Top Chef: California – Season 13

[Jaymes]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2016 at 0:51 PM, Shelby said:

Someone needs to PM me with who wins LCK.  I know ya'll want me to watch it, but I live in the sticks and I can only get HughesNet out here.....any TV show or movie watching sucks my bandwidth down to nothing, I get put in "time out" and I have to pay $12.50 to restore my internet.  

 

It was I that posted the link, rather than the results.  Not that I have anything against posting reviews and results of LCK here - in fact, that's pretty standard - but I didn't know that you basically can't see the episodes online, and I thought that breakfast one was particularly good.

 

As for the current status - I'm happy that Carl made it through to the final of LCK.  The "no cheese with seafood" thing kind of irks me.  I get that strongly-flavored cheeses overwhelm delicate fish and you want a balance and compliment of flavors.  But sometimes it seems like some sort of hard and fast "rule" gets stuck in people's brains and robs them of nuance and independent judgement.  When Chef Traci said (and was she actually on a soapbox?), "That's my pet peeve!" I didn't think that was enough of a reason.  Wish she had addressed the actual result of the dish rather than just basically saying, "I hate that, no matter what, and you did it, you broke the rule, and how dare you, and you're an ignorant moron, and everybody knows not to do that, and you should have known better, and you'd better never do that again, and that's all there is to it, and you're not advancing."  IIRC, Tom preferred the dish...is that right? Because, if so, it couldn't have been so awful that it should have been dismissed out of hand.  And I can think of a great many dishes combining fish/seafood and cheese that are pretty darn tasty.  Including one of my personal favorites, Lobster Thermidor.

 

However, if the "clues" in the episode are any indication, this is it for Carl.  When Tom walked over to talk to Amar, Amar said, "Watch this" and sprinkled salt on his fish.  Then, after Carl and Amar finished their dishes and tasted one another's, Carl said something to Amar about his dish being "too salty."  And then Tom said the final winner came down to salt.  So, unless there's a startling reversal of tradition and Amar's dish was too salty, he's got it.

 

 

Edited March 5, 2016 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

Oh, and PS Shelby, not sure if it makes any difference regarding your "watching online" capabilities, but those LCK episodes are short.  They're not like the 1-hour TV shows.  They're usually less than 10 minutes and you can scoot them right along to the end and the judging if you wish.

 

Of course, it's all over for this season, and it may not have made any difference regardless, but just wanted to be sure you knew.

 

 

[Okanagancook]

And what are Padma's qualifications for being a judge?

[Jaymes]

2 hours ago, Okanagancook said:

And what are Padma's qualifications for being a judge?

 

The red slip looked terrible on Tom.

 

Seriously, that's why she's there.

 

Obviously.

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2016 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

So clearly I was being a smartass about Padma and Tom and the red slip.  But I do think that's one of the main reasons why Padma is there.  She looks good.

 

I'm sure that when the powers-that-be envisioned the show, they elected to follow the standard competition show format: contestants, judges, host.  And they began auditions for the host.  They may have decided from the beginning that they wanted an attractive, well-spoken woman, or they simply may have narrowed down a wide range of potential hosts to her.  I don't know.  But her role clearly began as a host/hostess/"presenter" in the manner of other hosts/hostesses/presenters, like Kat Deeley, Ryan Seacrest, Carson Daly, Nick Cannon, etc.  She's there to say "Welcome" and "Our guest judge is" and "Your next challenge is" and "Please pack your knives and go." 

 

Most of these competition shows have this same format.  Gordon Ramsey is the exception.  On his shows, he's the host, judge, jury, executioner, but that doesn't seem to me to be the standard.

 

How Padma morphed into what appears to be a full-fledged judge, I'm not so sure.  But most likely she's there to stay.  She's one of the producers.  And with the exception of here, there doesn't seem to be a huge public outcry to get rid of her.

