Top Chef - 7/18

[flickster]

I knew Lia was gone from the early editing. So last week's winner rides the trout out of town. My taste-o-vision wasn't working but trout on a polenta cake didn't do anything for me.

Sure was some attractive women from the latin TV group being served :p

How many times has Hong been included in the loser group now?

[Lamar Mundane]

I like the way this show works - the deadwood gets cut first - no keeping someone around because you can beat them later or because they are drama queens. I think we are now down to the serious contenders. Tre is going to win it.

[Oslo Ostragoth]

I love this show. These people, although quite young, have some serious cooking chops.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

Nobody really sucks this year. People are getting pulled into the loser group just because they need four people so they're finding really nitpicky criticisms, like Hung's rice being a little dry. The personal drama seems to be all but absent. Even Joey has kind of pulled it together and hasn't been an asshole 24/7.
I'm mildly annoyed about how afraid they all are of desserts, though. Always with the "I'm not really a pastry chef, so..." I think there's a faint air of condescension about it, like they all think pastry is beneath them. I also think that going into the third season they should know that they're going to have to do some desserts and they should all have researched a few things that they can bust out when the time comes (like Dave did in season 1).

Still, this season's emphasis on cooking over drama is a welcome change after all the Marcel related angst of last season.

By the way, Hung didn't come anywhere close to cutting Casey with that knife. He had it by his waist, not at "face level" like Colicchio claimed and he was two or three feet away from her.

[JeffB]

I don't think putting Hung in the bottom group was nitpicky. If you're going to make a classic dish like arroz con pollo for the Latin episode, you have to nail it. It didn't sound like he did from the reactions of the guests. I agree that the knife thing was an overreaction. If it was as bad as it was made out to be, Tom should have said something immediately in the kitchen, not waited till the judging.

Lia's dish made absolutely no sense. Trout and polenta are not two foods that pop to mind when you say Latin. Also, the editing of her and Casey bonding meant one of the two was going home.

[Only Mostly Dead]

I'm mildly annoyed about how afraid they all are of desserts, though. Always with the "I'm not really a pastry chef, so..." I think there's a faint air of condescension about it, like they all think pastry is beneath them.
I didn't see that. It seemed more like "we recognize that pastry is an entirely different skill set, with which none of us have much practice." Except for that douche Joey, who was seen today to really be playing the game.

Midway through the quickfire, in a confidential interview: "At my restaurant, I deal with tarts all the time, and think I'm pretty good with desserts. I just didn't want to show my hand last week during the fourth course mess."

During the quickfire judging: "I made three tarts. I really don't know much about making desserts, haven't worked with them much, but I thought I'd give it a try."

[kiz]

I'm mildly annoyed about how afraid they all are of desserts, though. Always with the "I'm not really a pastry chef, so..." I think there's a faint air of condescension about it, like they all think pastry is beneath them.

Unfortunately in a lot of kitchens pastry is the "bottom of the rung". One, it's not as EXCITING or IMMEDIATE as savory cooking (no flames! no mad knife skills!) Two, people who choose that route often don't have the stereotypical attributes regular chefs tend to possess. To quote Tony Bourdain, "Pastry chefs are the neurosurgeons of the cooking world." As someone who's known and worked with a lot of pastry people, he's got a point ;)

In other words, pastry people aren't seen as "exciting" as savory people. Different sets of rules. Savory claims most of the attention, so...yeah.

[gotpasswords]

I was channeling the big talking stone Easter Island head from A Night at the Museum when Hung was fretting over his messy mousse - Too much rum, dum-dum!

He pours antifreeze into the stuff and wonders why it won't set up in the freezer? :smack:

As for the knife bit - he was darting about with a cleaver. I don't care if it's waist level or at face level. You just shouldn't be running around with sharp things!

