Top Chef - D.C. - Ep. #1 - 06/16/10 (Spoilers)

[LindaWhit]

And we're off! :-) We get a brief introduction to the chefs...and then Padma and Tom show up - holy smokes, Padma's wearing towering heels and it looks like she can barely walk in them. We'll blame it on the rough roof surface they're on. :-) And they're right off to the Quickfire. It's a mise en place tourney:

Leg 1 - peel 10 potatoes - Kenny kicked BUTT!

Leg 2 - brunoise (1/8" dice) 10 cups of onions - and damned if Kenny doesn't win again!

Leg 3 - break down 4 chickens into 8 parts - I have visions of Hung making short work of this - and Kenny did it again???

Leg 4 - use the mise ingredients to create a dish - and the winner will get $20,000! They've seriously amped up the QF prizes - and it seems that when they give a prize, they're going to take away immunity! Let's see what Kenny does here - his bio says "His cuisine ranges from American Regional, Japanese, Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian, Native American, Moroccan and African." An interesting flavor mix!

He goes with Moroccan-Spiced Chicken with Cherries Two Ways. Sounds good! And how can Angelo Sosa do a chilled onion jam in 30-40 minutes? Did I hear correctly - a chilled onion jam?

And it's between Angelo and Kenny...and Angelo wins the $20K.

The Elimination Challenge is to cook food that represent the region they're from at the Annual Cherry Blossom Festival for 300 Washingtonians. They cook in 4 teams, but are still competing against those that are on their teams as well. One from each group will be in the top group and one from each group will be in the bottom.

The Top 4 in the QF get to pick their teams. There's one left over (Ed) and Angelo gets to assign him to a team - he chooses to send him to Kenny's team. Looks like a rivalry is already on between those two.

And Tracy from Atlanta seems, ummm, slightly abrasive or perhaps very outspoken? LOL

And ALL of the judges are there - Tom, Gail, Eric and Padma. The lamb dish from Kevin looks absolutely fabulous! But I'm a pushover for lamb. Alex's deconstructed borscht and beef short rib also looked superb.

The Top 4 are Kenny, Alex, Angelo, and Kevin. Chef Ripert gets to announce the winner, who is Angelo yet again!

Has anyone who's won the first elimination challenge won the entire thing? Yes, Harold Dieterle from TC1, Ilan from TC2, and Stephanie from TC4, so perhaps it bodes well for Angelo!

The Bottom 4 are Steven, John, Jacqueline, and Timothy. Yowch. Timothy was one of the QF top 4 and got a chance to choose his team, and he's the only one in the bottom from the QF top group. And Colicchio rakes Jacqueline over the coals for not having memorized a dish she's made and served hundreds of times.

So who's going home first? I'm thinking John/dessert guy....and yup, he is the first one out! That's gotta suck for anyone - but a 2-time James Beard nominee? Not fun.

OOOHHHH!!!!! Previews show that Anthony Bourdain is back - YAY!!!!! Oh please have Ripert on the same show(s)? LOL

And of course, the previews show the DRAMA! as well. Of course, of course. :-)

SO happy TC is back!

[Papuli]

It's heartbreaking how mean some of you are being about John's appearance. I bet he and people who love him are reading this, and y'all are vicious.

He probably shouldn't have tried dessert, and he seemed to know that in his exit interview. I actually thought Jacqueline would get the boot for not having that recipe memorized. Isn't that part of the challenge? I thought perhaps they weren't allowed to bring written recipes with them, thus necessitating their memorization.

[chicgail]

The comments may have hurt his feelings if he read them, but we all get judged on our appearance. It's not fair, but still a fact of life. Maybe John will learn from having seen himself on the show and reading about the reaction to how he looks. It wouldn't hurt him or his career for him to get himself more pulled together.

From what I've seen and read it was a close call between John and Jacqueline -- not just because she didn't memorize her recipe, but because her chicken liver mousse or terrine or whatever it was was gritty. A mousse without fat that's not been strained doesn't seem like smart cooking, recipe or not.

[chowser]

Even if she hadn't learned it from making it hundreds of times, I'd think if you were on a competition and it's something you think you'd make, you''d make a point to memorize it. And, I don't understand, at this point several seasons later, why all the cheftestants don't have at least two great desserts under their sleeves that they can tweak, one being a cake.

[sommrluv]

I have to agree with others..you're putting yourself on a reality show where you will be "judged" by your behaviour, and your appearance, though not necessarily in that order.

Other contestants have certainly realized this...the one that said he got an image consultant..I'm willing to bet he wasn't the first nor the last, but possibly the first to admit it.

I do feel badly for him. He seems like a nice guy, and certainly sensitive. He also has some not extremely mainstream views & mannerisms that would leave him subject to criticism.

He has a very nice face and jawline. I'm willing to be he'd be a heartbreaker with even longish hair and a clean-shaven face. He said in one video that his hair was naturally curly and I bet that would suit him. Contrary to popular belief...five o' clock shadow doesn't always make you look dirty..just unkempt.

Whatever happened to the standard of projecting a clean look for those who work in the food industry? Regardless of what's going on in the kitchen, if you run into someone in the men's bathroom that was cooking your meal, and they looked like they had bad hygiene...I'm willing to be you wouldn't come back.

[sommrluv]

I wanted to add something...

If John had a birthmark or a mole, or a big nose, or a scar, etc...I highly doubt anyone would criticize it. He has a choice in how he appears, it's his right, and he is exercising his individuality. Fine...but making those choices are going to open up comments and judgement. Especially on a show where the end goal is to get sponsors for you to open up a restaurant, or get public appearance & product sponsorship gigs. Your face is just as marketable as your skill.

