jsmeeker

It's clear they made a concious decision to EXCLUDE past winners. I don't have a problem with that. But maybe the show needs a new name. Like the "Second Chances" Chris suggests. It's not like they are bringing back poor contestants.

Looks like they aired the first episode using this new format last night. It was the Philly Cheesesteak showdown between Pat's and Tony Luke's. (I was a little surprised it wasn't between Pat's and Geno's) The most interesting thing about this change is that it is no longer a blind tasting.

I went to a Burger King a few weeks ago. It was the first time I had been to one in many years. There aren't too many of them around me. There was always some other big burge chain (McDonald's, Wendy's) much closer. Anwyay, I went to check out the Steakhouse XT burger. Took forever to get it. I swear, I think I could have gotten a burger at a place like Five Guys a lot faster. So, that right there was a negative. The burger was OK. IMHO, better than anything McDonalds serves up (even their Angus Burger). The BK burgers DO pick up some of that "flame broiled" char. That's a fairly unique flavor for a big fast food chain. Still, I don't think I'll be going back. Nearest location is just too far away. But if I happened to be in the position where choosing between BK and McDonalds or even Wendy's was presented to me, I would consider BK.

How does one make a drive through more compelling? As others have mentioned, it is really about food. There are plenty of nicely designed McDonald's restaurants around. The decor isn't what's keeping me from frequenting them.

No Velvet Tango Room? That's too bad. Such a fantastic place.

Could Seth bee a bigger drama queen?

That looks like a solid line up. Nice to see three Dallas/Ft. Worth chefs in there.

Tre popped back up in at least one special that brought back several contestants from several seasons. IIRC, it was some sort of holiday special. Casey Thompson popped back up as a sous for one of the finalists in a recent season. Hung was a season three person, too. He's been back a few times, including very recently!

I really have nothing against the Nom Nom crew. But I gotta say, I was thrilled that they didn't win the grand prize.

Tableau is a nice place. Been there for both breakfast and lunch. (it's no longer open for dinner. Another victim of the tough times in Las Vegas). Not only does Tableau have a vegan menu, ALL the restaurants in Wynn/Encore have one now. Pretty interesting. Yeah, they guy with his name on the building can get his way. But Steve could always get that without the need to have actual menus offered for all guests. Really, a nice touch from a class operation.

I skip breakfast on workdays. So, that means I am skipping a lot of breakfasts. On weekends and holidays, it's pretty normal for me to make something. Usually, eggs. Or oatmeal. Sometimes it will be pancakes or french toast or waffles. Every now and then, I have a box of cereal on hand. I know this is a bad habit. I know I ought to eat something reasonably wholesome in the AM, not long after getting up. The main reason I don't do it on workdays is because I would need to get out of bed earlier each day.

Loved the Paris episode, too. During the 100th Episode special show that proceeded the actual 100th episode, Tony talked about the show having two audiences. One that watched it more for the travel stuff and another who watched it more for the food stuff. Any given episode was bound to piss off one of those groups. We know which one the Paris episode pissed off (I'm not in that group) Cool too see Robuchon on the show. Sorta makes me regret not making the effort to actually go to his event at Las Vegas Uncork'd back in May. But I'm sure David Ross can share his stories again. Also, the Madrid episode was good. I really ,really, really want to try Jamon Iberico.

Earlier, someone made the excellent observation that this is really more of a business competition and less of a food competition. You really gotta hand it to NomNom. They DO know how to run a successful business.

Not so sure one off season after several good seasons in a row is a slide. I would need to see two back to back off seasons before saying the show on a downhill slide. I agree with those who prefer the "Cook your thing" format for the finale. I was really surprised Kevin won. I don't think many had picked him to take the title.

When I do a roast chicken, I usually brine it, then spatchcock it, then do a high heat roast. But last week, I decided to roast one whole. Bought a nice Bell and Evans chicken from Whole Foods. It was just under 4 pounds. Brined it. Then trussed it. Roasted it at about 400. Started breast side down. Then flipped it over 20 minutes or so into the cooking. Basted it with some melted butter a few times while cooking. This is what I got

He's the chef at Valentino in the Venetian right? He had one of the best dishes at the Uncork'd Grand Tasting. And he was at the station all night cooking and plating it for everyone.

I was so happy when I heard them announce 'Top Chef' and not 'Amazing Race'. Nice to see a new winner in that category.

can you actually work with the iPad through the plastic bag? I imagine either hanging the iPad from a cabinet door our using some sort of stand/mount.

Chris, What kind of ice cream machine are you using to freeze it?

sounds pretty good to me. I have some Riedel glasses for red wine. They are from a line made for Target. They are pretty nice. $10 a stem. I use them for any red wine. I also have some small wine glasses I use for white. They are kinda clunky and have a thick lip. But I bought them long ago from Crate and Barrel when I moved into my apartment. I just needed something. If I had the space to store them, I would get a new set to use for white wines. Maybe the white wine glass from that Riedel line from Target. OR maybe these. I actually have a Stölzle wine glass that I got when attending a food and wine festival in Charleston last year. It's pretty nice. (though it does have a logo for the festival along with a logo for Piggly Wiggly etched into the glass) What about sparkling wine? Do you use a flute for those? I have a set of basic flutes, too.

It's a very popular item at the gift shop in the Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

It's commercial TV. It's a lot easier to get people to watch likeable people.

I don't buy them too often, but really do like them. They are great for making a chocolate cookie crumb pie crust. Something I learned from Cooks Illustrated. And just yesterday, I spied something that is timed right for this time of the year. Oreos in the shape of footballs!! Perfect for your upcoming game watching parties.

Something with Thomas Keller. That would be awesome. "Ad Hoc at Home" would probably be best. But mixing in some "Bouchon" would be nice. This could work on PBS

I've always used Cascade. For a while, I was using Cascade Complete. But now, I either can't find it in the standard powder form, or it's sold in a size that makes it less economical than the normal stuff. Really, I can't recall exactly why I switched back to standard Cascade.