Top Chef - S6E6 Power Rankings

PLEASE READ BEFORE COMMENTING!!!
There's a lot of sneaky intel out there, 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. I will, for example, discuss the preview of next week's show at the end of the post. 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!

Hard to believe we're halfway to the finals already.

With Ron's ouster, seven of the 17 original contestants have been eliminated. Six more, and it's time for the finals. Traditionally speaking, when we get a week off, I like to kind of take a breath, look back over the entire season, reevaluate everybody and do a version of the rankings that is less focused on recent performance and more focused on who has demonstrated that they can win it all.

Making this week doubly perfect is the fact that... well... I'm running a little behind. I was away from home and lost my internet connection on the night I'd planned on doing the rankings, so I had little choice but to focus on all of the previous episodes. As such, while I apologize for the lack of specific commentary on the Penn & Teller episode, consider this week's rankings a little halftime state of the union. There are three very distinct tiers of contestants, and it's not hard to find those breaks. The maddening part is deciding how to shuffle the contestants within those three tiers.

The power rankings, ordinarily, 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. This week, however, we're focusing mostly on who has a chance to advance to the finals and win.

Wins

Top

Bottom

1 Bryan Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 1 Eliminations 3 3 0 Somewhat frustratingly, Bryan had an off week after I moved him up to number one. But again, this week we're weighing recent performance a little less, so I'm going to leave him right where he is. Bryan has still pulled down more elimination wins than any other chef, he's putting together delicious, wildly creative food, he clearly has a unique and mature style, and his winning over judges who are ordinarily inclined to be overly critical of his brand of MG. Really, the only mark against him is that he's been a little weak in the quickfires, with only one top mention, no wins and two bottom mentions. He seems to be at his best when he can take his time and be thoughtful and meticulous, which is what's going to comprise the bulk of the challenges that matter. Most eliminations don't put the chefs under quickfire-like pressure, and the finals format generally plays to Bryan's strengths, giving the chefs everything they need to show off what they can really do. Of the top tier, I still think he's the one who's most in danger of a surprise elimination on a quirky challenge, but he's routinely taking down the competition on the big challenges and for that, he earns number one this week.

2 Kevin Quickfires 1 2 0 Last Week: 4 Eliminations 2 3 0 Hot on his tail, however, and more of a 1A as far as I'm concerned, is Kevin. Kevin's won two of the three eliminations Bryan hasn't, he's had more success in the quickfires, and perhaps most impressively, he hasn't been on the bottom... not once. As my preseason sleeper, I couldn't be more thrilled with Kevin's success. His style is much less flashy than the other top tier contestants, but it's no less thoughtful, and he's exceptionally good at articulating those thoughts. What's more, it's a style that's a little more suited to current culinary trends, and right in Colicchio's sweet spot. It's brainy food that plays simple, and the consistency Kevin has shown thus far suggest that he'll be there slugging it out at the end.

3 Michael V. Quickfires 1 2 1 Last Week: 2 Eliminations 1 5 0 Michael V. snagged that last elimination win for his Air Force pork belly, but most impressive about Michael V. is the regularity with which he's sitting at the top. We've had 12 challenges so far, and he's been on top of seven of them. He's coming off another strong week, and though he's exhibited some frustration with the goofier assignments, he's still risen to the challenge. Even if it didn't win, this past week's deconstructed Caesar was technically stunning. He can bring some serious fireworks and he should also be there at the end.

4 Jennifer N. Quickfires 2 4 0 Last Week: 3 Eliminations 0 3 0 Of course, last time out, I said that I wanted to see Jennifer prepare a flatiron steak that rocks Tom's world before calling her Jennifer Norris, and... well... she kinda forced my hand. Jen, like Michael V., has been on top of seven challenges, and like Kevin, she's never been on the bottom of anything. Primarily, she's been the Queen of Quickfire, topping the first four and winning two of them. But of the top tier, she's the only one who has yet to pull down an elimination win, and for that I'm going to put her in fourth. I enjoy the metaphorical roundkicks as much as everybody, and she's clearly cream of the crop along with Kevin and the Brothers V., but immunity is already gone and the eliminations are more representative of the late-season challenges. Plus, while she's gotten an incredible amount of praise, she doesn't seem to have landed one of those dishes that absolutely floors the judges just yet. I'll feel better about her once the judges' eyes roll back in their heads and she pulls down an elimination win or two.

