Puppy wrote:I'm terribly uninformed when it comes to matching faces to names... who is the guest judge in the preview for ep 4?

Daniel Boulud

This is beginning to look like the weakest roster of females in Top Chef history. Except for Ryan, the guys seem pretty capable. Only Stephanie has stepped up for the women so far.

It was another disappointing week for Nikki. She may eventually be a contender, but she's been very fortunate the last two weeks that she wasn't eliminated. If her team had been the losing team, she'd have been toast.

cjkrautk wrote:My best guess is that tonight's "block party" took place somewhere in Evergreen Park. Richard's reference to Richmond Avenue tipped me off and Google Maps Street View seems to confirm it:

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=richmond+ ... a=N&tab=wl

cjk

In Ted Allen's blog on Bravo's website, he states that the party was held in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. That and Richard's reference to Richmond Ave. means that the block in question is either the 4400 or 4500 block of N. Richmond. I'll guess the 4500 block (between Sunnyside and Wilson).

I just want to say that I have NEVER watched an episode of Top Chef until I accidentally saw it on the channel guide last night. I watched the rerun of episode 1, was intrigued so I watched the repeat of E2. Then was thrilled that the new E3 was next so that I was caught up for this season.

I love this show. All the wacky characters of a "Big Brother" or "Survivor" but with cooking!

I can watch and not feel too sullied.

Bravo indeed!

Am I the only one who noticed Richard Roeper in the tease for next week's episode?

Is this really the best we could do? A movie reviewer (whose idea of fine cuisine is probably a Vegas buffet) and another NY'er from a previous season?

Oh, and I think I am the only one who likes that Andrew guy. He's a tweak, but he keeps on winning. Then again, the more I watch season 2 the more I like Marcel.

I like Andrew also. I didn't like his silly tirade about this being "his house" but other than that I think most of his food looks good, and he is fun to watch. Maybe I like him because I think he curses as much as I do.

In the preview for next week I think I also spotted Aisha Tyler. In past seasons they have always had a "serve this celebrity and their friends" meal. So Aisha and Richard Roeper might fit that bill for that meal. I would say they are as qualified as Stifler's Mom and the other celebrities they have had on in the past.

Having Daniel Boulud on a show where Chef's are being judged is not a bad thing. While the season was filmed in Chicago they aren't going to have a Chicago judge for every (even most) challenges, time to get over it. They want to put names on the show that will bring in viewers from all over the country and I would say that Boulud certainly fits that bill.

While the season was filmed in Chicago they aren't going to have a Chicago judge for every (even most) challenges, time to get over it.

I know, I know. I'm trying. While it's nice to see the city being the stage for all these challenges, it'd just be nice to see some more locals in the spotlight. Maybe I'm just being a homer. I dunno. But I thought Bayless did a nice job last night. And that duck breast taco looked awesome.

I loved watching Rick Bayless on last night's episode. He has such a mellow, sweet sounding voice, and to hear him using it to tear apart the contestants' food was great!

bnowell724 wrote:I loved watching Rick Bayless on last night's episode. He has such a mellow, sweet sounding voice, and to hear him using it to tear apart the contestants' food was great!

I was pleasantly surprised; he sure didn't pull any punches. Wasn't it the "corndog" idiot who said Bayless could "go screw himself?"

Refusing to follow a Mexican fine dining challenge when your judge is known for Mexican fine dining is mindbogglingly stupid.




I also like those well-stocked pantries: advertisers' bottles of Ranch, BBQ sauce, and canned soup for days.

Wasn't it the "corndog" idiot who said Bayless could "go screw himself?"

Indeed, that was Eric. Whoops. If nothing else, with his "edgy" tattoos and wristbands and bracelets, he'd be a good stand-in for Guy Fieri on FN.

I also enjoyed Rick's apperance. He really is a mellow sounding guy. I hope he reappears in the last episode for the final challenge table.

