Top Chef Postmortem - Season Five

Stick a fork in season five, folks, it’s done.

Having now had a week to digest the finale, I’m considerably less bummed than I was. Yes, it was somewhat anticlimactic and yes, I would much rather have seen Stefan or Carla win, but having checked out Hosea’s recipes for the final meal, I feel even more strongly that he fully earned that win. Every dish looked delicious, every dish was creative and interesting, and every one hit a level of refinement that Hosea hadn’t managed to hit all season long. In fact, after checking out the recipes, even if Carla and Stefan had both been on, I’m convinced that this still would have been a fight. Hosea’s final menu was the kind of food that gets me excited about Top Chef.

What’s frustrating to me is that if he’d been making this kind of food for the rest of the season, I actually would have been behind him. Many are crediting Blais for Hosea’s performance in the finale, but I find the confidence with which they say so disappointing. First, there were no glaring weaknesses in Hosea’s menu, and he wasn’t just sitting on the sidelines sipping a beer and letting Blais cook in his name. Second, from the first half of the finale – when he was working solo – it was clear that Hosea came prepared. The dude cooked a great meal, worked in the flavors and traditions of New Orleans in subtle ways even when he didn’t have to, and won the title on merit. Deal with it.

That said, I am still frustrated, but not because Hosea won. I’m frustrated partially because it felt like a completely different chef was dropped on us at the last minute, but mostly because of what that says about Top Chef’s format. We’ve been touching on this for a couple of months now, but with the full season in the rear view mirror, we can look at it with a little perspective. It’s a hard thing to ensure you’re not looking back with rose-colored glasses, but it sure feels like this crowd was kind of hanging back and playing it safe, didn’t it? Hosea wasn’t one of the worst offenders by any stretch of the imagination, but I felt our fears were confirmed by Fabio a couple of weeks back:

”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."

This from the guy who, despite looking pretty lackluster for most of the season, was one elimination away from the final showdown. The thing of it is, maybe Fabio actually was a whole lot better than he showed, and maybe he was simply playing it smart. But if the smart thing to do was to lay low, not get eliminated and then wait until the very end to show your true ability, and if more contestants are figuring this out, then Top Chef has a problem that needs to be addressed. Was this a function of this season’s casting, or are the contestants just getting wise, or was it simply a matter of how the season unfolded? I think all three – or a combination thereof – are possible.

With the full season now in review, I agree that this seems like one of the weaker casts. Or at the very least, it didn’t have the wow factor that some contestants from previous seasons have provided. I don’t think the gap is as vast as some like to claim, and I don’t understand the amount of disdain that it inspires, but this certainly wasn’t like last season when Blais, Stephanie and Dale could all uncork a jaw-dropper at any moment, and Antonia could always be counted on to provide a simple, beautifully executed counterpoint (up until she was eliminated, that is). And as dominant as Stefan was for most of the season, and as much as he impressed me, there was still always something just a little safe about his food. There’s nothing like competition between titans to drive them both to greater heights. Think the home run race between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa (okay, bad example). This season, it felt like Stefan and Jamie was the closest we got to that kind of exciting one-upmanship. But even then, the fire didn’t seem as fierce, and when Jamie went down Stefan genuinely seemed to lose some of that drive, and it showed in his food. I wonder if this lack of a dominant duo or trio wasn’t an intentional choice on the part of casting. Indeed, when it looked at the midpoint of the season like anybody could win this thing, that was pretty exciting. But I think what we’ve learned is that Top Chef needs those sickeningly talented chefs – two or three of them – who are so driven to lay it all on the line that they see every challenge as an opportunity to astound, safety bedamned. They may leave the field in the dust, and we may lose a little suspense about who will make the finals, but I think the show is better for it.

Or maybe the contestants are just getting smarter. They saw Lisa sneak into the final by always being better than just one other person. They’ve seen highly talented chefs go down in flames because they flew a little close to the sun. If this is happening, I’m not sure there’s a direct remedy. You can’t make contestants work against what they perceive to be their self-interests. But you can influence their perceptions.

Which brings us to the path this particular season took. Unfortunately, I think Ariane’s early success may have been the season’s biggest problem. I don’t mean to suggest that she wasn’t skilled and shouldn’t have met with some success. But whether it was the wins themselves or the manner in which the judges awarded them, they seem to have inadvertently left the crowd with the impression – possibly a true one! – that the way to win Top Chef is to reign in your more creative, distinctive ideas and just execute, execute, execute until the very end, when you can show us what you can really do in the last couple of episodes. That certainly seems to be the message Fabio took from the early judges’ tables. The tricky thing is that I’m not suggesting the judges erred in rewarding Ariane’s simple but solid offerings rather than her creative but flawed competition. Good is good and it deserves to win if the wilder and wackier elements can’t rise to the occasion. And to be fair to the judges, one of Ariane’s early wins was awarded by Martha Stewart and another was awarded by the cast of the Today show. But next season, here’s hoping the judges make it clear from the start that they’re not going to let people coast. The judges – Tom especially – like to come down hard on the chefs for overreaching, and it’s valid criticism. But I bet that point can be made without making the crowd scared to reach at all, and here’s hoping they find a way to do that next season.

