rconnelly

my prediction is that sara is going to take the big prize...not because she's the best chef, but because a woman "needs" to win this season, and they sure as hell can't give it to casey after the onion debacle...so i think sara will come out smelling like a rose! ← I agree, but I was under the impression that the guest judge provided the "prize", not Top Chef people.

and anything!

We're down to seven; after tonight it will be six. I think it's time to "bet" on the final four. My guess: Dale, Hung, Sara and CJ

Bistro Zin is no more...I have not been to Poca Casa but that is on my list to try...I will get back with you in a bit ← Poca Cosa is a treat! Went there the other night and had a most amazing mole. Susanna Davila always has at least one on the chalkboard menu daily. Order the Plato Poca Cosa - chef's choice of three menu items - the combos will be different for everyone at the table. I'd make reservations though.

I watched "The Restaurant" faithfully and the one episode where the vibe was actually palpable was when Rocco stepped into the kitchen. It was the one truly great episode. Rocco was a jerk otherwise. But his partner Geoffery Shoudrow was a bit of a prick as well.

Thank you for the kind comments. No, not blogging anywhere else other than writing my thoughts in this thread. I'd like to read the comments of the woman that Colicchio referred to as 'blogging' about the show. If anyone knows the producers and can get me an in, be my guest. I was confused about the opening elimination challenge on this week's show. Now mind you, I get confused easily. Confusing was the fact that Padma opened the show by showing the menu from Red Robin. But I didn't hear her mention that the challenge was to create a new burger for Red Robin. Was that mentioned as the goal of the challenge? I thought we were going back to Rocco DeSpirito and creating a new frozen entree for Bertolli. (I wondered what happened to poor Rocco after his little Italian place in New York showed him the door and then voila, there he was judging an elimination challenge on Top Chef). Now I don't have a problem with Red Robin. I love their bleu cheese burger. And I certainly understand corporate 'food' companies plying their vittles on television. Bravo is not stupid. A mention of Red Robin on Top Chef probably cost the company that owns Red Robin a pretty penny and I am sure Bravo wasn't shy in accepting their money, aka Bertolli. But I thought it was odd to mention Red Robin on a show that is a competition between some of the country's very talented, up and coming chefs of fine dining restaurants. Another confusing moment was when Daniel Boulud walked in. No, not confusing to see one of the most talented and revered chefs of the day to appear as a judge on Top Chef. But Boulud and Red Robin? Isn't that sort of like the difference between Target and Saks Fifth Avenue? So if the intent was, (and remember, I didn't catch Padma mention it,), to create a new burger for Red Robin, I just thought it was odd to associate the challenge with Daniel Boulud-a man who creates $125 burgers of Kobe beef studded with black truffles and served with a slab of foie gras. I am sure you will help clear up my confusion. Staying with my thought that the challenge was to create a new signature burger for Red Robin, (and all the corporate trappings that go along with such recognition-"now featuring our tuna sashimi burger with seaweed shavings from Top Chef Hung"), I thought some of the chefs missed the mark. (I actually didn't care for the looks of the 'tempura chips' on Hung's burger). It looked like Boulud certainly enjoyed Howie's burger with black truffles, but would that sell at Red Robin? I think the diners at the Red Robin in Billings, Montana might go for a bison burger with smoked cheddar, but truffles? And charge more than $12.95 for a burger, I don't think so. So forgive me, I just thought the introduction of the Red Robin menu meant the challenge was to create a Red Robin burger. If the challenge was to create a unique burger that could be served at such a temple of haute cuisine as Daniel in New York, why did they pull out the plastic coated Red Robin menu? I thought Boulud's comments were right on the mark-especially his thoughts that burgers should be served on buns and definately not on bread, which is a sandwich, or certainly not wrapped in lettuce leaves, which is a dish unto itself and never called a burger. Thanks again for the comments about my thoughts on Top Chef. One can only imagine what drama awaits us over the course of the next few weeks. ← I don't think there was anything mentioned at all about a burger for Red Robin. I think it was a point of reference and of course and advertiser.

My thoughts exactly re" the burger smashing. And as far as the scented candles goes, Hung was as much a part of the mistake as Dale was, but he just stood there laughing.

My money is on Brian, although I'd love to see either Hung or Howie depart.

