Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Less than an hour until Howie addresses the panel.

I'm psyched to see the bulldog go insane.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Really tough quickfire. I kind of like how Hung said "screw this, I'll just act silly."

Brian made the right move by choosing himself to be team leader. Definitely a risk to stick your neck out, but if he ducked and let someone else take the lead, he might as well quit.

Like Colicchio says, it's not "it's Top Chef, not Top Sous Chef."

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

And indeed, Brian acknowledged it himself. "Was there any other choice?"

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Good episode so far, why was all the food on bread? I hope Howie doesn't go, he makes the show interesting.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Well there goes that.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Howie was the obvious choice, throwing himself under the bus was actually a bitch move, he knew he was probably being sent home regardless and was trying to give himself a valiant exit.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

That Michael Schwartz judge was a real douche. I bet Deterle calls him out on his blog.

I thought Hung was in real trouble there. He really seemed to mail this one in.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

First time at judge's table: You all put out crap.

Second time at the table: Some dishes wowed us.

Maybe I'm alone on this, but I think Top Chef has made some serious errors this season. They chose a bunch of chefs that are all relatively talented, not that interested in drama, and are fairly mature. For me, this episode actually showed that the competitors may have more integrity than the judges (who, of course, are bound by the network to be entertaining, so it's not exactly their fault).

Sending Howie hokme was the obvious and probably right choice. But I really came to like that guy over the last three weeks, and I would have liked to see some of his choices and his integrity be rewarded. But who you would send home besides him, well, no idea.

It's tough to see a frontrunner at this point. Maybe that's what they were going for, but it feels weird. I feel like a few people won't go much further, but at the same point I felt like Howie should still be here.

Who knows.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

I feel like any of the final four from either Season 1 or 2 would be an easy winner if they were in this season.

The overall quality is just bad. Chicken salad on a crustini? Hung's salmon and cucumber? As someone who rarely cooks, I feel like they should at least be doing things that I wouldn't do.

There was very little thinking outside the box in the main challenge.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

I kinda hated this challenge.

WRT to "safe" choices. I feel like at some point the chef's remember and the judges forget that they're cooking as part of a real event that they want to go off well. Yes, people could throw out crazy ideas and take risk, but then you're sitting there with egg on your face and a room full of people that hate you. There's some wisdom in "safe" especially when you're asking to make fancy food on a limited budget.

I also thought that Hung's point, while not well delivered, was valid. Not a lot of this as new. Hung is still haunted with a tragic lack of imagination in a lot of these challenges. When he did get creative, in the quickfire, it was just weird.

I think a good idea in this show is to never take a leadership role. Not doing it doesn't hurt you, and if you do take it, you're subject to a pretty difficult moving target wrt to expectations. I think this

I swear a lot, I know people in kitchens swear a lot, but I can turn it off when I need to, and I wish they would when they're on TV. I'm surprised to see myself say this, but it just seems really low rent when somebody is like "wtf is this". It feels like each guest judge is trying to be more frank and dickish than the next, and that's not fun to watch.

Obviously Howie should have gone. There was almost no tension in the ep as it was obvious from jump his time was up.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
I'm surprised to see myself say this, but it just seems really low rent when somebody is like "wtf is this". It feels like each guest judge is trying to be more frank and dickish than the next, and that's not fun to watch.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree with you on the first point. I'm no prude, and I swear a lot, but it comes across as crass in this setting, especially when it seems to be the sum total of your comments. Michael Schwartz seemed like a foul-mouthed douchebag.

However, I don't think this is a real trend on the show. The guest judges really have their own personality.

Govind Armstrong was certainly more restrained and respectful, and Daniel Boulud was his usual self.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Stevie,

It's the judges that aren't "somebody" that always come off like that. I think people like Armstrong and Boulud who already have some media exp are a little too polished to do that.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]

It's the judges that aren't "somebody" that always come off like that. I think people like Armstrong and Boulud who already have some media exp are a little too polished to do that.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point.

Probably works both ways, right?

If you're a TV producer in Miami looking to put together some restaurant segment, you're probably not going to be calling Michael anytime soon after seeing him drop one F bomb after another on Top Chef. Whereas even if you did not know Govind before, he came across just fine.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

That designer annoyed me more than the judge this week.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
That designer annoyed me more than the judge this week.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just wanted to grab him and slap him around for totally conforming to the stereotype. "YOU ARE NOT A PERSON YOU ARE A WALKING CLICHE KNOCK IT THE [censored] OFF".

Bourdain's blog is awesome this week.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

All,

It would have been sweet if as soon as Howie addressed the panel they would have said "OK Howie, you were probably going anyway, seeya later, now the rest of you leave and we'll pick another one of you to leave since Howie already quit."

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

All,

Just read Bourdain's blog. I had thought Hung's performance was pretty lame, but he gave me a new perspective on it:

"I suspect Hung heard the words "stylish" and "fashionistas" and assumed, not unreasonably: "models" and "dumb as a board" -- and chose his dish accordingly"

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

This just in...Casey...wow...HOT.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
All,

It would have been sweet if as soon as Howie addressed the panel they would have said "OK Howie, you were probably going anyway, seeya later, now the rest of you leave and we'll pick another one of you to leave since Howie already quit."

[/ QUOTE ]

I was rooting for this, and was disappointed that they didn't take this tack - send a message that to advance, it's not enough to simply not be the worst. Oh well.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]

I also thought that Hung's point, while not well delivered, was valid. Not a lot of this as new. Hung is still haunted with a tragic lack of imagination in a lot of these challenges. When he did get creative, in the quickfire, it was just weird.