When I was a teenager, I had a purple-ish mohawk. However, I shaved the lower sides of my head, and only dyed the under layer of my hair. Down, it looked like a thin bob with violet highlights. It was versalite enough for me to wear to church, job interviews, work as a bob, etc...I enjoyed the stares when I was a teen when I put it up. But, eventually I grew out of it, probably much connected with the fact that I generally crushed on clean cut jocks. :)

Some people treasure their individuality and like to express it anyway they can. I get that and more power to them. But if you can't handle comments & stares, than maybe your form of expression doesn't really fit who you are.

And I stand by my earlier observation...I have a personal issue with a chef not wearing a hair net when he has hair that he can't possibly clean well, if at all.

[goodhealthgourmet]

bravo, sommrluv. excellent points!

[Lizard]

Well, Papuli, I, for one, agree with you.The comments about John went beyond clever snark and into the realm of nasty. The 'everyone else does it' excuses (such as 'we all get judged on appearance') as well as the suggestions that he can learn from these in order to 'get himself more pulled together' don't work for me. What they suggest is that the nastiness enabled through anonymity should be pursued, and that empathy is a waning concern (something particularly devastating given the recent studies that show that the generation of uni students today test 40% lower on empathy tests than their prior cohorts). They also seem to pretend there is a service being done by making fun (bullying?) until someone relents and conforms.
If the he keeps the hair out of the food prep, isn't that all we should worry about?

[sommrluv]

I'm absolutely confused where you would draw the above conclusions from any statements made..."everyone else does it"? "snark".."bullying"?!

Do you honestly think that hair was kept out of food prep?

If a beautiful woman had long hair to her bottom, and wouldn't wear a net or hair covering...she would most likely get fined by the city. And people would be disgusted if she never washed it. How is this different?

[Lizard]

Easy there, sommrluv. You seem to be getting quite excited and given that I provide the quotations that lead to my interpretation, I'm not inclined to repeat myself. It also appears you did not read me correctly, or you would have seen that I actual favour snark, but draw the line at the seeming nastiness that was collecting. It was one thing to express concern over hygiene (and I certainly would-- as I said) but making assumptions seems a little beyond the scope of things. The problem with his food was not a matter of hair. The argument you're posing is a pointless one because it rests on assumptions about this contestant's hygiene. And actually, there is a way to keep dreads clean, so I'm not fussed.
I don't much care for white people with dreads, but I really don't think that spending all this time being so nasty about appearance is warranted.
If one is going to comment on appearance, at least be funny, not hostile.

[loriannkru]

I love Bourdain, too. His newest book (Medium Raw) has some interesting observations from the TC episodes when he was a judge. Has anybody else read that? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on it. I enjoyed it overall, but thought it was a bit uneven in quality.

Also, I'd like to add to the chorus of people thrilled to get rid of Kelly Choi for a while. A few weeks back, I posted this comment on my Facebook status: "For the love of God, would someone please boot Kelly Choi off as the host of Top Chef Masters?" I find the way she modulates her voice when she announces that your dish got...."Three stars" just incredibly annoying!!!!

[yankeefan]

Am I the only one that couldn't get over the fact that John's face was the spitting image of Carla from last year?

I couldn't get past it.

This is going to be a fun season.

[James Cristinian]

I posted that earlier, also the glasses and the eyes, spooky. lenwood agreed with me as well, so there are at least three of us in the John/Carla look alike club.

[Johnny L]

same here, except this dude got booted first. So far I'm not really warming up to the cast but I suppose its because they aren't celebrities like in Masters.

[jujuthomas]

Thanks for the recap Linda, boy if my dvr ever craps out I know who to turn to! :)
I totally enjoyed the first episode, looking forward to the season. I have no favorites so far... like someone said down thread, too many faces and plates to keep track of.

[LindaWhit]

LOL! Yeah, I know.

"Hello, my name is Linda, and I'm a Top Chef geek." :-)

[charmedgirl]

Actually, I have to ask, and please don't take offense, I'm not trying to be snarky, I'm genuinely curious... why do the extensive recaps? I would venture to guess that most people don't read the thread until they've watched (to prevent being spoiled), so I would think that most people know what happened on the episodes. I have to be honest, I sometimes don't bother reading the thread for a day or two because I know the first few posts are just long recaps, which I don't need, because I just watched. And sometimes I never bother to come back to the thread, even though I LOVE the show and enjoy discussing it. I dunno, maybe I'm in the minority, but it actually turns me off from participating. :-( Again, I don't mean to be critical. Just some honest feedback, since it seems like you've sort of become the officially unofficially PIC (poster in charge) of the Top Chef threads.

[LindaWhit]

Others used to do the recaps when the show started up 7 seasons ago as well. I certainly wasn't the first to do it (do searches on the early seasons). Others would post and watch simultaneously and I eventually joined in that conversation. THAT is how a "recap" thread started....people were watching the show and posting their thoughts at the same time.

I know Phaedrus used to write more often, and goodhealthgourmet did as well. I think ghg doesn't because she's now located on the West Coast so she doesn't watch at the same time as I do (East Coast). Not sure if she still would watch/post if she still lived on the East Coast. As for spoilers, some people got very angry when details were put in and they read the thread (even though it pretty much said in the subject line what the thread was about), so "Spoilers" got added early on to let those know who hadn't watched the show yet NOT to read the thread until they had watched.

Many others used to start the threads; either they choose not to do so because they're not watching the show anymore, or just don't care. I don't know. I know for myself, it was helpful in the past to have people mention what was going on a la minute, as sometimes I'd miss something that was said or something that one of the cheftestants did on the show or in the kitchen. I'm not one to remember Every. Last. Little. Detail of a show 12 hours after I've watched it, so the recap is helpful to me to remember the next morning what went on.

