mostly the food, and it reminds me why I watch TC religiously and avoid a dozen other chef competitions.

In that interview, Dale gives a different suspicion of mine a confirmation, for better or worse: the contestants are annoyed at having to use wretched canned stock. For a home cook, when the stuff in my freezer is used up and gotta feed the kids, I'll sometimes reach for the Swanson's, but I can't believe for a second that any high-end chef has hundreds of boxes of the stuff in the pantry (Tony Bourdain's anecdotes notwithstanding). I remember the episode a couple years ago when they were first introduced, and being disappointed that the camera cut away from the chefs before they got a reaction shot, but I was sure I understood why.

In addition to the product placement, one of the things that always gets me about reality shows is the pretense that there aren't a roomful of camera guys there. Nice to see Dale call that one too.

I've never eaten there (or in New York anywhere), but the David Burke restaurant experience didn't come off very well on the show, and of the four, it's the one I wouldn't seek out based on what I saw. Told my daughter: the plates look like something to be put in front of Johnny Depp in some Tim Burton flick. I was having a hard time spotting the charm in all that whimsy, but who can really tell on teevee.

Funny that it's not the impression I get at all of DuFresne's restauarant. I don't gather the techinque is so much a gimmick as something "tasty that makes you think". And Dale T.'s dish seemed in just that mold...if only I could have tasted it!

[matthew]

I think if you look at what I wrote, it's expected that building personal/professional brands by being on the show is expected, and is likely part of every contestants game plan. I know that didn't escape Carla. It wasn't however the driving factor for doing the show. My only grip was that Stephen seemed to be so cavalier about his true intent in the exit interview. Again, I stated at the outset that I can't/couldn't decide whether appreciated, or was annoyed by, his candor. The purist (for the show's sake) in me leans toward the latter, but the business-minded side of me understands the logic of the former. It doesn't take anything away from me, either way, I was merely sharing a random musing.

[garik16]

FTR, I was surprised at the fact they failed to mention regarding Carla being at WD~50:

She won the quickfire challenge involving Wylie on Season 5 (with green eggs and ham). Instead they went lame with the finals thing again.

[Wangus]

Lamenting the loss of both Dale and Stephen to some extent. Dale is hilarious. Say what you will about 'watching Top Chef for the food', I would just as happily watch it for Dale's comments. Though should bring him back as a commentator or something. How can you not love:

"It's like the Spice Girls and the bodyguard vs. the cool dudes and their babysitter, Carla."

As for Stephen, it makes me wonder: if it's clear that Stephen couldn't match up with the rest of the competitors, did they invite him only to make sure Tiffani wasn't the only season 1 representative? Which contestants were invited back for All Stars and declined? Without further ado, by season (these are contestants that went further than at least 1 of the All Stars in their season):

Were Lee Anne and Dave invited? Maybe Lee Anne couldn't or wouldn't want to after such a long tenure with TC behind the scenes.

Was Sam? You'd have to think they would've tried to get him. He was so popular.

Brian Malarkey? Malarkey! There are like 3 or 4 other chefs that made it past Tre, but I think it's clear why they specifically asked him.

LISA (oh god oh god)? Understandable why they might not. Understandable why she might not want to.

Stephan and Leah? Stephan would have been a solid choice. I forgot that Leah went further than Jamie.

Eli and Robin? I remember reading that Bryan V and Kevin both declined.

Ed or Kelly? I suppose I was surprised not to see either Ed or Kelly and Tiffany instead. Kelly I could understand: in parts of her season she definitely didn't seem to enjoy cooking in the competitive constraints and style. But no Ed either?

[HF]

@Elise, Tiffani the Red. I love it!!! Remember Doms' post... "Your helpful mnemonic device for the day: I is the Roman numeral for the number one. Tiffani, with an I, is from season one."

