Top Chef - S8E4 Power Rankings

Wow. You phone it in one week, have a week off the next, and suddenly it feels like we haven't had any Top Chef in forever. Was Christmas really less than two weeks ago? Anyway, time to get back into the swing of things. And a good episode with which to do it. Again, maybe I'm going soft. I enjoyed this episode. Well, half of it, anyway.

This was one of the stupidest quickfire gimmicks in Top Chef history, and the worst in a long, long time. The infamous vending machine challenge and the one where each contestant got a different aisle in the grocery store spring to mind, but this one's right there. Really, what about banning utensils made that a better challenge than just doing a stuffing challenge? Or if you insist on forcing the contestants to use shelving units for cheese graters, celery stalks for spoons and pepper mills for paring knives, at least invite Richard Dean Anderson to be the guest judge. Annoyance.

The format for the elimination, however, I actually enjoyed! I thought it was nice change of pace. It added a little excitement and fun, but it still gave the chefs the opportunity to cook their food without dumb restrictions. It's true that the format made it possible for the worst dish to stay. But how is that different from any other team challenge? Dishes that are worse than the eliminated dish skate by all the time. Just because the mechanism was a little different doesn't mean the result wasn't routine. And put me in the camp that says, hey, if Jamie's dish was the worst, the reason she didn't go home wasn't because the format was faulty, it's because her teammates weren't willing to stand up to her and send her out. But more on that later.

Since we're four episodes in, I tried to let the preseason rankings go for the most part this week, and the result was that... not much changed. Largely because a few of those who would've gotten a strong adjustment up or down happened to have a poor or a good week. I suspect they'll sit well with everybody. There's a little mess in the middle, but I'm starting to feel comfortable with how everybody is performing. Almost everybody.

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

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Angelo Quickfires 0 0 2 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 2 3 0 Angelo's just haaaaaaanging in there at number one, with Richard breathing down his neck. But we'll get to Richard in a second. Angelo's QF didn't get any screen time at all, so for those who are curious, his stuffing was "Surf and Turf Oyster Filled Pork, Bread Crumb Topping, Parsley, Whole Oysters." Basically, he steamed oysters, removed them and mixed them with pork (ground, presumably), breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, oregano, cayenne and Old Bay, stuffed that back into the oyster shells and steamed them again. I like the idea. Could have been the third-best dish, could have been the fourth-worst. We have no idea. He got a clean sweep from the judges with his elimination dish, and getting that win despite scrapping his mackerel at the last minute speaks well. Just scrapping the mackerel speaks well, actually. A lot of contestants would have pushed through, hoping it would be good enough. Good for him not only for sticking by his standards, but being able to rework the dish on the fly. Speaking of standards, I don't buy this whole Angelo sabotage thing. It seems pretty clear that at the least he's kind of pushy with his teammates. But I think he genuinely wants his team to win, even if he believes that means taking over some aspects of somebody else's dish and doing it himself. We've seen that work both ways. Doesn't make it okay, but it's a completely different motivation.

2 Richard Quickfires 2 2 0 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 1 3 0 Number one is Richard's for the taking if he gives me a reason. This week, he got top mention, but not without criticism. If all of the dishes were simply thrown in the pot and judged without the tennis format, it's hard to say whether or not he would have gotten that top mention that his win earned him. And the win came against a dish with big problems (Spike's). This wasn't a claiming the top spot performance. But he's right there. Incidentally, though he has the most wins, they've all been team wins. He's always been a great collaborator, so this should come as no surprise, bt I'd sure like to see him take home a win with a solo dish.

3 Dale Quickfires 1 2 0 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 1 2 0 Dale didn't have an especially strong outing, but I don't know that there was anybody who quite snatched the third spot away from him. We got no reaction whatsoever from Mantuano on his Spanish-inspired stuffing, and there's no shame in losing to Tiffani in a head-to-head (3-1), so I figure we'll just let him tread water for a week.

4 Tiffani Quickfires 1 2 2 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 0 0 2 Here's the tough one. Though it's no secret I'm bullish on her chances in the long run, I can't deny that Tiffani, despite some success, hasn't quite given a number four performance so far. But here's the dilemma. Who has? I can't think of anybody beneath her who's more deserving of the fourth spot. So I kind of feel like I have to leave her here, too much maple syrup notwithstanding. In her defense, she did take down Dale. And I still believe she's going to earn it... and possibly more... in short order. On the other hand, there are some others making big moves up the ladder, and while I wasn't ready to go quite this high this week, she's going to get bumped very quickly if she isn't on her game in the next week or two.

