Top Chef - S9E17 Postmortem

I'm sure there are people who were hoping for a different outcome... buuuuuut I don't know any of them.

That's a great finale. Two great chefs, both bringing it, even if the finale judges are starting to sound like Pee-wee ("I have to say, these are the best [pancakes] I've ever tasted."). And a close call, it would seem. (It's been suggested below that it perhaps wasn't as close as the edit would indicate... but I wouldn't know because video on the Bravo site is flaking out as usual... *facepalm*) And though I'm probably in the minority here, I would have been cool with Sarah winning after presenting a meal like that. It looked freaking fabulous.

As with the routine recurrence of Restaurant Wars, can we write this finale structure in stone?

I love the sous chef blind tasting. No, it doesn't necessarily demonstrate what they're looking for in sous chefs. It's probably more important to have somebody who can take and nail instruction, and is easy to collaborate with. But I do kind of like the notion that the food speaks. If Marco Canora doesn't put one of the best dishes on the table, he doesn't get selected. And if Tyler Stone does, why shouldn't he? The reason Sarah ended up with him was precisely because she was trying to game the system rather than playing along. It adds a little bit of reality show interest and fun while still keeping it about the food.

And though others have expressed reservations below, I like the fact that two judging teams trade off. One of the most important parts of running a restaurant is consistency, and if you can serve a fabulous dish in the first half of the evening but can't pull it together in the second, I'm more than okay with that potentially having a bearing on the outcome. In general, this format is an excellent way to gauge how these chefs perform in a real world setting. No BS, just run a restaurant for the evening, and serve your best menu.

If every finale were structured like this, I'd be a happy, happy camper. Please don't change a thing, elves.

No rankings this week, obviously, but I'll put up a season postmortem after the reunion episode.

Discuss!

UPDATE : I have to share this, just because it kills me. From Hugh's blog:

"Nobody picked Marco Canora. WTF. This man eats young chefs like this for a midday snack. He burns his own cuts shut. He poops saucepans."

Comments

[TxGriff]

I was not expecting that...but HALLELUJAH!!!!!!

[Anon Man]

We can all calm down now. But I would eat each of those menus everyday and twice on Sunday. Especially Each first course.

[aaalex]

Thank. F*ckin'. God.

[Amanda P.]

Phew, but I'm still more likely to get to Chicago than I am to Austin. Of course, I have too many choices in Chicago- Stephanie, Bayless, Achatz, Sarah. I can't afford to eat at them all!

[garik16]

Am I the only one who hates the double service of judges? I get that it's meant to prevent judging bias based upon whose food the judges ate first, but how do you judge sometimes when certain judges got DIFFERENT food?

Oh and Yay.

[Canuck]

Phew.

And on the double service, if you're going to screw up one of them, make sure it's not Tom's.

[DF]

One word: Yay!

And the best reason ever to watch Watch What Happens Live.

[Bawdy George]

DF: And the best reason ever to watch Watch What Happens Live.

Agreed, though the downside is having to also watch that complete and utter tool of a host.

[Skillet Doux]

"Am I the only one who hates the double service of judges? I get that it's meant to prevent judging bias based upon whose food the judges ate first, but how do you judge sometimes when certain judges got DIFFERENT food?"

I actually like this. One of the toughest things about running a restaurant is consistency. It's one thing to make a great dish. It's another thing entirely to make it just as great fifty times in a night. It's a good test of a real aspect of a night's service.

[aaalex]

After watching the live interview with Paul and Sarah post-show, I's like to take back my comment expressing relief that Paul won. I'm still glad he did win. Maybe the most deserving winner in all the seasons. But ... as usual, the editing does present us with a different person. Unedited, Sarah came across much better. And, retrospectively, I was slightly annoyed with myself for falling for the "Sarah" we were presented with during the season. (Her meal also really did sound good, though I thought the dessert plate - delicious as the dessert seemed to be - looked really ungainly.)

[TokenOmnivore]

Congrats to Sarah for stepping it up. And to having a drama-free kitchen, even with Mr. Stone in the house.

