Top Chef: Season 3

[JoRic]

I just have to say how NICE the last few weeks have been without Gail.....

Speaking of her....unless I'm completely losing my mind here.....during the promos they have been showing all week for tonight's episode I could have SWORN there was a brief clip of her saying yada-yada-yada "was UNexcusable".  I don't really know if that is proper grammar, but for some reason it stuck out as sounding wrong to me (flashback to at least one other instance of Ms. Editor flubbing a sentence).

Then TONIGHT (and I'll go rewatch to be positive)....during the same sentence she said INexcusable.

It is completely possible that I'm losing it, but can anyone else verify a difference between the promo and the actual show?

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I noticed the same thing! At first I thought I was losing it, too!!

[TAPrice]

It always seems like half the judge's commentary is overdubbed. When Tom delivers the final judgments, and the camera focuses on the contestants, the voice sounds too polished and practiced to be off the cuff. Maybe they fixed Gail's comment in the overdub session?

[Curlz]

If we're going to talk about ginORmous grammatical errors, let's start with Padma, at the judge's table (with Col Mustard, and the knife? haha), telling Dale and Sara "One of you ARE going to Aspen, and one of you ARE going home!" I actually yelled at the television at that point.

[scubadoo97]

Grammar aside, I thought last nights episode was one of the best in terms of challenges. Doing wacky challenges does not make a top chef. Being able to do classic dishes is a better measure of a chef's ability.

[BeauNoze]

Last night's episode was excellent. Just bare bones, THIS is real cooking.

Wonder if the sales of Food Savers will go up after this.

[Darcie B]

If we're going to talk about ginORmous grammatical errors, let's start with Padma, at the judge's table (with Col Mustard, and the knife? haha), telling Dale and Sara "One of you ARE going to Aspen, and one of you ARE going home!"        I actually yelled at the television at that point.

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I didn't yell at the TV, but I did correct Padma out loud on that one. I can't believe they didn't edit that!!

I would like to have heard more deliberations. Basically, it sounded to me like the judges were wondering which sin was worse, poor conceptualization or poor execution. To me, for a Top Chef, poor conceptualization would be more important. After all, it's Top Chef, not Top Cook.

I'm glad though because I really like Dale. He reminds me a lot of one of my good friends.

With all the foreshadowing about Dale and Casey's friendship I was sure Dale was going home. They got me!

Edit to add: I was surprised to see Hung doing sous vide in a stockpot. Isn't that a no-no? Of course maybe for chicken breast the time is shorter so there isn't as big an issue.

Edited September 20, 2007 by Darcie B (log)

[Kevin72]

Yep, both Quickfire and Elimination challenges were exactly what this show should be about.

I did think, and still kinda do, that Dale should have been the one going home. First, I fall into the "failed conception" camp as the worst error. But also, there was some failed execution in his dish, as well: the chicken was dry and he forgot the sauce!

[Kevin72]

With all the foreshadowing about Dale and Casey's friendship I was sure Dale was going home. They got me!

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Oh, yeah. I totally fell for that one. My wife even signed off on him after that comment.

[dockhl]

With all the foreshadowing about Dale and Casey's friendship I was sure Dale was going home. They got me!

I thought the same thing........"Kiss of death!"

[Vinotas]

I have to say I was fine with this week's elimination. I never did like Sara and didn't believe she deserved to be this far in.

The cooking was basic, good ingredients done well, which really shows a chef's talents. This one really spoke to me, I have to say.

I think Casey and Hung will be the ones to beat unless there's a major screwup on either of their parts. Hung has the technique, but his food is less soulful than Casey's. And that might make the difference at the end.

And good God, what was Padma wearign at the FCI???? It looked like a fancy potato sack.

Cheers!

[Vinotas]

With all the foreshadowing about Dale and Casey's friendship I was sure Dale was going home. They got me!

Me too.

This season, I've found that whenever they focus too much on one single contestant, out they go. About 30 minutes into this one I said, "Dale's out".

Oops.

[junehl]

I was semi-amazed that Hung won the elimination challenge as well as the quickfire challenge.

