Next (Top) Iron Chef

Ok.. SO I just watched the first go round on this... Few thoughts. Top Chef works because you take up and coming folks looking for a leg up in a very competitive field. This show seems a bit... well... demeaning. You have folks that run multiple successful restaurants supplicating themselves for a position that was formerly given to someone that did not even run a eatery. Also did they have to take the exact same format? On the funny side, did anyone else think that Michael Symon was gona pop Ruhlman on the teeth when he called him on doing a dish straight out of his restaurants (for those that don't know, Ruhlman spent a good deal of a time and a third of the content of Soul of a Chef on Symon's first restaurant, Lola). I'm guessing he won't be invited back for a 4th book

I suppose I'll continue to watch as there isn't much on in the post Califonication rerun slot on Sunday night.

I watched for a few minutes. Looked like the typical reality show: take a bunch of eager beavers and make them do bizarre, arbitrary things, then eliminate them one by one for various unclear reasons. The "test" I saw involved giving some people very, very sharp knives and making them run around with them. Surprise!!! -- one guy cut himself. Then we got what I suppose is the money shot for this kind of show: blood spurting from an open wound.

I also want to say that I'm sure Alton Brown is a very nice fellow and is just playing a role of sorts, but having him make snide critiques of the knife skills of professional chefs is a bit much.

The first question I would ask is why would these professional, accomplished chefs put themselves thru this?? I felt so sorry for Des Jardins, it was like "the cheese stands alone" They want to duplicate Top Chef which is a much better show because they are the "up and comers" as stated above. I just kept thinking I don't care about the outcome. Dancing in my head was the thought Howie sweated and Matou bleeds. The whole pace was frantic and got annoying after while. (and so did Alton) Certainly, the Food Network could have auditiioned chefs in the privacy of the studio without subjecting the public to this nonsense.

The Lovely Donna wrote:The first question I would ask is why would these professional, accomplished chefs put themselves thru this??

Because there's a helluva lot more money in television and endorsements than there is in restaurants.

I'm calling Besh and Sanchez for the final, based solely on their cooking styles.

They pretty much gave Besh the match when the secret ingredient against Batali was Andouille. I mean c'mon.

It also seems FN has been trying to break into the Latin market, hence my pick for Sanchez.

I'm willing to bet FN already had a pick for the next iron chef even before filming the first episode... They just wanted to ride on Top Chef's popularity and make an ass out of the usually likable Alton Brown in the process.

I expect Besh to win. He's been on Iron Chef several times and has the name. Although, can the Food Network handle 2 Cajuns...

The first episode of this show did not do much for me. I thought that the eating and reviewing of the dishes seemed very hurried, and usually you only heard an opinion from one judge. I thought after they tried all the dishes there would be some judge discussion aired, but instead their was a 5 or 6 minute commercial break and then they came back and announced the results.

They may have higher quality Chefs on here than on Top Chef, but the production team is not nearly as good.

So this show isn't much of a hit around here?

I can understand that, I watched the second episode and this show just doesn't do much for me. I don't know if it is the way the edit the show or what, but I find it pretty boring. Still hardly any discussion on what the food is like. Instead of going through the candidates one by one to see if they made it to the next round, discuss the food a bit more.

I concur that the direction of this show leaves a lot to be desired for my tastes. It could be argued that it appeals towards the campy/sensationalistic aspects of "Iron Chef," of which I'd also have to agree have some appeal.

I'd rather it focus on the food more.

That being said, I'm still watching it.

However, regarding this week's episode, I am frankly *amazed* that a handful of chefs from the (third?) episode had difficulty getting their charcoal grills lit?!

Really? They had chimney starters! John Besh is seen throwing the actual bag of charcoal into the coals?! These (now all) gents don't know how to start a charcoal fire when they have a chimney starter?

Is upper echelon, fine cooking, culinary school teaching, etc., so far removed from the layman that these chefs were at such a loss?