Kudos to Paul for pulling it off. I was worried when they were complimenting Sarah for stepping it up. But, uh, how much higher did they expect Paul to go?

And I love the fact that Paul will be in his trailer for SXSW.

[chrish]

I watched extended judges' table. Didn't seem that close really. Their summary was that Sarah won the first course and Paul the second. Everyone seemed to agree that Paul won the third. Somewhat mixed on dessert, though Tom preferred Paul's. And you know what Tom thinks is what counts. (No way someone other than who he thinks should win will win.) He also preferred Paul's first course. And the comments about Paul's greater attention to detail and refinement were telling.

Hated the inclusion of Tyler in the team selection. At least it wasn't random selection and didn't appear to have had a huge impact but, still, there's no reason to include Tyler and some of the other weaker contestants other than for the drama. Barbara Lynch came across really well. Ate at No 9 Park a few times way back when it first opened. Really good.

[OmicronPersei8]

Thrilled by the result, congrats to Paul.

I like the double service in theory for the same reasons as Dom, but in reality Tom's vote counts for more than anyone else's. I wonder if it would have gone the same way had Tom been in the second group.

[attheapollo]

I always thought the double service was a contingency plan in case something went wrong. For Paul, that meant being judged on his best executed first course, rather than a mistake that may not have been his fault. Thinking of season's past, Carla could have benefitted from this by having a second shot at the souffles.

But thank God none of it matters now. Congrats Paul!!!

[gilmore]

Wow. I had to watch the rerun at 10:30 central. Turned on the TV and the Andy Cohen horror show was still on. Sarah was in the middle with a chefs hat on. OH NO. Thought she was the winner. Saw the first 5 minutes and fell asleep. Just finished watching.

88-12 on the audience vote for Paul. WOW.

So happy he won. It can't all be editing. When one judge (Padma?) said that Sarah's desert was the best they ever had on the show Paul gave her a pat on the back. When something super complimentary was said about one of Paul's dish, there was no such reaction from Sarah. Just glad for Paul because of his demeanor.

Agree on the split service, that it serves a purpose. Thought Paul's dish was the deal breaker, but you are right chrish, Tom got the great one and that is what counts. Tom also mentioned "under-seasoned" for Sarah's fish.

[Bob]

To win Top Chef with porridge as your main course? Pretty impressive, really. Nice save by Hugh when Gail was questioning his sequencing.

My family's reaction was split; my daughter and I would have preferred to each Sarah's food, my wife (who is Chinese) Paul's. (My wife can eat porridge three times a day.) But, the more I think back on it, there were some clear flaws in Sarah's dishes: the fish looked dry (no comments from the judges to that effect, however)and Tom said it was under-seasoned, and the plating was boring. I love sweetbreads - but dry ones would really bother me - and again, the plating on that dish was a mess - too much polenta, not artfully arranged. Dessert was a killer, though, in concept, execution, presentation and apparently - in flavor.

Elves were setting us up to think she'd lose because of something Tyler would screw up, and thankfully it didn't come to that.

Still think it was two-two with Sarah winning first and dessert courses, but overall, Paul's meal was more coherent, and had higher highs.

I think Paul is a clearly a genius, and the win was probably as much for his "body of work" on the show as for his four courses last night, and I have absolutely no problem with that. Thank goodness he used coconut!

[tigerpiper]

I wonder if Tyler knew Heather's menu. He got the full idiot edit, didn't he?

From game theory, Sarah wasted two picks to get Heather. Probably cost her the win.

[chrish]

"From game theory, Sarah wasted two picks to get Heather. Probably cost her the win."

I dunno, she ended up with a pretty good team. Besides Heather, who she was trying to get, Nyesha is exactly who you'd want and I'd think Grayson is pretty good in that role too. As I said, I hate that Tyler was included, but it didn't appear to cost her, besides having to manage him (and they probably showed all the most annoying things he did).

Paul was nearly done in by Ty-Lor, though Paul graciously took the responsibility for that. If the second chawanmushi service had been on, this would not have been remotely close, and I'm not sure it really was in Tom's mind anyway.

[OmicronPersei8]

Tom's blog up now.

