Top Chef Power Rankings - Episode 12

PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING!!!
There's a lot of sneaky intel out there, especially this season, but I'm endeavoring to keep this blog a spoiler-free zone. This isn't just for the readers, but for me, too -- I don't want to know what happens! As such, anything that's already been broadcast or has been posted on the official Bravo site is fair game for discussion, but if you've heard rumors that one chef has been hosting a lot of dinner parties, or that another chef was spotted boarding a plane to an exotic locale, please keep them to yourself... thanks!

Questions about the cast aside, can we all agree that this might be the best season yet from a challenge standpoint?

Seriously, when the most controversial elimination of the last eight episodes is the Super Bowl challenge, I think that demonstrates just how few gimmicks we've seen this season. These chefs are being given every possible chance to succeed... which raises the question, naturally, of why they're so often responding in a largely uninspiring fashion. But we'll get to that in a moment.

Wylie Dufresne seems to have rubbed some folks the wrong way for reasons I don't understand. Maybe I just love the geek factor. And what's more geeky than an egg? Even setting aside all of the symbolism and potential for witty approaches, you have an ingredient that's so critical and so irreplaceable, with funky physical properties that no other foodstuff shares. It's the perfect ingredient for a playful techy geek like Dufresne. Unfortunately, as I mentioned last week, the contestants on this show always seem to forget that the guys who have become known for MG didn't get there without understanding that the food has to be good, not just interesting. The successful MG chefs are often savaged for being focused on wacky technique, but their critics fail to understand that the same love of flavor -- extracting every last bit of deliciousness out of their ingredients -- is precisely what drives them to seek out new ways of doing so. Sometimes they're successful, sometimes they're not, but their mission is the same even if their method is sometimes alien. In Dufresne's case, the fact that he knows what's really important showed in how he judged the challenge. With the possible exception of Leah, he chose for his winner the least funky and avant-garde of all of the dishes. He saw interesting, clever ideas on other plates and complimented the chefs for them, but in the end he pinned the ribbon on flavor, and that's why I think you have to respect the guy -- at least based on what we saw of him here. Really, my only complaint about the challenge is that I would have liked to know if getting a little avant-garde was a mandate or merely a suggestion. But, you know, minor quibbles.

Then, in a lovely bit of contrast, the pendulum swings the other way and we get to discuss simplicity in cookery. I've said it before, and I'll say it again. While I think a Top Chef winner has to do more than roast chicken and it's ilk to stand out, that doesn't mean that drop dead simple isn't entirely appropriate for some challenges, and that I don't respect what makes simple dishes so difficult. The thing is, when you're cooking a simple dish -- especially for an amazing panel like that -- your difficulty is compounded in two ways. First, it's incredibly difficult to stand out. Who hasn't had a roast chicken? Not only does your execution have to be flawless to make an impression, but that intangible something special has to be present or your dish will be forgotten before you even get to Judges' Table. Secondly, you're working without a net. Screw something up and there's nowhere to hide. Everything is under a microscope and small error are glaring. And you don't have that safety of being able to impress with your intentions. Make a mistake while doing something boldly creative and the judges might be inclined to give you a pass because they see where you were going and want to reward that creativity, even if you didn't quite pull it together. Make a mistake with a simple dish, however, and it's just a mistake. At any rate, I like that they made the traditional/creative question a judgment call for the contestants, and I liked that the judges -- regular and guest -- came prepared to accept the direction the chefs decided to take it and judge their dishes on their own merits, even for a dish so personal as your last meal (mine, incidentally, would be Rigatoni all'Amatriciana with a really, really good guanciale). And so, for their last challenge, we sidestep the question of whether it should be more of a technical or more of a creative challenge by allowing the chefs to decide where on that continuum they'd like to stake their claim. Elegant.

So we're off to the finals, and what can we expect from our top four chefs? I have absolutely no idea. Seriously! Have we ever had a season where you felt more unsure of what these guys are going to bring to the table? Contrast with last season, where you knew exactly what to expect from Blais, Stephanie and Antonia. Granted, Antonia drifted a little too far from her strengths, and Blais wasn't on his game, but we weren't surprised by what we saw. The only person who surprised us was Lisa, who had turned in clunker after clunker for weeks leading up to the finals, going on and on about how Asian food was her thing while completely avoiding those flavors in her work, and generally didn't give any indication whatsoever that she could put together a decent plate, much less a respectable meal in the finals. But a funny thing sometimes happens during that long break between the regular season and the finals. Chefs who have been pushed to the brink of exhaustion get a chance to sleep and refocus physically and mentally. After being subjected to endless surprises and tight restrictions, they suddenly know what to expect and have months to plan for it. And most importantly, they're finally given a blank canvas upon which to do their work with little to no interference. It is, to coin a phrase, a whole new ballgame. And in Lisa's case, it meant she suddenly busted out a very respectable meal that, even if it wasn't close to being a winner, was light years beyond what she'd made to get there. Last year, the Lisa Effect was the exception. This year, I can't help but wonder if it won't be the rule. I pretty much know what I expect to see from Stefan. I think I have a pretty good sense of what we'll see from Hosea, but I'm a little shaky. Carla and Fabio, though? Who the hell knows? We could effectively have two or three fresh faces this week, as chefs who have had trouble expressing themselves finally have a chance to get their footing. The question is, how did we get here?

