Top Chef All - Stars

[nicko]

I am surprised a little to not see a discussion going about this yet. We have been watching it and the only reason I am posting is to say how happy I am that Marcel is gone. It was actually getting painful to watch everyone else have to put up with the guy.

Coming down to the wire, right now I think it is a toss up between Dale and Richard B.

 

[kyheirloomer]

I agree with you on all points, Nicko. Especially Marcel. I didn't like him during his regular run, and, if anything, he's gotten less mature rather than more.

I was disappointed to see, however, that the strongest women were eliminated unfairly. Jen, of course, was sent home because she dared to mouth-off to Tom Collichio. Casey would have been anybody's last pick in that group. Etc.

Unfortunately we probably won't get to see the end. Bravo is one of those semi-secret "try this for a month" channels that Dish randomly turns on and off, and it will likely be gone by the end of the month. Alas.

 

[nicko]

Agreed agreed agreed... I have said it before and I will say it again it really is not "Top Chef" but rather "Top Dish". I wish the program really took more into account how someone handles themselves as a chef in the kitchen not just how their food tastes.

It is hard to know how much of the program Top Chef is all camera shots and drama etc. However, from what I saw I would absolutely dread working for a guy like Marcel. 

 

[pete]

I have been holding off on commenting.  I forgot that this had started so have been waiting as my DVR collects all the previous episodes so that I can get caught up.  Was missing the second episode for quite awhile, but jsut watched it last night so this weekend I will catch up.  As for Jen going bye-bye.  I kind of felt it was deserved.  Not because she mouthed off, but because she is so into herself that she was blinded to the fact that her dish didn't measure up.  No matter what anyone told her, in her eyes it was fantastic.  That egotisical, closed mindedness is what sent her home, not her "mouthing off."  I also had to laugh at Tiffani whining about thinking that they'd get to use everything, not just animal products.  Frist off, T-Rex was a carnivore, not an omnivore, and secondly Tom made it very clear in his introduction that T-Rex would be using meat and animal byproducts.

 

[nicko]

You know I think Jen is probably an amazing chef in her own kitchen. But get her (or just about anyone) in front of cameras and millions of viewers and the pressure will get to you. I would love to try her food in her restaurant anytime I bet it is outstanding.

 

[kyheirloomer]

Generally speaking I have no disagreement with you Pete. And let's keep in mind, too, that there is a lot we don't get to see and hear.

But the thing is, based on what we were shown and told, maybe Jen's dish was lacking. But it wasn't the worst of the them. Apprently not by a long shot. The deciding factor had to be her words with Tom. The fact that he went out of his way to tell us it hadn't entered the equation should tell you something.

And then Casey? Nobody in that episode expected her to be sent home. There were others who not only were shocked, but who, with justification, expected to be the ones chosen.

However, from what I saw I would absolutely dread working for a guy like Marcel. 

Or working side-by-side with him, or being his supervisor, or even being in the same room with him. He was an obnoxious little twit on his own season, and, if anything, has gotten work. Good riddence, I say.

.....it really is not "Top Chef" but rather "Top Dish".

It's not, necessarily, even that.

Given the nature of the formatting, it's quite possible that you could, week to week, prepare a terrible dish each time, never win a quickfire or elimination challenge, and still make it to the finale. And then, if you luck out, actually win the thing.

Keep in mind, you don't have to win to remain each week. You just don't have to lose. That was Angelo's strategy during his season, for instance, and he seems to be trying it again.

 

[pete]

I think her words did play a role in her going home, but necessarily because she called out the judges.  I think she was sent home because she adamantly defended a dish that was sub par and seemed blind to the fact that it was not the best dish there which she seemed to think it was.  If I were in Tom's place and I had to chose between two cooks, both who cooked sub par food, but one at least seemed to understand that they went wrong and the other that steadfastly refused to see the errors of their dish I think that I'd make the same decision.

 

[Iceman]

Based on the wonderful conversations I had in that other TV thread, I laid off this topic too. LOL. Anyway, Marcel is a pansy. I thought Jen and Casey were two of the best there, if for nothing more than eye-candy. After seeing Dale as a guest sous in an episode of "Top Chef Masters" it wouldn't bother me to see him wipe himself out by falling backwards on a set of salad forks. He was such a punk. Twice, as a matter of fact. Richard was involved in that too. Snotty disrespectful behavior dealing with a really great chef. Anyway. I like the show still. 