I, honestly, don't know what to think, and I'm only a 1/3 of the way through the episode. Hopefully not, but perhaps more rants to follow.

EDIT: More ranting is needed. Kaysen was eliminated because he didn't season his food. It turns out that the chefs have to put their completed dishes on ice due to production reasons, and then reheat them for judging. Way to let the food shine, Next Iron Chef! Kaysen's ended up in ice water, thus washing off all of his seasoning. I don't know if he didn't have time or didn't think about reseasoning the food, but the show gave a false impression. Kaysen should have stood up for himself, but instead took the bullet. Also, next week - "snacks on a plane?!" Where have we seen THAT before...

most pro chefs don't have to light charcoal as most pro kitchens don't use them. that said, I don't think I've ever used a chimney starter since I cheat and use a propane start charcoal grill.

I haven't seen the third ep yet (it's sitting on the TiVo), but I'm not entirely impressed. Too much of each episode, even more than ICA, is repeat of what's just been shown or preview of what's coming up, and too much of the post-test interview stuff you see on reality TV.

These are pros, not wanna-bes, I'd rather see them treated with a bit more respect.

SPOILER for EPS 1&2
I'm surprised the judges weren't encouraged NOT to dump both women, now it's just a boys club like chefs typically are. I was also hoping for a replacement for Cat Cora that would keep ICA from being just a boys club.
END SPOILER

I'm enjoying the cameraderie, especially between Besh and Symon -- they're having a blast. I really like Morou -- he's very photogenic and almost shy, he could be ICA's Chen (as the shy one, he wasn't the photogenic one obviously). Sanchez comes across as a crybaby, often late to finish, he'll probably go next, or the little guy whose name I can't remember, who hasn't impressed anybody. Cosentino hasn't wowed me much, but he's holding his own.

I'm enjoying this show which is, by a long margin, better than anything else that airs on Food Network. From my perspective, there's more cooking and coverage of cooking than on any other cooking "reality" show. And unlike with Top Chef, or Next Food Network Star, these chefs are the genuine article and I'd be pleased to eat in any of their restaurants (and I have eaten in a few of them).

You can't ask for a better judge than Michael Ruhlman, who aside from being an articulate and knowledgeable food writer, also happens to be a CIA-trained chef. I'm not as keen on the other 2 judges -- especially 'editor boy,' who seems like he has an axe to grind. I really enjoy the rapport between the contestants and think that it is another distinguishing mark of this show -- apparently, accomplished chefs are not nearly as petty or insecure as standard issue 'cheftestants' offered up on other, similar shows.

As for who's left, Ruhlman recently addressed this non-issue on his blog and the explanation seems reasonable enough. It seems to be a case of the judges having the final word over even that of the producers (again, a big distinction between this and other cooking 'reality' shows). Yes, the women are gone but it certainly isn't because Food Network didn't want them around. Cat Cora's fortunate (for her) existence as an Iron Chef reveals a lot about how far backwards FN is willing to bend over to make sure women are included -- she's basically an unknown who at the time of her 'annointment,' wasn't even cooking in a restaurant kitchen. In this case, it appears that the 2 female contestants just didn't stack up because it seems clear that FN would have loved to have had one of them around.

Anyway, I look forward to the outcome of this 'contest' more than I look forward to the resulting show. Don't get me wrong, I do like ICA, but I find this program more compelling.

=R=

SPOILERS BELOW

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I was very pleased -- and somewhat surprised -- by the outcome. Having eaten in one of both finalists' restaurants (Lola and Restaurant August), I gave the edge to Besh, going into the final.

That said, as I listened to the comments of the judges and the Iron Chefs during the final battle, I got the sense that Symon would be the winner. Then the show took one of those annoying 'reality tv' U-turns and we were shown some additional comments from a couple of the judges that conflicted with earlier comments they'd made. At that point, I thought it would be Besh.