One thing I definitely don’t support is the idea that past performance should count. If it’s a really close call and the judges are trying to find some space between two chefs, sure, they should give a break to the one who’s been performing well and I suspect they do just that. But without the knowledge that anybody can go home at any time, the second half of the season becomes less of a competition and more of a coronation, when the leaders can coast and the others have no chance of catching up. Another sports analogy, I’m sorry, but the best team doesn’t always win. And if it did, the season would be boring. I fully understand the frustration when a favorite makes one dumb mistake and goes home, but I think the alternative is far, far worse.

My only other complaint this season was that we were again treated to wonkiness in the finals. Attention Top Chef producers: PLEASE JUST LET THEM COOK FOR THE FINAL CHALLENGE. Yes, we understand twists and gimmicks. We know they’re necessary to inject some variety and excitement, and we even like them when they aren’t absurd. But this is the final episode. You don’t need to generate excitement. We’re already invested in these people. What we WANT is for them all to cook the meal of their lives and for the chips to fall where they may. Otherwise we’re left with this vague feeling – both this season and last – that the final competition was a letdown. There’s nothing more exciting than a victory hard-fought and earned against competitors who are at the top of their game, and nothing more deflating than a victory by attrition. You should be setting the chefs up for success and striving to achieve the former, not kneecapping them and risking the latter.

But all of this, of course, obscures what I thought was otherwise a really, really wonderful season. These chefs were granted an unprecedented level of freedom and flexibility to cook their food, and the fact that they rarely took advantage of it was really a shame. There were a few markedly gimmicky challenges, but they were few and far between and a vast improvement over previous seasons – particularly in the run up to the final episode. The three episodes leading up to the final challenge may have been the best stretch the show has seen, with great challenges, excellent guests and – to give credit where credit is due – a fine job by the editors in making us care about these people. Also, I loved the level of camaraderie we saw this season. The vibes were so positive that even the “villain” was impossible not to like. In some ways, all of this makes season five all the more frustrating. So many things went right that it was disappointing to see them waylaid by a couple of glaring problems. My fear is that the producers will learn what I believe to be the wrong lesson from the season, and that we’ll see a wackier, nastier cast and stranger, stupider challenges in season six. But here’s hoping they see that a couple of little tweaks are all that are necessary to bring us another season four.

Either way, I’ll be watching.

It’s been another fun season, folks. Thanks to everybody for participating, thanks for all of the support and kind words, and thanks to the cast, both those who commented publicly and those who wrote me privately, for taking the time to bring an insider’s angle to our discussions. I think we have a fun thing going here, and I’ll definitely jump right back in as soon as we have a cast for season six. In the meantime, for those who have only started reading recently, this IS actually a normal food blog most of the time, with recipes and restaurants and cookbooks and everything, though I can’t blame you for thinking otherwise. I’m more than ready to get back to actual food that I’m actually cooking and tasting, and while my feelings won’t be hurt if you all disappear until next season, it’s always nice to have company when we aren’t talking reality TV :-)

Thanks again, everybody... discuss!

Comments

[aaalex]

Dom: I disagree with you about the solidity of Hosea's win. Stefan had to cook gator, a meat he didn't know. As far as we could tell, his first was as good as Hosea's. Point to Stefan for the unusual meat, I think. Stefan's squab was, universally, declared the best course of the night. Two for Stefan. Meaning, what? Hosea won the other two? If so, they're tied. Tie should have gone to Stefan for difficulty and consistency through the year. I just don't see where your über-confidence in Hosea comes from.

Nice thing about this final evening recap, though: it confirmed how great this cast was as a group. I was surprised by Fabio's fan fave win, but not unpleasantly so. Could have gone to Carla. But this was, basically, a decent group of human beings; diverse, funny and fun to watch. I hope next year's lot are half as amusing.

[babyarm]

Good comments as usual. One thing I think you failed to note was the sheer size of the cast this year. This may have led to the "safe" aspect of this crew more than anything. There were what? 17? to start? That's just an insane amount and a number you can easily hide behind.

That and the prizes typically for each EC are so tiny that there is no incentive to go for them. Both of these lead to safe-ville.

Oh well, solid year and one of the best all around crews personality wise in any reality show ever. Wish the best to all of them.

---------------

When will they release start dates for season 6 and the masters seasons?

Also did the junior season get axed?

[Skillet Doux]

"I disagree with you about the solidity of Hosea's win. Stefan had to cook gator, a meat he didn't know. As far as we could tell, his first was as good as Hosea's. Point to Stefan for the unusual meat, I think. Stefan's squab was, universally, declared the best course of the night. Two for Stefan. Meaning, what? Hosea won the other two? If so, they're tied. Tie should have gone to Stefan for difficulty and consistency through the year. I just don't see where your über-confidence in Hosea comes from."