And I'm not the poster in charge. I like Top Chef. I like watching it and talking to others about it and see if what they see is the same as me. I've just taken the reins with starting the discussions. If no one wants that, I'll then just do a recap for myself. But I'm not sure why a recap would turn you off from participating.

[lenwood]

I love the recaps and appreciate you for getting the conversation started.

[Parrotgal]

I like the recaps too. Especially early on, when there's so much I'm unfamiliar with and will forget by the end of the show, it refreshes my memory so I can more intelligently join in the discussion. Even later I tend to forge things until I read the recap.

[pg1chef]

i love and do enjoy reading the recaps etc every week after the show...even though i don't write...i am here reading it .so keep up the good threads. sometimes you miss things on the show that are brought up on the treads and want to go back and watch it again...thanks

[charmedgirl]

Thanks for the reply. :-) I do appreciate that you jump in and start the threads, as well as your love of the show. The recaps still aren't for me, but it's great to see others enjoy them. I suspected I was in the minority!

[chicgail]

My impression is that Linda just starts posting when the show starts and mentions everything that strikes her during that time and she has fun doing it.

Sometimes I read her whole post; sometimes I don't. What she says or how she posts or for that matter what anyone else says or what they post don't matter to me one way or the other. If you don't like it, just skip over it. If you don't want to participate in the thread you don't have to.

And the "official poster-in-charge" comment was a little snarky. Linda is completely unofficial in her role and her participation.

[LindaWhit]

Thanks to you and ChefJune. :-)

[charmedgirl]

"And the "official poster-in-charge" comment was a little snarky. Linda is completely unofficial in her role and her participation."

It's a shame you feel that way. I didn't intend it to be, and I genuinely don't think it was. I actually meant it as a compliment. Linda is like the Top Chef expert of Chowhound, and is recognized and respected for it by other posters.

[chicgail]

Ok charmedgirl, thanks for clarifying. Its not unusual for nuance in posts like these to be misinterpreted. My interpretation is hardly the truth. If you say you meant it as a compliment I will take you at your word.

[LindaWhit]

TC Expert? Oh lordy, no!!!

One of the most obsessed? Quite probably. ;-)

[sommrluv]

I love your caps, Linda. There are often things you see I don't notice, I don't remember the names or the judging details. So it's nice to come and discuss here, and have a little refresher at the top.

[LindaWhit]

Thanks. :-) As I said, TC is an obsession. Perhaps not a healthy one, but hey - now that they've got Ripert on the show, it's one addiction I'm just NOT giving up. ;-)

[charmedgirl]

Dude, EXPERT. :-D You have amazing recall on who appeared on what season, or what particular challenge someone screwed up on. After 6 or 7 (or whichever season we're in now), they've all started to blend together for me. ... I more often remember the WTF moments, like when Ilan won the finals. I still haven't gotten over it.

[LindaWhit]

Oh HELLLZZZ no! Recall? Nuh-uh. That's what Wikipedia is for. ;-)

As for Ilan. Well, we just don't discuss him. ;-) On that, we agree - Marcel *should* have won that (although Sam was my favorite from TC2).

[sommrluv]

I'm a marcel fan too! :) Though honestly...Sam lost me with the whole fish thing, I think they did it on purpose. BUT...that's a whole 'nother thread.

[LindaWhit]

Oh, I wasn't a fan of Marcel. I thought he was juvenile throughout the show (and for a good time afterward in interviews/other appearances on TC). But he didn't deserve to be jumped as he was - and he *did* deserve to win between him and Ilan.

[chicgail]

I couldn't agree with you more, Linda. I was thoroughly disappointed that Sam didn't win. He was the whole package (plus he was very nice to look at), but c'est la guerre.

When it came down to Ilan or Marcel, I grudgingly agree that Marcel was the better cook. I intentionally didn't say chef because I thought both of them were juvenile, puerile, and irritating and didn't deserve to be in charge of anything, least of all a kitchen. From the standpoint, once Sam was gone, I didn't care who won.

That was a very controversial season. If I recall correctly it was also the season of the attempted head-shaving. No one's best moment.

[ChefJune]

I like the recaps.

[debbiel]

I see it as live blogging (of course, I may be off on what live blogging means). If my schedule allowed me to watch live, I'd be on here with her. Instead, I come on here to read the recap as soon as I'm done watching on the dvr.

A season or two the gang over at internet food association was live blogging TC. Those were always fun posts. I'm surprised they're not doing that for the DC season.

[jujuthomas]

And I for one bless you for it, I never would be watching TC if you hadn't corrupted - I mean encouraged - me! ;)

[LindaWhit]

Hey, if I'm going to be addicted, I'm going to drag others down with me. Safety in numbers, and all that. ;-)

[wincountrygirl]

I like the recaps too. Especially this one since I still don't really know who' who outside of Angelo, Kenny and John.

[huiray]

OK, here's another take (sort-of recap) on this. :-)
http://eater.com/archives/2010/06/17/...

[LindaWhit]

This is pretty funny! Definitely a different look at the subject. :-)

[chicgail]

Love.

[brooklynkoshereater]

So excited for this season - Chef Ripert is such a great addition to an already well-thought out team of judges.

[toutefrite]

Really? John (the one with the "hair"), is known to be a good chef? As soon as I saw him pawing the frozen puff pastry, I knew he was gone. I thought his reference and faith in Cook's Illustrated was pretty funny, though. It didn't help the non-cooking of his subsequently poorly executed dish!