[/ QUOTE ]

Agree in general. When Hung is traditional, he is very traditional(an endless tuna tartare kind of guy). And when he tries something new, he often seems to frame it as though it is more deserving than it is, like his cauliflower ice cream. When he tries to be imaginative, sometimes he comes across as a less refined Marcel.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Reading Bourdain's blog has become a major part of the fun of this show.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

The more I see of Hung, the better my perception of his personality gets, and the more holes I see in his cooking. In the beginning I viewed him as an arrogant douche who clearly had skillz, but now I view him as a competitive, stubborn guy who isn't that efficient outside of his comfort zone.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Though I'm no fan of his personality I thought it was great that Howie stood up and said Eff this nonsense. If you're going to turn the show into a circus ("Okay, you'll be blindfolded and have 8 dollars and 20 minutes to wow people who eat in the finest restaurants in the world...") then at least drop the solemn judge act.

If I had any pride in my craft I'd be ticked off too. Yeah I know they signed up for this but as Tom keeps saying this is TOP CHEF which seems to imply that cooking skills are paramount. As it stands, even if I won the whole thing I wouldn't think any more or less of my chef skills.

And what a bonus (the Macbook) for Casey. Sweet.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Yeah beats the hell out of an autographed copy of someone's lastest book.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Blarg,

The range of prizes is pretty funny. I've always found that really weird.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

I thought it was a douchebag move for the judges to not allow Howie to step down, only to send him home anyway. They've let people go before, why change now? To be vindictive?

-d

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought it was a douchebag move for the judges to not allow Howie to step down, only to send him home anyway. They've let people go before, why change now? To be vindictive?

-d

[/ QUOTE ]

That's true. Like that black lady last year that kept talking about how she'd been homeless. She said, "I'm gone", and they said seeya later.

Seemed petty to not take Howie's resignation. Although Howie could have said "Whatever, I'm gone" if he was really so principled.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
I thought it was a douchebag move for the judges to not allow Howie to step down, only to send him home anyway. They've let people go before, why change now? To be vindictive?

-d

[/ QUOTE ]

When Howie asked to resign he was obviously already eliminated. The douche move would have been if he had requested to step down prior to [censored] all over the challenges.

J

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Isn't it funny how the judges come off looking worse and worse as every episode goes by? You're really starting to see the contestants beginning to loathe their BS attitudes, challenges, and asinine comments.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

They used to seem a lot more wrong when they did it. The challenges getting more and more silly really does make the contestants look a bit like performing monkeys and undermine the judges at the same time. Everyone comes off looking bad at the same time.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

This "stepping down" move is so played out. Contestant X knows they are going home so in a pathetic attempt to save face, and not be embarrassed by getting kicked off the show, they voluntarily leave. It is egotistical and childish. Even Howie said, while waiting for the verdict, "I want to go out on my own terms, not their's." We have seen this childish, egomaniacal on just about every major reality TV show.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Giving Howie any credit for what he did is demented. He was obviously toast and he knew it. Both that and what he did in the quickfire were just ways to try and save face after abject failure.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Time constraints are fine, but the extremely limited budget is an awful idea ESPECIALLY given the pretentious audience.

I'm starting to find Padma v. annoying and out of place at the judges table.


edit: agree that Howie was only trying to save face by quitting

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
Giving Howie any credit for what he did is demented. He was obviously toast and he knew it. Both that and what he did in the quickfire were just ways to try and save face after abject failure.

[/ QUOTE ]

That may be true, but Howie has been pretty consistent over the past few weeks, doing what he says and being pretty upfront. That's pretty unusual for reality tv.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Several kicked off contestants have mentioned that Dale has a very good chance of winning. Am I just missing something? I never considered him a serious contender, but clearly we aren't getting all the information as tv viewers.

The guest judge was the worst in top chef history imo. So annoying.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
the extremely limited budget is an awful idea ESPECIALLY given the pretentious audience.


[/ QUOTE ]

I don't have a lot of history with this show, but my housemate watches it regularly and I've caught the last couple episodes in the background while doing other things.

I agree very much with this sentiment. When the head chef judge guy was yelling at the Asian guy about "if you're not making your best dish now, what are you waiting for?" I was thinking to myself how dumb it sounded. How's he supposed to make his very best food when he doesn't have enough of a budget to do so?

-McGee

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]

When the head chef judge guy was yelling at the Asian guy about "if you're not making your best dish now, what are you waiting for?" I was thinking to myself how dumb it sounded. How's he supposed to make his very best food when he doesn't have enough of a budget to do so?

[/ QUOTE ]

Presentation and creativity do not eat into budget.

Casey worked with the same budget. Contrast Casey's work with Hung's work.

Hung mailed it in. He may have had strategic reason for doing so, but clearly he could have done better.

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

When the head chef judge guy was yelling at the Asian guy about "if you're not making your best dish now, what are you waiting for?" I was thinking to myself how dumb it sounded. How's he supposed to make his very best food when he doesn't have enough of a budget to do so?

[/ QUOTE ]

Presentation and creativity do not eat into budget.

Casey worked with the same budget. Contrast Casey's work with Hung's work.

Hung mailed it in. He may have had strategic reason for doing so, but clearly he could have done better.

[/ QUOTE ]

Fair enough. Like I said, I was watching in the background. I did not realize how simple Hung's work was.

-McGee

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

[ QUOTE ]
This "stepping down" move is so played out. Contestant X knows they are going home so in a pathetic attempt to save face, and not be embarrassed by getting kicked off the show, they voluntarily leave.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was different from when Mia left. Mia wasn't going to be sent home.

b

Re: Top Chef \"Chef Overboard\" Sept 5, 2007
 

Aces,

Or Sara's .

I do like Bourdain's evaluation (posted above) of Hung's choice, though.