'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 7: Toby Young Rocks
It's been two weeks since the last new Top Chef episode, and what better way to return than with British writer turned restaurant critic Toby Young. Like his forefather A. A. Gill, Young does not hold back. London food criticism and nastiness go hand in hand, and Young was nasty in the best of ways.
Before we get into his top snarky quotes of the evening, let's just say tonight was reality television at its best. And this is coming from a lukewarm reality television watcher. There was real tension and real emotion. We felt the chefs' pain. The judges, except for pretty French boy Jean Christophe Novelli who didn't do it for me—is that man allergic to smiling? does he laugh? ever?—were in good form. Padma looked smashing and didn't get in the way, and Toby Young rocked with his snarkfest.
[Warning, spoilers ahead.]
Quickfire Challenge: A Sugarless Dessert
As we pointed out earlier this week, tonight's Quickfire prevented contestants from using sugar. While scooping samples of the results, Jean Christophe was as cold as an icicle. He wouldn't even try Ariane's whole-wheat crepe because he didn't like the way it looked. I was shocked he actually picked one.
Radhika won with her ginger bread pudding with roasted cashews—and boy, was this a good Quickfire to win. After last episode's yuletide generosity, where everyone was safe, two contestants were going home tonight. Pull out the calculators, because that's a 20% attrition rate! That's kind of a lot. Also, pull out the Diet Dr. Pepper, because this segment was chock-full of product placement. I feel semi-brainwashed. And would totally drink a Diet Dr. Pepper if it was in front of me.
Cook a Family-Style Meal for a Blind Audience
As Fabio clarified, the "blind" part of this blind tasting challenge didn't mean blind-folded. It just meant judges didn't know who made what, hence an unbiased decision. Seated with the judges and the cheftestants who weren't cooking that round, there was Toby Young, the "bad-ass food critic from England," ready to give everyone a rude awakening.
Top Toby Quotes
"The U.N. weapons inspectors were looking in the wrong place in the run up to the Iraq war. Because I have found the weapons of mass destruction, and they are in this bowl." [About Radhika's seafood bisque]
"I think it tasted like cat food." [About Melissa's ahi tuna taco]
"It was like Tom Cruise's cameo in Tropic Thunder. An unexpected treat." [About Jeff's avocado sorbet]
"It was the bland leading the bland." [About Eugene's daikon fettucini]
Top Carla Quote Reacting to Toby's Harshness
"Oh mayyy gawwwd, and this is our new judge? Gail? Gaaaay-el?
More Observations
As soon as Eugene said "daikon fettucini," Ed was instant-messing me, expressing his disgust. What was Eugene thinking? Except the best part about this was Eugene saw nothing wrong with the messed-up combo. "Nobody here would have the balls to make daikon fettucini with tomato basil sauce." Balls? Or stupidity? I was already excited for Toby's reaction.
Jamie wanted another shot at scallops after a previous scallop mishap, which had Fabio rolling his eyes. "All she does is scallops. This is Top Chef, not Top Scallop." Fast forward to Toby's reaction: he actually liked the dish and had nothing biting to say about her fennel and scallops combo. He would totally watch the Top Scallop pilot. (Also, does Jamie remind anyone else of Scarlett Johansson?)
Stefan's Czech duck dumplings and red cabbage looked goood. And what a miracle, both Tom and Toby agreed! A rare occurrence, with the two clashing in critique styles throughout the episode. The polished, composed Tom wouldn't compare anyone's dish to WMDs. Toby, on the other hand, not afraid to pull out the weaponry.
The Elimination
So usually at this point, things get scary because a chef goes home, but tonight, things got real scary because it was about chosing a chef to stay. Intense. But again, pretty decent reality television.
The judges' brainstorming sesh turned into a Tom vs. Toby battle. Tom thought Eugene ruined the fish ("and that really bums me out"), while Toby respected Eugene's boldness. Tom thought Melissa's fish tacos represented her personality, her style, her roots. Toby thought it was just a disaster. He basically said she was a disaster. It was interesting to watch the divergence of their opinions.
Ed nervously messaged me at this point. "I know Carla is in trouble as well, but i like her, i care about her. She's very coachable."
I like Carla too. And again, good reality television. We care about these creatures! Luckily, the judges agreed with us on Carla.
Eugene and Melissa were sent home. This seemed like the right choice. Melissa cried while Eugene kept insisting "I was just too creative." With one last image of him all tattooed-out in his wife beater tank, we said goodbye.