[goodhealthgourmet]

"I thought his reference and faith in Cook's Illustrated was pretty funny, though."
~~~~~~~
i thought his comment re: the puff pastry recommendation was the NY Times...?

[Caitlin McGrath]

It was, and the packages sure looked like Dufour (which Whole Foods sells), and that is an excellent product, in my own experience. The downfall was in his execution, I'm sure. If he'd knocked it out of the park, the issue of purchased pastry might never have come up.

[toutefrite]

Yes, NY times, sorry. But really? Even if it had been well executed, I don't think it could have competed with the other dishes.... the dish consisted of 3 things and he only made two, as they said. Wasn't one of the components whipped cream, or something else super simple?

[huiray]

I doubt I would ever dine at The Lark. The very thought of John (with the hair) messing with food that I might eat gives me the willies.

Angelo is a touch cocky but more confident than arrogant to me. He does seem to cook very well and knows he has good skills.

Kenny seems a little ungracious in the "thoughts" the magical elves show to us.

[chicgail]

This is going to be an interesting season, boys and girls. Fasten your seatbelts.

[sommrluv]

Oh, I have to say...that hair. There's a video on bravo that shows it coming past it's knees. I've had friends with dreadlocks...they are basically unwashable. You can massage shampoo in to them, but it's really difficult to rinse, and most of them didn't do it daily.

I totally get the need to express yourself. And if you are a chef, I'm going to assume that's easier to do as you are back of house, etc...and those long coats cover up the sleeve tatoos and such. But isn't there a point you say..."Ok, I won an award, I'm being recognized, I'm doing events....I should present a professional face to the public"

Besides, his hair just made me think he would have dirty fingernails...isn't that just horrid?

[ChinoWayne]

My theory is that John's almost immediate departure was pre-ordained. When they cast for this show it is a given that they are looking for photogenic, skillful cooks who have the potential to earn a high TV-Q score, but they are also casting potential losers. Remember the whole point of this show is to pitch products, and no commercial sponsor is going to want someone who looks like a disheveled street person to be associated with pitching their products.

His over all look, the fact that his dessert did not taste of maple syrup and the fact that he did not totally craft it were all telegraphing to the audience that this guy was doomed.

[chicgail]

I was actually surprised that John was eliminated at the first episode.

"Good television" loves weirdos and the slightly off-balance and villains and the people we love to hate. Casting makes sure that there are enough of those in a reality competition to keep people like you and me not only coming back to see what will happen, but to spend time talking about them -- like we are doing now.

[jgg13]

I was surprised he went home, for just the same reason. I figured they'd have that hot mess on for a while just for yuks. I know that I was disappointed, was looking forward to making fun of the big hippy for a while.

[dach]

I got to call out folks using his hair to disparage his hygiene.

I have to respond, don't ever eat out if you are squeamish about who is touching your food. Many places don't even wash their veggies. You don't know how many people are touching your plate and food, and what their state of health is. As mentioned in Kitchen Confidential ... most kitchen prep are from countries where they are likely to have parasites and hepatitis.

Also be very careful to clean your fresh produce before eating, as they are picked by migrant workers. Dirty! Ewww!

[Janet]

It wasn't just his hair that made him look dirty. My husband and I both were turned off by him. His skin looked dirty. His face and hands were dirty looking. He just looked like he needed a good scrubbing.
I know no one wants to see what happens in a kitchen. But we are looking at it up close. If you are dirty looking, no support from us.

[wincountrygirl]

Everything about him looked dirty to me - the hair, the teeth - even the thing on his head over the hair. I'm glad he's gone.

[jujuthomas]

I'm with you. I had a really hard time with his appearance. he just seemed unkempt and unclean. I've seen some nicely kept dreds, those were just a hot mess!

[chris2269]

It was either him or the Pate girl going home. If you cook a dish based on "Maple running through the trees" and it doesn't taste like Maple...

I'm sure he's a nice guy and can't speak to his cleanliness but thought he was the right choice to go.

As far as attitude and editing.. I hated Micheal last season and wanted Kevin to win. As part of a bet I ended having to take my girlfriend to dinner at The Dinning Room at Langham. After meeting Michael and tasting his food I found the food terrific and him one of the most humble and approachable Chefs I have met.

OK sorry might be a long post... I had a personal experience with reality TV. One of my friends wanted to get a tattoo by Kat from LA ink. I mean its a Tattoo show how much editing/ twisting does it need? While we were waiting apparently one of the employees had called in sick. We waited as the producer and the camera crew approached another employee and said "So this must be a tough job do you ever come in when you feel under the weather?" his response "you gotta do what you gotta do if this is your passion" They then asked "how do you feel about so and so calling in sick. "well if she was really sick blaa blaa blaa" This was then edited together later to sound like this guy just started going off on his own about the sick employee. Also while we were there a young Lady got a Tattoo for her husband serving in the military. After the Tattoo is done they do a reveal in a full length mirror. She loved the Tattoo a couple seconds later the producer stopped her and asked if they could do the reveal again but this time act more exited.

[sommrluv]

I think that's the hazard of reality tv...people THINK those on the screen are coming off themselves.