"Sarah probably should have listened to Tyler Stone when he suggested that she sous vide."

Ouch.

Anyway, reading that along with Hugh's blog suggests the margin wasn't as razor-thin as suggested by the episode. Seems like Paul took out the second and third courses pretty comfortably and the other two were a toss-up (though Paul probably would have taken the first if not for the second service).

Even though it's been said many times before I can see the 'best finale ever' comments being genuine. No real failures and even the desserts were exceptional. Might have been helped by the fact that there were no last-minute extra courses to prepare. Didn't think the elves would be capable of that kind of restraint given the ridiculousness a couple of episodes prior.

[John Coctostan]

"Probably cost her the win."

Yeah, I don't see this, either. Having Tyler on her team was clearly not ideal, because Sarah didn't trust that he knew what he was doing (like she might have with some of the others). But he didn't screw anything up, and, in fact, may have helped make her dessert what it was by insisting that hand-whipping/mixing would provide better results than using an electric mixer. (Although, I don't really know if the results would have been different.)

Even with someone else, I think Paul still takes it, because Tyler didn't negatively affect Sarah's menu.

[TxGriff]

Only 20 comments? On the finale thread? I guess the "culinary olympics" episode officially lost some people.

Re: the first course. At JT, Tom said he would probably give the slight edge to the pasta course, despite the fact that he received the *good* chawanmushi. Maybe he said that in light of the inconsistency issues, but it seems like Sarah won the first course flat-out. That being said, Tom says in his blog that Paul won 3 out of the 4 courses. Pretty much seals the deal for Paul right there.

[Kyle Rovinsky]

Ding dong the witch is gone! Hurray and awesome for Paul.

[nm]

I found it interesting that they showed Sarah's reasoning in choosing her dishes/sous, but not Paul's. I assume he just went for the best dish on the table, but it would be awesome if (in addition to everything else we've seen him do) he was also trying to game the system and just more successful at it than Sarah.

I also loved seeing him beaming and relaxed oh, so briefly once the cooking was all over and then revert right back to being "nervous Paul" again. I'd be nervous, too, if I'd just served Tom Colicchio a meal with no red meat. That's gutsy.

[gilmore]

I will try to watch the Andy Cohen show if it is available in on-demand to see the "nice" Sarah.

Her exit video started out revolting - she should have won. Paul's broken custard should have been the difference maker. etc. etc. etc.

At what point is it not the editing and the person?

[Kimberly]

@StephanieP: I live in Chicago and I have been trying to get into The Girl and the Goat for quite some time. If you are planning a trip, make reservations early. By early I mean six months out. No joke.

Rumor has it there is a lunch place opening called Little Goat and you might have more success there.

[chrish]

"And if Tyler Stone does, why shouldn't he?"

Because he's an idiot and was included just for the drama. I agree on the point about Sarah outsmarting herself. The only way I'm ok with it is if it was all set up in advance that this was the structure of the finale, before we got to experience Tyler Stone. (I didn't get a good look at the group. Was everyone else competing, except for maybe the last couple of eliminated chefs?) If the reason he's there is because he's a doofus, then don't include the doofus.

"Maybe he said that in light of the inconsistency issues"

He explicitly said that: "On balance, since the other judges received slightly overcooked versions". And I tend to think that in his mind Paul won that round b/c he goes by what he eats.

[chrish]

"I'd be nervous, too, if I'd just served Tom Colicchio a meal with no red meat. That's gutsy."

And a meal with chinese "risotto" as the main. I really want to taste that.

[Nikki L]

I think Marco Canora wasn't picked because both chefs were gaming the system a little bit. Sarah was clearly trying to pick her friends and perhaps if she hadn't taken the misstep with Tyler Stone, she would have tried to get Marco. Paul knew that even one master chef could be a difficult personality to deal with so I feel he probably made an effort to not get a second and have (for the sake of the pun) "too many cooks in the kitchen."

I was very worried that Sarah was going to win. Her meal looked fantastic and she seemed to get more praise than Paul. Yes, she would have deserved it based on the one meal but it just would have been weird for the distant #2 all season to take it.

