I know there is a healthy number of board members who are fans of the Top Chef franchise, and some skilled chefs who have broken down episodes with quality commentary, so I assume people are as pumped as I am for the new season. I like the concept cause its like a jumbo sized season of Top Chef but without all the shitty cooks who get weeded out earlier and more chefs who know the game and have something to prove. I won't spoil the episode for those who have it taped and haven't watched yet, but on the cast. The Good: Casey- DAMN, Casey still looks fucking fantastic. That would be about all I have to say here. Tre- Liked him the first time around, love his attitude here, hope he brings it. Jennifer- Sure she talks out of the side of her mouth, but the woman can cook. Oh yeah, fucking Blais. Second favorite contestant all time after Kevin Gillispe, so pumped for his genius, mad scientist approach to food. The Bad: Marcel- What a douche. Motherfucker hasn't grown up and is still gonna be a shifty little bitch. He is the runaway leader for chef who also may dabble in child pornography. Stephen- Seriously? This fuck again? His unfounded arrogance is so obnoxious. He is straight out of the South Park "Smug" episode. Oh yeah, can your fucking tie be any wider or your collar higher up on your neck? Spike- Not a bad chef, but he is another who just annoys this shit out of me. I think people like him so he is probably polarizing, but he is kind of a turd. Discuss...
I have nothing against Stephen on a personal level, but he's a front of house guy, not a chef. I think he'll be gone by the 3rd episode. Marcel and Spike are assholes, but entertaining assholes. I'd like to see them get far just for the entertainment value. Jennifer is talented but folds under pressure. Mike is a cocky fuck, who although talented, will probably get eliminated for the same type of shit he got eliminated for on his season. The Dale's are good, but Talde has a short temper (at least that's what the editors chose to show of him on his season) so if he loses it again, he's gone. I'm picking Angelo to win. He was easily the most talented chef on his season and would have won if he hadn't gotten sick. Also, psyched that Bourdain is staying for the entire season. Him vs. Spike and Marcel has limitless entertainment potential.
Watching last night Elia said she was 23 when she competed. That makes feel like a worthless sack of shit. What the fuck have I done with my life? Not any formal training or quality work experience to speak of. Then I realized I could've done much better than that given the 3 hours prep, 2 hours cook time.
It was funny, appropriate, and slightly cruel to make the first challenge "cook the same dish that got your ass eliminated, but this time try not to suck."
Honestly, l'm friends with Marcel, and he's a really great guy. The dude can flat out cook and does things that are out and out daring with food. l don't think he comes off great on camera, he lS arrogant, but he can back it up. Stephen is sort of meh. My run in with him was at the Beard house a few years ago, and he seemed more interested in owning a bunch of restaurants then being a great chef. His style is elegant, but rigid. Spike is cool as fuck. He's friends with a chef l worked for a long time ago and l've known him for about 5 years. He's easily the most accomplished businessperson of anybody on Top Chef and now has a top notch burger place. He's not the best chef, but has staying power because he knows how to play the game. Tre' has a great chance of winning the show, and after Cliff Crooks, was the most talented chef never to make it to the final. l can't stand either Dale. One is too arrogant, the other is a total douche. l'll let you figure out which is which. Tiffany is okay, but she's more competitive then talented. l like Antonia, but she makes dumb mistakes on stuff she should know by heart. en is a standup chef and a leader in the kitchen, she'll go because she'll take the hit when it comes down to team play. Casey and Carla are okay, but they're going home early. l'll have more as the season progresses.
I'm disappointed that Jen got sent home this week. It was awesome seeing her get fired up and fight back with the judges. Frankly, I thought it had to be Jamie going home since she just skipped out on the challenge by getting 2 freaking stitches.
Jamie's a cunt for that shit. My 3rd week in a full time kitchen I had burns so bad on one hand the blisters covered my palm and all my finger tips and the skin of the second joint. I said fuck it, put a glove on and finished the next 2 hours out. Then when I took that glove off the skin came with it. Fucking thing didn't hurt till I stopped working. I will say even though she is not that attractive and her mouth is sideways, the "I don't give a fuck" Jen was pretty sexy. Oh that Katie Lee is a fine piece of ass though.
l know your pain brother. My first day working as a ClA graduate l was shucking oysters and stuck the knife in so far into the palm of my hand that l severed pretty much every tendon in my thumb. l fucking duct taped that shit, double gloved it, took a shot of bourbon and completed my shift. Years later l still have trouble tying my shoes without my thumb going out on me. Then again, the show still is under a different kind of insurance so that it's up to the discretion of the medic and producers. This means that if a producer says you need to go to get medical attention, you don't have the luxury of toughing it out.
