Chicagoist: Top Chef Chicago Recap, Week 3

Hazel Peartree

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:46:56 -0600

PS: It was Jenn and Ryan who pillaged our cupboards and fridge... She's sweet and does have some talent - he's all brio - a charmer, but kinda clueless, hence the boot last week. I'd say, though, that Chitown's own Stephanie is most likely to succeed outta this whole bunch. While Richard in a world of his own, his ego's going to get him in trouble. Stephanie's a huge talent with the disposition of yoda - wise beyond her years.

Hazel Peartree

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:33:21 -0600

I was at the block party and indeed do dwell on the 4400 N block of Richmond street. The mini-burgers were really good, I love d the s'mores, and the white sangria was tasty as well (those were my peaches!) Having them forage in my kitchen for ingredients was a hoot, altho 29 minutes of the time spent in our house ended up on the cutting room floor. Of the 10 or so people who let them in, only 3 of us ended up in a segment. I must say, though, that there ain't much that's real about reality tv!!!

plumbum82

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:21:40 -0600

I just have to say something again. I rewatched this week's episode this weekend and Erik really pissed me off. To dismiss Mexican food as mere street fare is arrogant, demeaning, and more than a teensy bit racist. The fact is, all great cuisines arise from circumstance. For instance, Fuel (coal and wood) is in short supply in China, so food had to be cut small to cook faster. The best parts of an animal went to the aristocracy, so the food of the French people was all about making something fantastic with "less than choice" ingredients. And in India, slaughtering a cow that could be better utilized plowing a field to feed thousands of mouths became "forbidden" and a diet heavy in vegetables and dairy became commonplace. And in Mexico, things are no different. You take things you have in abundance (corn, peppers, etc.) and use them to amplify what things you have in short supply (meat, for example). This is done all around the world. And just because your personal experience with the food has come from people of lesser means just trying to get by in your home country, doesn't mean there isn't centuries of tradition and thought put into those dishes. So, elegant or not, the food and culture of Mexico deserves to be placed on par with anything Italy, France, or China can produce. And none of them have to defend their place at the grown-up's "fine dining" table. They had the number zero, brain surgery, and an accurate calender long before your ancestors had those things, so maybe... just maybe they might know something about cooking besides producing a decent taco after a night of drinking. And P.S.- Stupid reality show or not, I'd guess the vast amount of restaurant fare (of any origin: Mexican, Italian, Thai, whatever) in San Francisco (where Erik is from) and here in Chicago is produced by a Mexican or someone of Latin descent. And I'd make another guess that if you took any veteran line cook off the street, they'd kick almost everyone's ass on that show. Sorry about the soapbox, it just really honked me off.

plumbum82

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 19:12:05 -0600

@joe dunphy: Word. Ever try to make Mole? Fuck that.

joseph_dunphy_in_chicago

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 16:08:55 -0600

"It's just how could he POSSIBLY make such a lousy statement as 'I don’t think Mexican and fine dining go together so he can go screw himself.' I mean, of all people, he should understand that talented chefs can make simple foods delicious and within the fine dining catagory, in any setting." Also, Mexican food isn't necessarily simple. By now, anybody who has ever stepped foot in a kitchen should know better than to equate Mexican food with Tacqueria fare.

L. Stolpman

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 10:36:35 -0600

Ad - I agree on how condescending the red team was. Like you said, it wasn't so much in their food choice (as the blue team made some fairly traditional foods, too) as it was in their comments. I second your thoughts on Erik. Pencil - I fully agree on how the first few episodes are sort of ...boring because there isn't much attachment to the people that leave. I guess that might still be true if they started with only 10 people. But yeah, sure makes for a long season. happygrl - Don't you sort of wish security actually did just drag him out? groggy - He does seem on the brink of completely snapping. How'd you like to work in a kitchen with HIM looming overhead? lamgray - right on, right on. That was an ignorant thing for Erik to say! matty - not sure if you mean us or the judges. heh. plumbum82 - Hollah! ilr - I think the general feeling is that the menus were totally fine but the comments made by the red team left something to be desired...like respect. I don't think they were *horrible* but they were a bit insulting. lorem ipsum - In previous seasons, they've referred to small hamburgers as sliders. The one with CJ and Casey and working to make food for the bunch of drunks leaving the bars in Miami. I think that one had sliders. Maybe slider is generic for small burger, even if it was grilled. Dunno - I'll check it out. -L.

lorem ipsum

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:58:51 -0600

Did anyone else think it was strange that the red team kept calling the mini-burgers "sliders"? I don't think mini-burgers and sliders are the same thing. Not that White Castle has the monopoly on sliders, but when R.B. specifically asked if the "sliders" were steamed, the reply was, "oh, no, they've got grill marks on them, definitely." Um, then what you've got there is a small hamburger that's been grilled. There's really no sliding to be had. Does any small burger = "slider" now?

ilr

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:39:27 -0600

I think the menus weren't meant to be condescending to chicagoans -- I think they kept to simple foods because of the large number of kids they were serving. didn't they say 70 kids a couple of times?

plumbum82

Fri, 28 Mar 2008 01:06:54 -0600

This just in: Stephanie is still hot.

matty

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:32:05 -0600

It sounds like the contest was supposed to be a BBQ so like, quite whining about how they don't show fine dining in Chicago.