So - Paul is basically walking away with $200k in cash and prizes. New record?

And how many more seasons do you think we need before we get a Top Top Chef season with all of the past winners? Quarter Quell style Season 10 anyone? I would bet Blaise, Paul, and Volt dominate the other 6.

[gilmore]

From Tom C's blog:
"For all of you haters out there who kept posting all season long that you didn’t think Sarah was good enough and that you couldn’t understand why she was advancing… and then why she made the finale…and the final two… I trust that this episode made it completely clear to you that she’s a very, very good chef."

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/season-9/blogs/tom-colicchio/best-food-ever-served-on-top-chef

At this point, only 7 comments, but the long knives are coming out. Maybe he will listen.

[John Coctostan]

"I would bet Blaise, Paul, and Volt dominate the other 6."

That would be a fun season to think about, no question, and everyone is capable of a mis-step; but I can't picture Hung or Stephanie being dominated by anybody.

[ally]

Thank God!

Even if it was a near tie, Paul should have gotten it due to overwhelming awesomeness.

I can't believe Sarah is so delusional (exit interview) She continues to be clASSy.

The elves had the long con going, and I sure fell for it. I'm so happy for Paul, and wow I hope I'm lucky enough to eat at a restaurant of his sometime.

[dmantell]

Sarah's finale meal looked and sounded great - I do find it a little odd that they seemed so much more creative than what she put out during the season, but I'm willing to go with it.

Unfortunately, her incredibly nasty personality was still on display, and it really soured my enjoyment of her arc. I get that picking Tyler seemed like a real blow to her...but actively and loudly commiserating with Heather about it right in front of him? Disgusting...and stupid.

And then, after she utterly emasculates him and lets him know that she thinks he's a steaming pile of crap, she then has the nerve to be annoyed by him desperately trying to seek her approval. Really? And this is someone who is supposed to be a seasoned manager? She was lucky that he reacted by desperately trying to please her. She's lucky he didn't emotionally check out of the competition right then and there.

From what we've seen over the season, Sarah is one of those people who functions by designating a constant scapegoat onto which she puts all of her frustrations and fears and insecurities. While I guess that works for the other people in the kitchen, it's a huge flaw, and makes me want to avoid both her and her restaurant, regardless of how enjoyable I might otherwise find her food.

[Bob]

Rules question - could Paul have replaced the over-cooked custard for the second set of judges with a new dish created on the fly or did he have to stick with the printed menu? Obviously, he didn't have enough eggs (as he said in the show) to redo that particular dish, but maybe could have come up with five plates of something else.

[gilmore]

Great question Bob. Don't know.

How smart that Paul had the spot prawns in reserve when his crab soured. How lucky for him that Keith noticed (although Paul probably would have as well).

Too bad he did not have extra eggs. Next season, someone will.

[Nikki L]

"I can't picture Hung or Stephanie being dominated by anybody."

Good point... I would bump Hung up and call it a new 4 horsemen. Maybe it's just been too long for me since Stephanie's season but I just don't know if she has the same level of creativity as the others, even if she has a lot of skill.

[Sweet Sue]

I'm happy for Paul but it's Sarah's food that I want to eat.

[nomnomnom]

Fairly unremarkable finale. 1v1 plays much more dull than 1v1v1. Maybe it was the edit, but it seemed to me Tyler added more than he detracted.

I'm not sure just letting the chefs rolodex it makes for a great finale either. There needs to be at least one course with some degree of a twist. Zero doubt those dishes had been worked over dozens of time back home.

[Independent George]

Congratulations to Paul; the overcooked custard had me worried there a bit, but I'm glad he won out. Those both looked like absolutely phenomenal menus.

So, does an excellent finale make up for an otherwise meg regular season? I'm tempted to skip weeks 1-7 on the next go around; at the very least, I'll skip the episode, come here for the recap, and then decide for myself if I want to watch.

[doktarr]

It seemed strange to me that Ed and Bev weren't in the group of prospective sous chefs. Some chefs might not have been able to make the trip, but those two were among the diners. I bet Paul would have liked to have had them as options.

