Top Chef : Season 8 - All Stars

[Jon Savage]

I like this season so far. Back to cooking.

[Tri2Cook]

Marcel's getting the comedy edit. A skinny little white hipster playing at being ghetto gangsta.

[Crouton]

Marcel's getting the comedy edit. A skinny little white hipster playing at being ghetto gangsta.

I thought, what he just did there... was like so 1998. I mean do people really still act that way, in public?

[Werdna]

He appeared to be a little drunk, and with editing and all, could have been joking around. Deadpan humor taken out of context?

Edited January 18, 2011 by Werdna (log)

[bolero]

Now that Jamie is off the show, I predict Marcel will get the villain edit. I can't wait to see Dale T just blow up at him.

Also - go team Angelo! He's been the most consistent chef this season and so far seems deserving of the win.

[Kafka Zola]

Very interesting episode. The editing and the "Dinners choose" option threw me off for a while, particularly when they had hugely positive comments from the judges immediately followed by negative diner's reviews, and vice-versa. By the end, I was starting to think the choice of Marcel was just too obvious to be possible.

Random thoughts:

-- Gosh, Angelo really *loves* doing crudo dishes. Snark aside, I saw his hand in the tumeric aspect of the pork chop that he did with Mike Isabella. And this is the 2nd or 3rd very Middle Eastern spice-oriented dish he's done in this season alone. For someone who is so associated with Asian flavours, he resorts to Middle Eastern spice combinations quite a bit. To me, it shows that he's more diverse than he's given credit for, and not the Asian one-note pony that he is often perceived to be.

-- Marcel and the foam..... I wonder if there is such a thing as Foam Tourettes, because Marcel clearly can't help himself and it's always such a catastrophe.

-- For all of Angelo's presentation on various T/C episodes as a sticky-fingers with a possibly manipulative agenda, he seemed the sanest person and the one with the only real leadership in that kitchen. He is an easy person to make fun of (and I've been guilty of that myself), but he should get some respect today for how he was trying to turn things around or get people on track towards the end. He was a real professional, unlike a few of the others.

Edited January 20, 2011 by Kafka Zola (log)

[Kevin72]

Yes, god help me, but I actually felt sorry for Angelo this episode.

I too, fell for the Bravo triple edit and thought that against all evidence to the contrary, Etch would win.

Dale's been killing it lately. Sad to see his old temper return but he's on a serious tear. And picking Marcel to lead the opposite team was some Sun Tzu level strategizing. He played that full well knowing that the head chef of the losing team stands a substantial chance of going home, and that he was such a toxic personality he'd have difficulties rallying others. Well played.

[LizD518]

Dale is on a roll. I predict him, Blais and Carla (or Angelo) for the finale, and that suits me just fine. I also was impressed with Angelo as well and don't fault him for somewhat keeping his head down. Marcel was a strong-willed, but ineffective leader in that he wasn't going to relinquish the leadership role (title) quietly even though it wasn't working. In that situation, it is better to go along and then let him take the heat for it. If he was ineffective because he didn't step up at all, then it would have been easier for someone else to step in and take over the lead.

[bolero]

I wouldn't be surprised if Angelo's strategy involved making crudos all the way to the finals. He seems really comfortable making them and while he might not win alot of challenges this way, the chances he gets sent home for one seems pretty low.

[Doodad]

Best episode I have seen so far this season. Despite the horrible drama of Etch.

What was the question that Blais asked of the chef at Le Bernadin? Why not cut on the bone or something? I had a sleeping wife and could not turn up to hear over the usual infernal music and background noise they include on TC.

So I did not understand the question and answer.

[Dave the Cook]

What was the question that Blais asked of the chef at Le Bernadin? Why not cut on the bone or something? I had a sleeping wife and could not turn up to hear over the usual infernal music and background noise they include on TC.

So I did not understand the question and answer.

Blais: Chef, how come you don't cut down just the bone with that fish?

Thomas: It's wasting time. The more fish you waste, the more you have to work.

[Jon Savage]

Good episode. Dale picking Marcel to captain the other team was a masterstroke as was his picking of Fabio for FOTH.

Marcel? He needs to grow up, lose the foam & develop some interpersonal skills. Glad to see him go.

I'm guessing the final 4 will be from the winning team of this challenge.

Carla has come a long way too.