A few weeks back, I believe when the Ariane controversy was at its peak, we all started to wonder if the judges were inadvertently stifling creativity by rewarding so many simple dishes. Then, in his Q&A this week, Fabio showed that perhaps we weren't overanalyzing for once:

"The problem is that for the whole season the judges are keep asking us to amaze them with incredible food. They have been telling us that playing safe is not going to get us anywhere and they prized poached eggs and roasted chicken. Lately who is winning the challanges has been doing panna cotta, seared scallops, mousse, and grits. With all due respect for those people, how amazing is a panna cotta or a plate of grits. They have to decide where they arestanding because this year it seems like that the more safe you play the further you go. I'm happy I do simple food and this is what is good for me but I dont know how amazing the food is till the end of the competition; all the chefs are playing very safe, and I dont think that he will laugh at me."

There they are. Our fears, perfectly summed up by one of this season's competing chefs. At least one chef seems to have noticed what types of dishes were winning and responded by pulling his punches, and you can bet there were others. But here's the question. Have the judges been sending mixed signals this season by asking for wow and rewarding simplicity, or have the contestants simply failed to rise to the challenge by coming up short when they extend themselves creatively? I have to say, while it would seem Fabio believes the former to be the case, my money is on the latter. It isn't as though Tom has had problems praising highly refined, wacky, creative dishes in the past. He may not have liked Jeff's particular brand of wonky, but that doesn't mean he's anti-wonky in general and I think he's proven otherwise. My sense is that early on this season, you had some high-profile creative failures and some high-profile ultrasimple winners, and everybody just got scared. If so, it's unfortunate. But the upshot is that it means we could be totally surprised by what we see in the finals. Here's hoping the remaining chefs push themselves creatively like they haven't to date. And more importantly, here's hoping the fallout from this phenomenon doesn't carry into next season. I think the casting department would do well to ensure that a couple of next season's stronger chefs are wildly creative, to set the pace and ensure the message doesn't get sent that the path to the finals is a timid one.

Anyway, power rankings. Here's how I feel about these guys going into the finals. But will the chefs who show up to the finals look anything like the chefs ranked below? Search me.

The power rankings are not purely a prediction of who is most likely to win, or an assessment of last episode's dishes, or a reflection of the contestants' historical performance, but rather a nebulous amalgam of all three, combined with a little bit of gut feeling, to provide a relative measure of current awesomeness.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Stefan Quickfires 4 7 1 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 4 6 2 Losing Jamie last week wasn't enough. Stefan had to go and make us sweat a little bit, apparently. I don't think he was in any real danger for reasons we'll get into shortly, but that doesn't mean a finals lineup of Hosea, Carla, Fabio and Leah didn't flash before my eyes and cause a tingling sensation in my arm and a slight metallic taste in my mouth. Maybe it will serve as a wake-up call, we'll see. His quickfire looked nice. No recipe on the poached egg with béarnaise, but the mango filled panna cotta was a witty little number, mimicking an egg while inverting the components (yolks in the panna cotta "white", whites in the mango puree "yolk"). Sounds like it was a near miss. As for the elimination, some have expressed surprise that he didn't go home and feel that Tom just wasn't willing to let him go over Leah. This surprised me, actually, because I felt long before reading everybody's comments that -- jibblies aside -- it seemed pretty clear that Leah was the weaker of the two. But evidently that impression wasn't shared. The thing is, the judges found the two-way spinach a little puzzling, but nobody complained about its quality. And while the salmon was clearly a problem, almost everybody went out of their way to compliment the rest of the dish. Stefan is lucky that Leah botched her benedict. Usually, at this stage of the game, you don't have the benefit of a bigger mistake to save your bacon. Just ask Jamie. In any case, desserts aside, Stefan has been a little more conservative in the second half of the season than he was in the first, but I'm sure he'll step it up and I suspect he'll give us exactly what we expect. But he's the only one.

