according to this interview, Erik, the "Pirate Chef", only went on the show at the suggestion of his PR agent. it certainly was never his cup of tea, and looks like he was more than okay with his departure.

farewell, Pirate Chef!
miss ellen

smellen wrote:according to this interview, Erik, the "Pirate Chef", only went on the show at the suggestion of his PR agent. it certainly was never his cup of tea, and looks like he was more than okay with his departure.

farewell, Pirate Chef!
miss ellen

I'm more than okay with his departure, too. What a tool.

"there were a lot of tattoo shots, so that's cool"

ugh...*that* poseur San Francisco attitude

"Probably, there's going to be some cool stuff. Also I love the kitchen, but I want to start my own golf clothing line. There's a lot of younger people playing golf like myself. And they want you in collared shirts, but I think there's a way you can still look good. So keep an eye out for that too."

tool squared

I have two suggestions, lose the PR agent, and learn how to make souffle.

riddlemay wrote: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.

I didn't think that the show asked us to believe this, honestly. It stands to reason that there has to be enough food in the homes to feed 40 adults and 70 kids (or whatever the numbers were) and that the home owners had to be home to let them in. It was obviously all set up in advance and I wouldn't have expected otherwise. The interesting thing is what do the contestants find and take in each place.

I actually hate product placements quite a bit more than most people.

I think it is important not to take these shows too seriously. Bravo has a little disclaimer during the credits of *all* of their reality shows that says that the producers have input, in addition to the judges, about who gets eliminated.

If you check out Lee Anne's blog on the show's website she gives a little more insight as to how the challenge was set up. Basically, the production staff met with the residents ahead of time to make sure it was ok for the contestants to enter the homes. Then, they were only allowed to take unopened food that was already in the house (the production staff made sure that all meat/produce items were fresh). She made no mention of any "planted" items.

Of course production had met with the people who lived on Richmond Street to coordinate the pantry raids and get the OK to let a bunch of crazed chefs in their houses. I met with the homeowners who opened their doors for us to find out what they had in their fridges and prepare them for the mayhem to come. There were certain concerns I had by allowing our chefs to just go in and take food out of a stranger’s fridge. Food safety was my first and utmost concern. We needed to make sure that the food was as fresh as possible, unlike my fridge, which needs to be cleaned out because I haven’t cooked at home in a while, so there may be a science project hiding somewhere. The homeowners were indeed permitted to give the contestants any food out of their fridge or pantry, as long as it was fresh and unopened. Thankfully, our contestants had plenty to work with. And for the record, I did not fill up that lady’s pantry. In fact, I never even saw it because initially we weren’t going to let the chefs in their cabinets.

Take that for what it's worth.

I didn't think that the show asked us to believe this, honestly. It stands to reason that there has to be enough food in the homes to feed 40 adults and 70 kids (or whatever the numbers were) and that the home owners had to be home to let them in. It was obviously all set up in advance and I wouldn't have expected otherwise...

If you check out Lee Anne's blog on the show's website she gives a little more insight as to how the challenge was set up. Basically, the production staff met with the residents ahead of time to make sure it was ok for the contestants to enter the homes. Then, they were only allowed to take unopened food that was already in the house (the production staff made sure that all meat/produce items were fresh)...

I agree it was completely obvious from the get-go that the pantry raids had to be pre-arranged, for all the reasons stated. That's why I resented the show's sticking to the pretense that they were random and spontaneous. The show actually went so far as to have some of the neighbors, when answering their doors, pretend to be considering whether or not to let the chefs in. I realize it's all "entertainment." I don't think it's too much to ask that the entertainment not attempt to play me for a chump.

smellen wrote:according to this interview, Erik, the "Pirate Chef", only went on the show at the suggestion of his PR agent. it certainly was never his cup of tea, and looks like he was more than okay with his departure.

farewell, Pirate Chef!
miss ellen

Sounds to me that the "Pirate Chef" needs to spend more time on mastering techniques and less time talking to his PR agent.

Don't know where he went to school but I would guess that his instructors would like to reach into the television and slap him upside the head for his comment about Rick Bayless. What a lack of class - showing your ignorance about Mexican cuisine and then criticizing a chef who has forgotten more information about food and cooking than what the "Pirate Chef" will ever hope to know.