lamgray

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:17:05 -0600

I wasn't knocking Eric's choice of food to make. . .I happen to love wings and mac n' cheese. . . It's just how could he POSSIBLY make such a lousy statement as “I don’t think Mexican and fine dining go together so he can go screw himself.” I mean, of all people, he should understand that talented chefs can make simple foods delicious and within the fine dining catagory, in any setting. Kinda hypocritical and unexpected from him, as I could see many people saying things about his cooking in the same realm.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:17:43 -0600

Erik's stated goal was to open a beach shack restaurant in Hawaii and sell sandwiches while wearing flip-flops. While an admirable goal in my opinion, it isn't one that a person needs to win Top Chef in order to accomplish. I wonder if he had said that during his casting interview whether he would have even made the show?

groggy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:16:05 -0600

yeah, they most def should have done an empanada quickfire instead of the taco quickfire. maybe that would have been more high-brow for erik and spike?

magilla gorilla

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:12:46 -0600

g-rod is our blow dried governor

Chuck Sudo

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 15:00:54 -0600

I've said it in the past two power rankings: Erik is one of those guys who's good to have a beer with. Moreover, he's one of those chefs with a fair amount of talent who's content to simply make hot wings during March Madness all his life.

cornichon

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:55:44 -0600

@ reverendmartasqueeze Who is G-Rod?

cornichon

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:53:28 -0600

@ groggy mmmmm...empanandas!

pencil

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:47:07 -0600

@groggy Yeah, he doesn't seem high so much as just off-kilter. I guess I was thinking more neurological damage from prior drug abuse...I would guess that contestants are subject to drug testing, or at least sign a no-drugs contract. @Iamgray Totally agree. Eric seems clueless and doesn't belong on Top Chef. It doesn't seem like a very balanced group -I feel like there are a handful of strong players and a bunch of people I'm just waiting for them to eliminate so we can get down to business. I kind of wish they would abandon the current format and start with a smaller group. They could start eliminations after say, 5 episodes in. I think the challenges are interesting enough to hold my interest, and early on I'm not too familiar with the contestants yet so I don't really care who goes home.

ReverendMartaSqueeze

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:36:20 -0600

The block party was on Richmond and Sunnyside. Conveniently located about two doors down from G-Rod's house in Ravenswood Manor.

lamgray

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:53:22 -0600

Agreed on the condescending comment. . .Apparently, everyone that lives on a block in Chicago is reduced to corn dogs and hamburgers b/c we NEVER venture out to fine dinning establishments. . . And, Eric's comments on Mexican cuisine I found very odd, since thus far in the series, he has admitted to making nothing more than bar food at his restaurant. . .corn dogs, glorified nachos. . .maybe you got the boot b/c YOU don't know fine dining, don't bring the Mexicans into it or put down the owner of one of the BEST restaraunts in Chicago!

groggy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:41:34 -0600

@pencil I don't know about drugs. I seriously have wondered if he has some sort of neurological disorder?? I've never in my life seen anyone who is so skittish and seems so ready to blow. I just can't like him because I'm on edge when he's on the screen, just waiting for him to implode over an empanada.

happygrl

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:40:25 -0600

I so badly wanted Andrew to be sent home when he made that comment about "this being my house and security would have to drag me out." I thought "OK! You're gone. A-hole." I totally would have booted him and told Erik to thank his lucky stars that Andrew was such an arrogant prick to the judges' faces.

pencil

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:32:31 -0600

I too was appalled at Red Team's condescension and was disappointed that the judges didn't make a bigger deal about their attitude. I only remember Ted Allen saying "good food sells" during the deliberation scene. Speaking of who's on drugs, Andrew seems super skittish. He creeps me out.

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 13:02:55 -0600

I thought it was amazing how condescending Spike and the Red Team were towards the people they served at the block party (well at least behind their back). The Blue Team made paella, bbq pulled pork, bean salad, fruit cobbler, and mac and cheese--not excatly refined or delicate palate stuff in my opinion. Is Spike convinced that we can't handle more than corn dogs and slidders in Chicago? That attitude alone should have placed them as the bottom team (and it probably did). Erik's prickish behind the scenes comment about Bayless was enough for me to write him off as a valid contestant. Good riddance.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:52:45 -0600

Hey there, Smussy. I've probably been reading too much televisionwithoutpity.com. They, and a lot of bloggers, apparently always think Padma is high. Everyone once in a while, it will strike me the same way. Honestly, I didn't notice it at all until I read it and then I started looking for it and sure enough, sometimes it seems like she's been drinking the bong water. But, eh, who the heck knows. She's still BE-A-U-TIFUL.

smussy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:17:09 -0600

okay. i have to break down and ask. what's with all the padma/mary jane jokes?

chgoeditor

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:05:38 -0600

They're copying Borat's accent.

groggy

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:54:43 -0600

I heard a rumor it was on Richmond St., between Sunnyside and Wilson.

kar

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:50:37 -0600

Does anyone know what neighborhood that block party was in?

L. Stolpman

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:39:32 -0600

Grizz: Amen to that. I was pretty surprised those words came out of his mouth.

Grizz

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:30:24 -0600

I found Erik to be a bit toolish. His comment - "so he can go screw himself" was every bit professional and expected. You won't be seeing him no more. Later bra!