It seemed in both instances they had enjoyed Casey's dish more, but I guess Hung won based on technique.

[scubadoo97]

same here. I though it was Dale for sure due to the foreshadowing of his closeness to Casey and the fact that he can't seem to get it right under pressure.

[tmgrobyn]

I really want to say "Finally!". A challenge worthy of "Top Chef" material. This episode is what all the episode should be about. The cheftestants walked in the holy of holies last night and tried to take the stone from the hands of the masters. Hung and Casey came closest, yet even they were a bit off the mark. There had to be a chosen winner and loser so the Masters did their level best in choosing a winner and a loser.

Bourdain, in his assessment, got it right. These arethe masters. These guys are True Top Chefs. I think the word chef is used pretty loosely on this show. We really have a bunch of cooks, wanting to be chefs, and the title that will be awarded is worth the studio script it's printed on. If you haven't got the mettle you just don't have it.

Hung and Casey's ability to recognize where they were was what won it for them. Simple ingredients were given. Hello....how hard was it to recognize you were being asked for classic cuisine here? Brian's effort was a joke. He's a fish guy and we all really know it now. Dale, well, Dale still doesn't know who he is, he's scattered and a bit like wheat in the wind. Sara, proved once again she's a one trick pony. She may grow to be a decent chef someday, but she needs to develop some depth to her repertoire. Dale's comment about how hard it is is probably true, us armchair quarterbacks don't feel the heat and intensity, but I really believe he's wrong when he said we probably couldn't do it ourselves. Hmmm. Not sure I couldn't compete with what I've seen this season.

I was very surprised to see that Hung lacked a "prize" for his efforts. Bravo really needs to figure that deal out. His prize was going to the final four??!??!

All in all this episode was a good learning experience for each of them, and future cheftestants.

edited: dale is the guy! CJ.

Edited September 21, 2007 by tmgrobyn (log)

[mojoman]

Semantic question for all the grammar Nazis,

Can a freshwater aquatic animal used for food rightly be called "seafood?" I thought "seafood" mean it comes from the sea (a saltwater environment). I haven't seen the trailers yet but it seems that Brian is going to be cooking a trout or some other fish from Colorado (therefore freshwater) but people want to call that "seafood."

ETA: Per FDA, seafood includes freshwater critters. Per most dictionaries, limited to saltwater.

BTW Casey is hawt in case nobody noticed.

Edited September 20, 2007 by mojoman (log)

[vogelap]

Grammar aside, I thought last nights episode was one of the best in terms of challenges.  Doing wacky challenges does not make a top chef.  Being able to do classic dishes is a better measure of a chef's ability.

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You're right. I am much more interested in cook's abilities to, say, cook an egg properly than what they can cook from a vending machine.

[Claudia Greco]

Semantic question for all the grammar Nazis,

Can a freshwater aquatic animal used for food rightly be called "seafood?"  I thought "seafood" mean it comes from the sea (a saltwater environment).  I haven't seen the trailers yet but it seems that Brian is going to be cooking a trout or some other fish from Colorado (therefore freshwater) but people want to call that "seafood."

ETA:  Per FDA, seafood includes freshwater critters.  Per most dictionaries, limited to saltwater.

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And I was so sure Brian wouldn't even be GOING to Colorado, when I saw the neon green "pancake" top to his rustic pie. I thought the flavors were going to be a bit bottom heavy (they were) and that Soltner, Sailhac, etc., would freak out on his lack of presentation (Dale: "It's a big green turd!"), but I guess the flavors were there after all - hearty, rustic? OK. Between Sara and Dale, though? Man, if you can't even cook chicken properly and make sure no pink slices get to the judges when you're SLICING the pieces, individually, then, yes, you deserve to go home. I think failed "conception" geta a bit more latitude than failed "execution".

[rconnelly]

I really want to say "Finally!". A challenge worthy of "Top Chef" material. This episode is what all the episode should be about. The cheftestants walked in the holy of holies last night and tried to take the stone from the hands of the masters. Hung and Casey came closest, yet even they were a bit off the mark. There had to be a chosen winner and loser so the Masters did their level best in choosing a winner and a loser.