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2016 by Jaymes (log)

[Jaymes]

On ‎3‎/‎4‎/‎2016 at 1:32 PM, blue_dolphin said:

The segment ended with quick clips from Vegas  (same as at the end of the full episode last night)  that didn’t reveal any thing more than Padma hosting whilst wearing a red slip.  Not sure what happened to her dress.  Maybe a lost luggage issue, not sure.

 

Well, it is Vegas.  Perhaps a bad night at the craps table?

[Lisa Shock]

Don't forget that Padma wasn't in season 1. That said, she is familiar with the rules and has probably eaten meals at quite a few Michelin starred establishments. Part of the reason for more than one judge is to simply test the entrants  on consistency in making multiple servings. Some of the judges are simply there to say, "mine was raw" or, "mine was dry" to compare and contrast the plates served. More experienced judges can obviously chime in with information that less experienced judges may not know about.

 

Padma isn't just a random person pulled off the street giving an opinion. I have to believe that she prepares for her role, and tries to be fair. She certainly knows the rules I have never heard her say a self-centered food comment like, "I hate asparagus, so, I will rate this dish very low". I would hope that she understands things like how some people taste cilantro as soapy, or approximately 20% of people dislike coconut but many others enjoy it -and would judge on the merits of the dish.

 

Phillip is the first contestant to push hard and loudly about the claim that the judges are biased to personal taste rather than industry standard. I am inclined to disagree with him as we are in season 13 and this is supposedly a newsflash that no contestant or guest judge ever leaked to the public. Notably, no one has come out of the woodwork to support his claims. In culinary school, one of my instructors was in his 80s and always graded people down for not enough salt in their food. Catch was, he never thought there was enough salt, ever. I had him for one class and he judged a few competitions. A couple of students, including myself, tried some experiments in super-salting foods to please him and he never found anything we made salty enough, or too salty, even when we made foods so salty they were inedible to everyone else including other instructors. A group of us tried to make a formal complaint to the school, but, he had been there so long and was so well liked that no one wanted to confront him. That said, everyone who had him as an instructor would talk about the salt issue. This wasn't a secret suddenly divulged in year 13.

 

(I checked his website bio) Phillip never attended culinary school. He did work in a number of kitchens, obviously fairly briefly as he is 28, before opening his bar and then restaurant a couple of years ago. So, he was familiar with some other chef's standards. However, he is very careful to point out that he cooks with his own personal style. His restaurant specializes in cooking 'pure' vegetables, each all by itself with no added ingredients -which to me sounds like a lot of one-note tunes. IMO, a good dish should have balance and contrast. A good dish should kind of bounce around your tastebuds. And, I think there's a difference between the kind of dishes contestants are expected to make, and sides or dish components. (roasted potatoes are very good, but don't make a complete plate) I got the feeling that Phillip was really just making sides and trying to pass them off as a main dish. Sure, he'd combine 2-3 of them sometimes, but overall I just didn't get the feeling that he was trying to get as much flavor into his dishes as possible. He really fell down with sauces, and it's telling with the risotto that he somehow thought he'd get more of a pure rice flavor by using water. Overall, I see him as under-educated and overconfident. Jumping to blaming the judges rather than questioning his own actions just reeks of the Dunning-Krueger effect to me. -I'm older and still have a million things to learn and perfect about cooking, while he feels like he's mastered it.

 

Phillip's contention that customers in his restaurant love his food is also weak. People rarely complain unless something is really bad, or, they are the type that complains regularly to get comps. And, his food is probably ok, just not as tasty as it could be. I mean he's cooking each vegetable by itself with no additional flavors. (I wonder if that includes salt???) I would contend that while roasted brussels sprouts are good, mine, which are roasted in toasted hazelnut oil and served with toasted hazelnuts and a touch of maple syrup and kosher salt, are tastier. I doubt that diners are inspired enough in anyone's restaurant to say something like, "these green beans, they taste like cooked green beans and are okay, but, you could have really amped them up with garlic, mirin, red chile flakes, and yuzu juice".