5 Michael I. Quickfires 1 2 0 Last Week: 5 Eliminations 0 2 1 And with the fifth position, we leave the top tier and enter the chunk of contestants who look like they could sneak into the finals if (when) one of the frontrunners stumbles. Sitting atop this middle tier, I have the controversial Michael I. I've said a lot about him recently in the comments, but to recap, I'm not sure I understand why some are so down on him. I don't like to lean on the numbers too heavily -- it's about a lot more than the numbers -- but you can't completely discount them, either. Compare Michael I. to the rest of the field not named Kevin, Jen or Voltaggio. He has more top mentions than anybody. He's tied for the fewest bottom mentions. And until Robin's duo earned a quickfire win this past week, he was the ONLY chef outside of the top four to win ANYTHING. Plus, despite claims that he's riding people's coattails, he's put together a number of solo dishes that have earned heaps of praise both on camera and on the blogs (and you can now add Lee Anne to the list of those giving favorable critiques, who called out two of his solo dishes as standouts in her catch-up blogs). No, he's not top tier, but I think some people are too quick to discount him. If any of those above him stumble, he appears to have the talent to jump right into the void.

6 Ashley Quickfires 0 1 1 Last Week: 7 Eliminations 0 2 2 Ashley seems to be a popular choice to put atop the MOTPers, and I'm on record as believing she had more to show during the weeks she was struggling, but I'm still not quite prepared to let her leapfrog Michael I. She seems to be getting her feet under her and has put together two highly praised elimination dishes in a row, but let's also not forget that she was on the brink of elimination two of the three weeks before that. Another week or two like the past two -- depending on what Mike I. does -- and I'd say she's on deck for the finals. But I still say she's been too shaky too recently to put her there right now.

7 Eli Quickfires 0 1 1 Last Week: 6 Eliminations 0 2 0 I will, however, put Ashley ahead of Eli, who hasn't gotten into much trouble, but also hasn't -- in my estimation -- quite hit Ashley's peaks. I'd actually say Ashley's more likely to disappear next week than Eli. But where Ashley keeps improving, I kind of feel like we're already seeing Eli's best, so looking forward I have to put him a little lower. I firmly believe he's in the middle tier that has a shot at the finals, and we know he can put together some great dishes, but right now, of the three MOTPers, Eli is the one I'd be most surprised to see cooking in the final episode.

8 Robin Quickfires 1 1 1 Last Week: 10 Eliminations 0 0 1 After seven, there's another break, and for our final three I think the only question is how long they manage to hang around. I put Robin at the top for a few reasons. First, to give a little respect to the fact that she's one of the only two chefs outside of the top four to win a challenge. Second, based on her recipes and some positive blog comments, she seems to be the most capable of overstaying her welcome (of course, it seems the rest of the cast has decided she already has, but we're not going to get into that). Third, of the bottom tier, she's been called out on the bottom the least. In short, she seems to be the strongest of the weak, and I expect she'll probably hang around for a few more episodes, and maybe even outlast a couple of the MOTPers.

9 Laurine Quickfires 0 1 1 Last Week: 8 Eliminations 0 1 2 Laurine, I have a hard time getting a handle on. She's actually gotten the most top mention of the bottom tier, and she's put together a couple of good-looking dishes, but she hasn't wowed with anything and I'm just not seeing a distinctive style of any kind, which pretty much guarantees she won't be going deep. Even with her bottom tier compatriots, you might be able to pick their dishes out of a lineup. But with Laurine, it's almost as if her style is "caterer", which doesn't bode well. Contrast with the successful caterers of last season, whose dishes had some personality. Of the remaining contestants, Laurine has shown us the least to get excited about, so I have her one notch above the basement...

10 Ash Quickfires 0 1 2 Last Week: 9 Eliminations 0 0 2 ...only because Ash looks like he's barely hanging on, making both technical and mental errors left and right. Leaving the potatoes off his deconstructed shepherd's pie may or may not have been a good move. It's hard to guess if the judges would have reacted any more positively to gummy potatoes than they did to no potatoes. But what possessed him to put them in the food processor in the first place? Also, he butchered his protein yet again, serving horribly undercooked lamb. Plus, in the quickfire he only served one of his two custards, and even that one didn't come out right. The guy has thrown together a decent dish or two, but he's screwing up left and right, he's on the verge of elimination, he seems to know it and this knowledge seems to be compounding his troubles rather than spurring him to fight his way out of the basement. Of course, anybody can screw up at any time. But right now he's looking like the odds-on favorite for the next ouster.