Bourdain, in his assessment, got it right. These arethe masters. These guys are True Top Chefs. I think the word chef is used pretty loosely on this show. We really have a bunch of cooks, wanting to be chefs, and the title that will be awarded is worth the studio script it's printed on. If you haven't got the mettle you just don't have it.

Hung and Casey's ability to recognize where they were was what won it for them. Simple ingredients were given. Hello....how hard was it to recognize you were being asked for classic cuisine here? Brian's effort was a joke. He's a fish guy and we all really know it now.  CJ, well, Cj still doesn't know who he is, he's scattered and a bit like wheat in the wind. Sara, proved once again she's a one trick pony. She may grow to be a decent chef someday, but she needs to develop some depth to her repertoire. CJ's comment about how hard it is is probably true, us armchair quarterbacks don't feel the heat and intensity, but I really believe he's wrong when he said we probably couldn't do it ourselves. Hmmm. Not sure I couldn't compete with what I've seen this season.

I was very surprised to see that Hung lacked a "prize" for his efforts. Bravo really needs to figure that deal out. His prize was going to the final four??!??!

All in all this episode was a good learning experience for each of them, and future cheftestants.

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do you mean Dale? Cj is gone with the wind.

[monavano]

I'm in the Casey/Hung finale camp. Last night's show was a breath of fresh air, allowing the chefs to do what they do best. Although from next week's preview, the antics aren't over yet.

Sara just isn't as strong as Casey, who I hope will go all the way. Although I think Brian is still hanging around for I don't know why.

Edited September 20, 2007 by monavano (log)

[millersus]

I was semi-amazed that Hung won the elimination challenge as well as the quickfire challenge.

It seemed in both instances they had enjoyed Casey's dish more, but I guess Hung won based on technique.

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I'm afraid Casey has hit the glass ceiling. I clearly heard in the quickfire, her dish referred to as the best. Yet when it comes time to announce the winner, she gets the pat on the rear and Hung wins. Top Chef provided impecable judges for this challenge but didn't take into account the old school, male dominated world of the chef. I don't think Casey could win either challenge, she was dismissed because of her gender. I do think she deserved the wins. Aside from the quickfire comment, Casey's dish in the challenge only lacked a proper name. They all aggreed it was wonderful. Not so with Hungs, his pomme dauphin (sp?) was more of a hush puppy.

What TC could do to level the playing field is anybody's guess.

[laurelm]

I really enjoyed the episode as well, I enjoy these episodes moreso than the make a meal out of cheese doodles in 10 minutes competitions.

I did not have a problem with Sara going home, I think she kinda hid in mediocrity throughout the beginning of the show as we watched better chefs leave.

[Vinotas]

BTW Casey is hawt in case nobody noticed. 

A friend of mine refers to her as the poor man's Jennifer Anniston, and he's quite right.

Between Padma and Casey, well, frankly that's where I'd like to be.

[et alors]

pink chicken=bye bye. chef who kills the judges leaves.

in any case I just hope Dale slaps down malarky before he goes home. he deserves one shining dish moment before the final casey-hung death match.

Edited September 20, 2007 by et alors (log)

[BryanZ]

Nothing wrong with cooking sous vide in a stockpot. It's just water after all. You just have to watch your temp and for chicken you've got a pretty wide band to play with.

Serving pink chicken to a panel of European-centric judges was not a wise move. In other cuisines, however, this is totally acceptable. That said, Sara should've gone long ago.

Good episode through and through.

[junehl]

QUOTE(junehl @ Sep 20 2007, 10:00 AM)

I was semi-amazed that Hung won the elimination challenge as well as the quickfire challenge.

It seemed in both instances they had enjoyed Casey's dish more, but I guess Hung won based on technique.

I'm afraid Casey has hit the glass ceiling. I clearly heard in the quickfire, her dish referred to as the best. Yet when it comes time to announce the winner, she gets the pat on the rear and Hung wins.

I thought I had heard hers was the best by far during the Quickfire too. I did a double take when he announced it was Hung who won. Based on that, it would have been nice to know the reasoning behind the decision.