Top Chef: Discussion - Bravo

I am so excited for this season, I feel that Elia lost because she did not try to improve the dish and she made the same technical mistakes that she did in the past. Spike being in the top was surprising, however the guy is very successful and he was quite close with many top chefs cast members before even appearing on the show. He is a part of some highly respected food circles, even though he has sucked on the show. I only wish that Stephan, Kevin, Brian Volt and Ed were here, but then every episode would have me depressed with who lost lol.

I was looking forward to this season but it didn't really grab me this episode. I hated Elia going home as I rooted for her during her season. I am sort of annoyed with Richard coming across as the real winner of his season who lost on a fluke--he lost just like everybody else. I liked Spike and am glad to see him back. I hate Marcel and Stephen and wish they had stayed at home.

[QUOTE=tatertots;224455]Wow I'm actually surprised with who they sent home first. I for sure thought it would be Stephen by their reactions.[/quote] Stephen is the only person there that looks wildly out of his element. I was really hoping they'd pull the plug on him, but I guess in retrospect it is kind of fitting that a chef from the worst season of Top Chef would go home first. [quote]And Spike being in the top, really? Even after they acknowledged that the main ingredient was basically invisible and unnecessary in the dish?[/quote] Agreed, he should have not been there. Hiding the main ingredient is usually cause to be sent home, not be lauded. [quote]Oh well, I'm still really excited for this season and it will be interesting to see them all work together. There are only a few that I would be disappointed seeing win so it should be a fun competition.[/QUOTE] I liked the first episode and think this is going to be a really fun season. As a big Anthony Bourdain fan, I'm glad he has been given a full time panel spot as his comments are hilarious... "...my mind was drifting back fondly to my last colonoscopy." There are a few I definitely don't want to see win, with Marcel and Stephen at the top of that list. Angelo and Richard have to be the favorites out of the gate.

[QUOTE=Bacchus;224532].... As a big Anthony Bourdain fan, I'm glad he has been given a full time panel spot as his comments are hilarious... "...my mind was drifting back fondly to my last colonoscopy." [/QUOTE] I am a huge fan of his as well. I thought it was funny that one guy whose name I always forget got so offended, as if nobody knew Bourdain makes over the top comments.

It is really nice to see them back and luckily most of them didn't disappoint in skill or personality. All-star seasons can be plagued by the cast being boring and very aware of the cameras after going through the process already. So far it seems like they are all game and want to compete against each other. Should be fun!

[QUOTE=molds13;225526]Just caught the premiere on Hulu and I'm instantly sucked back in. I didn't watch season 7 and stopped watching season 6 after my favorite (Jennifer) got voted off and it was blatantly obvious that one of the brothers was going to win. Really excited to see some of my favorites (Casey, Tiffani, Antonia, Blais, Fabio, Dale T) back.[/QUOTE] YES! I am excited you are back in the saddle. We'll do post game analysis after the Challenge tonight. :D (I'm going to watch the 11:15 PM ET run.)

[QUOTE=molds13;225535]Top Chef at 11:15? Or the Challenge at 11:15?[/QUOTE] Challenge at 10 ET. Top Chef at 11:15 ET.

All-stars seasons of reality shows are always awesome and something most contestants want to come back for. But, it has to be hard for Professionals to come back for a second time and compete. I mean, to be some of the first few to go home on a show based on what you do for a living has to suck. I already feel like Richard Blais' edit is either setting him up for the win, or setting him up to be a surprise elimination......(now, let's get real, he will be in the finals and he will win). From his confessionals it seems he is picking the people who will be in the finals with him. So, I fully expect to see Angelo there as well. He also stated Jennifer was someone he has to keep an eye on, so I wouldn't be surprised to see her there too. And I can't thank top chef enough for bringing back Casey...although I don't think she'll go all the way, she's my all time favorite. I'll be rooting for her, jenn, Jaime, and Dale (not the one with anger problems)

[QUOTE=molds13;225778]AH! Totally flipped over to Bravo too early and I think I saw two of the people in the bottom. For some reason I thought that the episode before was going to be a repeat.[/QUOTE] It will still be good. Don't share, ****it. ;)

Wellllll that episode sucked lol

Just like you don't want to bore Nina on Project Runway you don't want to make a bland meal and bore Tom in Top Chef. Like Trey said, it's better to over salt than under salt. I've seen too many people go home after Tom complaining that they didn't do the basics and use salt and pepper.