The people do interviews...sometimes a considerable amount of time after the fact. They aren't filming these between the challenges and the stew room. They are shown the video. Than they are asked questions, and asked to repeat the question within a question...often you'll hear the "cheftestants" say "Why did I think I was winning?" "Do I think she's a chef, no" etc...

They'll ask the same questions of everyone, and whoever answers the best...get's the airtime.

The people who ask these questions do it for a living...I am inclined to think they are really good at it, and making people feel at ease and comfortable, and therefore maybe more likely to say something versus when they are "on" and thinking about their choices of words...especially when someone might have a dislike for a competitor, but wouldn't voice it, but it almost seems like a gossip session with your friend, and you let on more than you should, or would have, normally.

[loriannkru]

When they sent him home, my thought was that all the other cheftestants must've been relieved that the "contestant most likely to be an axe murderer" had been....axed.

[sommrluv]

LOL!

[SDGourmand]

Angelo is easily the most accomplished. He'll definitely be in the finals if he doesn't win the whole thing. He's my favorite for the season.

[chicgail]

With Angelo -- or at least what we've seen so far of the editing of Angelo -- being what it is, you might find some people having strong disagreements about your favorite.

[SDGourmand]

That's fine with me I liked Hung and Michael Voltaggio from the beginning as well. We all know how those turned out.

[huiray]

I was somewhat turned off by Hung but thought Michael V was just fine by me.

[chicgail]

It cuts both ways. I liked Harold and Stephanie from the beginning. And we all know how that turned out. I guess we're all going to have to watch and wait and see.

[ChefJune]

Angelo is only ONE of the accomplished chefs in this competition. And I know that for a fact because I know two of the other chefs, and how they cook. So if you like Angelo, good for you, but I sure don't because I don't like his attitude.

[Ruth Lafler]

The lamb dish from Kevin looks absolutely fabulous! But I'm a pushover for lamb.
*************
I'm a pushover for lamb, too, and the dish looked delicious. But did anyone else wonder what Meyer lemons and pistachios were doing in a dish that was supposed to represent New Jersey? Why not some nice tomato confit? Although I guess if they were filming during the Cherry Blossom Festival it was April and tomatoes were out of season.

[LindaWhit]

Good point on the use of Meyer lemons and pistachios. But WF would certainly have organically grown Backyard Beauty tomatoes, wouldn't they? (Or maybe they still remain a New England-based produce item, as they're from Maine).

And the recipes are up on Bravo's website: the lamb STILL looks luscious!

http://www.bravotv.com/foodies/recipe...

[ChefJune]

Linda, we don't know what "Backyard Beauty" tomatoes are in New Jersey.

[delong99]

Backyard Beauty tomatoes are grown in greenhouses in Maine, and shipped only to locations that they can truck to in one day. You can buy them in NJ.

https://www.backyardfarms.com/where-t...

[ChefJune]

I don't want them. I have Jersey tomatoes! ;)

[LindaWhit]

LOL! I *KNEW* you'd be replying that way to delong, ChefJune! :-D (I remember Jersey tomatoes - OH so good!)

[Ruth Lafler]

Which is why I suggested tomatoes to represent Jersey. But I'm guessing there aren't any Jersey tomatoes in early April.

[ChefJune]

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

[ChefJune]

Looking forward to getting home this evening and watching Eric's video blog of last night's goings-on. ;)

[attran99]

Kenny = a calmed down version of Hung
Angelo = cocky and arrogant...but not as amusing as Stefan...and he rubs me the wrong way
Tracey = Rosie O'Donnell...and she's top 25 in Atlanta, not like she's the cream of the crop...I believe Kevin, Hector, and maybe Eli were probably leagues ahead of her on the list
John = scary...I would be afraid to find a hair in my food

I always feel so overwhelmed the first episode. So many new chefs and dishes...it was hard for me to keep it straight. I wish it was two hours instead of one. I know some people will disagree, but I wish they showed a bit more bio from each of the chefs so I could understand the dishes a bit better. An extra hour would also give us some more cooking time in the kitchen.
I love the mise en place challenge...it's one of my favorites and easily one of the most entertaining!
I've actually eaten at Alex's restaurant in L.A./Hollywood. While I wasn't terribly impressed, there were some highlights, so there is some skill there. I look forward to seeing how far he can go...and if the first Elimination is a sign, there might be good things to come.
I LOVE Eric Ripert...and am very glad he's a judge. So looking forward to another season of yummy food porn.

[LindaWhit]

Agree on the longer 2-hour premiere. Or at least 1-1/2 hours so they can show everyone's food. Even Colicchio said on his blog the hour's time limit was too short to see all the dishes, but called out a Key Lime something-or-other that someone made as an Honorable Mention in the Top group- and we didn't see it.

[Caitlin McGrath]

I think three people made desserts, and the only one we heard anything about was John's, because he was in the bottom. The others, they didn't even show the judges' reactions when tasting. So a third on more time, with so many cooks in the kitchen.

[goodhealthgourmet]

yep, it was three - all the dishes are on the website. Arnold made a citrus basil cake, and Lynne (the CIA instructor) made corn-camembert ice cream & waffles.

[chowser]

I get overwhelmed initially, too, and can't keep the cheftestants straight. I wish they'd take a page from Hell's Kitchen and have their names/restaurants/profession on the bottom when they show them. I was surprised with the QF that the chefs, who probably don't do as much prep/chopping as they move up, did better than the CIA instructor who's probably still doing it. But, at the same time, I couldn't remember who was who.

[Joanie]