I agree with Dom that I like the two groups of judges; it's a truer test of running a kitchen to put out great food on two occasions. I also like the ability to adapt if things aren't working, like Richard did last season and Sarah did in this one.

My brilliant wife called the spot prawn substitution before they came back from commercial. Attention to detail, there.

I can't say I've loved Sarah's personality this season but the drama seemed way overblown/artificially produced, to me. Ask yourself: how sure are you that those truly rude Sarah/Bev interactions happened on one take? I was rooting for Paul, but I'm not putting Sarah in the same boat with Heather.

[anne]

Sarah was robbed!

No, just kidding.

[lou]

Maybe it's just been too long for me since Stephanie's season but I just don't know if she has the same level of creativity as the others, even if she has a lot of skill.

Review of The Girl and the Goat by Saveur Magazine:

"When the chickpea fritters came, atop a salad of both raw and crisp-fried garbanzos, goat feta, hazelnut hummus, and nutty romesco sauce, I started to understand why Izard's food is alluring: she brings the complexity and care you expect to find at higher-end restaurants down to earth. The food is unpretentious, but nothing about it is dumbed down. It's complicated, with layers of flavor and bold pairings that reach around the world but are never fussy or forced. Even more impressive than the fact that she's able to keep her dishes so balanced is that she's dreamed them up at all. Shiitake gelato with chocolate cake? Cauliflower with pickled peppers and mint? How does that happen?"

[MB in MD]

Thanks Lou! I am SUCH a Stephanie partisan, and I really resented the revisionist history of the All-Stars season where everyone (including the judges) seemed to agree that her win over Blais was some kind of huge upset.

I am so pleased with Paul's win. All season he has served dishes that intrigued me with their flavor combinations. He made so many yhings that just should not have worked, yet received near-universal praise. I have no idea how that works. I can't wait to try Uchiko next time I am in Chicago.

Now that the season is over I want thank Dom and all of you for the great discussions. I am a "refugee" from another forum and I so appreciate all the thoughtful, reasoned, and informed comments here!

[joelfinkle]

I understand _completely_ why Tyler behaved as he did: He's a personal chef, used to having to get validation of every move and step from the stockbroker's wives he's working for, not an auteur who can do whatever he thinks is correct (which is what nearly burned Paul with Ty-Lor, but that's the other end of the ruler). His questions and "neediness" are what he needs to work, normally, but it isn't what works well in a busy kitchen.

[mncharm]

Dom -- once again, thanks for the hard work on the power rankings this season. Yes, you are compensated handsomely for it, but still, we appreciate the effort. :)

Enjoyed the finale. To the extent it was "less exciting," that's probably due to the fact that for the most part, the planning and execution was at such a high level -- as it should be. The crab turned? Prawns in reserve, etc. etc.

Glad to see Paul win, and how can you not appreciate the nice connection with his dad? Very cool.

Re: Sarah -- she deserved to be there, irritating moments and all. I have no doubt she did something to get the cuts she did, but also have no doubt there was exaggeration to it as well. In the end, glad to see her kick out a good meal.

Although I have no doubt it was close, I wonder if the debate was that intense: a couple of comments from Tom had me confident Paul would win -- "attention to the details," "not seasoned well (Sarah's trout)" -- both of these had me thinking that Paul, absent a total fail (which the first course of custard saved him from), was going to go home with the prize.

All in all, not a bad season. Yes, some poorly-designed challenges...but we say that every season. Yes, not the most talented group overall...but we've said that every season but 4/6/8. Looking forward to Season 10 already -- I hope to be less busy whenever it comes on so I can spend more time commenting!

[mncharm]

One note on All Stars...I know the edits made it seem as if everyone was bagging on Stephanie's win, but I think a closer look doesn't reveal that. Yes, they got Blais to say several times that he choked -- but that's not revisionist history, he really DID have a terrible night.

That is NOT to say he would have won if he hadn't bombed. Stephanie put together a ridiculous meal (and so did Lisa, much as it pains me to say) that, in my mind, could have beaten a better effort from Blais. But the fact remains: he choked. And of course they played it up for the drama.