You mean this season? Or ever?

Haven't tried them, but I think we should reserve judgement before we complain (although I'm not a big fan of mint stuff Oreos or chocolate stuff Oreos or big stuff Oreos.

I don't think it's rigged but I'm curious as to whether it is more intensively scripted/directed during the parts of the show that are not specifically set in the kitchen. It would be clearly unethical to script or direct the competition as it occurs in the kitchen. I'm watching the show in two ways: the first way just accepting what I see as "real", or real enough. Just watching a TV show. The other way I'm watching it is in a mode of analysis with not the eyes of a chef or as someone who cooks or just as a television viewer seeking entertainment, but rather with the eyes of someone who would have this show placed before them with the instructions "Direct this and produce it. Make this show catch the viewer's attention and keep it." Writing a good story, fiction or not, means using a certain bag of tricks to do it best. Just as in any recipe for cooking, there are lots of technical things one has to remember and use in order to make it work well. If it were me in charge of this show (ha, ha, I do have an ego don't I ) I would use everything at my (ethical) disposal to make it simmer and simmer and simmer till the bitter end. So I do wonder about image styling and high heel possible trickery because all these things do matter in terms of creating and maintaining an entertaining drama, even in small ways. These sort of things are like the glue that helps hold the (larger) story together. An image stylist is not always used to create the most beautiful things - they are used to create the thing that is most useful for the final goal. Yeah, I definitely think Casey's green top was chosen by an image stylist. And I won't say anything more about why. If scripting or outside-of-kitchen directing is as intensive as I am only guessing it might be, will that finally affect who wins? I sort of doubt it, actually. It's just interesting to watch and consider it all. ← If Casey's top had been picked by am "image styleist" I think they would've picked better pants. They just didn't "match". I also think the carping about the high heels was just sour grapes on Sara's part. She was looking forward to going out and partying and when this was taken away, rather than complain about the change she focused on high heels.

I know folks who can do it in less time, although with the change in prep time the mole might've suffered. But if we're paying like they did, that was an unknown.

Mole, what else? The show was called "something or other chocolate". Right? Plus it can be done so many ways and feeds a lot of people. I'd add tortillas, maybe borracha beans, maybe a mixed green thing?????

I'm with you on everything but the ceviche. Isn't ceviche a hangover cure in some cultures? It's been a lot of years since I went clubbing in Miami (so long ago, South Beach was where the elderly people on limited incomes lived), but last night, I was thinking that was the one thing I'd love to run into while out partying. Cold, spicy, limey, fresh ceviche. ← Sriracha might've worked with chocolate ice cream.

"Elements of Style" is one of those books I use all the time. I recommned it to people who ask me about writing books. I've given away so many copies you would've thought E.B. White was a relative. Can't wait! This one is destined to be a classic!

Instead og B & G, I'd do Neptune Oyster in the North End on Salem Street. Eastern Standard near Fenway has an eclectic menu. sometimes pricey, but way good! And for italain, i'd do Marco again in the North End.

I agree wholeheartedly although I've only eaten at Momofuku Ssam for dinner. The steamed buns are a must. But I doubt you can go wrong with anything.

I don't think it was a faux pas at all upon a second watching. It looked more like a general congrats to both. As far as the way he looked.... I think his underwear was too tight! I watched Rory's reaction to losing again. I'm even more unimpressed by her poor manners. She knew she had a 50/50 chance. I just think she likes herself a tad too much. Two reality shows! Get real!

That host is the producer, I believe! What about Micah calling herself a "very pale African-American"? I liked the look on Cliff's face. It showed her complete unawareness of everything- I think people were uncomfortable with the comment, even though she thought she was funny.