No, I think this race is between Richard Blais and Angelo Sosa (why is everyone calling him Blais? If were doing that, shouldn't we be saying Sosa too?). Since I don't get to taste the food, and barely get to see it, I have to go by my gut and a bit of psychoanalysis b.s. My admittedly foggy memory seems to recall that Angelo's and Richard's dishes have had some of the best responses from Tom, Padme and Gail during their seasons and this one. Consistantly. After that, you're right, they've all made the judges go "wow". I just have a hunch about Casey, she seems much more confident in her skills this season (they seemed really impressed by her E.C. dish this week, but who can tell with the damn editing). I have a hunch about Tiffani too, partially because she had the first extended interview in E1 and I'm applying Anon man's theory of "whoever has the first interview of an episode is either the winner or loser of that episode" to the entire season:^)

I watched Eric R.'s video blog last night regarding the Quickfire, and he remarked that peeling garlic and trimming ribs was Chef 101 stuff, but some of the chefs showed that they didn't have those skills! Amazing, he's admitting that some of these Top Chefs (not just Stephen) aren't all that top. I need to rewatch that part of the show, I'm sure that will shake up where I have things ranked.

[Bob]

Wangus - good post. I was wondering as well who they invited - or didn't. I think the greatest upset, based on victories and top finishes, was Stephan Richter in S5. But, he was a caterer then, easy enough to put that business on hold, whereas he's now running a mini restaurant empire and presumably needs to be there every day.

I'm not sure I'd want to eat at VOLT if Bryan wasn't in the kitchen. Expensive to shut it down for a month - or two - though the prize this year is pretty lucrative, and of course, there's the "free" advertising, which seems to be the main reason Fabio is competing.

Sam Talbot came back for a one-off "All Star" team competition, and was a judge of a QF, so might feel he's "done his duty" to the show. But, I agree, good cook, and I believe, fan fave.

Tre went early, a victim of being "head chef" of the losing team in restaurant wars (until then, pretty much an automatic decision) but the producers, judges and fellow chefs all seemed to think quite highly of him.

Dave would have been terrific - almost as funny as Dale.

You didn't mention Jeff McInnis, the Southbeach Stud from S5 who was a bit like a cross between Blais and Marcel, and actually was invited back that season for the finale after beating Jamie in a head-to-head that Emeril Lagasse judged.

I'd be stunned if the producers didn't ask Lisa Fernandes from S4. I'd be more stunned if she had accepted. But, it would have made compelling TV - and, of course, that's really what this is all about. Imagine her and Blais together in a team challenge. I'd pay to see that.

[matthew]

Excuse my typos in the previous post. Ugh!

Wangus, I think there are certain folks like Richard and Carla who truly seem to enjoy or thrive on the competition. They don't mind being, or at least can handle, be pressured and presented with off-the-wall challenges. It's like a puzzle or a game for them. I think there are a number of chefs on All Stars that are there to compete, but the real driver for them is positive PR.

Thus, those that you listed either declined for one (or a combination) of the following reasons:

1: They are working increadibly hard on running, expanding or developing a restaurant and did't see appearing on the show as a net gain. Further, they didn't want to risk the potential negative PR that could come from going on the show and doing poorly.

2: They really struggled with being away from family (S/Os and/or children) and friends;

3: They couldn't imagine, nor had any interest in, being thrust back into that pressure-cooker environment; or

4: They were pissed off at Bravo, Magical Elves, Tom, Gail, Padma or any combination of these; and would rather spend six weeks pushing out Jalapeno Poppers at Tchotchke's than deal with this group again.

There could be other reasons thrown in for good measure. But, for as many of the contestants that saw All-Stars as an branding opportunity, others saw it as a risk. Irrespective of my comments about Stephen, I think he handled his exit with class and didn't damage his reputation or brand. Whereas, Elia and Jen, to a lesser extent, didn't necessarily create positive buzz for themselves or their brand. I know the adage about all publicity is good publicity, but when you're looking at the prospect of soliciting investors and endorsements, positive pub is the name of the game.