 

[foodpump]

Well, yeah, Iceman, they were "interesting" conversations.  Truth be told, a lot more interesting then the time when the dog got into the garage and ate a box of disposable gloves I kept there on a shelf.

OTOH, its been BORING here for the last couple of days.  As the Germans would say "Toten Hosen", or literally translated, "dead pants"..... 

 

[nicko]

Foodpump I could not agree more! I feel that the show has been losing steam in terms of following but I could be wrong. Two seasons ago when they had the voltagio brothers and kevin along with a whole slew of other good cooks that was the best season in my opinion. Not a lot of marcel drama fighting but some really talented chefs competing. I also thought the top chef masters was a great show as well.

It really starts to get irritating when they think all that makes good television is a Jerry Springer episode with everyone dressed up in chef coats.

 

[pete]

Amen to that, Nicko!!!!!!  It was the reason it was so painful to sit through an entire season of Top Chef Desserts, but I did it anyway (fool that I am).

 

[Iceman]

Hey, I gotta agree. The "Volt" brothers were just talent monsters, but if they talked to me like they did to some of the other chefs, I think I would have shown them some new interesting uses for kitchen equipment. There was one particular scene where one of them finished off another chef's dessert, and then yelled at them after they made some changes or did it differently ("Restaurant Wars" episode I think). Now I'll admit strait-up that talent-wise, compared to what those chefs do, I wouldn't make it to episode #2, based on my "drama ability" I'm sure I could make it halfway. I'd probably get kicked out sooner though, like the guy that tried to shave Marcel. 

 

[Iceman]

OK. So the pics I've included in my following post are only there for the humor. I'M not implying anything else.

 

[greg]

"NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT", but how come so many of these TV competition shows have to be jammed with so many gay or tattooed contestants? My goodness. 

As an aside to my own question, the best tippers I've ever had were either gay or vegetarian diners. I love them dearly, so-to-speak. My question was not based on any bigotry.

The best thing I can say to this is we should probably not engage in a discussion of this "point".

 

[gunnar]

The most P.C. reply I can make is that if American television is becoming more and more accepting of our society as a whole,  so much the better.  Any further arguments or counterpoints of discussion can be p.m.'d to me if you wish, please take my statements as my personal opinion and not representative of Cheftalk or any of it's admins or other personnel. As this will be socio-political content and this is a cooking forum I agree it should end now and just progress as to one's opinions as regards to Top Chef All-Stars.

In that regard:

Marcel is an ass, was an ass when he showed up, has been an ass in every single episode he has been on and if I was going to get kicked off the show anyway would have scalped his whiny butt instead of shaking his hand as I was getting kicked off. Seriously, if I met that guy I would be hard pressed not to spit in his face on the general principal of being a decent human being. People like him are the reason I wish dueling was still allowed.

 

[Iceman]

 

[greg]

I like to think that I'm above being baited by pasta, so I'll pass on an explanation.

On the subject of Marcel, what a piece of work. He claims to be a nice likable guy, and that just may be so. Outside of a kitchen, that is. In the kitchen, not so nice and can't seem to recognize when he's failed. Also, I wonder what Freud would have said about his foam compulsion.

 

[nicko]

Lets stick to the topic which is top chef not about gays and tatoos on tv.

 

[gobblygook]

I wonder what would have happened if Marcel had chosen someone else to be the "leader" of the team.  He was chosen as the team captain, but had he recognized his strengths/weaknesses and delegated someone else to be team captain/exec chef, I wonder if he could have "gotten away" with it.  After all, if he couldn't cook duck to save his life, he wouldn't choose to prepare a duck dish.

I REALLY like Spike.  I was unhappy to see him leave, but he did prove one thing to me -- it just takes one bad challenge to be sent home.  Therefore, I'm not sure Blaise will make it to the final.  I would love to see a 2-person team made up of Spike and Richard.  I think they'd be awesome together.

 

[rpmcmurphy]

Dale FTW.