If you want to score it like a boxing match, sure. But I don't, and I don't think the judges do even if they sometimes speak in those terms, and I don't think that reducing it down to a numbers game and seeing it as quantitative rather than qualitative is a good way of getting a sense of the food. My confidence in Hosea's final comes from the recipes themselves, and how the judges described their flavors. You can count up all the points you like, but Hosea's meal looked stronger the night of the finale, most of the judges thought so, Stefan's biggest cheerleader (Fabio) confirmed it, neither Stefan nor Carla have objected, and I was impressed when I saw what went into his dishes. It seems to me that the only people who feel Hosea didn't earn that win are the people who weren't there.

I mean, it's your opinion, you're entitled to it. But this matter of Top Chef judging as numbers game strikes me as a rather antiseptic and soulless way of looking at it.

[canasian]

Wonderful end to a wonderful season. I think that at this point the best thing to do is to put the bad behind us and focus on the positive.

This was my favorite reunion of any season. I'm a little disappointed that Carla didn't win fan favorite (she's the only person on a Bravo show who I've ever loved enough to vote for in one of these FF polls), but I'm fine with Fabio. My favorite part, though, was when Leah and Jamie went to Judges' Table hammered and Padma told them, "National. Television." You'd think the editors would make a big deal of that, but I never would have guessed at the time that they were drunk (but then again, they didn't show either of them speaking much at that JT...).

[aaalex]

Dom: also, on second thought, i'm just not sure we know enough to gauge how good these chefs were. as you pointed out, after lisa "top chef" has become about getting to the final to cook the meal you want to cook. that's a very different mind-set than "cook the best you can all the way through and hope your best is the best". we are now, clearly, witnessing contestants in action. they are, as they should be, contestants first, chefs second. everyone now realizes this is a game, so we don't necessarily see their best until their best is absolutely required. (as fabio pointed out: when panna cotta wins, what's your incentive to go strange and imaginative?) even so, i'd as happily eat stefan's food as stephanie's or richard's. and i'm more than a little curious about jeff's food, too.

anyway: i just want to mention (before i forget) that i actually like your blog when you're talking about food and restaurants. i look forward to next year's "top chef", but i'm sure i'll enjoy the entries along the way. thank you.

[Allison]

What a great end-of-season analysis!

Even though I wasn't happy with the end result, I confess that of the 2 dishes I tried this season, Hosea's salmon roll was very good, almost impossible to not cook properly. My guess is that there's more than meets the eye.

I look forward to the offseason & your culinary insights.

I agree with canasian -- Carla's the only one I've cared enough about to vote for FF. Fabio was a distant 2nd/3rd for me.

[aaalex]

"You can count up all the points you like, but Hosea's meal looked stronger the night of the finale, most of the judges thought so, Stefan's biggest cheerleader (Fabio) confirmed it, neither Stefan nor Carla have objected, and I was impressed when I saw what went into his dishes. It seems to me that the only people who feel Hosea didn't earn that win are the people who weren't there."

not to be obtuse but, in the end, the comments, the opinions of the judges, everything is a given by bravo. we weren't there to taste the food. and most of the people who believe hosea WON weren't there, either. stefan and carla? what do we really know about their feelings? (it would be nice if they wrote in, mind you). your confidence that hosea clearly won is the confidence of a bystander. my doubts? ditto. (also, gail's comments at the recap show - which i don't think you heard when you wrote this - suggests the result was far from clear, that it was down to the wire. again, i don't think your complete credence in hosea is warranted by what we saw.

are numbers the wrong way to score this?
actually, when the judges were considering marcel and ilan, they specifically scored who had won what part of the meal. so, for the judges there's probably a certain numerical component to this as well.

in the end, for next year's show, it is my fervent wish to be at the finale to taste the damned food myself. only way to have the confidence you seem to have in hosea ,don't you think?

[Lon]

I'm sure the casting crew try to get a varied group of chefs. Every one of the five seasons has had a totally different personality, partly due to the contestants and partly due to the challenges.

I was a little disappointed in way New York was used. Season 2, Los Angeles, used the scenery and locales and different cusines much better, I think, even if some of the challenges were a little gimmicky.

One aspect few have mentioned is how much the judging influences the chef's performances. Bring Anthony Bourdain into the mix and I think the chefs would do a much better job. To me, the judges didn't have much of a wow factor until the final 3-5 shows.

But I do think the fact that only one person is eliminated each show contributes to slackness in cooking. All a chef has to do is perform better than one other person and they'll hang around. I agree with Dom. When Tom Colicchio has to tell ALL the chefs that they need to improve their performances, that speaks volumes.

Top Chef has been around long enough that contestants have seen lots of episodes and they go into the season knowing how to play the game. It seems they are there to win Top Chef, not show how well they can cook. I can remember the second season, some of the cast had never seen Top Chef before.

This season TC brought back three chefs that had been eliminated and allowed them to compete for a second chance in the finale. I think that added to the interest. With all the creative minds in that show, hopefully someone will come up with an idea to cut down on the slackers without making the show gimmicky.

[Skillet Doux]

First off, I never called this a blowout for Hosea. I said he looked strong and I believe he earned his win, and that even if Stefan and Carla had been on, I think it isn't a foregone conclusion that he would have been an also-ran.

"in the end, for next year's show, it is my fervent wish to be at the finale to taste the damned food myself. only way to have the confidence you seem to have in hosea ,don't you think?"