Related
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 6: It's a Wonderful Kitchen
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 5: Stefan Is a Snarky Button-Pusher, But Knows Turmeric
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 4: Accents Are Good for TV
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 3: Food Fighters
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 2: It's a Dog Eat Dog World
'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 1: And So It Begins
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38 Comments:
I soooo wanted Carla to stay (and I'm really pleased to know I wasn't the only one)! I knew Melissa was gone, but they made it seem like Eugene had a better chance and got me seriously worried for Carla. While Eugine really impressed me the first time I saw him, it all went downhill from there, and I was not sorry to see him go.
Carla is just fun to watch. She seems like a really, really good person, there is just something about her that makes her very likable. I'm not saying that she should be the Top Chef, I just want her to stay as long as possible. I also really liked her reaction when she was at the judges table, how she immediately knew what exactly she could (and should) have done differently to improve her dish instead of just saying how "she thought it was good" or that "she should have been less creative". To me, that shows that she's willing to learn and fix her mistake and is capable of it, too. Anyway, I'm glad she stayed.
Oh, and Jamie does remind me of Scarlett Johansson, a lot!
All in all, this episode was so much better than the fake Christmas one! I also realised that Radhika and Fabio are growing on me...and yay, Toby Young is here!
brooke29 at 1:19AM on 01/08/09
I am the only one who isnt impressed when reality shows had British assholes as judges?
blahthequah at 1:59AM on 01/08/09
I agree as well -- I was completely pulling for Carla and was so happy when she was allowed to stay. Although I'm still happily (and bilingual-ly) cheering Fabio on, despite his occasional snarkiness. He's too talented (okay, and too pretty) not to support. =)
But I'm not sure what I'm missing here: I don't get the ScarJo vibe from Jamie at all ..
kfarrel3 at 2:07AM on 01/08/09
I really think that if Radhika would have been sent packing if she didn't have immunity. The comments on her dish seemed way harsher than what was given to Eugene.
That said, I am kind of sad to see Eugene go - he's a self-taught chef, and I really respect that - it represents what's really going on in the kitchens of the restaurants we go to. But I do applaud Carla in her professionalism both in the kitchen and in her interviews. I don't think she'll be around for much longer, though...
missvenuz at 2:17AM on 01/08/09
@blahthequah - being an expat, watching "British assholes" makes me feel nostalgic and starry-eyed:-).
brooke29 at 2:20AM on 01/08/09
@ Brooke29 - me too. God, I miss my old gym... :P
shoneyjoe at 7:03AM on 01/08/09
Compared to last night's guest-French judge who seemed to show TRUE discernment and criticism, Toby seemed like a sham and I am surprised that Erin Zimmer or anyone would be so enamored by him. His made-for-TV exaggerated facial expressions to show "seriousness" and catch-phrase BS for those who LOVE American Idol makes me cringe. I think TC is possibly the best reality show out there but only when it doesn't stoop as low as all the others out there.
DudeLovesFood at 8:45AM on 01/08/09
As much of an anglophile as I am, Toby Young's particular brand of snarkiness didn't really appeal to me at all. First of all the "weapons of mass destruction" comment seemed too long, and kind of inappropriate. I don't mean at all that it was un-pc or any nonsense like that. It struck me as a forced attempt to bring up the fact that, as a Brit, he disagrees with the policies of the Bush administration (not that I'd contradict him). The metaphor just didn't work for me. Likewise, I thought that the "cat food" comment was made simply to demonstrate that he's British, and therefore an asshole. I honestly have a soft spot in my heart for British assholes (having been verbally abused by several British choir directors and now as I'm studying in London this year), yet it just didn't seem natural in this situation. I mean, the dish could have been really really boring, and I obviously wasn't there to taste it. i just have a hard time believing that diced ahi tuna in a crispy shell tastes anywhere near bad enough to call it cat food. It doesn't help that I just didn't think his comments were at all funny. I could be on my own in this feeling (well, me and the people I watched the show with, who happen to be equally enamored of the English), but I hope not, because I really hope he doesn't last long on the show.
Other than that, I'm thrilled that Eugene was sent home! His comments to the judges were arrogant and clearly demonstrate an unwillingness to take criticism. He was totally obnoxious, and his daikon dish looked and sounded pretty gross, whereas Carla's and Melissa's just looked boring.
