Top Chef : Season 7 - Washington, D.C.

[IndyRob]

I never said they did anything wrong. But if that team lost, it was clear that Alex would be the one going home. Obviously, they all would have preferred to win, and they did that - basically one man down.

Had they lost we would have heard quite a bit about Alex's failings from his own team. But since they won, it would be in no one's interest to bring it up.

[KensethFan]

Kenny has been going downhill for a while. His dishes are necessarily overcomplicated, but he puts way too much on the plate and muddies the flavors. I'm not really surprised to see him go. I have to wonder if he was so busy trying to outdo Angelo that he forgot about his own style.

[oakapple]

One of the judges responded to a contestant something along the line of, "We don't judge you on what happens in the kitchen, just on the finished plate that we receive." Perhaps they should call the show "Top Cook." Especially during restaurant wars one hopes that chef skills would impact the judges' determinations.

It does...only the prism through which it's judged is the food on the plate. I mean, isn't that what you do in a restaurant too? You judge the chef based on the food that came out on the plate, not based on the drama (or the lack thereof) that went into producing it.

For a diner, yes. And I accept that is the premise of the show. That episode was Restaurant Wars - with turnout. Some of the judges are leading chefs and understand that a chef's skills extend beyond the plate that arrives at the table. It was the ideal opportunity for Tom to take chef skills into consideration.

I am not seeing how you believe it would have altered the outcome, or why it should.

Edited August 13, 2010 by oakapple (log)

[MarkIsCooking]

I think the producers end up guiding the final decision based on what they think will make the best TV. The show is entertainment TV and nothing more. There is no incentive to have the absolutely best chef win. The incentive is to keep the collection of people moving forward that will bring in the most viewers.

[Chris Hennes]

That's only true in the short term, single-season view. Long term, if they want credibility, they have to be careful about being so cavalier. And in fact, that's why they have the credibility they have. So far, a legitimate case can be made for every season's winner.

[Eatmywords]

Yea, if it was all about mass ratings (drama) Kenny would still be there. The tension/rivalry between him and Angelo was the non-coooking focal point of the season. (Now I have to eat crow on my conspiracy theory that a fix was in to keep them both around as long as possible).

More than anything Kenny was a physical (intimidating) presence and a very good prep. He lacked skill and technique. Though I found it very hard to understand how Amanda didn't go before him. He, atleast ran the kitchen well during the challenge. The courses were well presented and timed right. Should have earned him enough points to stay in.

I predict Angelo, Ed and Kelly in the final.

[Chris Amirault]

I predict Angelo, Ed and Kelly in the final.

Ditto.

[jesteinf]

I think the producers end up guiding the final decision based on what they think will make the best TV. The show is entertainment TV and nothing more. There is no incentive to have the absolutely best chef win. The incentive is to keep the collection of people moving forward that will bring in the most viewers.

Multiple judges involved with the show have stated that if this were the case, they wouldn't participate. Producers manipulate through editing, not judging on Top Chef.

[oakapple]

I think the producers end up guiding the final decision based on what they think will make the best TV. The show is entertainment TV and nothing more. There is no incentive to have the absolutely best chef win. The incentive is to keep the collection of people moving forward that will bring in the most viewers.

Multiple judges involved with the show have stated that if this were the case, they wouldn't participate. Producers manipulate through editing, not judging on Top Chef.

Colicchio has a comment about this on his blog:

For any wanna-be producers out there, and for all conspiracy theorists: please realize that from a TV standpoint, getting rid of Kenny was a bad thing to do. Believe me, the show’s producers were not happy with our decision, because it brought to an abrupt end the rivalry between Kenny and Angelo. So if ever anyone still speculated that we judges make our decisions for any reasons other than the food before us, I hope this dispels those thoughts.

[IndyRob]

I can't disagree with anything on Tom C's blog, and he ends with a really good idea. Don't make a cheftestant do front of house and instead, use two prominent front of house people who could then comment on how the kitchen affected service.

[Chris Hennes]

At what point does it stop being "Restaurant Wars" and just turn into a normal team challenge?

[IndyRob]

At what point does it stop being "Restaurant Wars" and just turn into a normal team challenge?

I think, from a chef's perspective, when it doesn't involve developing a menu and doing a full service. But losing the candle picking and paint colors was an improvement this year. Letting front of the house be done by someone else would be another.

If it were Top Chef-Owner (edit: like Last Restaurant Standing) I might feel differently.

Edited August 14, 2010 by IndyRob (log)

[oakapple]

At what point does it stop being "Restaurant Wars" and just turn into a normal team challenge?

They would still be opening a one-night restaurant. The only difference is that they'd be judged on what got them there (running a kitchen), rather than something where they have minimal or no skills (running a front-of-house).

[Chris Hennes]

I get the feeling the Elves had to work pretty hard to make that elimination seem like it might be in doubt. And is that four wins in a row for Tiffany? She has been the most consistent competitor so far, I think. Has she been on the bottom?

[Shalmanese]

I'm normally not a big fan of crying out that Season X was better but this was a challenge I really wish had been in Season 6. *All* of the reinterpretations looked kind of boring and uninventive to me. I would have loved to have seen what Jen, Kevin or the V brothers would have done in a challenge like this.

[KristiB50]

Those CIA people looked really uncomfortable. Like they didn't want to be there.

I'm happy for Tiffany and was surprised Angelo was so far off his game.

I agree about the interpretations.

[Florida]

To me, Tiffany's dishes just look boring and uninspired.

Of course, I can niether taste nor smell her dishes and I could be, and probably am, wrong about them, but her cooking simply causes me feel so overwhelmingly indifferent and apathetic towards TC.

[IndyRob]

On the back of some discussion about whether chefs should expected to be knowledgeable in all global cuisines, Kelly is my personal favorite this week for coming in in the top three without knowing anything about Asian cooking. Checking labels for ingredients was smart. In a way, she was back in the quickfire, but with a set of ingredients that was not meant to stump her.

[Holly Moore]

Did the CIA solve the case of the Purloined Peas? Is that really why Alex was vanished?

[gfweb]

Alex has been rendered in the CIA (and perhaps culinary) sense.

[Chris Amirault]

I thought he came off pretty well, actually, making a good case for his attempts, admitting his limitations, and basically sounding like the sort of person I'd want to have a beer with. The folks who reamed him out last week? Not so much.

Cheers, Alex.

[Doodad]

That was a pretty wicked quickfire. My first thought was they better be thinking stew or curry or such. I think I would have lost it.

[Chris Amirault]

What was the rule? One thing from each box? Everything from each box? I got confused....

[Doodad]

I thought, and with a new puppy and later start to the show (booooo Bravo) my tired factor was high, that they had to incorporate all items in each box. And with no idea what was coming it had to be a leftover user type dish like curry, fried rice, soup etc.

Edited August 19, 2010 by Doodad (log)

[Chris Hennes]

a) I applaud Bravo for the later time, I was annoyed as hell it started so early before, and b) I think they had to include every single ingredient.