5 Carla Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 11 Eliminations 1 2 0 That's right, Hootie's on the move. I don't like big jumps, but I'm trying to let the performances speak, and Quinoa Undonete aside, the woman who's arguably the series' all-time greatest dark horse is, in her own inimitable fashion, quietly rocking once again. What's more, I've done what she did to her finger, and I didn't handle it a tenth as well as she did. I waited too long in season five to give her the respect that she deserved, and I'm not going to make that mistake again. Am I swayed somewhat by the fact that she's a complete joy to watch? Perhaps. But if the Power Rankings are about relative awesomeness, I hope a little piece of that can be for simply being awesome.

6 Antonia Quickfires 1 1 1 Last Week: 10 Eliminations 0 2 1 Antonia's the other big mover, and the other half of my "let the performances speak" week. That's a top elimination dish two weeks running, and aside from the frittata mishap, she's looking pretty strong. My gripe about her last time around was that her dishes, while spot-on, were unexciting. When it comes to creativity, she's no Voltaggio, of course, but still, I think she's showing more this season than she did the last time around. Has she grown creatively since then? Is she simply more comfortable on the second pass and in a better position to reach a bit more? Both, perhaps? Either way, though they're not attention-grabbers, I feel like we're seeing some really nice little touches in her food on this pass, and it's showing on the scorecard.

7 Marcel Quickfires 0 2 1 Last Week: 5 Eliminations 1 1 0 Marcel didn't have a bad week, I'm just really not sure where to put him. He should have knocked the WD-50 challenge out of the park last week, and he's shown some good and some bad, but I'm just not feeling his food or his style and I really don't know which direction he's headed. I'm going to park him here for a week and hopefully get some more info soon.

8 Casey Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 7 Eliminations 0 0 2 Casey had a bit of an off week, but she's showing much stronger than the numbers suggest. She's not quite cracking the podium, but she's racking up positive comment after positive comment, and her bottom appearances, for the most part, aren't ones that give the sense that she's having a hard time. She doesn't seem to be in the kind of danger that four bottom appearances might suggest. And one gets the sense that she could break out at any time. If not for the strong showings by Carla and Antonia the past two weeks, I'd have her significantly higher.

9 Mike Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 9 Eliminations 0 1 0 What to make of Mike? He's almost a non-entity. His Paella Stuffing, which didn't get any screen time, didn't look too exciting, and we didn't even get to see his elimination dish (Slow Cooked Chicken with Pepper and Chorizo Stew, Pickled Onions -- no recipe). I have him lower than some of the hot and cold contestants above because they've at least shown something. But Mike just kind of keeps on keepin' on, earning neither praise nor scorn. So, um... yeah, number nine.

10 Tre Quickfires 2 3 0 Last Week: 12 Eliminations 0 1 1 I should probably have Tre a little higher, but how can I bump him more than two spots in a week when one gets the sense that the only reason he's still on the show is that he had immunity? It's true, Angelo prepared his salmon, which was roundly dinged for being overdone. It's hard to discern how much of the dish's problem was the salmon, and how much was other issues. I dunno, there are some hot and cold contestants I have higher than Tre, but his cold dishes (and I don't mean garde manger) worry me more, somehow. I think I already said this, but give me one more good dish and I'll give him a good bump.

11 Jamie Quickfires 0 0 2 Last Week: 8 Eliminations 0 1 1 After a strong start, Jamie's been getting herself into all kinds of trouble. I think she's probably one of the stronger chefs when she's on, but she's barely managed to hang on the past few weeks, and in the process she's dug herself a hole that's going to be tough to climb out of. I thought her QF dish looked nice, though there's no recipe to peruse, and her elimination dish is a total mystery, except that we know it involves chickpeas and, from the looks of a photo on the Bravo site, a lamb(?) medallion and perhaps some kind of cucumber yogurt sauce. I'm sure there was a little more to it than that. There always is with Jamie. But it's a mystery, at least for now. How you feel about how the tennis match went down depends, I think, on what you believe Jamie's motivations were for trying to stay out of the early rounds of service. If her chickpeas really might have come around with a little bit more time, holding her until the end isn't necessarily a bad strategy from a team standpoint. But that also doesn't mean she wasn't motivated by self-preservation. Speculate away. The problem from a competitive standpoint, I think, is that between this and the cut incident, she seems to have lost the respect of her competitors. Some people thrive when isolated like that (*ahem*... Marcel). But for somebody who self-admittedly avoids conflict, it sure looks like conflict is coming her way. She's perfectly capable of popping off and winning the next challenge or two if she gets hot. But unless she does something heroic, she might be on her own the rest of the way out, and that doesn't bode well.