ChristineB at 9:02AM on 01/08/09
We were predisposed to like Carla because she's from DC (where I live) and went to the same culinary school as my husband but I'm rooting for her more and more as the season goes on. I was really worried for her last night and glad we get to see her for another week. Unfortunately, now that they've gotten rid of Melissa (the last really poor performer) we're getting down to where the middle chefs are going to be sent packing. Let's hope Ariane packs her knives and goes next. I am completely over her.
mcwolfe at 9:11AM on 01/08/09
I am not a Toby fan. I miss Gail bitterly. I really came to like her and I think her critiques were smart and interesting. Toby's just a loud mouth, and I think his interaction with Tom is annoying.
I'm so glad others were pulling for Carla. I wasn't a big fan of hers at the beginning, but I've really warmed up to her. I don't see her being top chef, but I think she's a genuine (and genuinely funny) person who really cares about what she does.
Strangely, I don't have a favorite this season. In years past, I've generally pulled for someone from early on. I used to really dig Jamie, but her attitude isn't doing it for me. I'd really like Radhika to pull out all the stops, but I'm not sure yet that she's capable.
All in all, a WAY better episode than the nobody goes home Christmas sham.
jlbrach at 9:38AM on 01/08/09
I am with jbrach. I am almost bummed enough about Gail's disappearance to quit watching altogether.
And Toby? I I hate him. Not only is he mean for the sake of meanness, he's full of cliches ("I've found the weapons of mass destruction...") and inaccurate. While I don't think those tuna tacos looked very good, I doubt they tasted "like cat food." Is Toby familiar with Fancy Feast's flavor profile?
And finally, I fault Eugene not so much for the weirdness of his diakon dish, but more because he lifted that recipe straight from the pages of Morimoto's cookbook. So, no points for originality there.
Joy Manning at 10:08AM on 01/08/09
Carla is growing on me as well. How funny was it when she was in Whole Foods, staring at the olive oils and waiting for one of them to speak to her??? YOU HAVE 30 MINUTES!
I do not like Toby. His shtick got old real fast. His comments are unprofessional, and don't show that he knows anything. Anyone can make a pun or an insult. Those are not critiques of the food.
sarag22 at 10:43AM on 01/08/09
I have to add my dislike for Toby Young. Tom Colicchio and Gail and even the French dude (hey, could he stick around and be the permanent judge?) know their food and take their jobs seriously. Toby was just throwing out cliches in a poor Simon Cowell impression. I had to laugh when he opined oh so seriously that the fennel added a real licoricey undertone. Oh, really? That's astute.
Fiksu at 10:49AM on 01/08/09
Toby's schtick was funny for a moment three weeks ago, when I saw it in the previews after the 'Christmas' episode. But the reality of his criticism seems to be that he picks his snarky comments in advance and just looks for the opportunity to recite them.
Melissa definitely needed to go, if you're given free rein to cook whatever you want to impress the judges and you serve raw fish, you're not cooking so much as you're selecting ingredients. And from the judges' reactions, the fish she got wasn't really up to snuff. Eugene showed promise at the beginning of the season but his food never seemed to measure up to that promise. Oh well.
I think now that almost any of the remaining chefs could end up being Top Chef and I wouldn't be disappointed.
Buckethead at 10:54AM on 01/08/09
I kept saying to my wife that Eugene keeps confusing creativity for cluelessness. Let's assume it was some of other sort of (nonrevolting) fettucini: a tomato-basil sauce??!! Would that be Progresso or Hunt's?
And, no, Jamie does not remind me of Scarlett J. in the least, except that they are both female. The similarities end there.
Overall, there does not seem to be one chef in this group that appears to be scary talented. Some have talent and can pull off a really good dish, but none have demonstrated a consistent ability to dazzle, unlike in past seasons.
Fillippelli the Cook at 10:57AM on 01/08/09
I'm sorry but this is the least interesting season of Top Chef for me. I was actually so bored last night I switched over to Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel.
bessfour at 10:59AM on 01/08/09
I was soooo glad that Carla is still on! I love her and her reactions and her enthusiasm! Hootie- Hoo! Bangs had to go! She annoyed me early on and I'm surprised how long she lasted. I liked Eugene adn his story of working his way up ffrom a dishwasher but after a while they just didn't like his food, so buh-bye! I love Fabio and his Top Scallops! jamie finally won so we can stop hearing her whine... oh wait, she'll still be whining! I'm curious to see what skate wing tastes like? anyone?
foodiehacker at 11:06AM on 01/08/09
@bessfour - Man vs. Food is good though--a good substitute, no need to apologize.