Of course. But I guess the better way to phrase this is, why is it SO HARD to believe that Hosea cooked the best meal in the final? It looked the strongest to me before I even read the recipes. It looked moreso after I did. Everybody actually involved feels he earned the win. And yet this idea persists that somehow Stefan got jobbed.

It's true that our opinions are both those of bystanders. It's just that mine is supported by those present while yours is not. That doesn't make mine right and yours wrong, but it's hard to argue that Hosea didn't earn his win when everybody there insists he did, by whatever margin (incidentally, when Gail, as you point out, talks about the fight, I believe that's because Toby was the lone holdout for Stefan, and even he eventually relented).

[Skillet Doux]

What's more, if it were THAT close, they WOULD have given it to Stefan. And if you read Toby's blog after the finale, not only does he reference Tom essentially saying just that, but it's a perfect illustration of our argument. Toby scored it much like you did... courses, numbers, tie score, tie goes to the strongest performance over the course of the season. And Tom fought him on it because he felt that that type of scoring didn't fully reflect the fact that Hosea's meal was, quite simply, stronger overall. Getting hung up in the numbers only distracted from what appears to have been plain to everybody else.

[aaalex]

the point isn't that it was incredible that hosea won. i didn't say so. i don't think it's "SO HARD" to believe hosea won. i reacted to your vehemence at hosea's win. you keep saying "everybody there insists he did (win)". sorry, but i must have missed the part where everybody insisted hosea won. toby relented because he was outnumbered. stefan's squab was called the best course. his dessert was a letdown and it was my impression that's what sank him. better dessert: he might have won. note: i am STILL not having difficulty believing hosea won, nor am i saying he was unworthy. you did not use the word "slam dunk" in relation to hosea's win. but you were vehement in his defence, as if a horde of barbarian "top chef" watchers were sullying hosea's victory. i don't think the horde of sullyers exists. i think what i watched was a close finale. but i'll concede you are completely right, that even if stefan had cooked a great dessert hosea might still have won, if stefan writes in and says so.

[Unhappy Gilmore]

Great job this season Dom. I enjoyed the recap.

Gilmore is happy.

[Skillet Doux]

Aaalex, I actually think we mostly agree here and are reacting to what we perceive to be the other's tone.

"i reacted to your vehemence at hosea's win"

Read my first paragraph again. My point was simply that I don't think he snuck in there. It looks to me like a strong menu that could stand on its own two feet.

"sorry, but i must have missed the part where everybody insisted hosea won. toby relented because he was outnumbered."

Everybody who has spoken out about it has said that Hosea cooked the stronger meal, with the execption of Toby who called it a tie on a strict course vs. course count. If you can find anybody involved in the show anywhere who has said that Stefan cooked a stronger final, I will happily retract that statement :-)

"stefan's squab was called the best course"

True, and irrelevant. Best course of the night doesn't win. Best meal does.

"you did not use the word "slam dunk" in relation to hosea's win. but you were vehement in his defence, as if a horde of barbarian "top chef" watchers were sullying hosea's victory. i don't think the horde of sullyers exists"

I think you should reread the comments after last week's postmortem. And then consider, I think, that they tend to be more level-headed than those on most other sites :-)

In any case, we agree that it was close, and we agree that this is a different story if Stefan puts out a great dessert. If he does, I think he probably wins. But the subtext of many comments is that Hosea only won because Stefan fell down, and that I DO take issue with. I'm saying that his menu looks strong to me, and even though my guess is Stefan would have edged him with a strong dessert, I disagree with the common implication that this wasn't a matter of Hosea winning, but rather one Stefan losing. Before reflecting and reviewing his recipes, my sense was that it was more of the latter. Now, a week later, I'm giving more credence to the former, and that's what I've been trying to articulate here.

[aaalex]

fair enough, dom. yes, okay, hosea deserved to win. i do still have trouble with the fact he did not cook a dessert, though. he didn't go out of his comfort zone. he didn't have to. tom told them they could avoid dessert. as a result, hosea leaves the better impression. it's tactics. hosea won because he prepared a good meal AND because he didn't do the thing that might have tested him. (and, really, as someone mentioned, he should have a dessert in his back pocket. he's a chef.)

to me, because hosea stayed in his comfort zone (smart move), it was stefan's meal to lose. if he had made a good dessert, stefan would have
a. left a good final impression
b. done something hosea had avoided and earned points for it.

it's in that sense that (to me) stefan lost it as much as hosea won it. of course: all the more ironic in that stefan had saved radikha's butt with a great dessert.

[Skillet Doux]

"all the more ironic in that stefan had saved radikha's butt with a great dessert."