For Top Chef fans who may not be aware:

Dmnkly is writing detailed "Power Rankings" after each episode on his blog. He's doing his homework and digging deep beyond the episode and into the published recipes. If you enjoy the show, as I do, it's fun to read.

Dom, it's an impressive piece of work you're putting together. Although, I suspect you're putting more work into it than some of the producers on the show

Best,
Michael

riddlemay wrote:

I didn't think that the show asked us to believe this, honestly. It stands to reason that there has to be enough food in the homes to feed 40 adults and 70 kids (or whatever the numbers were) and that the home owners had to be home to let them in. It was obviously all set up in advance and I wouldn't have expected otherwise...

If you check out Lee Anne's blog on the show's website she gives a little more insight as to how the challenge was set up. Basically, the production staff met with the residents ahead of time to make sure it was ok for the contestants to enter the homes. Then, they were only allowed to take unopened food that was already in the house (the production staff made sure that all meat/produce items were fresh)...

I agree it was completely obvious from the get-go that the pantry raids had to be pre-arranged, for all the reasons stated. That's why I resented the show's sticking to the pretense that they were random and spontaneous. The show actually went so far as to have some of the neighbors, when answering their doors, pretend to be considering whether or not to let the chefs in. I realize it's all "entertainment." I don't think it's too much to ask that the entertainment not attempt to play me for a chump.

Personally, I never got that sense. I assumed that they'd at least scouted ahead of time to alert people, and I didn't think what I saw was inconsistent with that, but I realize that's a matter of perception and two people could read it differently.

eatchicago wrote:For Top Chef fans who may not be aware:

Dmnkly is writing detailed "Power Rankings" after each episode on his blog. He's doing his homework and digging deep beyond the episode and into the published recipes. If you enjoy the show, as I do, it's fun to read.

Dom, it's an impressive piece of work you're putting together. Although, I suspect you're putting more work into it than some of the producers on the show

Best,
Michael

The inability to do anything halfway is more a curse than a blessing, but thanks for the kind words

Fujisan wrote:

JLenart wrote:

tem wrote:Anyone know where the kitchen was located ?

My friend was a Production Assistant on the show and the kitchen space was constructed in an empty warehouse next door to the Chefwear outlet on Belmont and Knox.

Really? I live basically across the street from there - wish I had known sooner! They should have shown the contestants shopping at the Tony's Finer Foods right across the street from the kitchen space instead of at WF.

Ok, after seeing the chefs exit the kitchen space last week, my wife and I noticed all of the red posts right by the street. That isn't Belmont and Knox, it's Belmont and Tripp as shown here via Google maps street view.

eatchicago wrote:For Top Chef fans who may not be aware:

Dmnkly is writing detailed "Power Rankings" after each episode on his blog. He's doing his homework and digging deep beyond the episode and into the published recipes. If you enjoy the show, as I do, it's fun to read.

Chicagoist is doing power rankings as well. An intrepid poster would do a point/counterpoint head-to-head of the two...

I am a long-time lurker who finally decided to stop being shy and jump in. I just got expanded cable and thus got back Bravo. I also got a DVR, which really helps with actually seeing TV while raising a small child.

I am recording Top Chef, and I love this show. I wanted to love the reality show on the Food Network, but it wasn't as good as this. I am seriously rooting for Stephanie, though Richard and Andrew bear watching.

Erik was a tool, and anyone who insults Bayless deserves to GO.

I really love LTH, and I have learned a lot here. I look forward to posting.

In Richard Roeper's column today, he writes:

On tonight's episode of "Top Chef," yours truly hosts a film-related dinner party. If you're a fan of the show and you have questions after this episode airs, I'll be glad to address them.

His email address is at the top of the article.

Maybe they'll have an Oscar party.

Okay...how is it that out of the hundreds(possibly thousands) of films in which food plays a significant part...none of the chefs could tell their ass from their elbow(cinematically speaking)?

Dear lord...you'd think at least one of these nincompoops would choose Goodfellas. I'm irritated by reductive film "literacy," still, Scorsese would make sense, right?