I began to get REALLY HUNGRY once I saw the bread pudding--looked great!
hungrychristel at 11:11AM on 01/08/09
Tom C had an interesting comment on his blog about Toby being under the impression that they wanted him to bring the snark but then realized that's not what they wanted and started taking things more seriously. And I actually noticed while I watching that he was much better by the end of the show than the beginning. Well, maybe not "much" better. Anyway, I didn't hate him as much as I expected.
We'll just have to see how he does.
Yay for Carla staying.
Bye Bye Bangs. I'm so happy to see her go I can't stand it. Not so happy about Eugene but his attitude was starting to bug.
RegrettableFoodie at 11:35AM on 01/08/09
I did notice that about Toby. Towards the end of the episode he seemed to tone down his comments. I don't like him. I'll say that. But I've felt very lukewarm about this entire season. It seems to be edited strangely. Like at the judge's table Carla looked like she said something to Melissa and Eugene that was cut out. I like her, though, and I thought it was right to keep her on.
aargh at 12:57PM on 01/08/09
Fabio is a fake Italian. Last night was the second time he mis-pronounced Chef Tom's last name. Fabio used the soft "ch" sound rather than a hard "c". A real Italian would never make that mistake. Who is this imposter!!
Pupster at 1:18PM on 01/08/09
I thought the challenge was one of the best because the chefs were allowed to cook what they wanted, instead of the usual jumping through hoops to create something amazing in less than ideal situations.
I thought the right people were sent home.
As for the new judge, so far, I find him unnecessary.
I suppose his snarky reputation is Bravo's attempt to make "better tv." *sigh* For future episodes, I hope he sounds less like a catty bi-atch and more like someone with a serious appreciation of food.
Don't get me started on the product placement...the challenges that require the chefs to use a particular product seem riduculous and overly contrived at times.
wookie at 1:22PM on 01/08/09
@foodiehacker - skate wing is really delicate, taste-wise. A not-fishy fish, at least when I've had it. It also accepts a good fry in brown butter really well. I love it.
BangieB at 1:52PM on 01/08/09
I love Jamie's and Jeff's food ... but I love to WATCH Fabio and Carla! The bridal shower episode? Fabio had me rolling ... I think Carla deserved to stay food-wise (from what I could tell through the TV) but I think her and Fabio will stay on a while regardless for their TV appeal. Jeff is boring and not much fun to watch, even if he's one of the best chefs.
mookie at 2:33PM on 01/08/09
@mookie, the best part of the bridal episode was fabio showing the photo from his wedding. HOT!
carla yelling for gail was the funniest thing yet.
dmarina at 2:49PM on 01/08/09
What was funny to me is how hard Bravo seemed to be working to make Toby Young sound like he knew something about food. His credentials are minimal and his comments on the show were inane. I'm shocked that this blog had anything nice to say about Toby on last night's episode, I'm seriously bummed out. I'm worried that we're watching Top Chef jump the shark as they attempt to be American Idol or The Bachelor. Why have they been showing 30 second "romance" clips in the middle of each episode? Am I the only one who's noticed that?
mgnnn at 3:38PM on 01/08/09
so far erin is pretty much the only food writer/blogger i've read today who gave toby props. everyone else seems to universally despise him. his jokes were stale, and his "insights" (the fennel gave the dish an anise flavor?--yeah, no kidding) make him look like an unqualified fool.
jcesar4 at 4:10PM on 01/08/09
I have to agree that Carla's wail for Gail was serious funny! Eugene must have Morimoto's book from 2 summers ago wherein there is a recipe for daikon fettucine. Original? Methinks not. Lastly, I wonder if Toby's snarks would be even half as funny if an American was spewing them. Ta.
tomsaaristo at 5:43PM on 01/08/09
REGARDING TOBY:
http://gawker.com/5126273/mean-british-bully-toby-young-is-overwrought-and-underseasoned?autoplay=true?skyline=true&s=i
DudeLovesFood at 1:45AM on 01/09/09
So glad I'm not the only one who noticed that Eugene was stealing the daikon recipe from Morimoto's cookbook. He totally deserved to go home; you can't hack someone else's recipe and then turn around and declare that you're being sent home being "too creative". Loser.
