Dmnkly wrote:

AngrySarah wrote:Is there a clear qualitative difference? Does the freezing ruin the taste and texture?

Yes and yes.

I kept on yelling at my TV:

Make a mousse

What do I know.

Vital Information wrote:

Dmnkly wrote:

AngrySarah wrote:Is there a clear qualitative difference? Does the freezing ruin the taste and texture?

Yes and yes.

I kept on yelling at my TV:

Make a mousse

What do I know.

Exactly right!

I should have qualified that for searing them whole, yes, it makes a big difference. But even setting aside the textural issues, the flavor just isn't the same anymore.

Make a mousse
What do I know.
Exactly right!

I should have qualified that for searing them whole, yes, it makes a big difference. But even setting aside the textural issues, the flavor just isn't the same anymore.

Yeah, but throw enough cream, salt, nutmeg, asparagus spears, who the hell notices the flavor anymore

Vital Information wrote:

Make a mousse
What do I know.
Exactly right!

I should have qualified that for searing them whole, yes, it makes a big difference. But even setting aside the textural issues, the flavor just isn't the same anymore.

Yeah, but throw enough cream, salt, nutmeg, asparagus spears, who the hell notices the flavor anymore

I said the same thing (tho I said 'brandade') !

I was saying: "quenelles" myself.

Vital Information wrote:Yeah, but throw enough cream, salt, nutmeg, asparagus spears, who the hell notices the flavor anymore

Or butterscotch sauce.

Maybe LeeAnne planted them

Well, well. What do you know. She did. Very cheesy, indeed:

And what of Allen Bros. previously spotless reputation?

sundevilpeg wrote:

Maybe LeeAnne planted them

Well, well. What do you know. She did. Very cheesy, indeed:

I wanted to stop posting, but I can't help myself.

I've read the blogs on the TC website and the posts in this thread regarding the infamous scallops and how and why they were in the cooler, and I just don't buy it. I'll leave it at that.

In his exit interview, Spike said he was committed to using the scallops once he chose them, and that he couldn't NOT use them. Is he BSing or did he misinterpret the rules of the challenge?

CANNED hearts of palm?!

Dmnkly, feel free to rip on me - again.

jaybo wrote:Dmnkly, feel free to rip on me - again.

I've had more than my say and I should've stopped a long time ago -- I'll pass

jaybo wrote:I've read the blogs on the TC website and the posts in this thread regarding the infamous scallops and how and why they were in the cooler, and I just don't buy it. I'll leave it at that.

I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist but this whole situation feels a bit odd to me. I don't understand why RT or TC didn't address the allegedly planted frozen scallops while the cameras were rolling. The fact that they didn't is, possibly, quite revealing. Instead, when Spike called RT out on the inferior product being in his walk-in, RT made some remark about how <paraphrasing> 'sometimes a vendor brings something through your back door and you cannot always be there to check it.' I seriously doubt this is the case at any of RT's restaurants. I imagine that every delivery is supervised and checked while in progress. Is it possible that RT did address this on camera and that it was omitted in the editing? Sure, but if so, I imagine that someone would have stepped in by now and mentioned it or the footage would have appeared somewhere.

But here's the thing . . . before the challenge began, RT went out of his way to look gravely at the contestants and tell them not to screw up while at the helm of his restaurant. Now, this seems pretty odd, given the fact that the restaurant maintained zero control over what Allen Brothers chose to place in their walk-ins. I find it hard to believe that these trained chefs, left to their own devices, could do more damage to his award-winning reputation/steakhouse than the presence of frozen scallops, shown on a nationally televised program, watched by millions of viewers. Why make such a fuss about the contestants possibly screwing up while something potentially far more damaging is allowed without comment or examination?

So, even now, we have nothing official from the show's producers or Allen Brothers that the frozen scallops were planted. Instead, we have after-the-fact explanations by RT, TC and LW that frankly, feel a bit manufactured, like damage control. Where's Allen Brothers through all this? Where's the show's executive producer? They're, so far, oddly silent on the matter and the fact that they are is what is leaving some serious doubt in my mind about what actually happened.