Hell's Kitchen gives complete info? I always felt like they gave less info, just "sous chef" and nothing else. I'm pretty sure there's no city ever listed which you do see on TC (I think). But since HK is much less on my radar, I could be wrong.

[chowser]

Not complete information but when they show each person, they have their name/occupation below. At least that way, it's a little easier to place the person. Honestly, with their jackets on, they look too much alike to me.

[celfie]

I was hoping that John, the hippy mess, would turn out to be a secret master and blow everyone out of the water. I was disappointed that he was eliminated. he is so bizarre - it would have been interesting had he stayed. They should have eliminated the annoying fat girl. There's no way she's going to last.

[pitu]

after Top Chef Masters, regular Top Chef is so unappealing to me...
/sigh
although reading this thread makes it a little more interesting.
: )

[ChefJune]

I don't think they are the "same" at all. Two different shows with similar but quite different premises.

[pitu]

It's the same franchise, the same time slot and the same challenges - and sooooooo much more fun to watch when confidence and extreme expertise are in abundance. I think it's a mistake to move so quickly from one to the next, really sets up the comparison.

[Joanie]

I actually prefer the regular Top Chef I think (at least compared to TCM season 2) and the only reason I'm not glad it's back is cuz I have to keep track of another TV show. Summertime isn't a TV dead zone anymore, that's for sure.

[jgg13]

That's the beauty of the DVR. I don't even keep track of when shows are returning, they just start showing up on the DVR one day.

[mels]

Ugh, Tracy is my least favorite. I mean, calling one of the contestants a country bumpkin (or something like that) just because he is from Ohio? That's not being edited to look bad, that is making yourself look bad all on your own.

For some reason, Angelo's cockiness didn't rub me the wrong way like it seems to have for others on this thread. Is he super confident? Absolutely. But I didn't hear him tearing anyone else down. He is there to win, aren't they all?

What a fantastic call to have Eric Ripert as a judge. LOVE him. It doesn't hurt that he is easy on the eyes either... I like Top Chef Masters well enough but nothing beats the original Top Chef for me. So glad to have Padma back as opposed to Kelly on TCM.

[HabaneroJane]

As much of a robot Padma may be, watching Kelly host a food show was painful. Eat a cookie!

[LindaWhit]

Agreed on not having any issues with Angelo....yet. His cockiness is different than Stephan Richter's was.

But I do reserve the right to change my mind about Angelo several episodes in if he turns into a major poopyhead. :-)

[HabaneroJane]

On the same page as you, Linda, re Angelo.

[LindaWhit]

Actually, upon 2nd thought, I *do* have the inklings of a problem with Kenny. He got a bit bent out of shape when Angelo won the QF. Hey buddy - taste is in the mouth of the taster. Just because YOU thought your dish was better than Angelo's doesn't make it so! We'll see how many more inklings I get as the season goes on with Kenny.

And of course - every time I hear Kenny's name, I can only think of South Park and the orange sweat shirt hood. "Oh my God, they killed Kenny! ...You bastards!" :-D

[HabaneroJane]

Funny you should mention South Park, because Kenny reminds me of Chef!

[LindaWhit]

DING! LOL A double South Park reference!

[lizzy]

Ha! The only way it could be funnier is if Kenny is to to PYKAG at the end of a team challenge.

[ChefJune]

Where Angelo went south for me was when he was talking to Timothy and talking all that $h!t about who all he'd cooked with and "Have you been to Fraaaaance?" Just talking down to him, all the way.

[HabaneroJane]

ChefJune--you're right. That was so offensive and condescending.

[LindaWhit]

Wasn't it Timothy who asked Angelo if he'd been to France?

[ChefJune]

no. and if you remember, after that exchange there was an aside where Timothy said to the camera that Angelo was full of bull ****.

[LindaWhit]

Ahh, yes. Thank for remembering for me. :-)

[Ruth Lafler]

Yup. I don't mind cocky, but Angelo was clearly being condescending and/or trying to one-up Timothy. It was like instead of trying to find common ground, he was going to keep going until he found something he could lord over Timothy with.

[Dee S]

Oh and don't forget his "I was just in Monte Carlo, like last weekend" comment.

So not smooth.

[chowser]

And the name dropping (working with Jean George AND Ducasse) and then clarifying "Louis fifteen" as "Louis quinze." Pick one, everyone knows what you mean.

[SDGourmand]

He was asked who he worked for, it's not name dropping when it's your resume. There was another guy saying that he worked for Todd English(which I wouldn't tell anyone), Daniel Boulud and Laurent Tourondel. Angelo is for sure cocky but coming out and winning the first two challenges shows he can back up his cockiness.

[chowser]

I didn't hear that he was asked. They were talking about DC and he talked about working for Jean Georges there, then Ducasse, then continued talking about Monte Carlo last week, eating at Louis XV and then cut to Kevin talking about what an ass he was with what he was saying.

[SDGourmand]

They were talking about DC because that's where Kevin is from. So it's only natural that he would ask where Angelo worked and thats what we saw.

[ChefJune]

The conversation was with Timothy, who is from DC. Not Kevin, who is from New Jersey.

[chowser]

Thanks--I haven't learned the names yet.

[chowser]

I just watched it again. The camera just cut to the scene where Angelo talked about Jean George so we have no idea what happened before. They didn't show his being asked who he worked for, or anything for that matter. They could be editing it to look even more like he's full of himself but the entire scene just sounded like he was talking "bullshit" as Timothy later said.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"There was another guy saying that he worked for Todd English(which I wouldn't tell anyone), Daniel Boulud and Laurent Tourondel. "
~~~~~~
that's Ed Cotton. he's also Cat Cora's sous chef on Iron Chef America, but for some reason he didn't mention that ;)