But couldn't save his own, I know :-)

The whole dessert vs. no dessert thing is an interesting one to me, because I'm actually in the minority that's sympathetic to Hosea there. We've done ten Iron Chefs, and there's nothing I'd love more than to skip dessert. My desserts have actually gotten some of the highest scores and saved my ass on a couple of occasions, and the judges would crucify me if I didn't do it, but there have been plenty of times where I really would have much rather done a fifth savory course. Sometimes it's the way a meal has to end, but I hate this convention where dinner MUST END WITH A SWEET DESSERT. I think there are a lot of ways for a meal to be complete, and they don't all end with dessert. I think it's unfortunate that chefs are held to that convention and straying from it is treated, by many, as sacrilege. So it frustrates me that people see that as a negative for Hosea, especially when it was explicitly stated he needn't make one, but given the number of people who are aghast at the idea that dinner might end on a savory note, I realize I'm in the minority there.

[aaalex]

dom: i think here, for me, it's more a matter of the context. in real life, i'll skip dessert automatically if i'm in a chinese or japanese restaurant. i'm just not wild about bean paste ice cream. and i don't feel disappointed skipping it. (not to crazy about indian desserts either, come to think of it.) but "top chef" is about the cooking skills, the range, the imagination of the contestant. i'd like to see what hosea would do with/to a dessert not so much because a good meal should end with one but because hosea should be ABLE to do a dessert. i'm still not sure he can do a great dessert and that strikes me as a shortcoming in a chef. agreed: he didn't have to, so why should he? but still ...

[DPP]

Stefan saved Leah with his desserts, not Rhadika.

I think what Tom was trying to emphasize with the scoring was margin of victory. If we agree that Hosea and Stefan tied with the appetizers, Tom makes it clear Hosea won first course (after Carla). Stefan won the second course by a slim margin, but Hosea won the third course by a landslide. And while Hosea may have chosen not to do a dessert, remember it was only a three-course meal. If it were a five-course meal, I'm sure a dessert would certainly have been required. But with only three courses, it's understandable why it was optional. At any rate, here's hoping Tom gets his wish with a 2-person, 5-course finale next season.

[Bryan]

aaalex you have to realize Dom is giving his response not only to this season, but in reaction to our comments after last weeks finale. He's addressing the issues we, as a community of Top Chef fans, have voiced about Hosea's victory and the problems of season 5. He is playing the role of mediator as a person who does more research (a lot) about the food, episodes, etc... while at the same time expressing his opinions on an open forum.

[dan_boston]

I could write a long winded comment here, but I don't think it would add anything new to the conversation, so I'll keep it short.

You mentioned that they should excise the 'twists' and 'gimmicks' from the finale. I completely agree and think they actually detract at that point. I also laughed out loud a little when Tom gave them 6 hours to cook the best meal they've ever made. It's the finale - next season, it would would be a nice change of pace to really cut these guys loose and give them a few days to prep what actually *would* be the best meal of their lives.

[Solange]

Dom, it's been another great season of blogging on that ridiculous obsession we all share that is Top Chef.

The genie is out of the bottle in terms of playing it safe and the strategy of the Lisas and the Spikes has come a cropper. I get where Fabio is coming from but it's a chicken/egg thing. If everybody plays safe, obviously the winner will be the one that executes something best within that framework. The judges can only choose a winner from what is in front of them.

When you want to move a mule, a carrot dangling in front of him might help. I think the chefs need more to shoot for than a chance to get Rocco DiSpirito's latest book. Sorry Rocco, I'm sure it's swell, but please....

Take the final. Random luck gave Hosea both the chance to grab Blais as a sous chef, and the chance to sink what he considered his main competition by hanging him with 'gator meat.

The producers could easily set up a points format, that counted for almost nothing...until the very end that is. The aggregate winner could earn the right to something like dictating number of courses and the structure of courses. Not so much in dictating what his competitors will be serving, it's important to serve your food, but maybe in ways like cold appetizer or hot, dessert being served or not, soup etc etc. When you think that a Stefan could have used his points advantage to demand that Hosea would be doing a dessert, an admitted weakness of his, things could get interesting. In any case, it makes excelling something that really matters and hanging in the back playing SpyVsSpy a bad idea. A competitor would want those points, they would be valuable at the final.

[Matt]

I've been lurking all season long reading your blog (and I read it between seasons as I enjoy the reviews :-))... just dropping in to say thanks for the thought you put into this - it feels like an integral part of the show for me now - watch the show, get online in the morning and read Skillet Doux!

And some other random thoughts:

- Stefan was MUCH more likeable in the reunion and didn't dislike him during the season!
- Having looked at the cast again I feel like it was a two part season - the anonymous early dropouts and the characters we enjoyed through the end. I guess that's always the case but I feel like the first half dropouts were much less compelling for me this season
- Was I dreaming or did I see Arian as a sous chef for a challenger on Iron Chef America a few weeks ago?

Cheers!
Matt

[Dave R]

Dom, thank you for another enjoyable season of comment and insight. I'm still not fully convinced that Hosea was the "top" chef this season, but what's done is done. Time will tell who from this season goes on to scale culinary heights.

My concern is with Tom. This season he appeared preoccupied, cranky, and,overall, disinterested. His blog, rather than providing more detailed insight into each episode, was cursory and little more than a throw-away, barely managing six or so short paragraphs. Sure, he has restaurants to oversee and other projects galore, but damn it, Bravo is probably paying him pretty well for Top Chef, and the minimal effort he's putting forth, along with his obvious lack of interest (at least what we're seeing on screen), should make him embarrassed to cash those checks.