2 Carla Quickfires 1 4 2 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 2 5 3 What can I do? I can't keep Hootie down. Neither she nor Hosea strike me as the complete package, but Carla is definitely looking like the stronger of the two at the moment. Plus, as mentioned last week, a catering competition in New Orleans is something she should be able to rock up and down to earn a spot in the final challenge. Her eggs give me continued hope. Carla hasn't been outside the box much this season, but she's hit a couple of them recently and has me wondering if maybe she really can pull out the kind of creativity I think she'll need to win. Something like the squab with peas, no matter how wonderful it was, just doesn't strike me as the kind of dish I can see earning her the title. But a high concept (if a tired concept) dish where she blends spinach with egg whites, then sets them in a pan with quail yolks to mimic regular eggs, but green? A little more of that creativity and wit and she might just have a shot at this thing. In any case, though I'm still a bit of a skeptic when it comes to Carla, I'm glad she's still around. In terms of pure entertainment, she may be the best thing to happen to this season.

3 Hosea Quickfires 1 6 1 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 1 3 4 Hosea goes into the finals as the inverse Carla, doing the kind of funky, creative dishes that the judges love to reward with Top Chef titles. The problem is that while he isn't screwing them up, exactly, he doesn't seem to be making them terribly compelling either. He hasn't done much, especially recently, that's grabbed the judges' attention, and both of his dishes this week were perfect illustrations of this problem. Great idea, turning egg whites into a pancake and using it across a trio of Japanese-inspired bites. But at the risk of putting words in Dufresne's mouth, his reaction seemed to be more along the lines of, "Hey, neat idea, but... mmm... well... tastes okay, I suppose." Ditto the scampi (I refuse to say "shrimp scampi" on the grounds that it's FRICKING REDUNDANT), which reflected his creative touch but struck the judges as largely soulless. It's a shame we can't fuse Hosea's creativity and ambition with Carla's technique and focus on flavor. Between the two of them, they'd make a pretty good challenger for Stefan.

4 Fabio Quickfires 0 2 5 Last Week: 5 Eliminations 2 6 1 I'm glad to see Fabio going into the finals on a win. He pretty much backed his way up to the door, but at least he managed to get himself turned around and charge through. His dishes have just been miss after miss after miss (even if they're sometimes near misses), until he finally gets a fat one right across the heart of the plate. He said it himself. This one was gift wrapped for him. But I don't see how the ability to reproduce his nonna's knockout roasted chicken in any way makes up for weeks of history. That said, if any of the four finalists are going to suddenly bust out a level of sophistication we haven't yet seen, it's Fabio. He's shown flashes of creative signature dishes, and he all but said this week that he's been playing it very safe. We could see a whole new Fabio in the finals. But I still say he's the first out the door.

5 Leah Quickfires 3 4 4 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 0 3 3 No surprises here, though I remain disappointed that Leah won't be in the finals, given the impressive look of some of her successes. A popular theory seems to be that Tom was just done with her after she waved the white flag over her arctic char last week, and pushed for her elimination even though Stefan was more worthy. I don't see how that follows, though. Eggs benedict is a very touchy dish that's all about technique (an unlucky draw, BTW), and she missed on both of the primary components. With the egg and the hollandaise off, you're left with bacon and bread -- not much in the way of a safety net. So we bid Leah farewell, and I have to say, I was actually kind of impressed by her exit interview. Not only was she self-aware enough to note that her head just wasn't in the game, but she also displayed a surprising amount of humility, talking about how she isn't ready to have her own place -- that she has far too much to learn. Though she caught a lot of well-deserved flak for being the "walking shrug" (brilliant, BTW, whoever came up with that one), it was refreshing to see that she was aware of her shortcomings and ready to get back out there and keep learning. It was a surprisingly sweet coda to an otherwise inconsistent and troubled performance.

EPISODE THIRTEEN SPOILERS AHEAD!

Of COURSE it's Emeril. People are already scratching out their eyeballs, and dumping on the bam man is de rigueur in food nerd circles, but I'm going to stick up for the guy a little bit. First, whatever you think of his shtick, the man can cook. He may be messy, he may be all about big flavor, but his restaurants reflect a distinct personal style and it's a compelling one. Second, while his live show was absolutely ridiculous, the early seasons of Essence of Emeril were really great. He hadn't yet gone to eleven, and the goofiness was still kind of charming. And unlike the live show, which was all about him, the Essence of Emeril was about the food -- both doing it well, and demystifying it. He tried to make cooking approachable and minimize his viewers' kitchen anxiety -- "This isn't rocket science... if you like X, add a little more X." -- without dumbing it down ala some other people whose names we won't mention but rhyme with Mandra Bee. Those who benefitted from his ratings surge may disagree, but speaking purely from a food nerd standpoint, the worst thing they could have done over at Food TV was give him a live audience. It took him away from what was, I think, a really enjoyable show and buried his better traits. Point being, he's capable of being more than the clown so many see him as, and I suspect he'll rise to the occasion and pleasantly surprise his detractors.

In any case, it looks like the contestants are catering a Mardi Gras ball, so the aforementioned Carla advantage should be in full swing. But preview videos seem to contradict one another... will there be a single or double elimination? Either way, we get the sense that Hosea's in trouble, which wouldn't surprise me. I'm betting Carla's safe, so if it's a double elimination that leaves Stefan and Fabio. We couldn't possibly end up with a Fabio/Carla final, could we? Could we? Naaaaaaaaaaaah.