[SDGourmand]

haha I would for sure leave that one out. Even Todd English is a step up from her. That was my mix up with Timothy and Kevin. Either way Angelo vs Kenny in the finals my prediction. The elves are already building it up.

[sommrluv]

It rubbed me a little wrong to, because wasn't he saying "do you know such and such?" And "do you know this person?" And using only the first names of famous people. It was fawning and purposeful and stunk of insecurity.

[vorpal]

Agreed about Angelo: he certainly came off as cocky and irritating in the introductions, but clearly the boy can cook, and to top matters off, he's the only contestant that's really easy on the eyes (and boy, is he ever)!

Having Eric Ripert should make for an awesome season. I love this guy.

[C. Hamster]

RANDOM THOUGHTS:

I already hate Angelo.

I am rooting for the older woman from the CIA.

What kind of moron turns their hand into a bloody pulp when peeling potatoes?

Eric Ripert! Yum. Great alternative to that pasty, sharp-tongued Toby Young .

I do wish they would find a place for that delightful elf, Gael as a judge on at least one or two episodes.

Tracy does seem like a real b*tch.

Did John last cut his hair during the Nixon Administration?

Why did Arnold buy a potted orchid at Whole Foods?

Didn't Stephen watch last year's epi where that big guy deep fried steak? It didn't go over too well.

[ChefJune]

<Eric Ripert! Yum. Great alternative to that pasty, sharp-tongued Toby Young .>

Difference between night and day! Eric is SO easy on the eyes. And he can cook, too! ;)

[HabaneroJane]

E Ripert seems like a kind judge. I want to see him get nasty!

[HabaneroJane]

to further clarify what I mean by Ripert being a kind judge--he should have had a Franco-freak out when he tasted that awful rock fish with the skin on it. Instead, his critique of it sounded like a romantic sonnet.

[wincountrygirl]

That is part of his charm. He is a class act all the way.

[viperlush]

<Why did Arnold buy a potted orchid at Whole Foods?>

Yes! I was thinking the same thing. I guess he wanted the flowers for decorating the plate?

And may I add... STOP WITH THE FOAMS ALREADY! It looks like the chef spit on the food before serving.

[goodhealthgourmet]

"STOP WITH THE FOAMS ALREADY!"
~~~~~
i've been saying that for a year. my new peeve is that apparently all the chefs want to *deconstruct* everything.

[HabaneroJane]

Amen, goodheathgourmet! Agreed. And I know "everything tastes better with bacon," but the pig is starting to become pretty cliched as well..

[Caitlin McGrath]

Foam was kind of over (and overdone) when Marcel was putting it everywhere firve seasons ago.

I don't really want deconstruction unless it's required by the challenge (and they don't need to repeat that one), plus, as Tom says, they usually get it wrong. That said, whatshisname's play on borscht was a pretty clever call in the context of the challenge, and apparently well done.

When Angelo was telling the judges what he made in the EC, I could have sworn I heard him say, I'm from Connecticut where blah blah blah, "so I have this smoked arctic char, which I've deconstructed" and go on to so what else was on the plate. Huh? I *must* have misheard, right?

[Dee S]

Caitlin, I was thinking the same thing about Angelo's dish. How do you deconstruct a piece of fish? Maybe we missed something in the editing and his dish was a deconstruction of a composed dish.....I don't know but it sounded strange.

Glad to have the show back so I can read everyone's comments. Love you guys!!!! *grin*

[chickstein]

AMEN!

[LindaWhit]

< Did John last cut his hair during the Nixon Administration? >

:::snort:::::

[vorpal]

I was wondering the same thing about Arnold. After his comments about hiring a stylist and appearance consultant (or something similar) upon finding out he was to be on TC, I figured that he was mostly style without substance, and that the flower fit into that.

[huiray]

Hmm...yet Gail Simmons took pains in her blog to single out Arnold's cake as one of two that particularly impressed her but which did not get air-time.

[vorpal]

Thanks for pointing this out! I haven't ever checked out the judges' blogs (I really should do that), so I didn't know. Good to hear, as I'm a huge fan of SE Asian food and would love to have Arnold do well.

[lizzy]

Good start to the new season! Alex' deconstructed borscht looked fantastic. It looks like there is going to be a rivalry between Angelo and Kenny this season. Both seem very talented, but Angelo's attitude is off putting to say the least. I honestly thought the gap in the Bravo poll would be greater than 74-26, Angelo must have a large family.

I'm looking forward to what's next, ,and Anthony Bourdain is back for at least one episode, yay!

[HabaneroJane]

Loving the tension between Angelo and Kenny.
The Rosie O' Donnell look alike is the resident beeyotch, I guess. But can she cook?
Glad they booted John. I couldn't look at him without thinking he needed a long, hot shower. Yuck.

[LindaWhit]

OMG! THAT'S who she looks like - Rosie O'Donnell! That must have been a factor in almost the instant aversion I had for her, in addition to the abrasive personality.

[lizzy]

Rosie, yes! Good call.

[James Cristinian]

I just saw the show, and that was Rosie, as I told my wife. Does anyone besides me see a resemblance between John and Carla, the glasses, the eyes. Angelo needs to go away, but I know he won't. What was the line, "I won ha,ha,ha,?",or something to the effect.

[lenwood]

I was also thinking of the resemblance between John and Carla. So you're not alone there.

[wincountrygirl]

hooty hoo!

[DexterM]

Boy oh boy does Master Chef with Gordon Ramsey look like a lame combination of Top Chef and Next Food Network Star! Is this post innocuous enough to not be deleted?

[Withnail42]

At least I know I wasn't the only one who was thinking of Lisa last night.

Seems like a very talented bunch.

Great recap LW!

[goodhealthgourmet]

i just remembered one of my other thoughts - Tracy is way too negative for my taste. with that huge chip on her shoulder and the sourpuss she reminds me of Lisa Fernandes from season 4.

[eviemichael]

I was thinking the same thing (re: Tracy reminding me of Lisa). Also, Angelo's attitude turns me off as well...but to give him the benefit of the doubt-maybe it is the editors at work....

[LindaWhit]

Yeah, that's why I said she was abrasive. She just seems to be edited to show major snark, but not "nice snark".

[lizzy]

Good catch, ghg, I didn't even make the Lisa connection. I really hope she does not follow in Lisa's footsteps. I'm not sure I can deal with another angry person making it all the way to the finals, especially if she doesn't have the skills to back it up, just like Lisa.

[skoolpsyk]

Eric is so damn suave!

[mrsjoujou]

That is the only reason I am watchingTC. I could listen to his delicious accent FOREVER. I told my husband, they should give Eric more air time :)

[LindaWhit]

He could say anything and I'd say "yup!" with a sh*t-eating grin on my face. :-)

[Phaedrus]

Its going to be a longggg, drool filled season.

[LindaWhit]

Tee hee! The Drool bucket is at the ready. :-)

[Ruth Lafler]

Linda, did you notice that Ripert is doing a *video* blog for Bravo?

[LindaWhit]

But of course. And I commented there as well. :-)

[huiray]

http://www.esquire.com/blogs/food-for...

[LindaWhit]

Thanks for feeding my obsession, huiray. And as has been said many times before, they judge the FOOD. And John's food stunk:

ESQUIRE: So John got cut first. It wasn't because of his crazy hair, right?
ER: No, no, no…

ESQ: Why was it then?
ER: [His dish] was grainy and liquid and it was disgusting. It didn't taste at all like maple syrup. The presentation was sloppy, and we just — it was impossible to keep him on.

[chicgail]

Great blog. Are they going to run it every week?

[LindaWhit]

Based on the comments welcoming the blogger back, I think he's done it for past seasons of TC, so we'll have to bookmark it for later! :-)

ETA: Oops, thought we were talking about the Eater.com blogger article linked below by huiray. :-)

[huiray]

Based on what both sites say at the top of both webpages it seems that the ER interview and the Max S shtick will be weekly occurences. Heh.

[goodhealthgourmet]

Great blog. Are they going to run it every week?
~~~~~~~~~
first sentence below the title:

"After every episode of this season of Top Chef, we'll be getting guest judge (and executive chef at New York City's Le Bernardin) Eric Ripert's behind-the-scenes take on what happened."

looks like it! :)

[goodhealthgourmet]

ok, i'm just going to put this out there now, and flame me for it if you must...i know John is a highly respected chef in his region, but i couldn't get past his appearance. the thought of someone with that totally unkempt nappy hair preparing my food is a serious turnoff. he seems like a genuinely nice guy, but he's just so grungy, i honestly wouldn't want him handling something i was going to eat.

so, random observations:
- i'm definitely with Linda on the Hung flashbacks during the QF. man, Kenny was fast! glad to see no one showed up with dull Casey Thompson knives :)
- i was hoping to see a better showing from Ed after reading his impressive bio - he had been on my radar, but only as Cat Cora's sous chef on ICA!
- Kelly Liken lost to Garces on ICA recently, so i was curious to see how she'd fare in such a different competition...not too promising so far.
- i don't know WHAT Jacqueline was thinking by preparing that mousseline without fat, and when i heard her say she decided not to run it through a tamis to smooth it out i knew she was screwed. if this was representative of her skill or how she handles pressure, i don't see her lasting very long.
- i could have sworn Tom said that one of the EC dishes was "as bland as i am." did i hear that wrong? it was funny :)

i know there was more, but i can't remember now. these early episodes are always too chaotic - i like it once a few chefs have been eliminated so we can get a better sense of them as individuals and keep track of everyone.

oh, and *so happy* to have Padma, Tom, Gail and Eric at the table instead of Kelly & the Masters critics!!

[chris2269]

Yeah it's hard early on. If you read the bios of the contestants, everyone looks impressive. That being said one slip can send someone really talented home. As far as being the site being edited I know as soon as I write something it will be gone...and not that i disagree. Anytime I start arguing on the Internet I know it's gonna be a waste of time.

[ChefJune]

< If you read the bios of the contestants, everyone looks impressive. That being said one slip can send someone really talented home. >

Absolutely! Remember Tre from season 3?

I HATE Angelo! I want to slap him from here to Sunday! What a horse's a$$! Who died and named him King? Does he have one humble bone in his body?

There are a lot of seriously talented chefs in this year's group, and Angelo is one of them, but only one! There are a whole host of great chefs we didn't really even see this week, with that large number of cheftestants.

I'm guessing Jacqueline will be the next one gone. Her opening comment of wanting a "self-taught, caterer" to kick butt in this competition -- I think -- forebodes an early departure. And that mousse??? what was she thinking?

[LindaWhit]

Ahhh, but if you read Colicchio's blog, some of them DID show up with dull Casey Thompson knives - editing only showed one person cutting themselves, but he said several of them did during the QF...and admonished the cheftestants to sharpen their knives before they get to any competition!

[Withnail42]

Have to agree liked John and his intensity. He certainly seems like a decent guy. But I too was a little thrown off by the hair. He reminded my of the woman last season with the tribal ear lobes she too was the first to go. Here in New York they use John in posters along with four or five other contestants. Implying that he went further than he did.

[Parrotgal]

I really, really hated the dreadful dread(s). Same as I hate face piercings (nose doesn't bother me unless it's in the middle) and big holes in the ears. I've adjusted to sleeve tattoos, although I can't help thinking how much my tastes have changed since I was 20, so I'm grateful I never did anything like that. John did seem like a nice guy, and his concept was pretty cool, just not well executed.

I'm so glad Toby is gone I can't believe it! Love Eric Ripert!

Angelo is a bit of a butt, but I wonder if they're editing it that way so his eventual fall will be huge. Who knows? Hung and Michael V were hugely, obnoxiously confident from the beginning, and they both won.

[karenfinan]

actually, Tom C. states in his blog some did show up with dull knives!

[ooroger]

Following hot in the heels of Ann Arbor-based Eve (an early departure from last year's Top Chef), John from Detroit goes home first. Not the best start for Michigan, my new home state.

And why dont they ever mix up Judge's Table? Everyone knows that the first chefs who are called to appear are the winners.

[chris2269]

Ha HA

So great episode

I think the battle between Kenny Gilbert and Angelo Sosa will be great. Which will last longer? I think Angelo ..but its still early. My pick for the Dark Horse , because I always love an under dog is Kelly Liken. I also have to think Stephen Hopcraft should do well.

[coney with everything]

ooroger, I felt the same way. The Lark is so well-regarded, I was sad to see him do so poorly.

And welcome to the Great Lakes state!

[sommrluv]

(for John)

[mojoeater]

Looks like Kenny and Angelo are the ones to watch...