As a judge, Padma brings little to the table except, as others have noted, to repeat what Tom has said. Sure, she provides the eye-candy, but her act is running thin.

I think that, for both of them, it's time to go.

Toby, on the other hand, acerbic as he may have been here and there, brought some life to the judging table, even with the limited face time the editors allowed him. Gail provides good insight, and would probably benfit from more face time as well.

Who do they bring in? I don't know. But along with the changes to the show's format, which others have suggested, I think a change at the judge's table is also in order.

Dave R.

[mncharm]

Dom, thanks for another great season! Much appreciated.

I'll be checking your blog regularly in the off-season as well.

[Bart]

Nice recap, Dom.

Even after watching the reunion, I still don't think that Hosea deserved to win. I think the judges wanted Carla to win - this, to me, was especially clear when Tom told Carla that her dishes in the next-to-last challenge were the best dishes they had all season.

I think I have such problems with Hosea's win is because the other two competitors were kneecapped and didn't perform at their best. If Carla and Stefan had been at the top of their game and Hosea still managed to win, then I'd accept it more easily. But as it was...it was like watching a minor league pitcher strike out a blindfolded Mark McGuire and a one-armed Sammy Sosa.

As far as the whole "creativity versus simple dishes" - one thing I thought the judges made very clear last night was that they don't care if it's creative or simple, just as long as it TASTES good. That's a point that should be more heavily emphasized next season.

And lastly, bring back Toby. I liked the guy. He was fun to watch.

[anon man]

On the dessert thing: Dom, I agree that you don't need a sweet dessert, but generally you need something to signify the end of the meal. Maybe 3 courses isn't enough to demand dessert, but ending with a meat seems like a bit like the Unfinished Symphony (which is still a great piece of music...) I'm not faulting Hosea's decision strategicallly, since Tom specifically said they didn't need dessert, but I do agree with Toby that without some sort of generally accepted "end" to the meal, it seems less complete.

I actually think Carla was on to something with a cheese course. Sure, Carla's was an epic fail, but the idea was right. Personally, I LOVE cheese courses; I can think of many meals where after the main or secondi or meat, the wife has dessert, and I have cheese. We both leave happy.

[zsparks]

"Was I dreaming or did I see Arian as a sous chef for a challenger on Iron Chef America a few weeks ago?

Cheers!
Matt"

Yes, I saw her just last week. I had never watched ICA before. Bobby Flay is kind of...bossy. Mmmmmm.

[Independent George]

I think Dom's defense of Hosea are more about the comments in the Finale thread than anything else. No disrespect intended, but it felt like we were veering into Philadelphia sports talk radio territory. I stopped reading after the second page, and even the knowledge that Blais and Mr. Hootie had posted in there wasn't enough to get me to go back.

Speaking of which, I'm going to keep beating the dead horse that Richard should take over the Ted Allen seat at judges table. He's got the knowledge as both a chef and former contestant, he's got the personality, and, from the blogs, he's also got the insight. He's perfect.

[KRK]

Joining the chorus to say thanks, Dom, for another great season of Top Chef commentary. Both your insights and writing are top notch. And boy do I admire your patience with commenters! :)

[Mann of Sandd]

Did anyone else have audio trouble with the reunion? No sound came out of my television for either the 9:00 or 12:00 showing last night. Bummer.

[DPP]

Bart,
How, exactly, were Stefan and Carla at a disadvantage?

[Steve]

Dom,

Right on target.

Some commments:

1. You expressed my position on factoring in past performance better than I did. I too believe that past performance should only factor in for elimination if the contestants are really close. We may disagree on the degree of closeness. But I agree with you that if we allowed past performance to be a major factor, then contestants would not push themselves as hard towards the end. And it is an endurance contest as well, you and I both agree that Stefan lost some of his fire towards the end, lending towards his defeat.

2. I am one of those who do not care much for dessert anymore. In fact, I am at a point where dessert at a fine dining establishment does not taste much different than the best desserts at a Ruby Tuesday's of Chili's. It is not necessary to have a dessert at the end. The sugar does not do much for me.

3. This was indeed a wonderful season, more so for some of the personalities than for the food overall. I actually look forward to more creative challenges (not stupid ones) next season because I believe it pushes the chefs to perform at their best.

Finally, here's to the most intelligent Top Chef blog, proving that reality TV does not have to be loud mouthed, stupid and ridiculous!

[Steve]

Btw, did you say that you work on Iron Chef? You do not have a bio posted. What do you do for a living?

You planning on applying for Top Chef 6?

[Lon]

That's a great idea of having Richard Blais as a full-time replacement judge. I was really impressed by his blog comments. I think the contestants would respond well to him. His intellect and his communication skills would contribute a lot to the show. I've commented before on how much I think Gail Simmons contributes to the show, especially in her enthusiasm and writing/speaking skills and I think Mr. Blais would operate on nearly the same level.

It looks like the next sessions are going to be taped in April-May, a least that's what I get from reading the application & rules. The last time they did that, Ms. Simmons had to leave for part of the shows to work on the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. So they're probably going to need another part-time judge and I certainly recommend Mr. Blais.

