Chicagoist: Top Chef Chicago Re-cap, Week 5

third coast toast

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 22:54:27 -0600

Loving the commentary! I'm also a Chicagoan / blogger / foodie who's thoroughly enjoying this season so far. Partly because I totally stalked them last fall when they were filming, hee hee. Juicy bits and spoilers are up on my blog, thirdcoasttoast.blogspot.com. Also, totally agree about the Padma being chronically wasted bit. It's a known fact that she LOVES to drink (anyone remember the "breakfast" challenge last season? alcohol spiked smoothies?) - and this was confirmed to me when TC3's Dale was my waiter at Sola last fall. He said that the judges often go to judges table a little drunk, which makes it all the more funny to watch!

frp

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 09:16:49 -0600

L. Stolpman -- Of COURSE you love me! ;>

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 19:33:25 -0600

Lamgray - Dork that I am, I re-watched it and, in fact, Antonia said she'd so a soup. She said something like, "If you want to do a soup, I'll help you do a kick ass soup." Something like that. But she certainly made it clear she didn't want to do a soup. I agree - Riff raff needs to go. Pencil - I noticed the same thing. Last week, they were so particular about the movie connection and this week, the theme was sort of an after-thought. As soon as they said "air", I thought of Marcel and someone doing a foam. Plumbum - Agreed, not loving this season. *sigh* Smokes - Yeah, the quickfire was very scattered. We only got short glimpses of what was going on and it was pieced together so oddly. And the fight at the end was very oddly put together, as well. frp - I shouldn't love you for that, but I might. ha!

frp

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:34:52 -0600

@smokes -- Padma (an old Hindu word meaning stoned or baked or shroomed out) is probably behind the weird editing; she must be editing video while completely blasted on some good shit from India, or Pakistan, or some of that Afghani Red, dood.

Smokes

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 15:01:03 -0600

Plumbum... I am totally there with you on Chicago being the setting is the main drive of why this isn't my least favorite season. Something else I totally spaced until a friend reminded me: What's up with the editing this season? The quickfire was impossible to follow! They must have hired the same person to oversee editing as they did to oversee the headware.

plumbum82

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:23:17 -0600

If it weren't for my crush object and the fact it's all taking place in Chicago (and the challenges are EXCELLENT this year), this would be my least favorite season of Top Chef. ENOUGH WITH THE FUCKING HATS! I'm predicting someone is gonna whip out a derby by season's end.

pencil

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:00:46 -0600

I was disappointed by the poor execution all around. The judges didn't get much chance to touch on the conception of the dishes -tying them to their given element. I wanted the air team to do a mousse or something, y'know, airy. I thought this would have been a (rare) good time for a foam. I really want the show to be about who did best rather than fighting over who did worst. I'm with Iamgray, get rid of the riff raff already.

lamgray

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:41:33 -0600

I don't think Spike was out of line either. . I think she really did say "There's no way I'm doing soup." And better to call her on it in person, rather than bitch about it all season and bring it up at the last judges table in Hawii (AHEM the anti-Marcels of our past). She should have taken the backseat. . but if she said "Won't do it" they should have said, fine, we're doing it, you figure out what the heck you wanna do with $50 that's yours. And, I think Zoi looks like she's gonna cry all of the time b/c her hair is pulled to tight. Man, get rid of all the nancies that serve mediocre food and bitch and yell and kick chairs. . .and let's have a competition with the real chefs. . .you know the ones that weren't involved in all of this that keep winning. . .Even note, Richard took the fall and didn't blame anyone else, he was hating on himself and admitted he deserved to go home. . .Perhaps the others could learn a lesson.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:26:10 -0600

Yeah, you make a good point, usagiyojimbo. I ding Manuel for being not terribly interesting but really, who knows how the editing was, etc. Frankly, he probably just wasn't an ego-ass, like you say. I did think his exit was absolutely professional and spot on classy. And I'd probably rather be his dinner guest than Andrew's or Spike's, any day. It's probably more accurate to say that the other chefs are more interesting to watch because of their trainwreck ego status, but that Manuel is probably a more interesting of a person for his ability to be passionate about something in a dignified manner. Good point and well taken. -L.

