TOP CHEF ALL STARS Spoilers

[filkertom]

First, some follow-up from last week: All the other chefs are getting down on Antonia for winning what they perceive as an Italian challenge with a French dish. The dish's nationality doesn't matter to me as much as the fact that the challenge included the words "inspired by". Dudes, she didn't have to be traditional. You all love breaking with tradition. Stuff it -- she won.

Now, this week: The Quickfire Challenge involved them making fondue and then judging each other. Personality conflicts are really starting to come out now, and I am impressed by two things: [1] Carla doesn't seem to have an antagonistic bone in her body; [2] Mike is really a jerk. Although I admit I'd be interested in trying his grilled lamb w/feta fondue.

The whole thing with Jimmy Fallon was a bit weird, but worked out pretty well. The basic challenge: tomorrow is Jimmy's birthday, so you'll be cooking some his favorites for friends and family at Colicchio & Sons.

Antonia got beef tongue, and had never cooked or eaten it before, so she got help and advice from Blais. Mike's attitude was, you don't help someone else win -- Blais helps someone, and they're in the winner's circle (with the implied "instead of me, Mike"). Again: really a jerk.

Carla -- who was beyond ecstatic and working on multiplanar vibratory (you know, like The Flash) when she got chicken pot pie -- was worried she wouldn't finish. She did.

Fabio, who got cheeseburger and fries, had never made a cheeseburger. He went for several different types of meats, and it should have worked, but he apparently didn't use a panade or something because it turned out as dry meatloaf. And the cheese sauce, which he put on the side, curdled.

Tiffany's chicken & dumplings turned out more like tortilla soup. And now I can use the phrase Dumpling Fail.

Dale's Philly cheese steak on a soft pretzel roll sounded great, but he didn't factor in the salt building up in every bite until it was nearly inedible.

Angelo's pulled pork had a rub -- coffee, chipotle, allspice -- that exceeded the sum of its parts, along with a dill coleslaw that apparently balanced things perfectly.

Blais had ramen, and he did some interesting things with it -- pork belly, duck legs, and especially the duck egg, but, as Jimmy Fallon put it, "it wasn't a home run -- he bunted, and I really wanted him to swing for the fences."

Mike's sausage and peppers sandwich featured handmade sausage, which went over pretty well.

Best: Antonia, Carla, and Angelo. Winner: Carla. Hooty-hoo! And Yay for the Beef Tongue Song!

Least: Tiffany, Dale, and Fabio. Eliminated: Fabio, which I admit I saw coming because it sounded as if nothing on his burger really came together. I'll miss him, but it's getting down to the wire.

Next week: Sesame Street!

Thoughts?

Comments

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

I want Mike gone.

He's been bugging me for the last few weeks, but as soon as he said whatever it was about a gay party, I started rooting for him to go. He's said a few other things that rub me the wrong way, but calling things 'gay' is a sure way to make me dislike you.

Carla, while being Carla, and wonderful, may need to tone it down just a bit. Breathe, dearie.

I was impressed with Richard's sportsmanship. He didn't have to help Antonia. It always makes me happy when the chefs help each other rather than sabotaging each other.

I almost want to try Angelo's sauce. But not on pork. Maybe on chicken.

[mimiheart.livejournal.com]

Oh, and according to the Bravo blogs, Dale's food wasn't inedible. It was just salty. Apparently Fallon's father-in-law loved it. If you were a salt fan it was perfect. (Which means I would have liked it.)

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Yep, just read that myself from Colicchio. On the other hand, Eric Ripert (who, admittedly, didn't taste it) thought Dale should've gone home for it rather than Fabio.

DEFINITELY agree on Blais' sportsmanship. As far as I'm concerned, if he doesn't win, he's the uncrowned champ anyway. Without doubt, the most skilled and consistent of the field.

Dunno about Angelo's sauce, but, oh man, I want to try that spice rub.

I ought to tell you, Tom

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

that the only way I get to find out about Top Chef is your posts, so keep on posting.

BTW, is the Mike you're talking about the abrasive Italian one from the season where (I think) the final challenge came down to an Atlanta chef and the Re-voltaggio brothers?

Re: I ought to tell you, Tom

[jss]

Yes, Mike Isabella (who finished in 7th place in season 6, the one Michael Voltaggio won).

Thanks for the update

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

What happened was I lost the cable service that had given me Bravo TV literally the day before the next to last episode was shown (and I refused to pay treble my cable rate to get the one channel).

So one of the Revolt-aggios won? Hmmmmm.

Re: Thanks for the update

[jss]

WIkipedia is my friend. And Television Without Pity.

Re: I ought to tell you, Tom

[filkertom.livejournal.com]

Kewl, but you should also check out Bravo's page (http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef). The blogs alone are worth it.

But, But, Tom!

[sffilk.livejournal.com]

While I can read Bravo's page and the blogs there, when I read yours, well, you just do such a better job than Tom C. or Anthony B.! Why should I go for ground buffalo when I can get filet mignon from you?

[umbran.livejournal.com]

Thought: maybe the judges are all northerners? In the American south, chicken and dumplings often involves "slicks" - a dumpling that's almost noodle-like, rather than biscuit-like.

[johno.livejournal.com]

The guest judges were mostly New Yorkers. From their reactions, even if they knew the style, she still didn't do a very good job.

They didn't NOT like it, they just felt it didn't rise to the level of everyone else.

It may have been tortilla soup and dumplings/noodles, but it was boring tortilla soup and dumplings/noodles. And boring is the kiss of death at this level of competition.

She was lucky, that Fabio failed at so many levels, else she might have been the one to go.

[redaxe.livejournal.com]

I thought Dale was headed out; the comments on his food included several uses of the word "inedible", which is always a bad sign. Fabio's would-be burger must have been poor, indeed (I suspect that had the cheese sauce not curdled, he might have stuck around).

Richad zigged when he needed to zag. That's the problem with a reputation, and trying to prove oneself not a one-trick pony. I mind me of Wylie Dufresne, but he, at least, always has eggs to fall back on as a non-molecular gastronomy specialty.

At this point, I'm ready for a finals with Blais, Carla, and a wildcard (Dale or Angelo, though I suppose Antonia's not out of the question).

[joshuwain.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed the episode and -mostly- because of the positiveness of Carla and Richard. If there was a way for two people to be crowned "Top Chef" I'd choose them. Then again, I'm also rooting for Angelo; he really got screwed by the Universe in his season and I felt bad for him.

But it's interesting: has anyone noticed how there are no clear "winning every other time" people this time around? Sure, Carla's doing extremely well but with the playing field raised so high, I think it must be harder for any one of them to pull ahead, demonstratively, over any other.

Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)

[dandelion-diva.livejournal.com]

I'm really glad Carla won...she's grown on me this season, when I found her incredibly annoying in her season.

And, Fabio...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I kind of want him to get his own show...just following him around. Nothing staged, just Fabio being Fabio.