On another front, at least this time, Top Chef had tryouts in the Pacific Northwest. The Top Chef tour after Season 4 totally ignored the PNW. While our culinary history isn't as strong as some other regions, both Seattle and Portland are becoming hotbeds of up and coming chefdom.

As to Tom Colicchio's performance, I can only contribute the fact that I heard him say, "Don't embarrass me" (or something similar) more times this season than in all the other seasons combined. His reputation is on the line with these shows probably more than anyone else.

Dom, I add my voice to those who commend your efforts. I don't read/write on the TC blogs anymore. I find your comments and rankings extremely professional and valuable. Keep up the good work. I know it takes time and I thank you. I do read your columns between seasons.

And, finally, for next season, I hope the producers make two changes: first, address the issue of playing it safe; and two, remove the twists in the finale.

[Megan H.]

Hi Dom -

Another thanks for the blog and all you do. I checked back faithfully between seasons 4 and 5...so please keep your other posts coming!! (Your cauliflower pasta recipe is now in my family's regular dinner rotation...)

[Danny]

DPP, I don't mean to speak for Bart but I do think that Stefan and Carla were severely disadvantaged by Hosea's dumb luck. He drew knife #1 and he got to pick Blais - poor Carla had no say in who she worked with. Then, Hosea does another lucky draw and he gets to assign the added proteins.

Two solutions. Winning the first part of the finale should have some implications in the game (and yes a car is very nice). For winning, Carla should have been allowed to pick her Sous Chef and in order of how they finished, Hosea would have picked next and Stefan last. As to the protein picking - it's a cooking show. That should have been chosen as part of a Quick Fire.

The point is, Hosea got two big advantages - one that ended up not mattering and one that mattered a great deal. There is little doubt in my mind that Carla and Stefan would've chosen Blais if they had been given the opportunity. Advantages should not be given by some arbitrary lucky person process.

Dom, thinks for all of your hard work. I will continue to read year long.

[icaneatbutcantcook]

So the overall season was pretty fun to watch, even if the food wasn't inspiring enough for some people...As a person who lives in the tri-state area, I have to say this season's biggest disappointment was the display of the City of New York. I felt they didn't highlight the city enough as they could have. This place is the mecca of food, I love going into the city for dinners, whether it's a restaurant in the theater district, or a gyro spot in queens. Maybe the first episode was a great showcase, but not enough in my opinion.. A thanksgiving microwave/oven challenge up in rochester?? come on!

[Independent George]

The worst part about not showcasing NY is the fact that they deliberately sacrificed geography in favor of gimmicky challenges based on the air date. The Christmas party, Thanksgiving, and the Super Bowl ECs necessarily had to eliminate all connection with time & space in order to preserve the illusion of relevance.

I can understand some things (Whole Foods can probably pay more than Dagostino's, the Fulton Fish Market is too busy to make exceptions for a busybody TV crew, and some of the local markets probably don't want the their sanitary practices broadcast in Hi-Def to the department fo health), but the above challenges were just complete wastes.

[zsparks]

"Speaking of which, I'm going to keep beating the dead horse that Richard should take over the Ted Allen seat at judges table. He's got the knowledge as both a chef and former contestant, he's got the personality, and, from the blogs, he's also got the insight. He's perfect."

I want Dom for this job.

[Independent George]

"I want Dom for this job."

Bite your tongue. If Dom takes that job, this blog goes with it.

[Joanna]

I'm glad to see other comments about how this season didn't even come CLOSE to utilizing the full potential of being in NYC. I thought the Thanksgiving episode was silly and gimmicky for a lot of reasons, but my biggest complaint was that they went to Rochester. You have just over 10 chances to make the most out of being in the food capital of the world and you choose to spend an entire episode in ROCHESTER?

Also, I guess the trip to Blue Hill was supposed to be the "fresh produce" challenge, and I did like it, but I'm disappointed they didn't go to the Greenmarket at all. The markets (especially the one at Union Square) have basically transformed the restaurant industry in NY, yet there wasn't a single mention of them, even though the show was filmed during the peak of the season!

[anon man]

I know everyone hated the Foo Fighters episode, but there's always a "McGyver" episode. I actually didn't think it was really gimmicky. Even Eric Ripert has said that you can cook everything you need in a toaster oven if you have a decent one. The outside and rain thing was kind of lame, but a toaster oven rather than a microwave is a legitimate cooking instrument.

[Bryan]

I think they should start telling them the quickfire reward BEFORE the quickfire. None of this, "you will gain a hefty advantage in the elimination challenge." Tell them the winner gets to pick their sous chef or gets first pick in restaurant wars. That will light a fire under the chefs during the quickfire. Same goes for the elimination challenges. I know in season 3 they told the chefs they had the chance to go to Italy if they won, in season one it was France with Jeffrey Chadorow. When the chefs heard they had that opportunity, it was all they could talk about and they really wanted the victory.

[Adam]

The reason Top Chef rewards safe cooking is simple: only one chef (or very rarely, two) gets eliminated each week. "Flying under the radar" is a perfectly good strategy.