Not much conversation on this season. I'm enjoying seeing a bunch of the chefs I thought were good in previous seasons. The competition this season seems pretty good. They've had some interesting challenges. I thought the sheer creativity of the chefs when their utensils were taken away was awesome and hilarious. My biggest complaint with this season: fucking Jamie. What a terrible waste of a spot that could have been filled by a chef that might actually have, oh, I don't know, fucking cooked something. I don't know how the judges haven't booted her ass yet. I thought she should have been sent packing after bitching out because of the small cut on her finger. But after this past episode, they should have said, you know what, we don't care that one team won, we're trying everyone's dishes because you aren't ducking out of the competition, and if your dish sucks, your ass is gone. Oh, and Angelo seems to have become a better rounded chef since last season. He doesn't seem to be relying solely on Asian dishes this time around. But he still seems like a huge douche.
Have to agree that Jamie is a waste of space and just seems to be biding her time hovering. She looks tired or like she just doesn't want to be there. Annoying. Angelo is a douche. Fucker can cook but Christ man, he sabotages people and that shit is uncalled for. Tiffany (black Tiffany) is a pussy. When Tom asked her if she thought the fucker was a saboteur, she should have manned up and said "Yeah, he is but you are responsible for your own dishes. If that buy a bride motherfucker touches my plate, I'll just skull fuck him."
Colicchio apparently said last week they goofed and should never have a challenge where contestants don't have a chance to win or get sent home. It sucks that Jaimie got to slink out of cooking, but it also sucks for Mike that he didn't get a chance to win a trip to Italy. The weirdest part was that with the way the challenge was setup at least two chefs were not cooking for the judges. I am enjoying this season, because now that Stephen is gone there really isn't any obvious dead weight like the previous seasons. Jaimie is the closest and I really think that's because Stefan turned them down to be on the show again.
So I'm definitely disappointed in last night's results. First, Jamie sucks, and had 2 shitty dishes. Second, Casey is pretty fucking hot, and overall, she seems like a pretty good chef. Casey definitely made a major strategic error by choosing to make a difficult dish, but then leaving the kitchen to work the service. The challenge in the restaurant was clearly a huge cluster fuck, and leaving the kitchen was a big mistake.
Mister Miracle, can you defend Marcel here? Honestly, after your opinion, which I respect, I gave him another chance this season and most of my dislike simmered away, especially cause his food has matured and he isn't putting superfluous foams on everything and he seemed a bit more likeable. But this episode, old douchebag Marcel came flying back and it was just excessive. Glad to see Tiffany and Jamie go. Jamie was on borrowed time and for whatever reason, made it this far at the expense of my dearest Casey. And Tiffany I just have never cared for.
Are you kidding me? Gangsta Marcel trash talking Dale was possibly the funniest thing I have seen all season. Nothing like a scrawny white boy with a wolverine hairdo to bring the smack down.
Yes, Marcel is a great chef. His ideas are by and far above everybody else that l've met from the show. Potentially, he could be a fantastic chef behind a cutting edge restaurant in any city he chooses. His food can transcend location, bank account and time period. Having sampled a basic lunch that he cooked at a friends place (this happened before he was on Top Chef), l knew he was the real deal. His cooking has matured, although he still has some growing to do. However, this being said, he's not somebody who can lead a kitchen. While l can vouch for him personally, it's obvious that he needs to watch people who aren't as talented as he is on a creative level, but can run a kitchen. Running a kitchen is an art onto itself, and it's probably the last lesson that Marcel needs to learn in order to break into the big leagues. Compare him to Blaise, who no matter what, can keep a calm head and a calm tongue when talking to people who aren't pulling their weight. Marcel is every bit as talented as Blaise on a creative level (despite his love of foam), but lacks the little bit of leadership that makes a great chef a FANSASTlC chef. Marcel is brash. l've worked for brash chefs before, and l'll work for them again. Gordan Ramsey is brash, so is Bourdain. The difference is that they can remain brash while still being a leader. Marcel has not mastered that art yet, and that is why we are having this conversation. l'd say 10% of the chefs on Top Chef are actually leaders in their kitchens.