Fabio will either crash and burn or shine. I need to eat at his place (near me) sometime.

Tre is ever so solid. Barring stupidity he too is a force to be reckoned with.

Blais? If he keeps on like this I think he'll be in the final

Dale just needs to keep his temper under control- he's talented no doubt (everyone on the show is).

I'm really enjoying this season so far. Surprised since the last 2 seasons had just about put me off it altogether.

[Werdna]

Great episode, my only gripe is that they hype this guy as the best fish prep-chef in the country, then fast-forward through his breaking down of the fish. I was yelling at the tv at that point! I know some of it has to be cut, but that would have been the best part of the show for me.

I was confused by the invisible potato chips, but I suppose it must have been store-bought by their mysterious absense in the footage.

I'm starting to favor Dale over Richard for my favorite. Bacon dashi and skewered grilled fish liver? wow.

Edited January 21, 2011 by Werdna (log)

[annabelle]

Bodega was shown frying chips in two deep-fryers in at least two different shots of the kitchen prep.

[oakapple]

I wouldn't be surprised if Angelo's strategy involved making crudos all the way to the finals. He seems really comfortable making them and while he might not win alot of challenges this way, the chances he gets sent home for one seems pretty low.

If it is, he needs to be careful. Early in the season, you can pretty much count on at least one chef making something horrible. In fact, it's a pretty smart strategy to keep making things that have a low potential for error, and let someone else make the big mistake. Casey would probably still be around if she hadn't made the odd choice of chicken feet for the dim sum episode.

But as the season moves on, there's a higher probability that no one will completely screw up, and in that case a chef can get sent home for being merely mediocre.

Good episode. Dale picking Marcel to captain the other team was a masterstroke as was his picking of Fabio for FOTH.

Yeah, picking Marcel was doubly good, in that: A) It meant that he wouldn't screw up Dale's team; and, B) There was a good chance he would screw up the other team.

Fabio absolutely nailed the FOH (as he did the first time he was on Top Chef), but I still think it's competitively unfair. Most of these chefs have little or no experience at running a dining room. The design of the challenge puts them at a dual disadvantage: first, in that they are thrust into a role they're unsuited for; and second, that they are still responsible for cooking something, without being able to give it their full attention.

Fortunately, Team Etch was so bad that even if Fabio had been on their team, he couldn't have saved it. And fortunately, Marcel screwed up badly enough that Tiffany didn't pay the price for taking on the FOH. (I haven't checked, but as I recall the FOH person has been the one sent home on quite a few of these Restaurant War callenges.)

[IndyRob]

I can't let Marcel go without some sort of requiem. At the beginning of season 2 I thought what I'm sure most people thought; Here's the new Stephen, put in a blender and remade, but with the pretentiousness and overconfidence coming out of completely different culinary orifices. And he certainly came out of the gate that way, equalling Stephen's embarrasing feud with Candice with his own - in an episode-losing feud with Betty.

But as the season wore on, a fascinating thing started happening. Good - really good - 'cheftestants' started melting down at the mere thought of losing to Marcel. As the animosity ramped up, so did the mistakes. Cliff blows a very good chance in an after hours segment, Sam's mental game is probably fatally compromised while shopping. In the end, Ilan is dripping with so much bile that by now I'm actively rooting for Marcel (despite feeling that he doesn't really deserve the title).

At the start of All Stars, I thought that I had seen some maturity beginning to show itself in Marcel. Even his hair seemed calmer. But the old Marcel started to progressively creep back (and did his hair really grow back in the course of, like, three episodes?). If it was a repeat of his season 2 strategy it was a mistake - the competition is much stronger this time around.

Ultimately I felt that justice was served. Marcel has been put in his place. And IMHO, that place is behind Elia and Jenn. He lost it as a restaraunt chef.

[Slamdunkpro]

Fabio absolutely nailed the FOH (as he did the first time he was on Top Chef), but I still think it's competitively unfair. Most of these chefs have little or no experience at running a dining room. The design of the challenge puts them at a dual disadvantage: first, in that they are thrust into a role they're unsuited for; and second, that they are still responsible for cooking something, without being able to give it their full attention.

I went back and looked and I don't think the FoH person has ever been eliminated. It's usually been the "executive Chef" of the losing team.