11 Ron Quickfires 0 0 2 Last Week: 11 Eliminations 0 1 2 I'm sad to see Ron go, partly just because he was kinda fun to have around and partly because he was utilizing a lot of flavors that the others weren't, but there's no questioning that it was his time. The guy was just in over his head at this stage of the competition. It seemed all along that thinking on his feet wasn't one of his strong points, so anytime he couldn't settle in and apply something he seemed to know well to the challenge, he turned out dishes that were flat or flawed or both. He was getting lost, and the paella was a perfect example. He didn't really follow the challenge, he didn't make it interesting, and he didn't make it good. Makes the judges' decision kind of easy, I think.

So there it is, the three tiers. I'm a little surprised by just how clearly they're defined. I'm sure there will be some quibbling about the positioning within the tiers, but I doubt anybody is going to come out and say that so-and-so belongs among the leaders rather than the MOTPers, or so-and-so doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell at the finals and should be in the bottom tier. And I find that remarkable. Really, the drama over the next six weeks will boil down to whether any of the leaders blow it, and if somebody does, who's poised to take their place.

And looking forward to next week...

WARNING : MINOR EPISODE SEVEN SPOILERS AHEAD

The theme of the previews definitely seems to be that the chefs are being shoved out of their comfort zone by some rather narrow, random assignments. This actually seems to play to Laurine's strength -- nondescript versatility -- so she might be okay. Mike I. is made out to be in serious trouble, working with ingredients he doesn't understand at all, which is very dangerous. Jen was in a similar position last week -- working an assignment that really threw her for a loop -- and her skill pulled her through with flying colors. So I guess we get to see if Mike I. really can run with the big dogs or not. That aside, we're barely shown anything at all. Can't say I have any idea what to expect. Which means it'll probably be interesting.

Discuss!!!

Comments

[Dawn]

Yes, FIRST!!! (hopefully)

Ok, I almost fell out of my chair laughing once I saw the Chuck Norris picture. HILARIOUS !!!

Anyways, I'm glad you're back & Top Chef will be back this week. For the most part, I agree with your assessment. However, I have this gut feeling that this will be the week where the PYKAG chef will be someone unpredictable or has to leave before their time, ie. someone screws up. I don't know if it'll be Mike Isabella or not, though I wouldn't mind if it's him.

p/s: Can we get the picture of Jen back next week? Though awesomely hilarious, Chuck Norris is not nearly as lovely to look at as Jen :)

[Allison]

Though I thoroughly enjoy your writing, the Chuck Norris pic for Jennifer "N" was the highlight this week -- I'm still laughing. Interesting that she still hasn't nailed an EC win.

Looking forward to tonight's episode.

[bfish]

Dom's rankings look on target to this viewer. Aside from his EQ wins, what puts Bryan on top for me is his focus. It stood out in the ranch challenge; while many others dithered he was intensely on-task. Assuming that he makes it to the finals, Bryan's creativity and experience coupled with that focus should serve him very well. Also, if they bring back other ousted contestants as helpers, Bryan has demonstrated that he can work well with others (and most would feel honored to work with him).

I agree with Dom as well that Kevin is a very strong front-runner. As it stands right now, I would be happy with any of the top four as the winner, with Mike V. my least favorite but that's because of his whiney and/or overly arrogant attitude at times, not for any lack of skill or innovation.

Maybe Ash will luck out this week and not have any challenges that present the opportunity to make a custard-based dish, thus potentially saving him from himself.

[natmicstef]

I can't believe it will happen but in the previews they have been showing Ash in a line-up saying that even Michael V can mess up fish and Michael hanging his head. Hopefully it is only dramatic license and though Mike V may be in bottom 3, Ash will go..please, please not the other way round.

[Naomi]

Thanks, Dom!

[Bart]

Jennifer's picture, too funny. I did a double take when I saw that. "Jennifer looks decidedly more masculine in this picture!"

Anyway, you're spot on. I'm pretty much in complete agreement with you, except I'd switch Ash and Laurine, and maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaybe Eli/Robin. Robin's dish looked absolutely dynamite (even if it was simple, it looked fabulously tasty). But that's just the one dish she's been recognized for. I'll have to wait and see, but I wouldn't be surprised if she jumps up a spot or two after this episode.

(Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if she gets eliminated...but after everyone piled on her last week, I kinda hope she sticks around for a while...to outlast Eli, at least)

[gilmore]

Can't argue with anything. Love the Chuck Norris picture.

Glad to see Kevin moving up. He was my pick long ago and think he still is. He can cook refined and country, pitches horseshoes and plays the drums on 5 gallon buckets. A renaissance man.