12 Fabio Quickfires 0 0 2 Last Week: 14 Eliminations 0 2 2 Well, he can make gnocchi. And what the heck, we'll get him out of the basement on that basis. Here's the thing with Fabio. If he can shoehorn one of his dishes into the challenge, he's often going to do okay. Even very well on occasion. But he's already lucky to still be standing, and I just don't see him conjuring the magic to get as deep as he did last time. Amusing aside, there's a pretty clear hint in his elimination recipe that they aren't bothering to do any editing before posting this season. When it calls for "2 pounds Steamed and Grinded Potatoes," I don't think that's a recipe writer being cute.

13 Tiffany Quickfires 0 0 3 Last Week: 13 Eliminations 0 0 2 You all know by now that I don't go strictly by the numbers, but numbers like these are brutal. Tiffany is the only contestant without a single top mention, and she leads the pack with five bottom mentions out of eight challenges. Though Fabio is teetering on the precipice, he's busting out a good dish here and there when he can do his thing. But Tiffany can't seem to get going at all. If she catches a streak like she did midway through last season, she could blow past half the field in a hurry. But she's the only contestant who's really shown absolutely nothing so far.

14 Spike Quickfires 2 2 0 Last Week: 6 Eliminations 0 2 1 Though my preference has always been strongly for cooking over gamesmanship, let me add my voice to those who defend "the strategy." It was halfway smart. The idea of throwing up your team's weakest dish against the other team's strongest competitor (or even two, if you have a pair of clunkers) is very, very shrewd. Rank the opposing chefs, 1-7. Take your one or two clunkers and match them up against whoever you've identified as the other team's top chefs. Then pit your 1-5 against their 3-7, hoping to snag four out of five. It's not an ideal scenario, but that's how you give yourself a chance to win even if you have a weaker team. The mistake was in assuming that Team Orange would send their best first, and not planning for that contingency so that the dish selection wouldn't devolve into chaos at the last moment. But as countless others have pointed out, there couldn't have been a more appropriate way for Spike to go down. And I hate him for it, because I was really starting to enjoy him this season. Additional hilarious note, in addition to the judges' table, the chefs also served a large number of party guests in typical Top Chef chafing dish style. And what did Spike do when the guests came around to his table? He grilled them for information about the other team's dishes, asking which they liked best. If his team had been totally on board, I bet he could have pulled it off.

There are still a few I'm having trouble placing, but I'm starting to feel better about the rankings. I'll be curious to see what people like Tiffany, Marcel and Casey do over the next couple of episodes.

WARNING : MINOR EPISODE FIVE SPOILERS AHEAD

Loving the quickfire challenge. If it is as the preview suggests, Tom's going to set the clock by cooking a dish first. However long it takes him, that's how long the competitors get for their dishes. It's going to be fun to see if he still has the chops. I'm more than a little concerned about the quickfire. While I adore Chinatown and love the idea of a dim sum challenge, doing dim sum service for an entire restaurant full of Chinese seniors can't possibly end in anything short of a total train wreck. And not everybody is cooking, so somebody could go down for something stupid. If the wheels are coming off -- and that's definitely the impression we're given -- I'm not sure if our Asian specialists have a leg up or not. If the whole ship goes down, the guys who should have done better will be in the crosshairs.

Discuss!

Comments

[Duffy]

I agree there is insufficient evidence of any intent to sabotage by Angelo, but it seems that every time he puts his hands on someone else's dish to "help out," that person lands on the bottom or goes home.

[timothy]

I can't argue with the rankings, but I can argue a bit over the idea that Spike's manipulations were smart strategy. If the game-within-the-game were the game -- if, in other words, the tennis thing was the entire contest-- then I can see some cunning in the strategy. But the tennis match was never really the game. On Top Chef the real game will always be to impress the judges. Nothing else matters. Spike spent time doing things like asking guests what they thought and keeping his eye on who was cooking what. Those were distractions more than smart strategies. He should have spent all his time working on making impressively delicious food. That is the game. Spike didn't play it well, so he lost.