I doubt that any of Tom/Gail/Tim (or Blais, for that matter) would say that she was an undeserving winner. And although Blais is my favorite Top Chef, I'd eat at Stephanie's restaurant any day...if I could get reses.

[nomnomnom]

I'm just hoping that they can take an extended break. With 24-30 months passing with just one casting call (due to allstars) I am hoping they can find some decent competition next time.

[mncharm]

You'd like to think there are 16 solid chefs out there who can smile for the cameras.

[Sweet Sue]

Isn't Stephanie the only TC winner with a hugely successful, first class restaurant?
I know that Harold has two but I've never heard that there's a six month waiting period for reservations in either one.
And, thanks, Dom, for this entertaining and educational blog. Happy eating!

[anne]

Sue, that's a good question. Of the winners, and almost-winners, who has successful restaurants?

[Independent George]

Sue & Ann: Give it time; I followed Steph only because I live in her city, but it took 3 years between her win on TC, and the opening of her restaurant. I haven't really been keeping up with the other winners, but Kevin S already owned his own restaurant when he competed; Mike V is still in the process of opening his.

The one I'm most curious about is Hung; I remember reading that he used his winnings to finance a series of stages around the world, but haven't heard anything beyond that.

[Skillet Doux]

I think it's hard to argue that Stephanie isn't the most successful winner in terms of going the auteur chef/owner route. The Girl and the Goat is a wild success with national attention.

Blais has his hands in an awful lot of pots. They seem more like consulting gigs than a traditional on-site EC role, but between Flip Burger and HD-1, he's opening joints. He's working on some project called The Spence that I don't know anything about.

Hosea is also supposedly on the verge of opening his own place, but as Stephanie's journey demonstrated, these things can take longer than expected to come to fruition.

Ironically, the other winner who's seen a lot of success is Ilan. The Gorbals is, from what I understand, pretty well-regarded and well-reviewed.

[Nikki L]

Yea - I knew the Stephanie comment would get some remarks but I guess that's what would make a Top Top Chef season so interesting. I don't doubt that Girl and the Goat is amazing and it's also on my list of places to eat but I remember Dom's review was less than dazzling and I've talked to a few other people who said it was amazing but there were some things that kept it from being super great.

She's not the only one with a successful restaurant... I think it goes back to the point that these things take time. Volt just opened one and Blaise is working on an actual restaurant.

The pictures of the sous chef's dishes are up and Marco Canora's definitely looks like a master chef dish. I think this goes back to my earlier comment that Sara was trying to pick certain people and Paul knew that one master chef was already going to be a lot to handle, much less two.

[Joanna]

What about Harold? I don't know if Perilla is as much of a standout in NYC as Girl and the Goat is in Chicago, but he's been churning out great food there for over 5 years. He also recently opened a Thai (or maybe Thai-ish is a better way to put it) restaurant called Kin Shop, which I believe is fairly successful. Neither restaurant is super high end relative to other NY options, but he is definitely doing pretty well for himself.

[Skillet Doux]

Nikki... Though I think I used the disclaimer about seven or eight times when I wrote about G&tG, I would like to stress again that I was there just a few days after they opened :-)

[Nikki L]

Haha, I know. Like I said, I definitely still want to try it out, but my opinion stands (it's also very possible that I need to re-watch that season). The points though that it would be so interesting to see all of the winners face off - they all have different strengths.

[nomnomnom]

so much for time off. they are already doing casting for the next season.

I guess they will roll roughly a 12 month cycle between start dates from this point forward.

[Anon Man]

+1 on remembering Harold. I think he has specifically avoided opening a large empire because he wants small, neighborhoody places. I don't think he wants to be a celebrity chef. Also, I think worth remembering among the successes of the past is the Hung, arguably the most skilled winner ever, still seems to bounce around a lot.

Although this is completely unfair to Dom, the thing I remember most about his review of G&TG is that he mildly objected to paying for bread service.