It wouldn't suprise me to learn the the scallops were planted by Allen Brothers but no explanation I've heard so far has me convinced, without a doubt, that they were.

=R=

This is so strange. If I had read only Wong's explanation, my reaction would have been, well, that makes sense. Of course they wouldn't be able to go into an expensive steakhouse and use whatever ingredients the guy had ordered for his own use. I wouldn't have necessarily called it a plant, just a selection that was lousy. Many weeks they have to shop at Whole Foods, where you can find plenty of lousy stuff.

All the verbal back and forth is just so weird. I agree that "Don't screw up in my restaurant" sounds pretty strange under the supposed circumstances-- but so does half of what you hear on these Bravo shows. I'm not defending it; I think it's idiotic. For instance, those preview clips where they always show the wrong person reacting. Does that fool anyone? I think if they are this disingenuous in the clips and previews, what does it say about how honest the editing is?

I also think it's very revealing that the first time Tom C. was not a judge, he was apparently mystified by the elimination.

I'm having a difficult time believing the stories letting Rick off the hook.
This is Rick's place. Are they really claiming that he had no control over what was in his walk-in, or what went out this "customers"?
This sounds like a horrible business move on his part.
I've stopped going to Tru since the menu is about the same as it was 5 years ago, and based on what I saw on this show, I wouldn't go to his steak place even if I happened to be in Wheeling.

ronnie_suburban wrote:So, even now, we have nothing official from the show's producers or Allen Brothers that the frozen scallops were planted. Instead, we have after-the-fact explanations by RT, TC and LW that frankly, feel a bit manufactured, like damage control. Where's Allen Brothers through all this? Where's the show's executive producer? They're, so far, oddly silent on the matter and the fact that they are is what is leaving some serious doubt in my mind about what actually happened.

=R=

Very well said, Ronnie.

Another thing that bothered me is the inference that the restaurant was specifically stocked for this challenge. Why?! Why couldn't/shouldn't they have used whatever the restaurant would have on hand for a normal evening's service?! I would think that Allen Brothers was/is the restaurant's main purveyor anyway.

I'm really angry at the notion that the producers and staff of the show would plant something that could sabotage one of the cheftestants. The competition is hard enough on them as it is without having to worry about the quality of ingredients in a restaurant that purports itself to be a fine dining establishment.

In his exit interview, Spike wondered why all the proteins in the cooler weren't of the highest possible quality. I agree with him. I hope someone asks him in the reunion show how he feels about the notion that the scallops were knowingly planted as some sort of "trick". If I were him, I'd be absolutely furious about it. However, he did make the egregious error of choosing the scallops, so some of the responsibility has to fall on him.

jaybo wrote:Another thing that bothered me is the inference that the restaurant was specifically stocked for this challenge. Why?! Why couldn't/shouldn't they have used whatever the restaurant would have on hand for a normal evening's service?! I would think that Allen Brothers was/is the restaurant's main purveyor anyway.

I'm assuming you think Lee Anne is lying, since she specifically said the restaurant was not donating the items they had on hand. They sent Top Chef a list of what they had, along with how much Top Chef would have to pay to use it. Since TC had a budget, and Tramonto's (according to Lee Anne) didn't have scallops in the walk-in already, they got them donated from Allen Brothers. Some of the other food used was donated by Whole Foods.

Looks like Rick should have donated what he had.
The result is that people like me are going to be avoiding his place.

I will simply add that this is NOT the first time Spike has screwed himself by choosing frozen protein. Anybody else remember the Green City Market quickfire back in episode two? He ended up on the bottom because his frozen beef wasn't what he expected once it had been defrosted.

He can express his frustration all he likes, but he's already made that mistake once in this competition. If he'd learned from that mistake, he might still be around.

DML wrote:Looks like Rick should have donated what he had.
The result is that people like me are going to be avoiding his place.