[Skillet Doux]

Of course, Timothy, but if that's the case then the fault was with Spike, not with the strategy. It goes without saying that you have to cook the best food you can, but with that as a given, it's a smart strategy. And we don't know that the machinations ruined his dish. If he'd never suggested that plan, his soup might very well still have been just as bad. It's only bad strategy if it detracts from the food, and we don't know that it did.

[Cheryl]

Thank you for the ranking. As I was reading, I remembered some strategy from my high school tennis days so very long ago. Some teams would shuffle their line ups prior to a tough match, which resulted in 3rd singles playing at the #1 position. This also mean that their #1 was playing #2 and #2 was at 3. This was all done based on the assertion that some challenge matches were held and the new number one battled her way to that position fair and square because otherwise you were "stacking the lineup" and that was against the rules. It also put the team in the position of winning 2 of 3 singles matches if the strategy worked. Flip your 1st and 2nd doubles with the same "challenge match" evidence and you could win 1 of 2, leaving the team with a win at 3-2. In tennis, that didn't always work because good tennis players have bad days so, unless someone was clearly playing at a level beyond the opponent, the match could go either way. So, having remembered that little gem from my past, Spike wasn't completely out there, but everyone has to be one board and someone has to be willing to take one for the team, knowing that if the team wins, everyone wins. I've noticed that the chefs seem split on that idea. Some really remember it and do what is needed for the team to win while others are more interested in their own individual performances.
Also, remember it was actually the guest judge who through out the idea that some strategy was involved because the teams were deciding who would go head to head in each round.

[JJ]

Just one more thought about Spike's strategy: I would have been more impressed with his game plan if he had recognized that his own dish was one of the weaker on the team b/c if he had he could have volunteered to go first when Jaimie refused to do so. I don't know that this would have made a difference in the end, but it could have. Clearly, Spike's dish was worse than Casey's. To save her from going first he should have sacrificed himself. This is the problem: if you want to talk about "weakness" than you have to be honest about your own dish as well. I also don't understand why they came up with a strategy that was premised on them being the weaker team. (I mean, they were, but not by a huge margin.)As for the rankings: yeah, I might flip-flop a name or two, but that's about it. They seem sound to me.

[Joanna]

JJ, interesting point, though I think it reveals the fundamental weaknesses of the strategy. Even if the team collectively agreed to send the worst dish out first, I can't imagine *any* of them volunteering for that role as an individual. (Even when Casey went out there, it wasn't because she thought her dish was the worst, it was because she got tired of standing around waiting for someone to go.) Spike knew his shrimp were not so good, but I don't think he was ready to send himself up there as a sacrificial lamb.

Also, did they ever talk about the strategy past the first dish? Or was their strategy just to punt on dish #1 and then figure the rest out later?

[rab01]

In an interview, Spike said that Tre was supposed to choose the weakest dish because he had immunity. Also, that Tre was supposed to serve last for the same reason. If everyone was on board with that structure, it should've taken care of most of the issues with executing the strategy.

[ally]

lol @ MacGyver reference :)

I like how you've shaken them into an order that seems consistent with skills, performance, and attitude now that we have more evidence. Still love this season so much and can't wait to see what happens next. Except I hate awkward TV and looks like the dim sum seniors are gonna be rough.

Hope all is well with you and your sick kiddies. Happy new year to all!

[chrish]

Tom C said that if Jamie's team had announced her dish as the first to be served, then that would have been it and she would have had to go along with the team decision. I wonder is that's absolutely correct. That the team decision (I guess majority decision) rules on all team issues. Maybe it was in the rules. If so, they should probably have forced her to go. But she had the useful comeback that her dish would benefit from additional time. It the team decision claim is not correct, then I don't know how they would force her to go. If no one went, what would happen? Forfeit?

[jh]

I'm not clear exactly what the clear on what the EC is, but if they have to cook dim sum at a Chinese restaurant, what's the criteria for a successful dish? There may be some tasty dishes, but won't be a hit with the diners because they're not authentic or in the preferred style of cooking. Old Asian diners are some of the most vocal eaters out there as well as the most particular about their food. They go out of their way to scope out the best dishes, and once they find a place they like, they frequent there often.

Looks like a drama filled episode to me.

[bryanD]

"Really, what about banning utensils made that a better challenge than just doing a stuffing challenge?...Annoyance."---skilletdoux

Since mankind was practically created with cutting implements in its hand, there was a hateful, nihilistic undertone to that QF challenge. It reminded me of the blood and cadaver themes brought out in the Bravo/CW fashion design and modelling programs from time to time.