Refusing to follow a Mexican fine dining challenge when your judge is known for Mexican fine dining is mindbogglingly stupid.

I found this strange too. Yes we all know that a lot of if not most of Mexican food is street food that is really affordable, but why couldn't you set that thought aside take it upscale. There are obviously at least a few restaurants doing it. Then telling Rick Bayless to go screw himself over it was really classless.

Christopher Gordon wrote:
I also like those well-stocked pantries: advertisers' bottles of Ranch, BBQ sauce, and canned soup for days.

I almost threw my remote at the TV. "Can we take this spicey ranch?" *cut to bottle of hidden valley*.

"Hey look BBQ sauce" *puts bottle of KC Masterpiece right in front of camera and into bag*

whiskeybent wrote:

Wasn't it the "corndog" idiot who said Bayless could "go screw himself?"

Indeed, that was Eric. Whoops. If nothing else, with his "edgy" tattoos and wristbands and bracelets, he'd be a good stand-in for Guy Fieri on FN.

That was a bonehead move! I kind of liked him for his self-deprecating attitude after the souffle debacle but to refuse to acknowledge that Mexican can be upscale and then to say Bayless can "go screw himself" was just plain stupid.

but to refuse to acknowledge that Mexican can be upscale and then to say Bayless can "go screw himself" was just plain stupid.

Dissing an entire national cuisine as well as the chef who has devoted his professional life (with some success) to disproving and undermining that same disrespect reveals a closed mind of stupendous proportions. Good riddance.

jaybo wrote:In Ted Allen's blog on Bravo's website, he states that the party was held in the Ravenswood Manor neighborhood. That and Richard's reference to Richmond Ave. means that the block in question is either the 4400 or 4500 block of N. Richmond. I'll guess the 4500 block (between Sunnyside and Wilson).

I used Google Maps Street View to pinpoint the camera location at what I'm pretty sure is 4466 N Richmond St, which just happens to be about a block away from where I'm moving in May: http://tinyurl.com/2rb8c3

(Edited to correct the address.)

I almost threw my remote at the TV. "Can we take this spicey ranch?" *cut to bottle of hidden valley*.

"Hey look BBQ sauce" *puts bottle of KC Masterpiece right in front of camera and into bag*

I'm pretty sure I recognized a bottle of Frontera salsa being put into one of the bags, but they didn't show any of the label (you would only recognize it if you ate a lot of Frontera salsa). Wonder if they had a close up and Rick decided not to pony up the sponsorship money?

Bayless is one of my favorite chefs and I was quite surprised to see him dig into the contestants a little, if not quite as hard as Bourdain.

anyone else think this show would be better named "Top Caterer"? It seems like most of the challenges demand preparation of a large quantity of food in advance for an event, rather than dishes cooked to order. Given the frequent blunder of failing to realize that your "signature dish" is not going to hold up after 2 hours in an aluminum foil tray or a chafing dish, I've got to assume that most of these folks have no idea about the skills and logistics involved in catering (nor do I, but I think I would have deduced that a corn dog might get soggy after 2 hours in a gladware container).

[quote][/quote]

Is this really the best we could do? A movie reviewer (whose idea of fine cuisine is probably a Vegas buffet) and another NY'er from a previous season?


I'm not really sure how someone gets to the conclusion that being a movie reviewer automatically equates to one knowing, and liking, only Vegas buffets. I'm sure there are many movie reviewers who are as educated, as sophisticated, and as refined in their tastes as anonymous food blog posters who write snarky comments.

I think Daniel Bouloud is not "another NY'er". He happens to be quite an accomplished, seasoned, award-winning chef. He is not someone who is up-and-coming, or who just made waves recently. There's a very short list of chefs in Chicago who could be considered alongside him, Trotter, Bayless, Jean Joho, maybe Tony Mantuano. This is Top Chef, not Next Best Chef, or Up and Coming Chef, or Emerging Chef, so after folks like Bourdain and Rocco DiSpirito, they should get a real Top Chef at least once to judge, regardless of whether that person is from Chicago, New York, or anywhere else.