usagiyojimbo

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:18:23 -0600

Stop dinging Manuel. He seemed to be a middling chef but contrary to your opinion of him as being bland, I felt he stood out because he conducted himself with grace and professionalism. I realize it's easier to seize on outsize egos as being more "interesting", but the reality it that dignity, earnestness and taking responsibility for one's actions are rare traits in a society dominated by loud, self aggrandizing blowhards who are celebrated just for being tools. I'd be interested to hear someone articulate precisely why any of the other chefs are more interesting.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:05:12 -0600

ad - I think you're right in that soup certainly wouldn't have guaranteed them a win. I think Spike is complaining more about how Antonia didn't sit back and let the two of them decide what to do, with little input from her (Antonia) because she had immunity. So, who really knows how the soup would have done - but I do think that Antonia could have cooled her jets a little. I may have indicated that I meant the soup issue but that'd be my bad - I totally agree with what you've said and I actually wondered if Colicchio would say, "You served us SOUP?" You never know with the judges. Smokes - You read my freakin' mind. Lesbo-drama! Now in HDTV! Zack - Good point. You know, the only completely modest person we've seen if Stephanie. ThisGuy - I think Richard (who is obviously a fantastic chef) was probably scared to death to see he'd made such a dumb mistake. I was annoyed watching him play dumb about it. Dave! - Amen to all you said. ChicagoD - I thought the same thing! I thought, "So much for being professional..." because they had done a pretty good job up until then. Hm, you think Jen could kick Spike's *ss? That might be a good fight.

Chicago D

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:53:31 -0600

Smokes, "re-runs of Blossom." Beautiful, and well said. Also, with regard to the lesbian separation anxiety, Jen's reaction was all the funnier after Zoi said that she was glad that they were on the show and could show that couples could still be "professional." Indeed.

Dave!

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:50:04 -0600

I don't think Spike was out of line... Antonia should have taken a back seat since she was immune. But Spike is still a tool. No hat could save him from that... And I agree the editing of the 'drama' was a bit weird... Dale's tirade seemed to come out of left field... but I think Lisa must have made some remark they left out, since he was targeting her. I'm glad to see Zoi go, though. She was a whiny little biatch.

ThisGuy

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:47:57 -0600

Honestly, I thought Richard should've been sent home last night for serving his dish of poached scales. But this is a TV show, so you know they chose to keep him around because his ceiling is much higher. At least his golden child aura has been shattered. Stephanie appears to be alone at the top of the power rankings now.

Zack

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:47:38 -0600

I understand that in order to succeed as a chef you probably need a pretty hefty ego, but some of these guys just seem over the top. It even goes back to the previous episode where they were ripping on the wasabi/white chocolate combination. Don't rip on it unless you have tried it.

Smokes

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:39:07 -0600

I love this show, more for the cooking / challenges, than for the drama. However, at the end of last nights episode, I was cracking up. "Lesbian MAD!!! Lesbian SMASH CHAIR!!!" Ahh... Lesbian separation anxiety, you never cease to entertain me. Was it just my mood, or did none of the dishes this week look that exceptional? Also, where are they buying those STUPID hats from? I've seen better hats on re-runs of Blossom.

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:37:28 -0600

Wow, am I the only one who thinks Spike was way way out of line here? Like Chef Tom said, it wasn't the decision to do carpaccio that landed the team in the bottom; it was their failure to do it correctly. Who says Spike's soup would have wowed the judges or been completed any better? It may have sounded better in hindsight, but the execution of the dish is everything on this show. A lack of proper seasoning can ruin anything. Also, soups haven't gone over like gang-busters with the judges in previous seasons of this show. Spike has proven to be a complete ass (which is entertaining to a certain degree), and I bet it is only a matter of time before he goes the way of the dodo.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:12:51 -0600

Zack - I agree! I don't quite get why Spike is getting Jen's anger instead of Antonia. Maybe she doesn't know the whole story - or maybe she's just angry at him because he's the other one who could have gone, instead of Zoi. But the whole thing didn't make total sense. I thought the editing was odd because it wasn't entirely clear when Dale decided to jump in. GL - Yes, Team Water looked totally stumped at why there were being asked about the parsnip - and since Mark made it, it was a little like asking him, "What was the point of your contribution?" He definitely looked surprised.

GL

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:02:27 -0600

They could have made soup if they wanted, but like the judges said, it wasn't the choice that got them called out, it was the fact that the carpaccio sucked. The WWF ending made the whole episode. That and the look on Team Water when asked what the hell the parsnip was for.

Spav1

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:49:55 -0600

Do that L. And then no one will show up and then Chicagoist won't say a word about it. It's actually awesome.

Zack

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:48:43 -0600

Woooo, Zoi is gone. Every time she was in front of judges' table she looked like she was going to cry and her whining was intolerable. In the preview for the next episode it seems like Jen is blaming Spike her Zoi getting booted and I don't get that.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:07:58 -0600

Well, aren't you sweet, frp! :) I think next week, we should all head to a local bar and take over their big screen and watch it. Thank you for the kind words. -L.

L. Stolpman

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:03:53 -0600

In Russia, caviar boughtens you! Okay, I'm sorry - you know, I really have a problem. Thank you for the comment, frp. ;) -L♠

frp

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:02:41 -0600

L. Stolpman -- I have stopped DVRing this show in favor of reading your deliciously entertaining recap! Love your writing!

frp

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:58:53 -0600

Maybe he’s been boughtening the wrong kind. Now THAT'S funny. (damn, I just peed on myself again).