Anyway, I think either guy would have made a great Iron Chef, and a great improvement to the show -- and both of them are fun to watch. Still, I was happy that Symon prevailed. He seems like a genuinely appreciative sort and it's great to have underrated Cleveland represented, even though New Orleans is arguably the most important and distinctive U.S. food city.

Congrats, to chef Symon!

=R=

Michael Symon makes for better TV. Seemed like the right pick from the first episode because of that.

I thought Besh would win as well. He seemed to have stronger chops, better fundamentals than Symon for the outset. However, Symon showed that he's got some skills as well - making the forcemeats in the pervious episode. Overall, it seemed that his flavors popped more. Plus, he's more of a 'character' than Besh.

Does this mean Batali is stepping down? I heard rumors that he was leaving FN but then there were counter-rumors saying he was going to continue ICA??

viaChgo wrote:Does this mean Batali is stepping down? I heard rumors that he was leaving FN but then there were counter-rumors saying he was going to continue ICA??

My understanding is that this was the competition to be Batali's replacement.

gleam wrote:

viaChgo wrote:Does this mean Batali is stepping down? I heard rumors that he was leaving FN but then there were counter-rumors saying he was going to continue ICA??

My understanding is that this was the competition to be Batali's replacement.

I though so too but there was never any mention of a "replacement" in any of the episodes of The Next Iron Chef. But it does make sense since Batali was MIA during this last episode.

Too bad re: Batali. He was the best out of the bunch.

I'm glad Symon won -- he'll be more fun than Besh. I get the feeling that Besh would have been too smug, too similar to Bobby Flay in personality.

I am concerned that Symon's going to be a little lacking in breadth of cuisine. Mario has shown himself to be the master not only of Italian, but incorporating southeast asian, north african, etc.

Losing Mario will be sad, he's the only one of the chefs that explains what he's doing, bantering with AB about the ingredients -- giving the audience a chance to learn.

it's my understanding(and moldy net banter) that Batali'd stated, contrary to popular thought, that he was staying on and the next iron chef had nothing to do with this rumored abdication(tho' if I were him I'd run from that asinine network...it's not as if he needs the money)...

Besh is supposed to be an asshole anyway(read PZB's Liquor books?)

Symon unfortunately fits in with the continued morphing of The Food Network into yahoo, dumb-it-down, faux-suspense, challenge b.s. ;

he's so "manly"

the demographic'll eat it up

Christopher Gordon wrote:
Symon unfortunately fits in with the continued morphing of The Food Network into yahoo, dumb-it-down, faux-suspense, challenge b.s. ;

This certainly seems to be the case with the recent additions of Diners, Drive Inns and Dives (don't even get me started on the bonehead host) and Two Dudes Catering (which I refuse to watch because of the name alone.)
The exception, of course, is the fantastic Ace Of Cakes.

johnny wrote:...and Two Dudes Catering (which I refuse to watch because of the name alone.)

I agree with you, but just because I still try to believe I have an open mind I watched the first episode and... well, let's just say I found it hard to believe their claim that they didn't have outside help with the business. The only impression I got was two hipsters with (someone else's) cash to burn somehow convinced Food Network to make a show about them.

I should have wrote a more descriptive critique when it was still fresh, but I was annoyed enough just to skip it. That being said, perhaps someone else can be more lucid with why I think this show simply sucks hard (or show me how I'm dead wrong and rapidly becoming a closed-minded bastard).

dfawley wrote:

johnny wrote:...and Two Dudes Catering (which I refuse to watch because of the name alone.)

I agree with you, but just because I still try to believe I have an open mind I watched the first episode and... well, let's just say I found it hard to believe their claim that they didn't have outside help with the business. The only impression I got was two hipsters with (someone else's) cash to burn somehow convinced Food Network to make a show about them.

I should have wrote a more descriptive critique when it was still fresh, but I was annoyed enough just to skip it. That being said, perhaps someone else can be more lucid with why I think this show simply sucks hard (or show me how I'm dead wrong and rapidly becoming a closed-minded bastard).

those "2 dudes" ...feh...hack...cough...ick...