(Could we?)

Discuss!

Comments

[Jdiddy]

The rankings are finally up! Yesssss! Of all the Top Chef blogs, this is without a doubt the most logical and analytical. Plus, this site actually ranks the contestants, which makes it more interesting than simple commentary. Thank you Dom, for brightening my day. Oh, and was that part about Emeril going to eleven a Spinal Tap reference?

[bfish]

Dom, I too really enjoy your blog. I'm learning a lot from you and other commenters. These rankings look right to me. Any combination of them as finalists is fine as long as one of them is Stefan! That said, I think Stefan and Carla would be the most interesting and enjoyable to watch (and we'd promise not to call it "Top Caterer").

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Great job Dom. Agree that Fabio has the most "bust out" potential. I think he will. He only has 1 bottom 3 in the eliminations. Don't remember if it was an individual or team bottom 3. Still think Stefan will cruise (despite the editing).

[Naomi]

Wonderful as usual, Dom! I get to start and end my day with Top Chef and a beverage (coffee right now...wine tonight) :-)

[sleepyirv]

I'm not buying "the green eggs are creative" thing since... well... I had something like that back in daycare.

[Skillet Doux]

"I'm not buying "the green eggs are creative" thing since... well... I had something like that back in daycare."

Your daycare people blended egg whites with spinach, dropped quail yolks into the middle, gently cooked them and topped them with a salsa of avocado, green tomatoes, roasted jalapeno, parsley and chives?

Where was YOUR daycare, and do they take reservations? :-)

In all seriousness, I don't believe I said the idea to do Seuss' green eggs was creative. I believe I said that was tired. But her particular method -- while no brilliant masterstroke -- was a nice way to do it.

[David]

Great work Dom. I count reading your rankings part of the Top Chef "game day" ritual. It's a great start to the day, and the back-and-forth comments helps build suspense throughout the day. I can't wait for tonight's show.

I'm not convinced that Fabio can pull out the "wow." Perhaps I'm being too critical, but I just don't see it. Add to that, I think the New Orleans cuisine is not something he would be comfortable replicating, thus causing him to overreach.

@sleepyirv. I think there's a difference between putting green dye in eggs and adding spinich, which, by what I heard, added flavor to the eggs. I think the creativity was the whimsy--considering the challenge. I think that's the point some have made. Carla didn't get caught up in trying to bust out the chemistry set. She tried to have fun with it and add flavors, and it paid off.

[babyarm]

How do you figure carla is safe? Chef Bam Bam says he's never seen or heard of gumbo over grits when Carla won a challenge with the same thing just what? 3 episodes ago. She's already redone dishes from earlier the season (pastry).

[Skillet Doux]

"How do you figure carla is safe?"

Hunch. Nothing more.

Chefs have recycled dishes before without getting dinged too heavily for them. Usually, if it was very well-received and perfectly suited to the second challenge, you can get away with it once. She got away with the crust once, and it's hard to tell a chef, "Yeah, that great winning gumbo you did a few weeks ago? You can't do that for the NEW ORLEANS challenge." She might catch a little grief for it, but I doubt it gets her axed. Of course, that's as long as it's as good the second time. If she doesn't match the earlier success, she could be in trouble.

Besides which, Emeril has made his name with "New New Orleans" cuisine, turning creole conventions on their ear. Even if his comment about the grits turns out to be a complaint rather than simply an amused observation, it isn't a criticism that will hold much water coming from him -- unless the judges feel it doesn't work, which seems to have been dispelled on the first pass.

But again, just a hunch.

[Elise]

My husband doesn't watch Top Chef (We have a two and a half year old and a three month old at home, so free time is at a premium, and he's got things he likes better than food t.v.) so I tell him about it over dinner. He's not a chef, he's not even much of a cook, but he had a comment about Leah's elimination that I loved, "If 100,000 dollars was on the line I'd cook perfect eggs benedict!"

Which got me thinking about her part of the challenge. None of her ingredients were expensive and she had three hours to cook. In that situation I'd have poached eggs galore. Make fifty of them and pick the best eight. And if it took nine batches of hollandaise to get it right, well then make nine batches. This isn't roast chicken which can take the whole time to prep and cook!

As for Emeril cheesy or not, a vast number of food nerds were born watching his show. Because he became a media sensation many, many people realized that there was so much more to food than the local steak house. He also showed TV producers that food nerds would watch food TV, and buy the things advertised on food TV, so he's indirectly responsible for shows like Top Chef. After all, before Emeril who would have thought that a TV cook off show would not only sell, but be wildly popular!

[paula]

"A popular theory seems to be that Tom was just done with her after she waved the white flag over her arctic char last week, and pushed for her elimination even though Stefan was more worthy."