[lo]

White chocolate and fish isn't entirely unique to this show either. I've actually eaten it once but I can't even remember where. The combination is really good. For that reason, I can't give Richard an edge simply because he did it first. I don't know if Angelo saw it there or used his own palate to figure out white chocolate would work or whatever. I don't know if Blais found it somewhere else first either.

I can only go by what I see on screen. I have Angelo and Blais tied at first for a couple of reasons. They've both been in the top or near the top since the beginning. Tom even admits in his blog that he preferred Richard's dish to Tre this week but was outvoted. And I've been salivating over everything they both make - this season and in their seasons (celery and peanut butter notwithstanding). I'll be truly disappointed if both do not make it near the end.

I'll also be disappointed if the Angelo sabotage thing is merited. Not disappointed enough to not seek out a restaurant he works at if it's in NY but still disappointed. I get that he's playing the game, as Tom said in the Watch What Happens interview, but Angelo is way too good to resort to that.

[lo]

What I meant to say Angelo is too good of a chef to need to resort to that strategy. He can succeed on his own strengths.

[Wangus]

I don't know if you guys caught this while watching; I certainly didn't until just rewatching the episode because it was extremely brief:

Dale T. comes out and pours the broth (the one that tastes like breakfast) tableside. The broth is poured from a french press. A french press! How genius is that. He really did work that dish down to the small details. Color me impressed.

[pdog]

Sorry to see Dale L. eliminated. I have eaten at Sprout and it was wonderful. Hopefully, he'll continue to have success.

[Bart]

Matthew - Your wife is probably my favorite Top Chef contestant in the history of the series... but this comment:

"They were pissed off at Bravo, Magical Elves, Tom, Gail, Padma or any combination of these; and would rather spend six weeks pushing out Jalapeno Poppers at Tchotchke's than deal with this group again."

Makes me wonder if you're going to become my favorite commenter on this blog! You guys are like, this Top Chef power couple in my mind.

[Duffy]

If the Elves do this top stars format again, I think they might redo the format. Inviting a crowd of wannabes to a season long contest where there is a risk of being tossed out after only one or two tries is one thing -- but once the chef has "arrived" the PR downside here could be just too risky.

The masters format, where only one winner moves on for the set of elimination rounds seemed puts a better spin on it for the losers - being in a pack that is politely excused is much less painful -- personally and PR-wise -- than having to walk out the door alone.

Maybe run some number of episodes with no one eliminated, and then make a sizable cut? Or run a scored elimination where the loser accumulates points, and the PPPYKAG comes as the bottom runners reach cut-off scores?

The concept of "every chef can have a bad day" gives me a problem. Every judge can have a bad day, too, and in an all stars chef competition, with careers maybe on the line, too much may be at stake for this risk.

[nomnomnom]

Anyone watching Blais Off? It's a throwdown ripoff, but still interesting.

[Anon Man]

nomnomnon, I caught that, it was interesting enough. The pizza one was neat, the burger one seemed kind of forced, though. But, its "modern techniques" (i.e., a lot of what is commonly called MG) on classics. I would watch again if I stumbled upon it.

[ri]

@nomnomnom:

I watched it on Friday. It is sort of interesting, but definitely a Throw Down rip off. I like that there is more science going into it, rather than just slightly elevating a dish like Flay usually does, but it doesn't seem to have found its footing yet.

I thought the Pizza looked pretty interesting and am intrigued about the liquid Mozarella balls and liquid nitrogen fried basil, and really thought his setup for the crust was smart - especially considering his mother dough was only a few hours old. I was giggly seeing him make a pizza dough "foam," instead of seeing Marcel making the 2000th foam. The one big knock I saw with his pizza was that it needed directions to eat it and it ended up being a big mess when people didn't fold it. On the other hand, the burger had absolutely no appeal for me.

