'Top Chef': All Dressed Up
Guess what, this week's Quickfire Challenge was sponsored! You really have to hand it to the Top Chef ad-sales crew. One can only imagine the high fives at the Bravo business offices as they force "synergies" on the production team week after week. Maybe next year they can spin that process off into its own reality show—Top Ad Sales Executive. I relish the thought of hearing those magical words: "Please turn off your Bluetooth headset and go..."
Ah, but I'm beating a dead horse on this one. Speaking of which, most people wouldn't want dead horse mixed into their Cold Stone Creamery ice cream. Or cauliflower espuma. Or Sriracha sauce. But, hey, that didn't stop some of the chefs from trying. The Quickfire Challenge was to prepare toppings to be folded into mall-goers' favorite high-calorie dessert. Tre, Howie, and Dale got high marks for preparing high-end fruit-based condiments for their dishes. Hung and Casey got hung out to dry for using the aforementioned cauliflower and Sriracha. In fact, Hung emptied the proverbial pantry on this challenge. That dude seriously needs to take it down a notch. He has gone from first episode front-runner to permanent disappointment. If he doesn't make some adjustments soon, methinks he will be heading back to Guy Savoy tout de suite. [Warning: Spoilers after the jump.]
On the other side of the kitchen, Dale's solid performances have given him some nice momentum. He won the Quickfire with his peach cobbler topping and was given immunity from elimination.
In fact, not only was Dale given immunity, he was given the night off and a dinner date with guest judge Govind Armstrong. That left eight competitors to duke it out in yet another team challenge. Two teams of four were told that they'd be using mobile kitchens to cook late-night snack food for hungry Miami clubgoers. Of course, they were told this after being led to believe that they themselves were going out to the club for a night of dancing and debauchery. Oops. And of course that meant that all our attractive chefs were dressed to the nines for their shopping, chopping, and hash-slinging stints at the griddle. You gotta hand it to the Top Chef producers on this one. Each of them can officially put "Evil Genius" on their business card.
So, while Dale and Govind canoodled at the guest judge's Table 8 restaurant, the two teams slaved away producing ceviche tacos, sliders, Cuban sandwiches, quesadillas, onion rings, bacon-wrapped shrimp, cheese grits, and other assorted greasy treats.
The first group, made up of Brian, Hung, Cheesemaker Sara, and Tre, worked as a confident, energetic, thoughtful team. Let's nickname them "The Winners." The other bunch, made up of CJ, Casey, Pouty Sara, and Howie, worked like a bickering, chaotic, dysfunctional family. Let's call them "The Losers," which is exactly the position they were destined for from the very start of this challenge. It was actually interesting to be so completely certain of which team was going to be sending someone home. It certainly upped the drama you felt while watching this crew implode over the course of the evening.
Each team member on the losing side seemed to play his or her role to perfection. CJ attempted to rise above the obvious problems they faced and bring everyone together. He failed miserably, but at least he knew what needed to be done. Casey made sure her quesadillas went well enough to keep her in the competition. Then she kept her head down. Howie acted like the self-absorbed egotist we've come to know and, um, love. And Pouty Sara acted as the brunt of Howie's abuse, seething and preparing her hamburgers and milkshakes as... slowly... as... humanly... possible.
The real victor of this episode was Tom Colicchio, whose criticism of each of these losing competitors at the judges' table was spot on.
In the end, Pouty Sara's lack of assertiveness and her inability to take a shitty situation and make something out of it doomed her to elimination. On the upside, she went out with some choice words for Howie, who has clearly cemented his position as this season's Marcel. I have to admit that Sara lasted a lot longer in this competition than I imagined her youth would carry her. During the premiere episode, she was my prediction for first to go home. A prediction that she managed to defy week after week.
On the winner's side, Tre took top honors for making a great dish of bacon-wrapped shrimp and cheese grits that satisfied both drunken Miami clubbers and the judges. He also transitioned seamlessly from limo to roach-coach by simply taking off his shirt and flashing his "guns" to the lucky patrons lined up for grub. You stay classy, Tre!
Finally, if you ignored my advice about checking out the Top Chef blogs, you are missing a delightful dust-up between guest blogger Rocco DiSpirito and now permanent commentator Anthony Bourdain.
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6 Comments:
Great review of the episode! This happens to be one of the first judge's decisions I've agreed with (last week I was pissed they let go of Joey instead of Sara N.) Although, I was almost sure it was Howie's time to go too. He's made some good food in the past but not so much lately, and it seemed that people like Sara's slider more than they liked Howie's Cuban sandwich.
Chew on That at 11:32AM on 08/09/07
I hate hate hate this new crew. Howie is a cry baby. CJ is lackluster. Casey didn't try to manage anything.
Tom is annoying the BLEEP out of me because he is just one dimensional anymore. All you see from the edited bits is, "not acceptable", "what are you doing?", "I didn't like that". I could make a sound clip of those things he says and just loop them and he could go back to his restaurant. TOM more animation please, work with us, your on TV!!!!
JerzeeTomato at 12:18PM on 08/09/07
I really appreciate these reviews of the latest TopChef. I got addicted to the show over a long holiday and now that I don't have access to cable TV, this blog is really the only Top Chef fix I get. So - thanks!
festivemanb at 12:38PM on 08/09/07
i really hope that every episode won't have a brand as a major focal point in one of the challenges. the bertolli episode really left a bad taste in my mouth (tell me AGAIN what "IQF" stands for, please!) and now with the cold stone...it's just so far beyond blatant. i was OK with the Rav 4s and the Gladware and the Kenmore kitchen, but i really don't want to see one of my favorite shows turn into a complete infomercial.
for a second i thought they were going to pull a double send-home last night when tom was talking to sara and howie at judges' table, like with marisa and josie last season. but i think howie is just too good for television right now...the more i hate him, the more i love him. i can't help it!
rebeccadiamond at 2:16PM on 08/09/07
Rocco D'Hairdye/waxed brows was ewwww. I cannot believe this is the same passionate about food guy from times gone by. I see his face more than Emeril anymore. He has sold his face out so often it is a wonder it was free to do Top Chef last week. After the Restaurant and Evil Jeffrey I am all burned out on Rocco. I miss his mother. No matter what prima donna crap he did his Mom showed up for work. That made my blood boil, herre sdhe has slaved her whole life and when her son is boycotting his own place she has to show up to make meatballs. I hope she slappa his face a lot. Bring back Nicolina she was the best.
JerzeeTomato at 4:23PM on 08/09/07
Let's see... you're in Miami, on the shows coin, as a contestant on a TV “semi-reality" show that has a quick fire and "bigger" challenge for every weeks episode. You’re told after the quick fire, to "take the night off and party"... am I the only one that TOTALLY, saw this "just kidding, have we got a challenge for you" like it's the 500 pounder in the room?
Howie is nothing but the abusive, self-absorbed, prima-dona drama queen the likes of which you’ll find in many professional kitchens. He’s the staffer that does an OK/acceptable job, shows up for work, covers the base is, mostly ignored by the balance of the kitchen staffers and is, basically, tolerated as the devil ya know. Unfortunately, without him, the balance of this season would be a mellow exhibition of professional culinarians doing their jobs to the best of their understanding and abilities (some more passionately and adventurously than others) and not the controversial, water cooler point-of-discussion that this show needs to be to fulfill on the “viral” commitment to the advertisers/sponsors! Good riddance to Howie!
StLouChef at 12:36PM on 08/10/07