Dom, I think you may be misreading the posters' feelings on this (or, at least, you're misreading my feelings about this). I do think Tom was over Leah, and to me he seemed clearly impatient when he was explaining why her dish was worse than Stefan's at JT--however, I don't think Stefan was more worthy of going home, and I'm not sure the other judges necessarily thought that, either. I think the others (like Toby) were trying to make a case for why Stefan MIGHT deserve to go home over Leah, but Tom just wasn't going to have that argument no matter how good it might be for TV. Not sure I'm making the distinction clear, but that's the best I can do...

[David]

Regarding the safe comment. I think, again, we need to be suspicious of the commercial edits. We've seen time, and time again, that edits are often made for the purpose of misdirection. All we heard was Emeril say that never in his 28 years had he had gumbo over grits. (I assume that's what he said. It was rather garbled to me.) What we don't know is if the next comment is, "and I loved it!"
The other possibility is that someone tried to copy Carla's concept from the Superbowl challenge -- figuring she knew what she was doing -- and got dinged.

We just don't know.

[Steve]

For those who might have missed it at the end of the last thread, I think I figured out who gets eliminated tonight. I will post my explanation and the evidence after tonight's show (if I'm correct). And boo to the folks who spilled the spoiler. :)

[Unhappy Gilmore]

I think Fabio can bring it. New Orleans has two cuisines (maybe more). Cajun is comfort food - gumbos, jambalayas, etouffes, boudin, andouille, etc. Creole is the more refined (maybe more of a touch of French influence).

I am not an expert on the true differences but these are them according to my red neck.

Are they cooking cajun or creole or something else?

Are the judges (or the crowd at the ball) looking for either style, one style or both?

I don't know, just wondering.

[babyarm]

My understanding of the differences between cajun and creole (stolen from Alton Brown mostly)

Cajun - Typically uses cheap ingredients and "found" ingredients and cooks longer to make them work better. Tends to have more spice less sauce. Okra is used for thickening frequently.

Creole - Uses less ingredients and more seafood and fresher ingredients. More sauce less spice. Okra typically not found and file (spelling) is used instead.

Recently the terms have blended to the point where they are indistinguishable especially in the city of NOLA. Chef bam has contributed to this in no small part. Both Creole and Cajun have gumbo as a central ingredient.

Now looking at the press release they have offered the chefs rabbit, frogs leg, and sausage. These are cajun ingredients. I would think they would be looking for a cajun style dish based on what they laid out for them. This was shot January 15th so Crawfish/crayfish were not in season. They do have oysters available to them from the previews.

[Bart]

Anthony Bourdain has made fun of Emeril, but after meeting him and paying closer attention to him, he realized that Emeril can actually cook, and that the goofy Emeril is just an act. The real Emeril, Bourdain respects.

I mean, if a crusty, snarky, Noo-Yawk bastard like Tony Bourdain can muster up a modicum of respect for Emeril, I think most foodies would do well to follow suit.

[jse91]

I think watching Stephan do this kind of food will be very interesting. It is going to be a significant departure from what we have seen from him and what I presume his comfort zone is. I suspect his technical abilities will outweigh that, but I kind of excited to see what he does.

I went to elementary school in New Orleans and just watching the previews makes me think about getting on a plane. What I would give for some real gumbo, even served over grits. I did have a King Cake shipped up the other day, so at least I am covered on that pre-lent front.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Emeril is a crusty New Englander. Don't know when he went to NOLA.

I always thought he had poor knife skills or a problem with one of his arms. But he can put some flavors together. Never saw his old show, so maybe I never saw his skills either.

John Besh is a son of the south and maybe he grew up with dishes like grits and gumbo (like we were), where as Emeril would not have been served that growing up.

[Mann of Sandd]

Dom, great rankings as usual. Can't help but agree with what you've written. I do hope that Stefan makes it through, although I have a gut feeling that he won't (haven't even checked the previews yet, so this is all a hunch)

Speaking of John Besh, thanks again to everyone for the suggestions for dining in New Orleans. Went this last weekend. Didn't have a chance to go to August, but did go to Jacques Imo's, which was fun, and Luke, which is another John Besh restaurant. Luke was a lunch trip, and a pricey one at that, but the food was very good, my favorite meal of the trip. Jacques Imo's was very good, with lots of bold in your face flavors.

Thanks again everyone! Looking forward to the show tonight. I also have just been informed that the chef/owner of the restaurant I work in as a second job has been invited to the Casting Call for next season...if he makes it I'll be sure to give the inside scoop ;)

[Jon Olsen]

Here in Minnesota, where it is well known that all is refinement and subtlety... we would NEVAR put gumbo upon our grits, lest the sky tremble and the rivers overflow.