Sous vide just doesn't work that well to get the right texture for a burger because you cant melt all the fat in there, and the way the burger came apart when they were testing it, even after the torch, just didn't look appealing. Add to that the deep fried mayo, which while interesting in concept, just seems gag inducing when I try to imagine eating it. The sliced ketchup was an interesting idea, and I can see the benefit so that you get an even bit of ketchup throughout, but it's not really going to change the flavor. I'll admit that I don't really know, beyond doing sous vide, where else he could have shook things up on a burger, but I might have tried to use marrow in the actual composition of the burger meat, and would have tried something different with the tomato or get crunch from something other than the lettuce. He didn't really take it far enough away from what we consider a burger nor improve the cooking of a regular burger to really elevate it to something special.

[Bart]

ri - remember Anita Lo's "hamburger" in Top Chef Masters? That went WAY off the beaten path, as I recall.

[ri]

Ah - the cheddar soup and semi-boiled hamburgers. Probably wouldn't have tried that deconstruction.

[vizoroo]

Angelo's gamesmanship/alleged sabotage keeps popping up. Should we believe the old adage, "Where there's smoke, there's fire."?

[paula]

I don't buy it. More like, "Where there's smoke, there's a magical elf with a smoke machine."

[Erin]

"Where there's smoke, there's a magical elf with a smoke machine."

Hahahahahahaha!

[Dreamboat]

Just an FYI about Kevin, Master of the Pork. According to the AJC, he is busy not only cooking at Woodfire Grill, he is also developing a BBQ joint. But the main reason he did not attend All Stars is that he is working on a cookbook and had a deadline.

[Steve]

Waiting anxiously for Dom's rankings...

Mine, based on my best perception of the chefs performances:

1. Angelo
2. Richard
3. Dale T.
4. Jamie
5. Spike
6. Tiffani
7. Casey
8. Carla
9. Mike
10. Antonia
11. Tre
12. Marcel
13. Tiffany
14. Fabio

[Steve]

On second thought, I think Spike should be 4th and Jamie 5th.

[Steve]

And Carla 6th and Casey 7th.

[Steve]

Soooo....(hope all is ok, Dom)

1. Angelo
2. Richard
3. Dale T.
4. Spike
5. Jamie
6. Tiffani
7. Carla
8. Casey
9. Mike
10. Antonia
11. Tre
12. Marcel
13. Tiffany
14. Fabio

[JJ]

Ditto, Steve.
Here's mine (based on performance to date, and perceived long-term chances)
1. Richard
2. Angelo (b/c fatigue will probably set in earlier for him than others)
3. Casey
4. Tiffani
5. Dale
6. Antonia
7. Mike
8. Carla
9 Tre
10. Jaimie
11. Marcel
12. Spike
13. Tiffany
14. Fabio

Note: I don't put too much into Spike's win (team QF) or his top four placement in EC (for cleverly masking frozen scallops) so he remains near the bottom for me, and although I like Jaimie I do think her often negative attitude and her tendency to play it safe (like making soup for the last challenge) will probably lead to her demise. She doesn't really embrace the ethos of the show and this can't be a good thing for her longevity. Also: not sure why people are not ranking Casey higher. She has a good (healthy) attitude about the show; she's talented; and she hasn't really put a foot wrong yet (even though she has been on losing teams). She could have easily ranked in the top group in both EC1 and EC3 but for the stellar competition. Her consistency, experience, and range should see her through to the finale, or near to it. That said, it seems clear that the one non-finalist who has a shot at the finals this time is Dale.

[Polybus]

On further reflection, I don't buy Angelo being tired. I actually brought up the argument earlier that since his season of TC ended just weeks before this began, he might be getting burned out. I had forgotten that there was a considerable layoff between most of his season and the finale. Other than recovering completely from his illness, he really shouldn't be that fatigued. And he doesn't look it. Pending a knock out performance by Richard soon, I've had to put Angelo ahead of him.