[Independent George]

I'm leaning ever so slightly towards Kevin over Bryan, but, as you say, it's really 1A and 1B at this point - or, if you prefer, 1A through 1D. (For my fellow Football Outsiders fans, this is reminiscent of the debate which shall not be named).

Loved the picture, but I'm with Dawn; as a matter of aesthetics, I greatly prefer Jennifer to Chuck. I've been smitten with her since the Air Force episode.

[TokenOmnivore]

Jennifer Norris confounds her competition, often sneaking up on them through her masterful use of disguise.

[Independent George]

Jennifer Norris can make an omelette without breaking any eggs, but she breaks them anyway. Because that's just how she rolls.

[Moe Greene]

Welcome back, Dom!

[paula]

Nice one, George.

Wow, I hadn't really put it together that Jen hadn't won any elimination challenges yet. Good stuff, Dom. I'm praying we don't see too much petty middle-school bullsh*t from the crew this week; they should be (or at least I want them to be) above that.

[Danny]

Welcome back. I generally agree with your assessments although I would do a little shifting. I'd lower Mike I - not because of his personality but because of one word: Salt. I find it troubling that a chef this season and with this level of chefs oversalts. Yikes!

I definitely agree that it is Ash's time to go. It is indicative of the macho world of cooking that the cheftestants are outraged that Robin is still here but seem to have no consternation over Ash still being in the competition.

On a side note, I am going to say the unthinkable....a compliment for the Food Network. If the first episode is any indication, it looks like The Next Iron Chef has fixed its many problems. Talk about being just about the food! The first 90 minute episode featured a 45 minute and 75 minute cooking test that was about straight-on cooking. The first task had the contestants cook with something that specifically related to their background. The second they each had to cook with a different odd/unusual/difficult ingredient. On the minus side it had all the nighttime Food Network manly man stuff with drums and choruses. All in all it was an entertaining 90 minutes. I learned some cooking tips and the show should also get kudos for defining cooking terms in a graphic so when the chef says he is cooking the salmon a la confit, you know what they mean .

[timothy]

Excellent rankings, excellent comments. I agree that the picture of Chuck is both hilarious and disconcerting.How did we settle on Norris for our prototypical toughie anyway? I prefer to think of her as Jennifer Van Damme or maybe as a culinary Ripley (Sigourney Weaver). anyway, good stuff. I think this actually will be the season when the top four make it all the way to the end.

[Lon]

I too saw Next Iron Chef this week. Last time, and certainly this time, it is an interesting contrast to Top Chef. One thing I certainly like about Next Iron Chef and would hope Top Chef mimics is the sticking to themes rather than quirky challenges like cooking with microwaves.

While one of the delights of Top Chef is how it tests a contestant's inventiveness and ability to cope with the unexpected, it should always be about the food. Even in my limited food prep experience, I know every microwave works differently and can really screw a person over if they've never used it before. Somehow it doesn't seem fair to wastecan a chef for a tool he/she has no way of testing or has never previously used. Top Chef really shouldn't be "Dinner Imposssible."

That said, I'm eager for Top Chef finals. We have at least three more shows of treading water, hoping one of the top contenders doesn't stumble, before we really get to tough eliminations, i.e. real surprises.

I do agree that from the beginning the pecking order of this season was pretty well established. The only chef who has sort of pulled herself out of the ashes (or the weeds to use the chef term) and improved her performance is Ashley. (Yes, pun intended.) I don't see any other (season 3) Dale types in this season's lineup. Michael I has good ideas, but lacks knowledge in some areas. Eli appears limited and so do Robin, Ash & Laurine.

It's been interesting to read Laurine's comments on her personal blog. (http://www.leftcoastcatering.com/blog) She very much appears to be a good chef who likes simple, good quality food and doesn't have any desire to imitate the food styles shown by the top four contestants.

On another note, I am refusing to use the word cheftestant(s) again after this posting. It's one of those made up words that's cute the first time and extremely irritating thereafter.

[Independent George]

Timothy - it's a play on the Chuck Norris Facts website. It just seemed to fit after watching her roundhouse kick everyone into line during the Air Force challenge.

[babyarm]

Yes, definitely this season has had very few chefs rising above their early disappointments in any consistent way.

In prior seasons the early episodes were disposable, but this year they set the stage for the finals, so as of now the middle episodes are disposable as the top tier seems so entrenched that losing 1 would be a shock and 2 would be unthinkable.

