Chicagoist: Top Chef Chicago Recap, Show 1: Part I.

Chuck Sudo

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:04:38 -0600

You don't like how he "showed strong" against a "bad-ass" in Richard (HA!) during the elimination challenge last night. He may be annoying as hell, but the little prick's quotable.

cmicek

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:59:23 -0600

I couldn't stand andrew. He actually reminded me of Hung, who also had an abrasive personality. Hopefully Andrew will leave the show soon.

kookybites

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:56:07 -0600

I'm thrilled that Stephanie won, since I was a fan of Scylla. After getting to see her fun and dorky side on the show, I'm pulling for her even more. Andrew, who reminds me of an early Eminem, annoyed the crap out of me last night.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:54:32 -0600

[MAY BE SPOILERS BELOW] JuliaPorter - I rather liked the deep dish pizza challenge, too. Hit 'em with the Chicago, up front. I'm not sure if I think Richard is a villain (in that he did things intentionally) or just blissfully ignorant. I can't tell. Do you think he took that pizza pan intentionally? It just seems so blatantly rude that he wouldn't have done it on purpose. Hobbit's use of Marmite was creative. Admittedly, I cringed a little but he somehow made it work. Hard not to root for Stephanie precisely because she was somewhat painted with a Nervous Girl brush which made her a great underdog to root for initially.

Chuck Sudo

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:49:20 -0600

Richard is the villain insomuch as Andrew thinks of him that way. I know it's only one episode, but Andrew's skills don't seem to match his bravado. But he did get off the line of the night when they found out they were staying at the "TC" house with "Padma's all, 'Casa, Muthafuckas!'"

JuliaPorter

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:42:30 -0600

I liked the deep dish pizza challenge. I mean, it was incredibly obvious, sure, but it's a good challenge. You're giving them a standard dish and asking them to show you what they can do with it. as much as I've fallen for the whole "Richard is the villain!" angle (and trust me, I have), I thought his peach and tallegio pizza was a really unique idea. Or the Hobbit guy's use of Marmite, that was cool, too. So far I'm pulling for Stephanie, I love the sailor mouth combined with the shaking hands. it doesn't hurt that she's a hometown girl, though I was initially annoyed because I used to think of this as a show for up-and-comers, but I guess that's not what it is.

jasmine

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:27:49 -0600

Reinventing the Chicago dog would be a good challenge (better than last night's pizza challenge), but only if it could be judged by our fair city's best hot dog purveyors. And thanks for the house tip, Kookybites! Assuming Gridskipper or Chicagoist hasn't already gotten to it, I was going to put together a TC Chicago Google map for fun.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 12:03:17 -0600

Hi, Jasmine - I think kookybites got your answer on the TC house: somewhere around 2600 N. Paulina. I don't know anything about where the house was so I couldn't say. I think the episode was 75 minutes long because there was commentary from every contestant to introduce them (partly why my recap is going to be 2 parts). Takes time to let them each speak. So, what do you think - re-inventing the Chicago hot dog as a potential challenge? There's a funky comment error going on that makes it look like it didn't go through but I think they do actually make it. -L.

jasmine

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:38:23 -0600

Um, not sure if my first comment made it through. Didn't love the quickfire challenge (predictable, anyone?), though does this mean we'll see more "reinvent signature Chicago dish" challenges later in the season? Also, where is the TC house -- Roscoe Village? Lakeview?

kookybites

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:37:11 -0600

jasmine, it was somewhere around 2600 n. paulina.

jasmine

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:28:56 -0600

Nice. I'm not sure why the episode had to be 75 minutes long, but it went by very quickly. Can't wait for more Andrew/Richard drama, or maybe just Andrew drama, as the season progresses. Also, where was the Top Chef house? I thought for a second it might be in Bucktown, but maybe Roscoe Village or Lakeview if the Whole Foods at Halsted & Waveland was their main market?