I had a thought for how to try to counteract this, without making the finals a foregone conclusion. Just give the winners of recent challenges advantages, sort of like the quickfire winner gets advantages. So, for example, the QF winner might have immunity, but the winner of last week's elimination challenge gets second choice of teammate/protein/whatever. And the season leader in EC wins (or second/third place if that's already spoken for) gets next choice.

Conversely, you could handicap those who finished in the bottom of the last EC, or those who have been in the bottom the most over the season. They get last pick, or less money/time, or something.

This does create a bit of a feedback effect, crushing the losers and holding the winners up, but I think it's worth it to reward excellence. It would also make for some added plot elements/drama.

That said, given Ariane's wins this season, it's somewhat unclear whether cooking innovative stuff is really the best approach to getting wins anyway, as oppose to simply nailing a classic dish. If the chefs feel that's the path to wins, then there's nothing to be done other than changing the judging standards.

[Allison]

First, what a great blog! Dom, Thank You!

Second, I was just home in NYC & saw more in a few days by accident than we saw in an entire season in TC. Sad. I had high hopes early in the season when they sent chefs to different ethnic neighborhoods, but that was more or less the end, except for Le Bernardin. Honestly, it was a waste of an exceptional city's resources.

Third, I've come to the point where Hosea's win is OK, even though I favored the other two. Back to the sports analogy ... anyone who watched the Pats/Giants game in December prior to the Super Bowl could see the potential upset. I much prefer the baseball format where I've seen my team win & lose, but I like a set of challenges rather than one set of dishes with a twist.

Finally, there are two dishes that I made based on recipes this season. I recommend the lamb with vadouvan carrot puree & Hosea's salmon roll. Both are excellent. I don't pay much attention to TC recipes,so you can consider that.

[Skillet Doux]

"Dom, thank you for another enjoyable season of comment and insight. I'm still not fully convinced that Hosea was the "top" chef this season, but what's done is done."

Well, I actually don't think he was either. But I do think he was on the last day, and he got there fair and square :-)

"Btw, did you say that you work on Iron Chef? You do not have a bio posted. What do you do for a living?"

Oh, sorry, no, didn't mean to confuse things. Our Iron Chef is just a thing among friends back in Chicago. I posted about it here:

www.skilletdoux.com/2007/05/iron_chef_x_mus.html

I actually have a bio mostly written, and I need to get that posted. It's on the short short list for the next few weeks :-)

As to not showcasing the city enough, I felt the same way about Chicago last season. But honestly, I don't know that I can blame them. It was one thing when it was a little-known show and they could send everybody out to hawk street food. Now that it's a hit, they have people actively searching the city for them, camping out on their doorstep, etc. It must make it a LOT harder to do any kind of location shooting. Victims of their own success in that regard, I suspect.

[MikeyV]

I hadn't really though about that "victims of their own success" angle before, but it is spot on. Another thing I didn't realize until this year's bonus vids on the (substandard) Bravo website was that the losing chefs were sequestered. I wonder if, to confound the stalkers, they could require the losing chefs to accompany the remaining contestants to the venue for all challenges. It might keep spoilers at bay. Just a thought.

[Bart]

DDP - Danny responded quite well. While I don't buy that Blais won the thing for Hosea, it certainly meant that he had the most capable sous chef working for him.

And, more importantly, I don't blame Casey or Marcel for Carla and Stefan's loss. Just so we're clear on that. I could argue my point further but I don't really see a point to it. It'd just be splitting hairs at this point. Hosea won. Fabio and Carla and Stefan have great things in their future. Heck, even Ariane's seeing success in her restaurant in Montclair because she was on the show and she got knocked out halfway through. The Bridal Shower lamb dish is being served at Ariane's restaurant, and occasionally at Jaime's.

Carla will probably use the dishes she made in New Orleans wherever she goes. Fabio better cook that roast chicken, because diners will want it.

And Hosea? We'll see. At the reunion, he didn't know what he was going to do next. He might come to NYC. If he does, I'll be sure to stop by his restaurant.

I'm actually heading to Perilla next Thursday. Here's hoping that one turns out to be a good experience.

[vin]

for those who think Hosea would not have made a dessert, come on, he had Blais so Banana Scallops were prepped and ready for service. Great blog Dom and a word of thanks to the posters for keeping this one of the only intelligent and appropriate blogs that i know.

[Omelet]

Wonderful wrap-up, Dom. SkilletDoux stays on the toolbar as one of my favorite sites from season to season. Any of your new readers who have not experienced your non-TC writing and photography are in for a treat.

I too thought Tom has been a bit crabbier and more defensive this season. I've only posted to the Bravo site once and that was to his last blog, to encourage a more pure finale with no surprises. Gail did stress in the Reunion show that the finale was very, very close.

Cheers to Fabio! Good luck to Fabio, Stefan and Carla. Thanks to Dom for hosting and the positive and insightful posters on this blog.

[DaveW]

Great stuff, as always, Dom. Thanks for all the effort you put into the rankings throughout the Top Chef seasons. Always enjoyable to read.