 

I think Phillip has taken himself off on his own path and doesn't realize how far from the mainstream he has gotten himself.

[Toliver]

Not that it means too much these days but I recall Padma being one of the rotating chefs in the early days of the Food Network on a show called "Melting Pot". Of course, this was back when FN was more about cooking than entertaining. 

[Lisa Shock]

I guess I should point out that if I had started the show, the judges would all be certified Master Chefs or CMPCs.

[jim loellbach]

On 2/28/2016 at 3:27 PM, Lisa Shock said:

On 2/28/2016 at 3:27 PM, Lisa Shock said:

 

On the risotto, I would cut some slack for that, I have done it, you need to know how, though. When I was just starting in culinary school, we had risotto in class for the first time and we were instructed to use stock from a giant communal stockpot (made by a different class) to make it. As a vegetarian, I decided to experiment, which is normally not a good idea in school -you make the dish as demonstrated. I made my risotto with water to which I heated with salt and a couple tablespoons of fresh herbs in a bouquet garni, so, I guess it was technically a tisane, not just water. Anyway, I told no one, and placed it for grading with the other students' plates. I got an A and a commendation for best dish of the day.

 

I was baffled by Jeremy's risotto.  He works for Jean-Georges!  I was a sous at the Pump Room in Chicago (a JG place) for a few years and we used herb water infusions for lots of things, specifically risotto!  It takes zero time and can add so much flavor without weighing down a dish (and a great idea for vegan cuisine).  Congrats on your dish, Lisa!

 

And yeah, Kwame's frozen waffles. 

[Brown Hornet]

Spoilers from last night ahead . . . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall this was my favorite kind of TC episode in that all four of the finalists brought their "A" game -- there wasn't a single dish that didn't look fantastic.  Sorry to see Marjorie and Isaac go -- they were my favorites all season.  The next time I'm in NOLA I'm definitely going to check out Toups' Meatery!  That said, I was happy for Amar to make it to the finals from LCK, and Jeremy has been a strong and classy competitor all year.  I liked that instead of eliminating the bottom competitor they rewarded the winner of each round with a spot in the final.  I hope they keep that format in subsequent seasons. 

[gfweb]

On 3/7/2016 at 2:50 PM, Lisa Shock said:

I guess I should point out that if I had started the show, the judges would all be certified Master Chefs or CMPCs.

That would eliminate a lot of famous chefs.

Tried to find a list of CMCs and failed, but I did see the process for certification and the (presumably true) fact that there are only 68 CMCs in the US.

I would bet that none of the TC stalwarts are CMCs

Edited March 11, 2016 by gfweb (log)

[Shelby]

Man, I'm bummed Isaac left.  He's my all time favorite chef to have been on that show.  I'd totally love to sit around with him, eat crawfish, drink beer and talk.

 

Definitely team Amar now.

[Lisa Shock]

So, that slip.... I watched the show right after watching 'Project Runway' and was in runway critique mode. It was a very odd wardrobe choice, as it did not fit very well. -Watch it bunch and crease as Padma moves. Generally, a slip dress is worn under a blazer, not by itself, for exactly the reasons posted here, with people mistaking it for sleepwear. The color was too intense for such a dark, almost colorless setting. Padma would have stood out wearing almost any color. I know they were trying to capture some glitz and LV excitement, but, like one of the cheaper casinos' decor, it came across as jarringly tacky. (I would have gone for a dark gold satin, myself.)

 

I liked the reward system, and also hope they use it in the future. The top two were not the two I would have chosen, but, in the end, it's hard for viewers to say anything since we can't taste the food.

Edited March 12, 2016 by Lisa Shock
singularity to plurality (log)

[Shelby]

Yeah....the slip.....soooooo bad.  When she was dealing the cards I was just sure that we were going to have a Janet Jackson moment.