Back, on the episode this week. I think after a few days to digest it, I feel like I watched an over-edited show. Other than the contestants, the people we see the most in the back are the master chef and Tyler Stone. Do we really think that Sarah spent most of her time hand holding Tyler and that none of the other chefs on either team (Ty-lor, Chris, Grayson, Keith, Heather, Nyesha(?)) asked questions or took direction? Similarly, I think its just as instructive who they brought back for the show. If memory serves, there were three chefs who's food didn't get eaten at all in the first week, Tyler, the Vegan guy, and some woman with glasses. They were all there. You know if any one of those guys got picked, they would get the idiot edit. I feel played by the Elves.

[gilmore]

Nikki - why watch when you can read all about it - http://skilletdoux.typepad.com/topchef/top-chef-season-4/

[gilmore]

I predict here first that

Tyler Stone will soon have his own show on Bravo!

[Patrick]

Besides Tyler, the other two chefs from the semis were both Seattle based. Ashley actually did get her food to the plate, she made the oxtails that were underdone. But those two were probably chosen because they could drive themselves up to Vancouver and the elves just had to reimburse them for gas.

[pdog]

@ Nikki L, As someone who ate at her first restaurant, Scylla many, many times and as someone who has eaten at Girl and the Goat several times, let me assure you she has the skill and creativity to take on any of them.

[Kathy from Austin]

Tx Griff, TokenOnmivore and Beth (and anyone else from/near Austin),

Would love to host you guys at Uchiko. Pretty sure I can get reservations, and hubby of many years and I would like to meet you all.

What dates work for you? Our treat.

Kathy

[BillG]

Was I the only one who felt like Harold was one of the best comparisons, personality wise at least, to Paul? Head down, clearly above the fray of the rest of the contestants.

Also of note, Sbraga's new place in Philly ("Sbraga") has garnered some really good reviews since opening.

[Nikki D]

I love Blais - he is hands down my favorite Top Chef contestant ever. However, I have eaten at Girl and the Goat several times (and am going tonight, actually!). It. Is. Fabulous. Just amazing, delicious, creative food. And getting reservations isn't that hard if you go on a non-weekend date. Also, if you can go early in the evening (like when it opens) and sit in the lounge or bar, you can get the full menu and don't need a reservation.

Steph didn't always excel at challenges with time restrictions (like Quickfires). However, I think that she deserved her win. So did Blais :) They're very different and both great chefs.

[Alvin]

Damn Paul, raking in $185k, a car, and two trips (so all in all, over $200k). Talk about a wildly successful performance. Classy how he didn't throw Keith under the bus for that overcooked dashi (hell, he blamed himself for it!). Great, high class menu.

I'm glad Sarah brought her best when it counted. She has a bright future ahead of her. Of course, the haters would note that Sarah's absolute best couldn't beat Paul, so that's gotta hurt. Nothing to be ashamed of though.

Great finale. Right guy won.

[Lardon]

Bill - Agree with you on Harold.

I believe that TC10 will be just as poor as this season.

The reason?

On the Andy Cohen show after the finale, they were talking about how this was the most star studded season with the judges - and Pee Wee got a special comment.

They do not care about the 500 that hate this stuff. There are well over a million that eat up the drama.

[Kyle Rovinsky]

Worst season in terms of production values since Miami. And the contestants, other than Paul, are simply not memorable.

[rab01]

I hold some hope for next season improving on this season. From Acheson's blog:

"Let me address the season overall. Though there was drama, though there were emotional battles, though there was tension, we really did see great food and great chefs. You don’t have to love them all -- that’s not what this is about. Perhaps some of the challenges were over-the-top and exhausting. We hear you...."

This season actually had a really high caliber of cheftestants and a few good innovations: (1) cooking for a place on the show; (2) last chance kitchen; (3) the cook-off amongst the losing team in the chili episode. If they had fewer team challenges and fewer stupidly restrictive catering challenges, this could have been a great season. Top Chef tends to swing a pendulum back and forth a bit and I bet next season won't have as many shows devoted to "go cook 200 medium rare steaks".