Instead we get Good Morning, Vietnam!? Oooh! Vietnam War! Known for it's culinary delicacies!

maybe we could try Scent of Green Papaya or Cyclo? Not, "foodie" films but food as a cultural focus...(wait...of course these cheftestants shouldn't be expected to have any knowledge outside their "recondite" realm...sigh...)

and

Top Secret

(correct me if I'm wrong) but isn't the "cow" scene mentioned the one where a cow "nurses" off a cow-costumed character's dick?

please tell me I'm imagining this...and it wasn't inspiration for a dish served to Daniel Boulud(actually, that is amusing)




*no, it was the one guy who proposed probably the most obvious mainstream food-centered film, Like Water for Chocolate...and he kowtowed to the torn-brimmed-hat idiot and got the boot...



this is an excellent illustration of the frission between the new cooks(coming from diversified liberal arts backgrounds) and the trade school workers who used to rule the roost

I wasn't really expecting much in the way of movie inspiration. None of them really chose their "favorite" movie except maybe the "Talk to Her" gals. The GM Vietnam group obviously chose it because the other guy had experience w/ Vietnamese food. They could have at least chosen Apocolypse Now and had some butchered Ox. Same goes for Top Secret -- they chose it because they wanted to serve beef. I wish someone would have done "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" and done something with offal. Now THAT would have been inspired. Or do "Marie Antoinette" and do classical French. That would have been a no brainer.

But, I was must insulted by calling Aisha F'ing Tyler a "tv star". Ugh.

And GO STEPHANIE ! She's rockin' the house.

tem wrote:I wasn't really expecting much in the way of movie inspiration. None of them really chose their "favorite" movie except maybe the "Talk to Her" gals. The GM Vietnam group obviously chose it because the other guy had experience w/ Vietnamese food. They could have at least chosen Apocolypse Now and had some butchered Ox. Same goes for Top Secret -- they chose it because they wanted to serve beef. I wish someone would have done "The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover" and done something with offal. Now THAT would have been inspired. Or do "Marie Antoinette" and do classical French. That would have been a no brainer.

But, I was must insulted by calling Aisha F'ing Tyler a "tv star". Ugh.

And GO STEPHANIE ! She's rockin' the house.

You rock. Doing Greenaway woulda been hilarious.

The movie choices were truly lame. At least the winner's
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
choice of Willy Wonka for "pure imagination" had some connection
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

Movies they could have picked to demonstrate love of food:
Ratatouille
Big Night
My Big Fat Greek Wedding
Chocolat
etc. etc. etc.

Now mind you, my first thought for favorite movie was "The Big Lebowski" but there's only limited things you can do with a White Russian and In-and-Out Burgers.

SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER
Still Spike, as the ringleader for that nightmare of a summer roll, should have had his head roll. Sea Bass? I can't see at all how they spent $150, even at Whole Foods, for 12 small servings of a summer roll. The judges pointed out you can get this appetizer for $8 -- and it would have had four times as many pieces. So where did the other $120 go?
SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

That was my son standing behind the fish counter at Whole Foods.

Face time on Top Chef. Priceless.

Does anyone else really dislike Zoi? She always looks like she is going to cry, and she really complains a lot. Did she even try the dish that Richard, Dale, and Andrew made before deciding to say that it couldn't possibly good? I hope she gets kicked off soon.

There seem to be a lot of whiners and complainers this year.

brandon_w wrote:Does anyone else really dislike Zoi? She always looks like she is going to cry, and she really complains a lot.

Dislike her, no, she just seems frustrated and in over her head, but I really was annoyed by her feeling-sorry-for-herself when she whined that "if [Richard's white chocolate salmon dish was] what the judges were looking for, then [sniffle] she doesn't stand a chance . . . " That just does not demonstrate the right attitude! Clearly, the judges are not looking for off-the-wall combinations in all their winning dishes; in this particular challenge, Richard went for it, and so did the judges.

I had to laugh at the editing when the "losers" are in the back and the "winners" are in with the judges; meanwhile, the losers are swigging beer from the bottle proclaiming that there was "no way" Richard's white chocolate and salmon tasted good, just as Richard comes back and tells them that he was the winner. The stunned looks on their faces were priceless.

aschie30 wrote:

brandon_w wrote:Does anyone else really dislike Zoi? She always looks like she is going to cry, and she really complains a lot.