Amandarama at 1:37PM on 01/09/09
Having just emerged from a time machine from the year 2002, I found Toby Young's quips fresh and hilarious! Especially the WMD joke -- so topical! And comparing food to CAT FOOD? I can't believe no one has come up with that one before! Toby is a true original.
Weirdsmobile at 2:45PM on 01/09/09
You all should check out the griping that he's doing on his own Wikipedia article...
jd7979 at 9:45PM on 01/09/09
I felt bad for Melissa but I was really waiting for the episode when she'd be kicked off. She seems like a nice girl but not nearly as effective a contender as she needed to be, even to have lasted this long. I was concerned that Eugene would be allowed to stay yet again over Carla. I don't have an affinity for either one of them but I feel as though Carla's food has been more consistent while Eugene's brash personality and arrogance makes for better TV.
Speaking of arrogance, I agree with the majority of the commenters about Toby Young. He seemed more interested in throwing out forced metaphors/similies that he probably thought were clever, than critiquing the food. I am also annoyed by the editing because Young's self-indulgent remarks overshadowed the more food-appropriate comments from the other judges.
Piss off, Toby!
nyc_boxer at 11:40AM on 01/10/09
@pupster - Ahhh ha! Someone else noticed Fabio's pronunciation of Tom's last name! I'm glad I'm not the only one.
Everyone I wanted to get kicked off has now been kicked off, except maybe Ariane; I'm sorry, I'm still annoyed she won with watermelon-feta-cheese salad. :P
And Jamie got a win! Hurray! So even if she does go I'll be okay with that. I think it would have been very disappointing if she'd been eliminated before that happened.
Now I need to check the Bravo site for Stefan's red cabbage recipe. It looked reeeeally goooood.
onalark at 12:46PM on 01/10/09
Erin - You are clearly out of your mind saying Toby added something to the show. I know that everyone is entitled to their own opinion - but I am firmly putting my little stiletto down and telling you NO, NO, NO. His lame lines were clearly prefabbed - and I was underwhelmed by his knowledge.
Please watch the show again without the aid of whatever hallucinagens of copious amounts of alcohol led you to give him a thumbs up.
wickedorchid at 5:56PM on 01/10/09
Toby seemed to get some coaching to adjust from what he thought the producers wanted to some actual food criticism. I think we'll see less WMD type lines in the future. (I hope, we have enough of the stereotypical snarky British judge on other shows.)
The judging during the quick fire was pointless - the French chef only used the word "interesting" or said nothing. From Toby's comments on his blog on the TC site, it seemed the producers paired them because of Toby's harsh criticism of Novelli on a UK cooking show and the subsequent banning of Toby from all of Novelli's restaurants.
As for the eliminated, the judges got it right. Raw fish tacos on a cooking show? Melissa seemed like a fodder chef that had stayed longer than expected as did Euguene, who is too inexperienced.
This season's chefs couldn't hold a spatula to the best chefs of seasons past. Richard or Stephanie from last season would blow every one of these chefs out of the water.
kmitch218 at 11:14AM on 01/11/09
I have to agree with Buckethead: "Toby's schtick was funny for a moment three weeks ago, when I saw it in the previews after the 'Christmas' episode. But the reality of his criticism seems to be that he picks his snarky comments in advance and just looks for the opportunity to recite them."
Toby's attitude and comments seemed forced; if it was a snarky judge they wanted to bring into the mix, please bring on Bourdain! At least he's the real deal, and funny!
And the comment about fennel having "an anise flavor"?!?! Give me a break, is this Toby guy a real food critic with food knowledge, or does he just play one on TV?
Jeana at 1:23PM on 01/12/09
Despite the schtick, I actually agreed with what Toby had to say. Melissa has been bland since day one. Carla did add a protien because she was insecure with her base dish, she admitted that herself. And Eugene is experimental beyond his abilities. So I liked Toby because he was able to go in and instantly and accurately read these chefs from one dish. That, to me, shows skills that quite honestly Gail seems to be lacking.
As for some of the other characters mentioned, I find Padma stiff & disturbing, and Carla just works my last nerve. She is too cheesy and that hootie hoo is just ridiculous. Go ahead, go to your NY grocery store and try that.
bsouthgirl at 2:19PM on 01/12/09