Actually, unless the flavors of the components are bad, I don't get why that would be a problem. The "rules" of ahem...southern cuisine (as if that were a monolithic entity) are impenetrable to me. Not that anyone *here* has expressed them, but why would there be dogmas about this issue? Gumbo upon grits makes sense in my head as does you know...stew with/on dumplings, braised meats upon couscous, curry and rice. I say (ah say) that as a northerner who has defeated a Carolinan in a head to head barbecue cookoff, so I'm not completely unable to comment. Am I? All y'all want some sweet tea?

Laying the gumbo-misdirection-edit mystery aside, I'm excited to see Emeril. As already mentioned, his reputation with foodies has gone through a series of ups and downs. And I appreciated the way Bourdain showed class and retracted his earlier statements to rally to the defense of a fellow chef who paved the way. I bet there's a solid palate under the "bams" and I'm guessing he can give very trenchant commentary, if the editors let him. Obviously Tom has this *thing* about not being embarrassed, so I bet showing the the world the "good Emeril" is on his agenda too.

I too would love to see me some John Besh. Was there a Besh sighting in the previews?? Since he's not the new Iron Chef, he's probably available. . .

And, I believe *I* get to take credit for the shrug thing. So, thank you for the "brilliant" compliment! I hardly expected to start a trend.

My legions of admirers must be breathless for the next pronouncement.

(That would be in the Postmortem commentary for episode 8 : http://www.skilletdoux.com/2009/01/top-chef-postmortem-episode-8.html#comment-6a00d83451c5b769e2010536cbc263970b a thread where I believe I also suggested I would enjoy seeing Gail eat Toby. This idea did not catch on quite like ol' shruggy did. c'est la vie)

[Lon]

I read someplace a negative comment about Gail Simmons. While it is sometimes obvious she is not a star chef, she does have the ability to express herself in ways that are helpful to the chefs. I look forward to seeing her again in the finals and hearing her comments.

[Anne]

Watching the preview, I just felt uncomfortable whenever Hosea started to talk about Stefan. It's so one-sided and kind of monomaniacal, I want to avert my eyes.

Where are people seeing that it's a double elimination?

[Shelly]

Personally I think Emeril is a good choice, if only because he and his foundation have been doing so much to not only try to bring New Orleans' resurrection to everyone's attention, but also to help the people and restaurants of New Orleans get back on its feet. As for his skill with food, Batali, Bourdain, and Alton Brown respect his skills. That three such disparate talents like him tells me he's got some chops (no pun intended lol).

For tonight, I have no idea what will happen, though I think I know two people who will not win TC, simply because of the tone of what they've been saying after the fact. But really, they're all wildcards, and Stefan has shown he's capable of making major mistakes too so who knows? I just know that it will be interesting.

[anon man]

Not much to disagree with here except that I think Fabio will do ok in the semis. He's no dope, he probably did some research on creole and cajun and he'll turn on the Fabio charm and do ok. He's from Tuscany, so I'm quite certain he'll handle the heavy pork content in NOLA food fairly well.

And, it bears repeating: Try his chicken recipe. Holy smokes. I've eaten and roasted many a chicken in my day, and this one was FABU.

On this Gail/Toby thing. Gail is a better judge. Toby is a better critic. His written work is actually very good, with measured humor that doesn't come across as needlessly rude. But if we never see him again, I would be ok with that.

[Derek]

This site is great and I really like the rankings. I agree that Carla finally showed the creativity necessary for a TC, and with her classical training and NO advantage, she may just take it all.

[Beatrice]

"Have the judges been sending mixed signals this season by asking for wow and rewarding simplicity, or have the contestants simply failed to rise to the challenge by coming up short when they extend themselves creatively? I have to say, while it would seem Fabio believes the former to be the case, my money is on the latter."

I agree, Dom. I think people are getting distracted by the "simple vs. creative" thing when it really comes down to quality of execution. Granted, we can't taste the food at home, but does anyone have the impression that any of Jeff's food was knock-your-socks-off fabulous? I don't think the problem was that the judges didn't appreciate his creativity and refinement; I think the problem was that Jeff kept sacrificing flavor for complexity and somehow expected to be rewarded for effort rather than results. ("I look around and see I'm doing more than anyone else." Well, whoop de do!) I'm remembering that crazy-ass stuff put out there by Blais which was greeted with great enthusiasm -- BECAUSE IT WORKED. Do we think the judges suddenly became more conservative between last season and this? Yes, Jeff would probably have avoided elimination if he had been able to quiet his creative monkeys. But he might have won if he could have made those creative monkeys sing and dance.