[QUOTE=molds13;225949]I was scared when you said this because you said you really liked Casey and when I prematurely flipped I saw her and Tre in the bottom, so I thought it was her that went home (when she shouldn't have been in the bottom with the other 3 in the first place) Jenn might have stayed if she had kept her mouth shut and took the lumps. She's just too proud and stubborn.[/QUOTE] Yeah Casey should have been sent back with Tiffani and Dale; she didn't deserve to be in the bottom. I didn't want ANYONE from the losing team to go home, but it wasn't as painful seeing Jenn get eliminated once she became stubborn and talked back. They show Richard more than they show everyone else combined lol. He should have won last week but was disqualified, so Angelo won. This week they both won. I hope this isn't a regular thing; I get annoyed when people dominate a show like this. I liked Blais on his season, but they're over-selling him to us on all stars.

I wonder if Jen had [strike]10[/strike] a few beers in the stew room? The looks on Tom's face when she was mouthing back were hilarious. I thought she was going to have a nervous breakdown. That said, she deserved to go home. A soggy chunk of pork with runny, bland eggs on top. That was a losing proposition from the start. I think Jaime was just as culpable being she helped conceptualize the failed dish and then skipped out on the entire challenge getting her scratch attended to at the hospital. She should have put some super glue on it, taped it up, threw on a latex glove and gone back to work. Of course, Jen said that Jaime not being there had no effect on her perfect dish, so I guess she dug her own grave. Katie Lee [strike]Joel.[/strike] Now I remember why they got rid of her...

This isn't really an excuse for Jamie (count me in on thinking that she should have just wrapped it up and thrown a latex glove on until the end of the challenge), but Tom said in his blog that the reason she was so quick to go get stitches was because she had never gotten them before so she thought that it was more serious than it was. I think Jen's mouthing off had less to do with alcohol and more to do with being deprived of sleep. She's already proven to be kind of impatient and quick to irritate so I'm not surprised she went off the way she did.

[QUOTE=behindme;226148]This isn't really an excuse for Jamie (count me in on thinking that she should have just wrapped it up and thrown a latex glove on until the end of the challenge), but Tom said in his blog that the reason she was so quick to go get stitches was because she had never gotten them before so she thought that it was more serious than it was. [/quote] That makes sense although I would have liked her to tough it out. Something about Jaime rubs me the wrong way, but I guess that is just her confidence and thus should not be looked at in a negative light. However, there is no question in my mind that she is always looking out for "number one." [quote]I think Jen's mouthing off had less to do with alcohol and more to do with being deprived of sleep. She's already proven to be kind of impatient and quick to irritate so I'm not surprised she went off the way she did.[/QUOTE] Not to mention that she openly admitted to having a huge parental chip on her shoulder. I like Jen and I know she went earlier than she should have based on the competition, but in the end I think she is probably not cut out for the pressures of this kind of show and what we saw was a magnification of her reactions from her original season. She is Chef du cuisine for one of Eric Ripert's restaurants, so you know she has talent.

I really enjoyed the challenge last night but I'm sad about one of the eliminated chefs. I was hoping he would stay around longer because I always found him entertaining and likeable.

[QUOTE=molds13;227565]I totally missed last night's episode and it isn't posted on Hulu or on Bravo's website. :([/QUOTE] I thought you might not have, that's why I tried to keep it a little vague. Bravo usually posts by the end of the day I think.

[QUOTE=molds13;227594]OK, wow. I was not expecting that. I had expected (and hoped) for Stephen because I never really liked him, but I thought Fabio was gone.[/QUOTE] I expected Fabio too and I am SO SAD about Dale. He's one of my all time favorites. I probably would have picked Fabio to go but I can understand how something that is too sweet can really turn you off.