Dislike her, no, she just seems frustrated and in over her head, but I really was annoyed by her feeling-sorry-for-herself when she whined that "if [Richard's white chocolate salmon dish was] what the judges were looking for, then [sniffle] she doesn't stand a chance . . . "

More notably, I thought, in promising there's no way that tasted good, she basically (perhaps inadvertently) called out Daniel Boulud for having no taste.

A tip, Zoi... if Daniel Boulud says it's really good, it's probably really good.

how about the cringe-worthy pronunciation last night? I mean, that's always a factor, but saying"kwuh-NELL" (quenelle) in front of Boulud? and "broo-NWAH"? (it's supposed to be brunoise - people always make this mistake with vichyssoise, also. the final syllable is "wahz", not "wah"). And yes, I am an insufferable wiener.

As my significant other and I were listing the unlikely movies that might be chosen for the elimination challenge (I'm sure everyone who watched this episode did the same), literally seconds before Stephanie mentioned it, my husband said "Top Secret".

Other contenders: "Breakin' 2: Electric Boogaloo"; "The Matrix" (I envisioned a flavorless gray cube of gelée - The Matrix would create the illusion of a brilliantly sumptuous meal - I think this would also work for "Solaris"); "Terminator 2"; "Weird Science". I think one of us said "Eraserhead" and we had to stop, or maybe it was "Alien". I wish I had thought of Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie at the time.

But, yeah, nobody picked "Big Night" or "Eat Drink Man Woman"?? the heck? DH theorized that none of them could actually cook that well.

yeah, Zoi: I must agree. I don't hate her, but she does whine a lot and make excuses.

edited to add these suggestions from the the Onion AV Club blog:
Soylent Green
Harold and Kumar (I think this would've been good, actually)
Silence of the Lambs

Stephanie & partner did wuss out on dessert but they could have done a "leave the gun, take the cannoli" from the Godfather

"leave the gun, take the cannoli" from the Godfather

That was exactly what figjustin would have done had he had the opportunity. First words out of his mouth - delivering Boulud a cannoli in a paper bag, priceless.

They didn't get knocked at all for not attempting dessert even though I thought it was a cop out (of course, I dabble in pastries and we've seen how long my type stay around).

and "broo-NWAH"? (it's supposed to be brunoise - people always make this mistake with vichyssoise, also.

Okay, I'll admit I always pronounce these wrong too. That's what I get for not going to culinary school or taking French!

figmolly wrote:They didn't get knocked at all for not attempting dessert even though I thought it was a cop out (of course, I dabble in pastries and we've seen how long my type stay around).

Yeah, but on previous seasons when they've had multi-course challenges contestants have been dinged for trying to make dessert when they have no pastry background. I thought Stephanie and partner did a good job of sticking with their strength.

sarcon wrote:But, yeah, nobody picked "Big Night" or "Eat Drink Man Woman"?? the heck? DH theorized that none of them could actually cook that well.

If you did Big Night you might feel under pressure to make the timpano (or whatever that dish is called). The title of Eat Drink Man Woman suggests some interesting puns, although I am trying to think of a specific food that the movie suggests.

I really loved the way the dish based on The Christmas Story suggested the movie on a couple of levels. I surprised myself by hoping they would win because that one guy drives me nuts. Not the one from New Zealand, the other one.

bibi rose wrote:If you did Big Night you might feel under pressure to make the timpano (or whatever that dish is called).

I'll take that challenge. Big cupcake-sized timpano made with small pastas, tiny meatballs, diced meats... it's do-able. Put a side of risotto and spaghetti. That'd get a smile.

Okay. I haven't seen this episode yet and so I may be missing one of the essential requirements of the challenge, but I'm astonished that one of the great, classic food movies hasn't yet been mentioned: Babette's Feast. Based on a story by Isak Dinesen, it's a lovely, small set-piece of a movie that's about nothing so much as it is about love. If Big Night isn't too small to fly under LTH radar, I'm the more surprised that no one's mentioned this one. Or was the challenge put in such a way as to exclude it?