Top Chef

[kafka]

maxell1313 said:

And as a woman, I can see Tom's point about how people sometimes think a man being aggressive is considered okay, but a woman being aggressive makes her a bitch. That being said, have we sunk so low that common courtesies as politeness and not denigrating the competition are foreign now? I don't care if you're male or female; stepping on other people to get somewhere else is wrong!

Maxwell, you said it so much better than I ever could.

About the qualifications of the judges, Mrs. Billy Joel is obviously lacking. (Seriously. She did almost nothing until she got married and, even after that, her stuff is more lifestyle (read: decor) than actual food.) But Gail Simmons doesn't seem all that brilliant to me either. Her credentials as listed on the Bravo website took me aback somewhat. I'd thought she was this big food person but she's really more an event planner. Her real experience seems to be in organising big parties for groups/companies/restaurants known for their food but, in and of herself, she doesn't seem to have the real expertise of an actual chef.

Maybe I misread the bio (which is more than possible given that I haven't slept in 2 days) but a gopher collecting recipes and stuff for one magazine, special events planning for a group controlled by Daniel Boulud, and writing a few restaurant reviews for some small local papers?

Okay she received some training at the Institute of Culinary Education but it's hardly the CIA and (more importantly) she's never cooked professionally. She hardly to the level of WhatsHisFace and has absolutely no clue about the stress/obligations/issues involved in being a chef. I realise one has to start at the bottom to get to the top but I'd much prefer it if, next year, they have another real chef as a co-judge. You can just tell from her blog, versus the other chap's, that she's not really knowledgeable about the industry. In fact, having read her stuff, her knowledge just comes across as very superficial and shallow.

[indygirl]

Wow. The awesome power of alcohol is realized yet again.

Well, Dave must have been wearing Stephen's suit of superiority tonight! He certainly had a confidence that we really hadn't seen before this. And he didn't hesitate to speak his mind.

Stephen, on the other hand, must have been surprised by his screen time--or at least the response to it. I think he deliberately chose to come on the reunion as a different person, more humble. And he almost made it--damn that Ken for ruining his plan, forcing Stephen to label him "white trash." I did have to laugh when he described the knowledge bestowed upon him by profs and mentors as "dumping loads" on him. Hee! I liked that he apologized to Candice for their fight. There's hope for him yet perhaps. Who knew he wa such a remorseful--and fiesty--drunk?

The hopeless one--Ken. What a dick. He is obviously still pissed that he was first to go. He just thinks he can hide his assholery behind his "I say what I think" mantra. And he wanted to get Stephen for the sand vs. shit comment.

Normally, I feel sorry for the show villians by the reunion. I like Stephen more. I liked Santino by the end of PR. I even felt sorry for Wendy Pepper for a brief moment during the finale of last year's PR. But Tiffani? Nope. I think the basic opinions of the other chefs were valid. Some of them really took a little too much pleasure in calling her out, but I understood that this was probably their first time to have the chance since seeing the show. So their zeal is understandable, if not nice. She still is just so arrogant. She didn't really learn anything about herself because she will never admit that she is wrong.

The love for Harold and Lee Anne is even greater. I want them to get married and have little babies in chef hats. I wish Lee Anne had talked more. She and Andrea really preserved their dignity more than anyone else. This reunion was much more vicious than others I have seen.

ETA: Tom's reunion comments and Gail's reunion comments

[Deleted]

I can't get beyond the visual that Tiffani's head looks like it was perfectly sculpted using a melon baller on a ripe pumpkin. Well, that and her trying to jack Dave's shirt from him. I was hoping he whip her in the face with it.

And had Stephen wore his T-shirt of Humility more frequently on the show, I might have liked him more. Who knew!

Does Billy Joel's wife ever register an emotion beyond blank? She's giving KAK a run for her money in the Top Robot department. I really hope it's true she won't be back for TC2–the woman bores the wallpaper from my walls.

[FiggyPudding]

The hopeless one--Ken. What a dick. He is obviously still pissed that he was first to go. He just thinks he can hide his assholery behind his "I say what I think" mantra. And he wanted to get Stephen for the sand vs. shit comment.