[Liberal]

I think the criticisms of Hung centered around the blandness of his dish and the childishness of his reaction. None of the Dame Chocolate cast or crew liked it. Plus, his "buenos tardes" gaffe made at least one of them laugh. He seemed very careless with that cleaver to me, and very careless in general as he buzzed all around the kitchen. He knew it too because he didn't argue arrogantly, as he had done about the food.

[MovieMogul]

Agreed. He was acting as if he was alone in the kitchen and was clearly not looking where he was going. I'm growing to dislike him immensely, and glad that he was in the bottom 4 (which, judging from the TV cast's reaction, he definitely deserved).

I think it's kinda cute that Joey & Howie are tight as they are, after the chest-beating BS that went down not so long ago. I hope we don't see Casey on the verge of tears each ep, because this is two in a row, now.

What I like most is that there aren't any true standouts. Hung seemed like a force early on, but he's proving to be a lot more hat than cattle. Tre was also coming out early, but has been negligible the last few eps. Howie has won 2 eliminations, but he's still seen as vulnerable because of the time issues. So there really aren't any "favorites", just some that seem more likely than others. I'm looking forward to how things play out since it seems clearer and clearer that they better bring their A-game regularly or it'll be enough to get you thrown in the loser bunch quickly.

[Liberal]

That's something that amazes my wife about guys — how they can come to blows and then be best pals afterwards. I love watching the UFC bouts on wide-screen hi-def, and once in a blue moon she'll watch them with me. When the guys hug and express respect for each other immediately after ripping at each other's eyeballs, she just shakes her head in amazement. :D

[Diogenes the Cynic]

I guess I'm in the minority in liking Hung. It's like Marcel all over again. I see an energetic, cheerful and intelligent guy who's passionate and enthusiastic about cooking. I don't see arrogance at all-- at least no more than anyone else. Arrogance is no weakness in a chef anyway, nor is it a rarity.

[Liberal]

It's one thing to be an arrogant chef, but it's quite another to be an arrogant contestant arguing back at the people judging him. As in "Well, that's your opinion," to the visiting (and accomplished) chef. Arrogance in that context is indistinguishable from stupidity.

[flickster]

I guess I'm in the minority in liking Hung. It's like Marcel all over again. I see an energetic, cheerful and intelligent guy who's passionate and enthusiastic about cooking. I don't see arrogance at all-- at least no more than anyone else. Arrogance is no weakness in a chef anyway, nor is it a rarity.
I think my dislike of Hung is more due to his usual disregard of anything other than praise from the judges as "they're crazy" or "they don't know what they're talking about". It may be fine to feel that way but for his sake in the competition he shouldn't make it as apparent as he does. The judges have to pick up on that.

[Diogenes the Cynic]

That's something that amazes my wife about guys — how they can come to blows and then be best pals afterwards. I love watching the UFC bouts on wide-screen hi-def, and once in a blue moon she'll watch them with me. When the guys hug and express respect for each other immediately after ripping at each other's eyeballs, she just shakes her head in amazement. :D
Guys are very upfront with each other. Women can dislike each other intensely but still go through with a polite, superficial facade. Guys aren't very good at that. If they're getting on each others nerves, they'll come right out and say so. On the surface this can make their relationships look more volatile or acrimonious than they actually are. The good part of these kind of interactions is that they get things out of their systems right away instead of carrying them around and letting them fester. They have their nose-to-nose and then they can forget all about it. Those kind of guy fights are like a flame that burns really brightly for second and then disappears. They're not really a hot as they look. They can forget about it and still bond the next dayy because what happened yesterday happened yesterday. they've already "discussed" it. No reason to hold a grudge about it. It's over.

My wife has had trouble understanding this kind of dynamic too. I just shrug and say "it's a guy thing."

[Liberal]

I think you're exactly right, Dio. :)

[Gengis]

Howie - it's been driving my Top Chef-watching pal and I crazy - who does he look like?? Some actor, I think - a dead ringer.

Or is it just that he looks like the guard from Animaniacs?

Anybody notice this?

[katie1341]

I loved it when Tom was chatting with the cast, and he asked, "Who's the bitch?"