[Kafka Zola]

If anyone is interested, Marcel has an interview in which he claims that Dale totally bragged about "cheating" during the Dim Sum challenge (which is why he, Marcel, claims he was so angered in that terrace scene). He also says that he's done far less foams this season than other contestants, namely Blais and Angelo. He says they've EACH done 3 foams a piece, while he's done 2.

The article: "Top Chef: Cheaters, trash talkers and Thomas Keller"

Some of the things he says about the team dynamic, I can believe in small part, although I think the main cause of problems is that Marcel can't help but shoot himself in the foot. That said, I'm dubious about the Thomas Keller story. Even assuming it's halfway accurate, all it really says is that Thomas Keller liked the actual type of peaches NOT the actual desert itself!

More interesting is his claim that he'd made this exact same dessert previously on the Season Two finale of Top Chef and that they'd "RAVED" (his emphasis) about it. I can't recall the precise dishes served all the way back then or what the judges said. Can anyone? Is he accurate or just fudging the truth a little?

If he's right about his dessert and about Dale's cheating, then I can understand his actions or behavior a lot more than I did previously. As for "Dale's cheating," if true, it sounds like Dale really played the game. I know there is an American expression for it which I can't recall now, but it seemed Dale sussed the game (??) and really played it for all that it's worth. No wonder he said he "robbed the bank."

Edited January 22, 2011 by Kafka Zola (log)

[Werdna]

I think that the rule for the resteuraunt wars might have been a direct attempt to fix the dim-sum problem. The rule being that the dinners judge the winning team. It's become painfully clear that the food served to the judges is the -only- consideration, and that all other rules mean nothing. If the challenge is to bake a cake, and someone does a rack of lamb they are still going to beat the person who made a lousy cake, because there is no penality for breaking the rules, only for serving bad food. They might get scolded, but a BS story ("My grandmother used to always say 'Time for cake!' right before she served lamb, so I made lamb") is enough to not get the loss.

A couple episodes where they send home people who do not follow the challenge could fix it. It might mean keeping some people sometimes who served bad food, but it's top chef after all, not top cook.

Edited January 24, 2011 by Werdna (log)

[IndyRob]

As for "Dale's cheating," if true, it sounds like Dale really played the game. I know there is an American expression for it which I can't recall now, but it seemed Dale sussed the game (??) and really played it for all that it's worth. No wonder he said he "robbed the bank."

We don't really use 'sussed', but as clever as it might have been, I agree that it would be blatant cheating if true. The fact that dim sum was not leaving the kitchen was a mystery to me.

I've made 3 dozen potstickers for personal use and wouldn't really be intmidated by having to do 180 (well, maybe just a bit). But I could have done it, and as soon as service started I wouldn't have cared if I had a steamer or a pan on a stove. Potstickers would be flying out. It is the only Top Chef full service challenge ever that I thought I could have accomplished. I wouldn't have won, but I would've easily beat the chicken feet.

If Dale just cooked for the judges, he should be eliminated..., um, post-episodus.

[GwennP]

I went back and looked and I don't think the FoH person has ever been eliminated. It's usually been the "executive Chef" of the losing team.

Laureen - season 6 went home as FOH during restaurant wars

[HarryB3]

That may have been the worst Quickfire challenge ever...

[Emily_R]

Ok, surely this crowd is up for a debate about just how much risotto should spread on your plate? Anyone?

[Eatmywords]

I went back and looked and I don't think the FoH person has ever been eliminated. It's usually been the "executive Chef" of the losing team.

Laureen - season 6 went home as FOH during restaurant wars

So did Radhika - Season 5

[Werdna]

Ok, surely this crowd is up for a debate about just how much risotto should spread on your plate? Anyone?

Google image search for risotto seems similarly confused

http://www.google.com/images?hl=en&rlz=&q=risotto&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=PBZMTffzFoa4sQO7xo3ECg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CD0QsAQwAQ&biw=1276&bih=905

also, here's Tre's winning dish from season 3 episode 1

http://recipes-stage.bravotv.com/top_chef/season_3/episode_1/seared_ostrich_filet_with_heirloom_tomato_risotto_and_abalone_reduction.php

I was shocked to see Tre go, as it seemed to me that risotto made to a different standard was less of a crime than undercooked pasta.

Edited February 4, 2011 by Werdna (log)