Amen!!! I haven't hated Stephen as much as everyone else, but I've always despised that Ken. He is unstable. I'm glad Stephen got to show a different side, I suspected as much when I saw him in some of the bonus videos. Also, Harold was his friend and I figured he must not be a total ass.

Still loving Harold and Lee Anne. I am pretty annoyed by Tiffany making it to the final three. Not that she isn't talented or because she's so abrasive, but I think it was neck-and-neck between her and Lee Anne and she got the edge for dramatic purposes (IMO). She seems like a defensive bully child with lame excuses.

I felt sorry for Harold when Gail asked the obligatory 'are you single' question. He shouldn't have caved. But then if he hadn't, they probably would have obsessed over it even more. I sense that along with his shyness, he resented being cast as the 'hottie' chef. LOL But he's still hott.

Lee Anne kept her dignity quite well also. You could just tell she wanted to scream at points, but she managed to hold it in.

[firstaid]

I can't get beyond the visual that Tiffani's head looks like it was perfectly sculpted using a melon baller on a ripe pumpkin. Well, that and her trying to jack Dave's shirt from him. I was hoping he whip her in the face with it.

Bwah!! hilarious!!! but so true!!!
She was totally trying to steal that shirt from him!!! It was presented to Dave, Tiffani, buy your own t-shirt!!

The only person that came out looking good in the reunion, IMHO, was Stephen. I do believe that his apology to Candice was sincere and recognized that he can appear condescending at times. He could have easily blamed it on editing like thousands of other reality stars but he owned up to it.

Even though I love Harold and would like him to win, he appeared more grumpy than usual at the reunion. They seemed to emphasize how he is "just a cook" and not someone who belongs outside the kitchen with all the shaking and nervousness with the plates.

Ken, is the true tool and douchebag of TC, that man should never be allowed near a knife or any sharp instruments. He is just nuts.

I love adorable sweet Dave, and even though he is passionate about cooking and probably makes really yummy food, I can't see him as Top Chef. He get way too emotional!!!
There is no crying in baseball and there shouldn't be crying in cooking... unless you are cutting onions or something.

Ok my predictions!!! Even though I would love Harold to win, I think Tiffani will be crowned top chef.

Harold will be eliminated first, then Dave and Tiffani wins.

[FiggyPudding]

Has anyone seen the "What was the most difficult challenge?" bonus video at the Top Chef website? Is that a spoiler in it, or one of Bravo's red herrings?

[Deleted]

Oh, DAMMIT! I have a Mac and Bravo hates me. Can you white out the possible spoiler Figgy, or PM me?

Yes, I love anything spoiler-y. Suspense=bad.

[FiggyPudding]

Hey LEB! If memory serves it wasn't that spoilery after all, but >> Dave said the final quickfire was a disaster (or something like that). Since the final quickfire is an elimination challenge, my knee jerk reaction was that he tanked it and didn't make the final two, but I could be reading too much into it. <<

Some people think that Dave spoilered the finale during the reunion show, but he said 'you know, the hundred grand, it'd help my ass right now 'cause I'm broke...' It was not in the past tense, even my closed captioning said it'd, which I took to mean 'it would' in a hypothetical sense.

[Deleted]

Ooo! Thanks Figgy! I noticed something in the one preview they showed during a commercial break (which was not the same as the preview after the show ended), too >> Tiffani was standing next to Dave and it appeared to me they were standing there being judged and Dave all of a sudden grabs his face and acts either surprised, relieved, freaked out. Tiffani kind of turned to him and meekly smiled. So, I don't know if he was kicked out OR got through to the final two. Again, could be nothing—and I might be reading into what was going on in that scene, so...who knows. <<

And yeah, I kind of think Dave spoiled it with that statement from last night. Despite how much it would please me, I just can't see Dave in the final two—I think it's going to be Tiffani and Harold.

[Deleted]

Okay, now that I have seen unedited footage of Tiffini, I can officially say not only IS she a b*tch, but she is a attentionwh*re as well.

I also thought Stephen was sampling too much of the wine.lol

As for dave, I can only say he must have seen things watching the show that inflammed his dislike of Tiffini.

I also found it amusing everyone thought LeeAnne should be in the top 3. I agree, but it was nice to see it said.