Top Chef Finale

[Dids]

Dale's food seems impressive, but it always seems so busy. It's just sooo not the style of stuff I enjoy eating/cooking.

[El Diablo]

Dibs,

Dale mentioned a while back that his dishes often suck the first time, but are good after a few times.

I think he's not quite as "smart" a chef as some of the others in terms of being able to conceptualize, visualize, and execute dishes on the fly. He seems to be a little all over the place w/ his dishes (and his thought process), which leads to them often seeming a little jumbled or not quite right. I can definitely see him taking some of his dishes and then taking a few tries to refine them into things that really work.

[Autocratic]

[ QUOTE ]
Dibs,

Dale mentioned a while back that his dishes often suck the first time, but are good after a few times.

I think he's not quite as "smart" a chef as some of the others in terms of being able to conceptualize, visualize, and execute dishes on the fly. He seems to be a little all over the place w/ his dishes (and his thought process), which leads to them often seeming a little jumbled or not quite right. I can definitely see him taking some of his dishes and then taking a few tries to refine them into things that really work.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think Dale's greatest strength is that his best dishes are superb, and tend to get rave reviews (especially these last couple episodes). In this kind of situation he will probably always end up being a little inconsistent.

[StevieG]

One other comment on Hung - he actually came off as somewhat likeable in the last couple of episodes. Change in editing, knowing that he was getting the nod, maybe?

Regardless, as far as cooking, it's clear he was an excellent choice. Maybe if Casey had performed better in the finale she could have taken it.

Reunion show next week. No food, just lots of sniping, hugs, etc.

[M2d]

cool finale, and I'm glad that hung won since he obviously was the most skilled one there. I can't really get into the cheftestants, though, because i find it hard to "root" for a chef based only on what they look like when cooking. isn't the final measure of a chef the way the food tastes?

anyway, as others have mentioned a blind tasting would have been nice, but I think having each chef serve their dishes in order would have been a better test as well. the way it was, with all three serving a course at the same time, seems a bit disjointed. the chefs designed a menu and I assume they chose each course to work with the rest of their menu. that kind of flow would have been completely destroyed by the way the tasting was set up.

[Low Key]

Seemed like the judges had a fairly easy time keeping in mind each person's previous course, which is why they said Hung's dessert was so out of whack.

IRT Stevie, I think Dale coulda easily won had he not screwed the pooch on the lobster. He just had to make it slightly better than okay chocolate cake.

I got the feeling that, when they said they'd reached a decision and I saw Gail's reaction to what Tom said, Hung had won. I thought she wanted Dale to win for trying to produce really great cuisine, and not being as safe as Hung.

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
but I think having each chef serve their dishes in order would have been a better test as well. the way it was, with all three serving a course at the same time, seems a bit disjointed. the chefs designed a menu and I assume they chose each course to work with the rest of their menu. that kind of flow would have been completely destroyed by the way the tasting was set up.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes, this is clearly a tv ratings vs culinary call and I don't expect it to be addressed on any of the judges' blogs.

But let's be realistic, no one thinks top chef means dick from a culinary perspective. It's all about becoming the next tv personality.

J

[Low Key]

That's true, Casey didn't win, but I would eat anything she put in front of me.

[jaydub]

[ QUOTE ]
That's true, Casey didn't win, but I would eat anything she put in front of me.

[/ QUOTE ]

Cuh to the mother [censored] ching.

Remove your hand from your dick and realize that she was clearly #3. Don't fret, this finish helps the odds she's in playboy next spring at which point you can return hand to dick.

J

[noir]

I started watching Top Chef when I learned that a Chicago chef was in the mix.

When I saw it was Dale, I thought, "Oh yeah, my friends really liked La Tache when he was the chef there."

Then there was that one episode where he told his story about having his dream job at a nationally renowned restaurant and then spiraling into depression when it closed. I racked my brain for a while trying to figure out what place it was. Then I read that it was Trio and remembered that I ate there when he was the chef.

It really wasn't Trio though. The owner refashioned the restaurant after Grant Achatz departed. When Dale was the chef it was Trio Atelier. Sure it was the same kitchen and dining room where several chefs worked and made names for themselves on a national scale. But it was an atelier, which in retrospect, does seem like a good environment for Dale.

I was there not too long after opening, and well, you can guess by the fact that I didn't recall it that the meal wasn't great.

The only thing I remember vividly is a first course scallop dish. What do I recall about it? The popcorn. And I don't mean some techno chef thing or deconstruction. One component (and, yes, there were many) was straight up popcorn. It really didn't work for me.

So I had quite a chuckle when I saw his scallop dish in the finale. It's sure looks like he really refined an idea from years ago.

I just thought I'd throw that perspective out there. Yeah, it was pretty cool to have eaten at a restaurant where one of the contestants was a chef.

On a side note, Rocco was quoted as saying Dale's lobster dish tasted like Indian sewer water.

Hung was the one I was pulling for to win throughout. But having Dale involved did make the show more interesting. I was surprised by his strong showing through the stretch. His restaurant will open soon I suppose - so I'll get a shot at the lamb dish.