Judging a restaurant by what happens on a reality show seems pretty silly to me*. I think any blame here is at the feet of the producers for producing a beyond muddled situation.

*Unless the restaurant is owned by Rocco...then you may feel free to judge.

Dmnkly wrote:I will simply add that this is NOT the first time Spike has screwed himself by choosing frozen protein. Anybody else remember the Green City Market quickfire back in episode two? He ended up on the bottom because his frozen beef wasn't what he expected once it had been defrosted.

If he'd learned from that mistake, he might still be around.

Doesn't give you much confidence in the way he might run his own place, does it?
We can rip Tramonto all day (and I see no reason not to) but with regard to Top Chef, it is clear that Spike doesn't make the grade.

jesteinf wrote:

DML wrote:Looks like Rick should have donated what he had.
The result is that people like me are going to be avoiding his place.

Judging a restaurant by what happens on a reality show seems pretty silly to me*. I think any blame here is at the feet of the producers for producing a beyond muddled situation.

*Unless the restaurant is owned by Rocco...then you may feel free to judge.

I have to disagree. It was his place. If he cares about the reputation, he would have made sure that it didn't happen, or have made it clear immediately what happened.

This guy wanted the publicity, but didn't want to do the work.

2 lessons here, in my mind . . .

1) Spike has a lot to learn. Again, 2 wrongs don't make a right.

2) Appearing on a reality-tv show can open the door to a lot of unforeseen issues.

=R=

You know..i don't usually get involved in these back and forth arguments on things -- I usually don't have much to add. But don't you all think that the point here is that this is a contest? And judging product is a great deal of what makes a "top chef" ? I wouldn't be surprised at all if there had been other things stocked that weren't up to par or perhaps things that we never saw that were rare and excellent. Part of what makes someone what they are as a chef is what they choose to cook. And Spike's taste level has not impressed me much over the course of this season. Plus -- not many steakhouses in Chicago that I've been too regularly offer sweetbreads and yet this one had enough to merit two cheftestants using them (Also -- just checked Tramonto's menu -- no sweetbreads on it at all) . That's an interesting choice to me and speaks volumes about the folks that chose them -- far more so that Spike's unfortunate use of frozen scallops. He always seems to choose the easy path -- sweetbreads -- now making those taste good is difficult.

Also -- as I recall, Padma makes a comment to the cheftestants while explaining the challenge specifically about choosing their dishes from what's available in the restaurant -- and while I don't recall exactly what she said (no DVR for me, I'm afraid) I did think at the time that she was emphasizing it a bit more than she should be. Her dialogue is usually very very specific and rule laden. Indicating to me that their choice ws really important and would be weighed heavily. Now...i could be really nitpicking here but not anymore than the frozen scallop brigade.

DML wrote:

jesteinf wrote:

DML wrote:Looks like Rick should have donated what he had.
The result is that people like me are going to be avoiding his place.

Judging a restaurant by what happens on a reality show seems pretty silly to me*. I think any blame here is at the feet of the producers for producing a beyond muddled situation.

*Unless the restaurant is owned by Rocco...then you may feel free to judge.

I have to disagree. It was his place. If he cares about the reputation, he would have made sure that it didn't happen, or have made it clear immediately what happened.

This guy wanted the publicity, but didn't want to do the work.

See Ron's point 2 in his last post.

Things get cut, sliced, diced, you name it. Editing reality television is beyond an art form. I mean, just listen closely to when the contestants are making comments over the action. You can hear it in a lot of places where the show is splicing together sound bytes that are obviously from different off-camera interviews. To say that Tramanto "didn't want to do the work" ignores many factors that are completely out of his control.

"To say that Tramanto `didn't want to do the work' ignores many factors that are completely out of his control."

Rick made a choice. He wanted face time on national TV, and in doing so, put himself in a situation where people question the basics of his work.

Doesn't seem like a good deal to me.

DML wrote:"To say that Tramanto `didn't want to do the work' ignores many factors that are completely out of his control."

Rick made a choice. He wanted face time on national TV, and in doing so, put himself in a situation where people question the basics of his work.