This week's episode looks to be especially weak on style and substance. I am so pumped for pinot and pork next week though. That will be killer. Lots of MG guys are using ears and tails these days. I can certainly see someone swinging for the fence with the real off beat parts of the pig. We are considering doing the 48 hour roast that they did on the recent episode of America's Test Kitchen. If that seems too daunting I still have a mess of wild hog chops in the freezer.

Maybe it's unpopular to say, but I think the Jennifer Norris meme has played out a bit. Just IMO.

[Elise]

Like everyone else I was also laughing out loud at the Jennifer Norris picture. Lovely job Dom!

[anon man]

I personally would put Ash above Laurine and probably Robin for the same reason that Ashley was held up from the bottom when she was flailing - potential. I think he has more of it than the two above him, given that he knows what he's doing wrong, which is way better than cluelessness (to a point). That said, none of them would be a terrible loss to the final showdown, since I don't think they have a chance to win.

I was trying to remember all the various name and picture plays you've done over the seasons. I remember "Frenchie" earlier, and you had one last season that I can't remember, and maybe you referred to Spike as "asshat" (although that might of been TWoP). Always an unexpected/amusing thing when they randomly appear.

[Independent George]

Anon man - It was 'Hootie' last season.

I know it's probably too much to expect the entire Top 4 to make the finals, but I really hope they at least survive long enough for restaurant wars.

[doktarr]

Independent George,

Bryan is totally number 1! Count the rings challenge wins, baby!!!

(As you might know if you've reviewed any of those threads, I've always been a Peyton guy. I was active in this iteration of the thread, which actually had some rational arguments despite the title.)

[timothy]

Independent George- Thanks for the information. I hadn't heard of the Chuck Norris Facts website. Now I get how I have been missing the joke for the past few weeks.

[Independent George]

doktarr - I'm always a little weirded out when I encounter another commenter from a different blog/site, but this does at least give us the opportunity to revive stale inside jokes for an entirely new audience. Instead of the Irrational Debate, though, I think we need find a way to introduce ROBO-CHEF into the discussion here.

[EdT.]

"I was trying to remember all the various name and picture plays you've done..."

Also, don't forget when Dom used Michael's picture for Lisa (I think it was), as she was The Contestant Who Refused To Depart Our TV Screens.

~EdT.

[anon man]

Lon, Laurine's blog is actually kind of interesting in that she notes that since the deconstruction was the day after the chuckwagon challenge, she smelled the fish and thought the cod was the same cod that got Mattine booted and that the firsh was off. (Yes, Mattine had technical errors too, but I thought it interesting that he might of been doomed before he left Whole Foods.)

Very interesting.

[meorav]

I won't give any spoilers, but if delayed gratification isn't your bag, Amazon has already (accidentally??) released the video download for tonight's episode.

[doktarr]

I think that over the course of a season, having ROBO-CHEF on your team in all challenges would be worth 2.5 ECWAR (Elimination Challenge Wins Above Replacement-level chef). ROBO-CHEF does mise en place faster than Hung, and it can bang out a hundred different desert recipes from memory.

OK, enough inside jokery.

[po]

Kevin should be number one. He started off on top and he ended the last episode on top. He's not as flameout prone as Bryan. As long as Kevin's around, Eli is stuck with an identity crisis. Its not just Atlanta, its the editors. I get the feeling the editors have not revealed his testimony at all, unless he has some juicy middle-school-style comment to make about Robin. Oh well.

Long story short: Ash is holding himself back too much. Not enough sauce, no potatoes, etc. He's worried too much that his food sucks, doesn't include it but remember that quickfire "custard" he BSed? They loved it, no?

[gdis]

First off I totally agree with you that Kevin and Bryan are 1a and 1b (hopefully neither turns out to be Leaf). Kevin does seem less likely to blow it over something stupid. However, Bryan (and his brother) are the two most technically proficient chefs with Kevin being very close behind.

There have been some postings about these recipes not being exactly original like Bryan's trout and bernaise or Michael's caesar salad. However, even if Ash or Robin knew these recipes, would they be able to execute them? I would bet size they wouldn't. Part of being a great chef is not only the originality but the expertise and ability to draw on your knowledge to create an amazing dish.

[KinderJ]

aaaaaaaaaaand the streak is broken. Tough luck Dom. That being said what was that with Ash at the judging table? I think he may have to stay at the bottom of the rankings just for that speech alone.

Sounded like we came within an ace of loosing Mike V. Scary. Reminds you that Chef Tom really sticks to the 'only judged for that day's dish' rule.

[crack]

I'd like to mention that Kevin's elimination record is skewed by his QF win. That QF allowed (forced?) him to skip the elimination. Also, Bryan V won that one.