Can't argue with your consideration and research regarding the leader board, but I'll try.
Dale is too high. Antonia is too high. Marcel is too low.

"And not everybody is cooking, so somebody could go down for something stupid."---skilletdoux

I hope that whoever VOLUNTEERS or allows himself to BE VOLUNTEERED for a non-cooking job at EC, goes home. And if that means Mother can't get that life-saving operation now, that's too darn bad.

Anyway, a record 4-tier degenerate-gamblin opportunity: 1)winner, 2)loser, 3)"Asian Flavors" touts' throwdown/slapdown undercard(starring Angelo, Dale, & ?), and 4) The 2 Dummies Walking-Dead Award for Front Of the House. (Even if both FOH survive, the 2 Dummies will provide a major Tell as to who feels they lack confidence and talent, namely Them.)

Should be best episode yet. And that's not a jinx; if Angelo does not make love to his food properly in the scented garden? Ruh-roh! Guru Tony Robbins! Stat!

[Bart]

"While I adore Chinatown and love the idea of a dim sum challenge, doing dim sum service for an entire restaurant full of Chinese seniors can't possibly end in anything short of a total train wreck."

Yes, but that's what's going to make the episode a whole lot of fun and very, VERY interesting :)

Thanks for the rankings! Unlike all the other seasons, there's no sense of, "Well, s/he is in the middle of the pack, so that person is safe for now."

I still remain convinced that even #1 can be PPYKAG'd at any given week, and that's what makes this particular season a whole lot of fun.

[Marc P]

Finally, the rankings. Thank you sir. The only thing helping the hangover is reading the Bravo blogs and these rankings.

I have to think that Carla may need to get some more love on the ranks, and Tre and especially Jamie are just too high. I can't see her lasting.

Is Bourdain there for every other episode? I just feel like it has a ton more character when he is around.

Prediction for this week (not hoping for) is that Fabio is a complete cluster**** in the elimination challenge but hope not.

[Danny]

What has been most fascinating to me is to see which chef's have grown or changed for the better, which have declined and which are ultimately appearing to be the same.

In the beginning it looked like Marcel had matured some (no foams!) but with each passing week his complaining, poutiness and general unpleasant demeanor keeps coming more and more forward.

Fabio left his season the fans' darling and it does not seem to have done him well. It could be too much overexpansion of his businesses or it could be that he is being more practiced and contrived with his "charm" (I have always admitted that his charm eludes me). And it is increasingly clear that if he can't cook his version of Italian cuisine than he is on very thin ice.

I actually started to like Spike some this season - maybe not having his little buddy around (I've purposefully blanked his name out) has helped. But he again shows himself to spend too much time thinking about strategy and not enough about just making great dishes. His departure is not a shock.

Tiffani and Mike I seem to be the ones who have benefitted most from seeing themselves on TV. Tiffani even acknowledged at the S1 finale that she was surprised to see how she came off on TV and Mike I seems to have quickly gotten that things that might seem to sound cute to say at a bar at 2 AM after a long night of cooking are not so great on TV. That being said, he seems a bit lost in the food realm.

Ted Allen brilliantly wrote about how the chefs, in hot pursuit of the chicken, sometimes forgot the importance of the egg. So doing well on the show but coming off as a jerk doesn't in the long run help your career. Carla is a great chef but even if that wasn't the case she could live off the good will of all that have seen her on the show. If Carla is cooking somewhere that is accessible to me, I'm there in a flash. If Marcel is, well, not so much. Last time I was in DC, with a large group of friends, several people put there foot down and would not eat where Mike I was cooking. So I fear for Jamie. The bad will that she is building up is going to be a hard rep to shake and may hurt her career which is a shame because she does seem to be genuinely talented.

[Bill G]

Spike's We the Pizza reviewed on Serious Eats:
http://slice.seriouseats.com/archives/2011/01/we-the-pizza-dc-capitol-hill-spike-mendelsohn.html#continued

[rab01]

Danny -- I wholeheartedly agree with you. It's fascinating to see the chefs that have "grown up" since their seasons.

Like you, I've been a little disappointed in Marcel - but in his dishes, not his attitude. His reaction to Angelo was actually prescient. Even if Angelo has the best of intentions, be careful whenever he is trying to rearrange your dish. (Come to think of it, his interview during the museum challenge might have been taped after Angelo had already been blamed by Spike for destroying his dish.)