Doesn't seem like a good deal to me.

But then why does that lead to you dismissing his restaurant without ever having eaten there? Why not check out "the basics of his work" on your own, instead of relying solely on a reality show?

jesteinf wrote:

DML wrote:"To say that Tramanto `didn't want to do the work' ignores many factors that are completely out of his control."

Rick made a choice. He wanted face time on national TV, and in doing so, put himself in a situation where people question the basics of his work.

Doesn't seem like a good deal to me.

But then why does that lead to you dismissing his restaurant without ever having eaten there? Why not check out "the basics of his work" on your own, instead of relying solely on a reality show?

Because I know of 10 good steak places that don't have frozen scallops.
Rick may or may not, but at $200 for dinner for two, and based on what I saw, is that a risk that I want to take?
Buy the ticket, take the ride. Rick got his time on TV, but he didn't have the sense to retain control of his own walk-in. For somebody who should put the quality of the product in his place above nearly everything else in the world, that's not a good sign.

DML wrote:Because I know of 10 good steak places that don't have frozen scallops.

It seems clear that Rick T. had nothing to do with the frozen scallops. Allen Brothers donated them to the show, and the Top Chef assistant (Lee Anne) used them and the other donated products.

At the end of the show, Rick could have said that they weren't his scallops (which would not have been classy). But the point remains that he doesn't serve them at the restaurant.

What am I missing?

Darren72 wrote:What am I missing?

That it's fun and easy to criticize even the smallest gaffe under the most unusual circumstances.

I agree, this is much ado about nothing. And I LOVE microanalyzing this show.

Darren72 wrote:

DML wrote:Because I know of 10 good steak places that don't have frozen scallops.

It seems clear that Rick T. had nothing to do with the frozen scallops. Allen Brothers donated them to the show, and the Top Chef assistant (Lee Anne) used them and the other donated products.

At the end of the show, Rick could have said that they weren't his scallops (which would not have been classy). But the point remains that he doesn't serve them at the restaurant.

What am I missing?

You are missing that sometimes people say things that are not true to protect others.

None of us have a clue as to where those things came from.

earthlydesire wrote:Plus -- not many steakhouses in Chicago that I've been too regularly offer sweetbreads and yet this one had enough to merit two cheftestants using them (Also -- just checked Tramonto's menu -- no sweetbreads on it at all) . That's an interesting choice to me and speaks volumes about the folks that chose them -- far more so that Spike's unfortunate use of frozen scallops. He always seems to choose the easy path -- sweetbreads -- now making those taste good is difficult.

Fwiw, I've had them at the Ruth's Chris in Northbrook but it was some time ago. They were really well-prepared there.

earthlydesire wrote:Now...i could be really nitpicking here but not anymore than the frozen scallop brigade.

Nitpicking is fun and it's the connective tissue between each week's episode.


I do think it's silly to dismiss this or any restaurant on the basis of how it's depicted in a reality show. The only way to know for sure how a place is, is to eat there. Period. Find the reasons if you like but you really don't know someone's food until you eat it.

Shortly after it opened, I had the Tomahawk at Tramonto's S&S and I thought it was excellent. Was it the best steak I've ever had? No. But it was well-prepared and totally respectable, and if I were to return, it's almost certainly what I'd order. However, I'm not much of a steakhouse guy.

=R=

Ronnie,
You would be correct if the dinner had a money back guaranty. However, at $200 for a dinner, I've got to look at what I know of the place and decide if I want to drop that much money.
You may be right. The place may be great.
My point was to question the decision of the owner to allow the reputation to be made open to question in that way. In hindsight, it doesn't seem like the best move. I personally would not spend $200 for a meal on a place where it does not appear that was goes into the dining room is the chef's top priority.
Whether or not the place serves good food or bad, in hindsight it has to look like a poor business move for the owner to even open up the matter for debate.
"Want me on the show? Sure, but I want final say on what goes into my coolers." That would seem to be the move for a chef/owner who makes his diners his top priority.