[Liberal]

Yes! It was also great when they all answered instantly, and she was sitting right beside him. :D

[Liberal]

Howie - it's been driving my Top Chef-watching pal and I crazy - who does he look like?? Some actor, I think - a dead ringer.

Or is it just that he looks like the guard from Animaniacs?

Anybody notice this?I know exactly whom you're thinking about, but I can't pull enough together in my head to Google it. He plays a lot of character roles, usually as a bodyguard or chauffeur or good-hearted sympathetic thug of some sort.

[mhendo]

I think my dislike of Hung is more due to his usual disregard of anything other than praise from the judges as "they're crazy" or "they don't know what they're talking about". It may be fine to feel that way but for his sake in the competition he shouldn't make it as apparent as he does. The judges have to pick up on that.Yeah, that nails it for me. Did you catch his reaction when Colicchio asked him if he knew why he was in the bottom four?

Hung: Too classic?

Yeah right, moron, they put you in the bottom group because your dish was too classic. Give me a fucking break, dude! It was the same in last week's quickfire, when he just couldn't believe that his mix of sweet and creamy didn't wow the judge.

He's clearly an extremely talented chef, and i picked him in the first week to be one of the final three, but he just cannot take criticism, and cannot accept that his food might ever be anything less than perfect.

I thought that the time switch that they did in this episode sucked. It was so clearly contrived (yes, i know, the whole show is contrived). Sure, the idea is to see how the chefs cope with a last minute change of plans, but there are times when i'd just like to see them given free rein and plenty of time to produce the best food that they possibly can.

When the judges and the cast and crew of the telenovela were eating lunch, and Colicchio explained that lunch had been brought forward by an hour and a half, i half expected the cast and crew to say, "What do you mean? This is the time we always have lunch."

[devilsknew]

I'm just slightly weirded out. Howie stole my braise and original recipe. Behold, Caribbean Curry (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8117291&postcount=13)!. Great combo and definitely not a new idea.
Howie loves his pork, definitely not kosher.

Plus, prior to this I came up with a mojo recipe for a recipe contest. Crazy case of the deja vus. (You can vote for my mojo recipe starting Aug. 1, if I make the cut!)

[devilsknew]

Howie reminds me of the scarred German Tank commander in Hogan's Heroes. The guy with the pursed lips.

He also reminds me of the chunky, bald, shifty, and lazy eyed character actor who usually plays the "lovable crazy guy" ... I don't mean whacky crazy...you know, insane.

[devilsknew]

Howie reminds me of the scarred German Tank commander in Hogan's Heroes. The guy with the pursed lips.

He also reminds me of the chunky, bald, shifty, and lazy eyed character actor who usually plays the "lovable crazy guy" ... I don't mean whacky crazy...you know, insane.

That's Kelly's Heroes with Eastwood and Savalas NOT Hogan's heroes.

The lazy eyed dude I've seen in a lot of films. His lazy and/or constantly shifting eyes are his signature move as an actor. I believe it is something that he actually affects for the camera but doesn't actually have a lazy eye in real life. Either he has been in films with Michael Jeter (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=8117291&postcount=13) or he is in that niche as a character actor. Anybody know who I'm talking about?

[Diogenes the Cynic]

This is just a WAG but I think the character actor that Howie reminds everybody of (but who they can't quite place) might be John Polito (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689237/). He's a regular in Coen Brothers movies (he's the guy who gives the memorable speech about "ethics" at the beginning of Miller's Crossing, for example), and he's exactly the kind of actor you've seen in a million things but have no idea what his name is.

Here's a picture of Howie (http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/15259/19_2007/tchowie_0.jpg) for comparison.

[askeptic]

Howie - it's been driving my Top Chef-watching pal and I crazy - who does he look like?? Some actor, I think - a dead ringer.

Or is it just that he looks like the guard from Animaniacs?

Anybody notice this?