Not that it matters but I think it was Richard Blais rather than Ted Allen who made the point about the chicken and the egg of appearing on the show.

[nomnomnom]

I think the main thing that will separate the contestants in this part of the season like any other season is the prepwork they did prior to filming. It's clear to me Jen, Tiffani, and Tiffany all did little to no prep. One is already gone and the other two to me look the weakest left.

The dishes last week were of the "rolodex" style so I have pretty much thrown them out. A challenge this week should expose those that did little to prep, rather than those uncomfortable with the style I think.

I assume those who beat tom will be given additional time to shop or money or something. The rest will not?

That probably puts Casey, Tiffany, Jamie, and Carla among others at a disadvantage to start and without a doubt Angelo, Dale, Marcel, and Tre will get a boost. The rest are tossups.

[matthew]

@nomnomnom I think your "rolodex" point has some merit, but I wouldn't limit it to just last week's challenge. I think if you look at the history of Top Chef, outside of the outrageous challenges, nearly every contestant pulls meals from a mental rolodex, if not straight off of their restaurant menu. I don't necessarily think it's a good or bad thing, because the key factor is execution. You can nail a dish day-in, day-out in a familiar kitchen and completely bomb in a different environment (temperamental ovens and cook tops, for instance).

You are, in fact, correct about Carla. She has prepared that dish before. She offered at a demonstration at the Ahwahnee Lodge in Yosemite a while ago. I've been to enough festivals and events to see some of the dishes offered by other chefs make appearances pre- or post-Top Chef. In a pinch, go with what you know. Carla commented to me one day during Season 5 that she felt that restaurant chefs have typically performed better on Top Chef than chefs that caterer, because restaurant chefs typically push out the same dishes on a daily basis. They can hone and perfect a dish. Whereas small caterers like Stefan and Carla typically design unique menus for each client, so they rarely cook the same thing repeatedly. This is not an excuse for execution, or lack thereof, just trying to tie it into your point about "rolodex" dishes.

Jen aside, I think we've seen, thus far, that the eliminated chefs have been away from the daily grind in the kitchen. Spike is a little different. He's banging in the kitchen everyday, but he's not preparing as wide of a variety as the chefs have been pushed to create.

As for as this tonight's episode. Mentally, one would expect Angelo and Dale to do well because of their background and familiarity with Asian dishes. (Rolodex dishes?) Richard and Marcel are consistently sound technically, which should help. The rest, honestly, feel like a toss up. I actually think Jamie could show well this week, but team challenges seem to be her undoing.

One thing that concerns me for all involved is the chaos that appears to ensue at the restaurant. This week has all the signs of a race to the bottom. This may be one of those weeks were a number of people do belly flops, and it's only the one with the reddest stomach that gets to push the glass door.

[paula]

@nomnomnom: Are you basing your advantage/disadvantage list on speed alone? Or what?

[Danny]

rab01 you are indeed right that it was Blais that wrote about it not Allen - did I read it paraphrased in Allen's blog? The mind is going.

Bill G thanks for the review. That is precisely the kind of pizza that I don't like. The first picture alone was enough to let me know not to go.

[nomnomnom]

@matthew. Yeah, I think I commented in the post episode post (late) that it would not have shocked me to find out Carla had that one in her back pocket. I think certain rolodex (and that's Dom's term not mine, I don't want to take credit at all) stuff you can throw out, and Carla's dish last week definitely is one that can be forgotten already.

There are times where the rolodex has merit though. When able to produce without limits in a high quality kitchen you do get a feel for what a chef is capable of at their highest level. Last week it was more Carla finding a winning rolodex dish in her catering menu that other restaurant chefs didn't really have a good analog for.

Challenges like tonight push the limit of what they can spin from their rolodex. The environment and other limitations will push them off their menu to some extent, and make execution tough. I do agree the elimination tonight will be execution based and not flavor based. So it goes.

@paula - Yes, it's a speed competition and there are those that have shown speed and those that haven't. I listed top 4/bottom 4 in that department by my estimation. Jamie might take till next episode to finish whatever Tom is up to.

[timothy]

Matthew wrote: "Spike is a little different. He's banging in the kitchen everyday."

I am mad at myself for enjoying the mental image such a phrase conjured for me.

[matthew]

@timothy - Ha! An inadvertent double entendre, but funny when you point it out.