In the rear view mirror, I think that this season will actually go down as relatively free of outside the kitchen drama. Just remember that S2 had Ilan/Marcel, S5 spent forever on the "romance" between Hosea and what's her name, S6 had Mike vs. Robin and Eli vs. Robin; etc. Plus, Bravo always tries create extra-curricular drama, for example casting a couple (S4), casting brothers (S6), and so on.

[Sweet Sue]

Reunion is on tonight and, if you can get past Andy Cohen, it might be interesting. I do enjoy those "where are they today" shows.

[tigerpiper]

rewatched finale. Wasn't Sarah a total bitch? Mostly the whole season, but she was totally fake clapping for every dumb celebrity.

The comment that really ticked me off was she her strategy for Tyler- specific things when she really didn't (paraphrase) give a rat's ass about him.

A little harsh, no? Even if he sucks, he's a team member, who SHE chose based on HER evaluation of his cooking. It seemed really crass, and stupid, and mean on her part. Glad she lost.

[Tom W.]

Anyone have any thoughts about Bravo's new Around the World in 80 Plates? The preview vid is pretty rad:

http://eater.com/archives/2012/03/07/around-the-world-in-80-plates-bravo-cast-premiere-date-may-9.php

Dom, you're already working on the preseason power rankings, I assume?

[TxGriff]

Kathy from Austin- You're so sweet! I actually live in Dallas, so I'm not sure when my next trip down to Austin will be. I love the idea of Skillet Douxers meeting up though :).

Tigerpoint- While I think she could have come across more graciously, it seems like she only chose Tyler because she thought she was selecting Heather's dish. She didn't say anything about the merits of the cooking (which, judging by the plate, looked pretty mediocre).

As an aside, can we refrain from using the word "bitch" to describe women contestants we don't like? I'm not usually very sensitive to that sort of thing, but considering what's currently going on with women in the media, I think it would be wise to tone down the divisive rhetoric.

[Alamos Road]

@TomW: Interesting cast. Chaz Brown (Fatty Crab) was the TC Season 9 wannabe who couldn't get his risotto to the plate in time to make the initial cut.

[Kevin]

@TomW: They definitely aren't hiding the fact that it's a literal merging of Top Chef and The Amazing Race. This could be interesting though, curious to see how it shakes out, though the trainwreck quotient does seem to be high.

For what it's worth, I've dined at Fatty Crab before and was not blown away by the food (Asian fusion).

[Anon Man]

Even the reunion show was a bit of a snoozer. There was the usual videos making fun of people, but they totally soft played the mean girls thing. And, no defense of the chicken salad!

Highlights for those who were too sober or too busy doing something interesting to watch:

1. Heather kind of double downed on calling Beverely a poor worker. The others kind of went for a "heat of the battle" defense.
2. Malibu and Grayson are very flirty on Twitter.
3. And, my favorite: an outtake where Pee-Wee asked if this was their "Jump the Shark" episode.
4. Medic was deemed 17th cast member.

[tigerpiper]

sure. I can refrain from using the word bitch. As you know, in the show itself one male contestant said "I'm not your bitch, bitch." I don't think it was bleeped.

I thought she was fake and stupid, and said she didn't care about a team member that she had no one to blame for picking but herself.

I also thought this season was pretty bad, but it did get better because the nadir was that Dallas progressive dinner episode. Now, I'm off to drink some margaritas!

[Kathy from Austin]

@ TXGriff:

Give me a few dates in the future. Let's do this! My longtime friend is co-owner of Uchiko.

Kathy

[ally]

That explains a lot...

Sorry I just can't help myself.

[TxGriff]

tigerpiper- Like I said, it doesn't normally bother me- obviously they say it on the show all the time. And this certainly isn't my blog and I have no right regulating it. Must be my "lady hormones". Btw, I agree with you that Sarah came across pretty disingenuous and only had herself to blame. I was just pointing out that it seemed like she selected the dish because she thought it was Heathers, rather than on the merits of the cooking. Then again, she said the scallops were well cooked on her exit interview, so who knows.

I hear margaritas are best enjoyed after gummy bear cake.

Kathy- Lucky you! I'll check with the husband. Ally, I wish you could make a trip down to Texas- I want you two to make up. What better way than over sushi and attempts to track down Paul :)