Is it this guy? John Favreau (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0452594/Ss/0452594/02418.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Favreau,%20Jon)

[Fear Itself]

This is just a WAG but I think the character actor that Howie reminds everybody of (but who they can't quite place) might be John Polito (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0689237/). That's the guy who played Silvio on an episode or two of Seinfeld."Hey Silvio, look at Jerry here, prancing around in his coat with his purse. Yup, he's a dandy. He's a real fancy boy!" He was my first thought.

[Liberal]

No, sorry. It's neither of those. I found a site with an exhaustive list of actors and photos. Unfortunately, I have to plow through them one at a time (unless I recognize the name). I'm done with the As now. It may take a while. He's probably a fucking W or something.

[Mesquite-oh]

Hung's decision to make arroz con pollo to impress a group of spanish speaking people is a dumb as making hamburger helper or a ham and cheese sandwich to impress a group of American soap opera people. Yeah, sure everyone is familiar with it, it is popular, but Spanish speaking people have it all the time (I usually make it when I haven't gone grocery shopping and I don't have anything else to make). There is not much you can do with it. Rainbow trout and a polenta cake thing? Lia deserved to lose during the planning phase.

[Glory]

Howie reminds me of this guy:

Pruitt Taylor Vince (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0258153/Ss/0258153/simone_24.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Vince,%20Pruitt%20Taylor) .

Can't find a decent picture, but it was driving me crazy until someone recently posted an Identity thread and made me remember this actor!

[devilsknew]

Rainbow trout and a polenta cake thing? Lia deserved to lose during the planning phase.

Yea, that's a stupid move when you are supposed to make a latin themed dish. How easy would it have been for her to make tamales, instead? That's the latin correlate to her dish. A nice smoked trout tamalein banana leaves might have been just interesting and upscale enough to have won, it would have met the latin requirement, plus tamales keep great in a steam table. And you'll also notice that the two favorites and winner (Howie's braise and Joey's stew)were "wet" dishes that can hold up to a chaffing dish service and storage in a hot box. Of course, the success of the trout tamales would also depend on a nice sauce or flavorings for the trout filling, and it might have been a bit labor intensive for the amount of time they ended up with.

[devilsknew]

Howie reminds me of this guy:

Pruitt Taylor Vince (http://www.imdb.com/gallery/ss/0258153/Ss/0258153/simone_24.jpg?path=pgallery&path_key=Vince,%20Pruitt%20Taylor) .

Can't find a decent picture, but it was driving me crazy until someone recently posted an Identity thread and made me remember this actor!

That's the guy I was talkin' about! Couldn't find him on IMDB for the life of me.

[Cervaise]

By the way, Hung didn't come anywhere close to cutting Casey with that knife. He had it by his waist, not at "face level" like Colicchio claimed and he was two or three feet away from her.Two or three feet in a fast-moving kitchen is nothing. The other people are not stationary objects to be dodged in an obstacle course: Casey could easily have turned around quickly at the wrong moment and gotten that blade in her hand or across her wrist before Hung would have been able to stop himself. I liked Hung fine at the beginning of the season but I've reversed myself entirely now; I would not want to cook in the same kitchen as that man lest I be forced to lay him out with a defensive cast-iron strike to the forehead. Colicchio is absolutely correct to suggest that Hung is a self-centered, unprofessional menace.

[iftheresaway]

Going back to the issue of the pastry cooks, I think that the thing which is driving me the most crazy about this season (although it kinda started in season 2) -- and don't get me wrong, I love me some Top Chef -- is how much the judges discourage risk-taking. I mean, it's always possible that they factor it in in a more positive way than it looks, but I just feel lke they should encourage it more, especially when Tom is always asking contestants, "Did you think you were going to win with that? Or were you just trying to play it safe?" Frankly, playing it safe and staying in the middle until the end seems like a pretty solid strategy, since there are no "bonus points" for trying something new, going out on a limb, etc.

[8675309]

Casey looks like Jennifer Aniston, doesn't she?