...as per The Food Network's program of conceptual cannibalism...the "dudes" first appeared on an episode of American Iron Chef: all I saw was trucker caps, greasy hair, and poseur-osity raised to a horrific level...

and, surprise!

They get their own show.







(hello Cat Cora)



and I can't stand Guy Feeeeierrrryiiiyyy, but execution-wise his diner show's not unwatchable...I mean, his concepting is, but the show's sometimes okay...




I should add that I have an apprehension about Ace of Cakes(also because that's so not my culinary interest---baking/desserts/or 3 dimensional design *and* wow...geeky Betty Page hair lady...that's current...) and yet I keep hearing from sources I respect that it's not what the commercials would lead you to expect...hmm...

Christopher Gordon wrote:and I can't stand Guy Feeeeierrrryiiiyyy, but execution-wise his diner show's not unwatchable...I mean, his concepting is, but the show's sometimes okay...

It's certainly a better option than his short-lived cooking show.
For those unaware, Guy is an owner of THIS PLACE.
I have yet to catch the episode he filmed in Chicago at the Logan Square Farmer's Market for a feature on the Galewood BBQ Shack.
Apparently, wearing sunglasses backwards on your head will show the viewing audience what a "wacky", non-conformist, punk rocker you are.
Sorry for the thread hi-jack.
My loathing for this guy runs deep (obviously).

johnny wrote:

Christopher Gordon wrote:and I can't stand Guy Feeeeierrrryiiiyyy, but execution-wise his diner show's not unwatchable...I mean, his concepting is, but the show's sometimes okay...

It's certainly a better option than his short-lived cooking show.
For those unaware, Guy is an owner of THIS PLACE.
I have yet to catch the episode he filmed in Chicago at the Logan Square Farmer's Market for a feature on the Galewood BBQ Shack.
Apparently, wearing sunglasses backwards on your head will show the viewing audience what a "wacky", non-conformist, punk rocker you are.
Sorry for the thread hi-jack.
My loathing for this guy runs deep (obviously).

in total agreement...his Diners... show is leagues better than his cooking one

I have yet to catch the episode he filmed in Chicago at the Logan Square Farmer's Market for a feature on the Galewood BBQ Shack.

His visit to Smoque was aired on Sunday, and he gave Barry & company respectable props. I watched him briefly at his visit to Paradise Pup, and I think he's pretty watchable in the role of interviewer/reporter -- less annoying than, say, TSLO's Jim O'Connor who never seemed to bring anything to the party other than over-the-top enthusiasm. (Probably the best roving reporter they ever had IMHO was Marc Silverstein of the late lamented The Best Of; Marc was a former TV investigative reporter and never let the show be all about him (are you listening, Jamie and Bobby Deen?)

>>Brent

less annoying than, say, TSLO's Jim O'Connor who never seemed to bring anything to the party other than over-the-top enthusiasm.

O'Connor was absolutely terrible. He seemed pulled from the depths of TV Shopping Network hell. He seems to have been replaced with George Duran whose "Ham on the Street" hasn't been seen for quite some time. I just saw Duran the other night in, I believe, The Secret Life Of Cake.

whiskeybent wrote:
O'Connor was absolutely terrible. He seemed pulled from the depths of TV Shopping Network hell. He seems to have been replaced with George Duran whose "Ham on the Street" hasn't been seen for quite some time. I just saw Duran the other night in, I believe, The Secret Life Of Cake.

While I agree O'Connor was really bad, he was only made worse when his enthusiasm for whatever food it was made it seem like he'd never eaten anything ever before.

"SUSHI? Now, what is this?"

brotine wrote:His visit to Smoque was aired on Sunday, and he gave Barry & company respectable props.
>>Brent

With all due respect to Smoque, I'm not sure they qualify as a Diner, Drive-In and/or Dive.