I'd kill to have Daniel Boulud have a restaurant in this city. His restaurants perform on a level that is unreal. Very few can produce on his level in the world, let alone Chicago.

sarcon wrote:anyone else think this show would be better named "Top Caterer"? It seems like most of the challenges demand preparation of a large quantity of food in advance for an event, rather than dishes cooked to order.

It's true we've had two offsite with little/no facilities eliminations in a row, but in case you haven't seen previous seasons, I wouldn't call that the norm, or even typical. Even on the occasions when they're away from the Top Chef kitchen, they're usually in another kitchen or at least have some sort of facilities to work with.

I thought the comment about serving "middle America" was a little strange also. It's too bad that this is a common perception even among skilled chefs.

MrsF and I came up with two ideas that would have worked better than corn dogs:

1) A deconstructed corndog, where pieces of hotdog and something crispy or bready are threaded on a stick. I don't know that hushpuppies would hold up better than the corn dogs, but something like that. Even pieces of cornbread would be more pleasant than soggy fried batter.

2) A francheezie bao. I figure a steamed bun would be fine held for a while, what's it going to do, get steamy? Fill it with a chunk of dog, bacon and cheese and everybody loves it.

I'm shocked that this week's elimination happened for the exact same mistake as the previous week: Holding an item for later service that should be served as it's made.

First of all, this is a mistake that even I know to avoid. But when someone gets dinged for it on one challenge and then you go make the very same mistake on the very next challenge, you're really showing that you're not using your head.

Best,
Michael

brandon_w wrote:I also enjoyed Rick's apperance. He really is a mellow sounding guy. I hope he reappears in the last episode for the final challenge table.

Refusing to follow a Mexican fine dining challenge when your judge is known for Mexican fine dining is mindbogglingly stupid.

I found this strange too. Yes we all know that a lot of if not most of Mexican food is street food that is really affordable, but why couldn't you set that thought aside take it upscale. There are obviously at least a few restaurants doing it. Then telling Rick Bayless to go screw himself over it was really classless.

I guess by Eric's statement that Mexico has no contemporary/upscale restaurants. Good to know.

whiskeybent wrote:Am I the only one who noticed Richard Roeper in the tease for next week's episode?

Is this really the best we could do? A movie reviewer (whose idea of fine cuisine is probably a Vegas buffet) and another NY'er from a previous season?

Lighten up.

The preview we saw looked like a recreation of Boulud's "After Hours" show, with an eclectic mix of chefs and local personalities. Why don't we wait to see the episode before we criticize it?

Darren72 wrote:Why don't we wait to see the episode before we criticize it?

Exactly.

Then we can get all defensive and snarky

I'm surprised how critical so many of you are about this season...did you watch Miami last year?

They had the cast of a telenovela (not exactly high brow, but still entertaining), they served food to a bunch of drunks out of trucks in an "after hours" type of challenge....expecting more than Richard Roeper, who actually has a national show, and is somewhat recognized in the entertainment biz, is a bit much. Who do you expect? Billy Dec?

This is a television show, of all things. Pure entertainment.

If you don't like it, and want to complain every week when there isn't a Chicago chef as judge, why watch? Seriously, how many judges last season were Miami chefs?

I just went through the episode recaps on Bravo.com, and I count, maybe 3 episodes where a guest judge was from Miami.

Of the 3, one particular woman may not even have a restaurant anymore (Maria Frumkin), so 2 or 3. By episode 11, they leave town for NJ/NY, and then off to Aspen for the finale. So we'll be lucky if they stay in town the whole season, or that will give the critics yet another reason to bash the show.