[Tim]

Hi Dom,
First I have mixed feelings about this being the best season as far as challenges go. About two or three weeks ago I would have said it was one of the worst. But the last two have certainly redeemed my expectations. I thought there was one too many catering parties, the tailgate episode was gimmicky and pedestrian, (yes, I like using that word, now), and I really missed a good 7 course spread highlighting individual creative efforts. And there were no relay races highlighting basic cooking skills. And even though it would be another catering event, I really think a good high-end - no restrictions - wedding banquet is an interesting team event, not just for the food, but in seeing how well - or not- they work together. (Can't they just pay a couple to get married for the weekend?) In general, the theme this season seems to be down playing the complex and focusing more on simple and natural flavors (perhaps overcompensating for the whiz bang of last season?).
And I know this is late to discuss this, but I notice a couple of people playing down the hollandaise sauce which also led me to wonder what happened with Leah's. From the few times I made it I remember it being tricky. It's main components are egg yolks and butter. If the temperature isn't hot enough the butter congeals, and if it's too hot the egg begins to thicken. For someone professionally trained it shouldn't be a problem - you use a thermometer and watch the temperature. If it does thicken too much, how do you thin it down? You can't add more lemon juice because now you're playing with the acidity. And this is where my knowledge runs out, so I'm ready to learn.

[SorchaRei]

I seem to recall that several times Jeff put out dishes that had people swooning over one component (at least a couple of his sorbets ell into this category). But avocado sorbet is not enough to win a main dish challenge with, and even a great sorbet can be lost on a plate that is too complicated and not focused.

Jeff did seem to be a bit too enamored with how complex what he was doing was, and to think that he should indeed be getting "complexity points".

[Danny]

Dom, thank you for your observations. Tom has praised complex dishes many times. It's all about flavor and concept. Do I want melting Sangria ice on top of cooked, spiced shrimp? I don't think so. Tom certainly praised Marcel many a time and he was very creative (although relentless with the always unattractive foam).

I leave in a few hours to perform on a cruise ship and thus I will miss tonight's episode and next week's (you can't download when you are out of the country). Needless to say I am praying to the TIVO and DVR gods.

I am so grateful to Ted Allen for talking about your amazing website Dom. Everyone, please remember, this is not just a Top Chef website. I highly recommend that after the show is over, you continue to come here weekly. Dom, you have taught me so much about cooking and flavors and your reviews of restaurants have guided me to many a fine meal that I otherwise would've missed. You are an invaluable asset to foodies everywhere.

It will be hard to miss the episodes and wait until I get home until I get to see them. It will be even harder to not see what you have to say - gotta watch first.

[Scott]

I am SO GLAD FABIO WON for his roast chicken. I think, even though he might have imitated his grandma's chicken, it's still pretty hard to reproduce. I mean I see it as a harder thing to do than to reproduce one of the many meals you created yourself in your repertoire so i respect that. I'm also glad Hootie is safe, because she makes the show entertaining to watch.

Regarding the Stefan and Leah controversy, Stefan did overcook the Salmon. I really, really, really, really, really hate overcooked Salmon because it makes the fish go from really delicious to really disgusting. When I go out to restaurants, I usually avoid Salmon unless I can get it Medium Rare, because I'm guaranteed at LEAST a medium well as most Chefs aren't able to cook fish to order. That said, Leah's dish was definitely the ultimate Faux Pas. Her egg was runny and the Hollandaise was too liquid-y. Now, that's just what the judges said (although Toby seems to like runny eggs). However, Eggs benedict is probably my favorite breakfast meal. I usually don't eat it with Bacon, but Leah seems to have this abnormal obsession with bacon so that's fine. But how do you screw up poaching an egg in Top Chef? For that matter, Hollandaise should always be more thick than runny. Even if it scooped out like Jello, it would be better than water. But like Leah's said, her head wasn't in the game. I definitely think a good Hollandaise is really hard to make, but I am really disappointed in Leah's effort this episode. I just feel like any chef at a high caliber should be able to pull this off, at least poach the egg right.

What is up with Toby hating on Hosea's food anyway? His entire blog is even on eliminating Hosea for his Scampi over the other two. I find this extremely curious. Toby seems to take notice that it wasn't a traditional Scampi and he just can't bring himself to accept this interpretation of it, which tells me that even though Toby toned down his awful jokes this week (or got edited out :D), his judgment is still questionable and I, for one, am super super super excited Gail is going to be here for the finals.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

JO - I thought the idea of cooking up Toby was brilliant. The recipe sounded delicious. But like skunk or rocky mountain oysters, I am not sure I would eat Tobysaurus.

[anon man]

"We couldn't possibly end up with a Fabio/Carla final, could we? Could we? Naaaaaaaaaaaah.

(Could we?)"

Well, why not? If Hosea burns his grits?

Personally, I'm betting on a Carla/Hosea final. First, there's this whole made up Hosea v. Europe b.s. They keep playing those comments about Stefan and Fabio like Hosea thinks its him against Europe. Could that have been to foreshadow the finale? Second, assuming that the interview with Stefan they keep running ("He burned his grits!") is an exit interview, then it would be Stefan bitching that Hosea got to stay and he didn't despite Hosea's massive error. If they both got booted, then who cares if Hosea's grits were bad. You would want to say "Andouille Sausage Pizza isn't Cajun!" (or whatever). (Of course the interview could just be Stefan explaining why he made it to the finale and no when else did or why he'll beat the grits-burning Hosea in the final.)

