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Top Chef Season 5

Reignking

By Reignking
in Food Media & Arts

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wkl

wkl

Posted
Posted
Doesn't look like it's airing on Food Network Canada – I just checked the schedule and it's an Iron Chef marathon all day. The next ep of Top Chef isn't until the 29th, and it's a repeat. That makes me sad.  :sad:

top chef airs on food network in canada? not bravo?

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Tsulli1

Tsulli1

Posted
Posted
Doesn't look like it's airing on Food Network Canada – I just checked the schedule and it's an Iron Chef marathon all day. The next ep of Top Chef isn't until the 29th, and it's a repeat. That makes me sad.  :sad:

top chef airs on food network in canada? not bravo?

Speaking of Food Network, does anyone know what the concept is of this new show with Ted Allen on FN? I think its called 'Chopped'. It looked sort of Top Chef-ish from the commercial...

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emmalish

emmalish

Posted
Posted
Doesn't look like it's airing on Food Network Canada – I just checked the schedule and it's an Iron Chef marathon all day. The next ep of Top Chef isn't until the 29th, and it's a repeat. That makes me sad.  :sad:

top chef airs on food network in canada? not bravo?

I know, weird, eh? I don't think I've ever seen it on Bravo Canada's schedule, but FN picks it up. Except for the Christmas special (poo) it appears to be running on the same schedule.

I'm gonna go bake something…

wanna come with?

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LEdlund

LEdlund

Posted
Posted
But an actual new episode? Not that one they dragged out last year?

According to Bravo's web site, new episodes of Top Chef return January 7th

From what I can see, the holiday special was produced in 2007, so it's not a new one.

Practice Random Acts of Toasting

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skipper10

skipper10

Posted
Posted
I missed this last year and enjoyed the episode.

(except that Tre should have won).

I too missed it last year and enjoyed it yesterday. I agree, Tre should have won. The winner was kitchen manager for season 2 or 3 and had ample opportunity to bond with the judges, she should have not been allowed to compete this time. I also question how Eric Ripert, a practicing Buddhist, can be among Top Chef judges when he presumably does not eat beef, pork, lamb...etc.http://forums.egullet.org/style_images/dev/folder_post_icons/icon14.gif

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  • 2 weeks later...
KristiB50

KristiB50

Posted
Posted

I was sad to see Gene go but he's been in the bottom way too many times. Skills don't match his creativity.

Carla should have made the vegetarian dish. I think what saved her was her response at the judges table. She knew exactly where she went wrong and how to fix it.

Ariane was actually creative instead of winning props for perfectly cooked meat. I wish Jaime would have lost to her again. Her sense of entitlement is annoying.

When I saw the Diet Dr Pepper in the QF I was worried using it would be a requirement. blechh! I thought it was odd to use agave and honey though. That's better than refined sugar but they aren't "diet".

Toby Young is trying to be the new Bourdain with acerbic wit. I might end up liking him though.

The Global Kitchen
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Kevin72

Kevin72

Posted
Posted

I thought it was a solid episode. Good call on sending two home and yes, much as I liked Gene, he had flamed out too many times not to go. Fitting also that 2 of the three bottom contestants from the last ep were let go; it really drove home the point of them just not learning their lessons.

Fabio may soon take the Gene spot in turn (meaning I'm pulling for him but he's not making it easy). I continue to not see Stefan as a bad guy or even a loose cannon; arrogant and sure of himself yes but still utterly professional.

The new judge wasn't nearly as annoying as I thought he'd be.

A Year of Italian Cooking 2005 Thread Index
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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
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Agreed on all points. Truth be told, I would not have been sorry to see any of this ep's bottom three gone, but I am especially glad to see Bangs off the show (finally!). She never once did anything that said "Top Chef" to me. I had also been doubting that Ariane was Top Chef material, but in this episode she made some good looking food, and I am starting to wonder if she may be a contender after all.

Overall I thought the premise of the episode was excellent: just a plain, simple, "show us what you got." If you can't shine in this challenge, you don't belong here. They couldn't do these all the time, but as a nice mid-season checkpoint I thought it was great.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted

This Toby person seemed a bit too clever for my taste. The snark was premeditated and whipped out too easily. "The bland leading the bland" has been used more than once, I'm sure.

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Tess

Tess

Posted
Posted
This Toby person seemed a bit too clever for my taste.  The snark was premeditated and whipped out too easily.  "The bland leading the bland" has been used more than once, I'm sure.

Oh yeah, he definitely has a lot of those remarks prepared. At times he dropped that rote stuff and seemed rather thoughtful, though.

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emmalish

emmalish

Posted
Posted
This Toby person seemed a bit too clever for my taste.  The snark was premeditated and whipped out too easily.  "The bland leading the bland" has been used more than once, I'm sure.

Oh yeah, he definitely has a lot of those remarks prepared. At times he dropped that rote stuff and seemed rather thoughtful, though.