I had to respond to this one, as well as a few points that were made in other's posts. I wonder if any of you have waited tables, AND whether or not these are chain restaurants. I waited tables in a LOT of chains for a LOT of years, and I think there is a lot of irritation being caused by the waitstaff, and that the public is COMPLETELY UNAWARE that the management and corporporate "policies" of these chains DEMAND of their servers. There is ONE way to do everything right, and if you do it any other way than that, you actually get in trouble. Let me share with you a few of these things. 1. You are required to take people's orders in a particular pattern based on the seating at the table or booth. If the lady is not sitting in "seat #1," you have to take the orders in the wrong order and then go away and re-write the ticket before you present it or enter it. The kitchen plates up the orders based on Seat #1 being the first seat to your right as you stand and face the table, for example. So if you were sitting on the left at a 4-top, you would be seat 4. I would have to take your order and make sure I knew that was Seat #4 when I wrote it down, then take all the other orders in the right order. Then, when I enter it into the computer or re-write the ticket, I'd have to take the time to enter everything in the correct order. You get in trouble if someone runs your food and the food for seat #1 is not actually for the person sitting in seat #1. 2. Pepper mills and cheese graters are always in extremely short supply. It's not the waitstaff's fault that there may be only one, or perhaps 2 and one is broken or missing, and that the management will not buy another one. Everyone has to share what's available. If you take the mill and leave it on the table, the other servers get pissed at you when they go to find it where it normally lives and it's not there. they would march up to the hostess and ask who has table #X and then go find you, probably in the middle of another duty, and tell you to PLEASE GO GET THE PEPPER MILL OFF TABLE X AS MY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR IT FOR 5 MINUTES NOW. You have to share everything, while still trying to provide the customer what they want. The only way to do this is to grind it for them so you can put it back immediately, lest you face the wrath of other servers. And let me tell you, you don't want that. 3. In chain restaurants, you get into big trouble if you do not approach a table within 30 seconds of sitting down to welcome them and ask for their bev. order. Professional people come in and surreptitiously pose as customers and do "shops" of restaurants, and they grade the server on all the steps of service, and this is the first one. You get docked points if you don't, for example, greet them within 30 seconds, remove empty plates as soon as they are empty (they call it "cleaning as you go"), BRING the dessert tray out to them INSTEAD of asking if they've saved room for dessert (you actually aren't allowed to ask - you have to bring the tray as they say once the customer SEES the dessert, they're more likely to order it), etc. You get in trouble if there are dirty/empty plates or glasses on the table. You're told to clear them immediately, as people finish. 4. The glance of disapproval if you don't get an app, or if you don't get alcohol, or another round of drinks, or if you ask to split an entree, is because a server is "graded" on their check average per table. At the end of the night, the computer report will tell you how much you averaged per person at each table. When the number is low, the management yells at you and tells you you have to get your check average up; this is done by pushing the extras, and hard - apps, alcohol/refills, add-ons like mushrooms or onions or loaded potatoes and desserts. Obviously you have the right to get what you want, but sometimes in the middle of a busy, stressful service when you've been taken to task for a week straight because of your low check average, it's hard not to flinch or show disappointment when another table just wants to get the most inexpensive item on the menu, only water to drink and they want to split the entree. You can actually get let go for low check average. These are just a few off the top of my head. ← Three chhers for explanining the corporate mentality that is one of the biggest problems in the hospitality business these day. And in defense of servers, customers can be a real pain in the ass. I eat out all the time and I make a point of watching other tables. Customers can be rude, uneducated and slobs. I'm embarrassed to be a human being sometimes after seeing how other customers act. And if management doesn't take the time to train well, every one suffers.

I thought Rory was extremely ungracious. Pretend fro chrisakes! But then she wanted this "So friggn' bad". I wondered to about Amy's husband. Did you know that he is French? Maybe he's been banished to France. Her wjole "Gourmet Nest door" thing was off-putting and Rory changed her Theme every week. I sure hope next season is better.

I don't think so. The one comment I remember was a woman commenting on how dry it was. And no one really made mole? what's up with that? Mole can go so many ways; maybe they should all come on down to Tucson to learn how it can be done.

Totally Fake, and from what I understand still not the truth. I believe he was discharged from the Marines -don't know if it was an honorable discharge - and he was asked to leave the culinary school. As far as Amy or Rory goes, they both are pretty bad. Amy is as phony as they come and how Rory got there I can't begin to guess. I think whats his face is in love with her. Check out the way he looks at her. The show seemed to suffer from overthink, just like the second or third season of every reality show seems to. Maybe we'll luck out and get better choices next season.

Of course, it's all service. Different degrees of service, but sevice nonetheless. Now quality of service...that's the question.

I agree 100%. A slow night at just about any type of place often results in crappy service. The resaurant business thrives on a fast pace and controlled chaos.