So there you have it. I predict a Carla-Hosea finale. Or a Carla-Stefan, or a Stefan-Fabio, or a Hosea-Fabio, or maybe a Carla-Fabio. Of that, I am quite certain.

[jse91]

anon - Could be my memory is faulty, but I thought Stefan was talking about Hosea's gumbo, not grits. Am I remembering incorrectly?

[Jake]

"... but Leah seems to have this abnormal obsession with bacon ..." (Scott)

Whoa whoa whoa -- no obsession with bacon is abnormal. It's only the greatest foodstuff in the history of things people eat. (Ed. note -- I am prone to hyperbole. And bacon. And extraneous parenthetical statements.)

I am surprised that nobody's really made fun of Susan Ungaro for choosing Shrimp Scampi as her last meal, although Dom pointed out that it's a silly name for a dish. I mean, it's like saying Chicken Duck. Scampi are actual critters. I've always thought of Shrimp Scampi as an Italian-American creation, and not a particularly good or authentic one. It always makes me think of the Olive Garden. Not that it can't be done well, but ... shrimp scampi. Why not just ask for mac and cheese?

[anon man]

Sorry, I meant gumbo, not grits. "He burned his gumbo!!!" I haven't seen that clip in a few days (sorry, Bravo isn't on in the house when "Real Housewives of Suburbia Married to Dukes or Professional Athletes" is on.) My point though remains. Would you complain about someone else's dish if you weren't elliminated? My original thought is no, with my back-up thought being maybe, if you were either explaining why they were elliminated or if you were explaining why you would crush them like a bug in the finals.

[Duffy]

Great site, provocative discussion.

Stefan is a shrewd tactician. Like a master pool shark, he has only offered glimpses of his true talent, and then only when he thought he had to protect himself. Watching him stalk Carla is going to be fun to watch.

Jumping Carla into second place is most deserved. If she had demonstrated early on what we have seen the last three episodes, perhaps she might be first – or perhaps Stefan would have stepped it up a bit earlier?? How much more does she have to offer? I think she beats Hosea but not sure about Fabio.

Hosea is already operating at peak capacity. I suspect we have seen everything he has, and will simply see more of the same as the finals start to unfold. His attitude could overwhelm as he is his own enemy. His lack of formal training could become a sizable chuckhole.

Fabio is an enigma. He, too, has been playing what he thought was safe. While he is not a careful craftsman, he has a creative edge and a huge technical ability, and has wowed the judges when we least expect. He is a gamesman and knows exactly what he has to do to win from here on out.

My pick? Hosea is out tonight

[Dom's cousin]

"Would you complain about someone else's dish if you weren't elliminated?"

Sure they would. They always play the snarky comments they make about each other even before they show the food bring served. Like, "I saw that guy's burn his gumbo in the kitchen and it looked horrible." Or the "I know my dish is going to be loved by all because everyone else's sucks" kind of comments.

[Darcy]

Oh I get it.! the Quickfire. Brilliant!

[Dom's cousin]

The quickfire! Now there was a WTF moment like no other.

[paula]

Jake: I, too, took issue with shrimp scampi as a last meal. (Though for me, the association is Red Lobster.)

As for tonight's episode? Totally. ROCKED.

[Dave F.]

Has there ever been a better episode of Top Chef?

[Gilby]

Crud.

I really should have spoken up about my feeling that they might give a previously-eliminated chef a chance to get back in. I'd be looking like a genius about now, instead of just claiming I would.

[jse91]

That episode was awesome. As was Carla's win! But now I am so hungry.

[anon man]

Great episode except for the result. Addio, Forza Italiano

[Anne]

HOOTIE!

[Lou]

Tonight was the best episode yet. The producers really (and finally) stepped up.

[jse91]

In case anyone is interested, Tom and Gail's Blogs are up.

[Dom's cousin]

Hootie Hoo! I am a total Carla convert. I wouldn't have imagined myself saying this a few weeks ago, but I really hope she wins it (sorry Stefan!). And in the end I really felt sorry for Jeff. A miraculous second chance and then so close...but yet so far.

[jse91]

According to Tom - it wasn't quite as close as the editing suggested.

[Dom's cousin]

Yeah, now that I've read the blogs I see that it wasn't as close as it appeared, although even in the edit it was pretty clear that they preferred Carla over Jeff and that he would be out anyway. That was a nice hat tip that Tom gave to Fabio in his blog, and I do hope we hear more from Fabio. And after what Gail said at the end of her blog, looking even more forward to the finale next week!