I agree. When he made his first comments comparing the vegetables in one dish to a British character actor upstaging the stars of a movie, and the bland leading the bland, I was wondering whether I would want to continue watching this show at all. It was a relief when he dropped that act and actually critiqued the dishes.

I'm gonna go bake something…

wanna come with?

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chappie

chappie

Posted
Posted
Trifecta Predictions:

Next three eliminated (each group boxed trifecta style, no order):

[Melissa, Carla, Gene]

The next three after that:

[Ariane, Hosea, Leah]

Then:

[Jeff, Radhika (my dark horse), Jamie]

Leaving the Fabio/Stefan showdown.

I know my first trifecta wasn't really going out on a limb, but it's about to be completed if Carla follows next, and I think she will.

I'm not sure after that. I might like to bring Fabio down a notch, maybe move Ariana up one ...

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pariah_kerry

pariah_kerry

Posted
Posted

I was glad to see Melissa go. I didn't think she was producing anything of note. I LOVE fish tacos, but....really? she thought that was a good idea. I thought of her as this season's "Poor man's Mena Suvari". Glad Eugene got the boot. That hardship blue's tune is overplayed. I have a similar story to Eugene's, but I can admit that I can't cook at that level.

My trifecta is Stefan, Fabio, and Top Scallop Jamie....dark horse undecided...rooting for Radhika, perhaps Leah. Annoyed that Ariane is still there....just bugs the snot out of me. Like an itch you can't scratch.

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TheSwede

TheSwede

Posted
Posted

This was the first episode where I actually bothered to go look at the recipes. The judges comments on Jamie's scallop dish and Stefan's braised cabbage were just too intriguing.

Top scallop indeed... "Sublime" was the comment from the french pastry chef, whatever his name was.

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Vinotas

Vinotas

Posted
Posted

You know, I would have argued that this season wasn't that bad until this episode. Between the product placements and the mediocre chefs and the English guy who seemed to have a list of comments prepared beforehand, I got mighty tired mighty fast. That said, Toby had some very good off-the-cuff observations once they were seated at Judges' Table.

Still, this season is turning out to be the weakest both in terms of competitors and most annoying in terms of product placement. I know someone has to pay for the show, but come on! :angry:

http://vinotas.blogspot.com/
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Kevin72

Kevin72

Posted
Posted (edited)
Leaving the Fabio/Stefan showdown.

. . .

I'm not sure after that. I might like to bring Fabio down a notch, maybe move Ariana up one ...

I'd love to see Fabio in the final three but I don't think he's going to make it much further unless he really shows a turnaround. Jeff and Hosea have both been more consistent than he was this season. He started out of the gate impressive but then foundered.

Edited by Kevin72 (log)
A Year of Italian Cooking 2005 Thread Index
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PopsicleToze

PopsicleToze

Posted
Posted

I like Fabio, but I don't see him lasting too much longer. The taste of his food evidently is not up to par with his confidence level. Too bad, though. Instead of taking the criticism about his elimination challenge dish, he just shrugged it off saying something like, In Europe it's all about Italy vs France, then said something about Italy beating them in a sports event, therefore, this guy's comment was just to put Italy down. What a cop out. He's still a very likable guy.

Rhonda

Food blog - Honeysuckles and Huckleberries... growing up in the Louisiana Countryside

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DanM

DanM

Posted
Posted

Every time I heard Melissa talk and saw her eyes, I swear the lights were on (dim ones at that), but nobody was home. I'm surprised she lasted this long.

Dan

"Salt is born of the purest of parents: the sun and the sea." --Pythagoras.

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Chris Hennes

Chris Hennes

Posted
Posted
Still, this season is turning out to be the weakest both in terms of competitors and most annoying in terms of product placement. I know someone has to pay for the show, but come on!  :angry:

This season's product placement does not strike me as any more egregious than any other season: annoying, of course, but ultimately a necessary evil. As for the quality of the contestants: I wonder if the show has reached the point where all of the contestants were familiar with the show and its judges before arriving? Everyone seems to be trying to play it safe in these early episodes, just trying not to be eliminated. In addition, Ariane keeps getting praised for her work... which is what, exactly? Um, not overcooking a protein? Hooray. Is this lost on the other contestants? I doubt it.

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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annabelle

annabelle

Posted
Posted

I too am glad that Gene is gone. Soggy rice and over-cooked fish = Pacific Rim cooking? Not so much.

I am not looking forward to Jamie bragging about how awesome she is, either. Did Stefan call her a douchebag on the preview for next week? Now that would truly be awesome.

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rconnelly

rconnelly

Posted
Posted
I too am glad that Gene is gone.  Soggy rice and over-cooked fish = Pacific Rim cooking?  Not so much.

I am not looking forward to Jamie bragging about how awesome she is, either.  Did Stefan call her a douchebag on the preview for next week?  Now that would truly be awesome.

Yeah, I'm galds Gene and Melissa are gone as well. Everytime Gene brainstormed it was "let's do sushi!'

Melissa just didn't seem to have anything to offer either.

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