If you go back, you'll also see a pattern of guest judges:

Anthony Bordain
Rocco DiSpirito
Daniel Boulud
Eric Ripert

I also thought Wylie was a guest judge last season, but maybe that was the 2nd season, with Marcel. Maybe he skipped it last season? But, these are judges who are recognizable in the "foodie" scene, and also to those who are FANS of the show & watch multiple seasons. It makes sense to recycle, it creates a brand, and Top Chef is absolutely a brand by now.

Anyhow, I love the show & the season has been interesting so far.

Hey, we've already gotten one Chicago judge, and I don't doubt we'll see a few more. A ton, not likely, but at least a few. I would bet Trotter will be on an episode, but who knows? Only time will tell.

Cheers,
miss ellen

smellen wrote:If you don't like it, and want to complain every week when there isn't a Chicago chef as judge, why watch? Seriously, how many judges last season were Miami chefs?

To be fair, as the focus tends to be higher end food, Chicago has a LOT more to pull from than Miami, which at the high end is almost a culinary wasteland. The only place lacking more at the high end as a major city might be San Diego.

I'm actually hoping that they keep the Chicago-based guest judges to a minimum. It's basically the same reason why I hoped Takashi wasn't going to be a judge upthread. I expect all of the top local chefs are fully aware of who Stephanie is and what she's accomplished. I'd be surprised if any of them HADN'T eaten at Scylla.

The appearance of impartiality is important. Did anyone notice that it was Padma and not Rick Bayless who announced Stephanie as the winner of the Elimination Challenge?! I cannot remember the last time the guest judge didn't make that announcement.

Speaking of impartiality, there's a Q&A with Bayless on the Top Chef website. In it, Bayless says that Ryan told him during the Quickfire that he had worked at Frontera for a short time a few years ago. Bayless went on to say that he hadn't remembered Ryan up to that point, but after Ryan brought it up, he did recognize him and also remembered THAT HE DIDN'T LIKE HIM! Regardless, I think Ryan is in WAY over his head, and if he isn't eliminated in the next two weeks, I'll be stunned.

As far as Chicago guest judges, Charlie Trotter is almost a given. However, I believe he'll be the only one. Maybe Jean Joho. I think Stephanie and Richard are overqualified to be in this competition. There should be some limitations regarding credentials. Even last season, some of the guest judges weren't taken seriously by the cheftestants, perhaps rightfully so.

BTW, Erik came off like a total ass in his exit interview this week, whining and moaning and trashing his fellow cheftestants. Even though Zoi probably deserved it more, I'm glad Papa Souffle is gone. If anyone ever deserved negative rub from being on the show, this is the guy.

I'm actually hoping that they keep the Chicago-based guest judges to a minimum. It's basically the same reason why I hoped Takashi wasn't going to be a judge upthread.

I expect all of the top local chefs are fully aware of who Stephanie is and what she's accomplished. I'd be surprised if any of them HADN'T eaten at Scylla.

I suppose this could work both ways. One could have a lot of Chicago-based judges, and no local cheftestants. I'm just waiting to see when they bring back Dale, Hung or Casey from last season - especially Dale.

Random thoughts:

Did you notice how happy Corn Dog Guy looked when he got eliminated? For three weeks his face has been the mask of tragedy. A whimpering anxiety attack on a stick, no matter the situation. Then he gets eliminated and at last the facial muscles relax, the brow unfurrows, the beaten-child's eyes begin to twinkle, and we see a smile. I think this is a sign he was in the wrong place.

I don't mind product placement. But I really mind being lied to. The show asked us to believe that the chefs were knocking on doors in Ravenswood Manor randomly, unsure of whether they'd be let in or doused with a bucket of boiling water. Lo and behold, not only are they let in, but pantry after pantry is stocked with pre-arranged product placements. Would it have been so bad for Padma to say, "Knock on some doors. You'll find the neighbors have everything you need for this challenge"? That wouldn't have lessened the drama one bit. But no, the show had to overreach, and lie not only to the cheftestants, but to the viewers. I felt soiled.