 

 

[Lisa Shock]

Marjorie talked to the Washington Post this past week. Looks like the producers didn't have to do much editing on Phillip to capture his personality.

[blue_dolphin]

11 minutes ago, Lisa Shock said:

Marjorie talked to the Washington Post this past week. Looks like the producers didn't have to do much editing on Phillip to capture his personality.

 

Thanks for that link - I really liked Marjorie!  I'm so glad to hear that she will be cooking with Amar in the finale, even if it's as his sous chef instead of being in the running herself. 

 

And with respect to part 1 of the finale, the choice of Amar as the winner HAD to be about the food since he did ZERO in the way of presentation or magic tricks!  So even though my girl Marjorie was out, I figured the decision was probably fair.

[Shelby]

Well, so much for Team Amar lol.

 

 

[Lisa Shock]

Yeah, I was never a fan of the bro attitude, so, I'm disappointed in the final results. Marjorie and Kwame were my favorites.

[Brown Hornet]

I was pulling for Amar -- he should've won just for pulling off the notoriously lethal risotto dish.  Still, Jeremy was a strong contender from the first episode so it's not too surprising he prevailed in the end.  Marjorie, Isaac and Kwame were my sentimental favorites.

 

Overall I throught it was a decent season. I liked a lot of the contestants and other than Phillip, there were very few abrasive personalities.  I also liked the format of traveling to different locations throughout California instead of staying in one city.  OTOH, for some reason the season seemed to be a bit dull -- 13 seasons in I'm probably starting to get a little bored of TC.

 

What are your thoughts for Season 14?  I'll repeat my annual request that they have a season in the Southeast, and no NOLA and Texas  do not count.  Following what they did this year, maybe they could split the season in a few different locations -- Atlanta for modern southern cuisine, a low country stop in Charleston/Savannah, somewhere on the Gulf, Nashville or Memphis, and maybe a stop in Oxford Mississippi.  Just an idea.       

[FrogPrincesse]

They already announced that it was going to be Charleston.

[Brown Hornet]

Cool!  Glad the Southeast is finally getting some love. Having lived in the south 20+ years I've come to the opinion that southern cuisine is about as close as we have to an indigenous American food culture. 

[huiray]

On 3/5/2016 at 5:58 PM, Lisa Shock said:

Phillip is the first contestant to push hard and loudly about the claim that the judges are biased to personal taste rather than industry standard. I am inclined to disagree with him as we are in season 13 and this is supposedly a newsflash that no contestant or guest judge ever leaked to the public. Notably, no one has come out of the woodwork to support his claims.

 

In his first TC season (Season 4) Richard Blais, no less, who is now a judge himself, declared in one episode (the Wedding Wars one, if I am remembering correctly) that he needed to cook only to please the judges – fuck the diners, or any other standard that others might have.

In Season 7, Kelly Liken (another established chef) commented that the judges (especially Tom Colicchio) wanted things salted far more heavily than she would ever do herself and frequently got in trouble with Tom over that.

In Season 11, Nick Elmi also constantly got into trouble with Tom & Co. for what they (the judges) claimed was lack of seasoning. Funny, Nick's customers through the years have not agreed (and, in fact, some of the guest judges on the episodes also murmured that Nick's seasoning was just fine).

And so on.

ETA: In the last episode of this season's LCK, just after Amar and Carl completed their dishes, Amar tossed another large pinch of salt onto his dish. He won - with Tom C saying that the difference came down to enough salt in Amar's dish. Carl, when he tasted Amar's dish, murmured "Wow, salty", IIRC.

Edited April 5, 2016 by huiray (log)

[huiray]

I would have liked Amar to have won but am OK with Jeremy taking the prize.  Glad that Marjorie did not. Sad that Isaac did not get to compete in the finale, a 3-person finale sans Marjorie would have been nice.

 

Charlie Palmer did himself no favors.