# Top Chef (2-Dec) - OPEN SPOILERS **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2009, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842 "2009-12-03T14:01:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/21 "2009-12-04T03:37:15Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I’m not sure how they can call this a finale when it’s really the same as any other episode, just in a different location, and functioned the same way as any other episode. Having not watched the show prior to this year, I thought this was the last one and felt misled when we realized at about 10:40 that there had to be another week left. Not that I mind watching another episode (or two, with the reunion). Seconded. If it had been on for 2 hours, then they’d have a leg to stand on, but not so much now. > [@Marley23](#): > > I was glad to see everybody did really well in this episode. I thought the harshest judges’ comments were directed toward Michael, not Jen, and I was a little surprised they seemed to make an issue of the way she changed preparations on the duck. It didn’t seem important. But the blog makes it sound like the dishes were REALLY oversalted, not just a bit oversalted, and she lost because of that alone. I think this was a case of bad editing. I don’t think they were trying to surprise us so much as botched it. If Tom in is blog is saying her two dishes were way too salty, that wasn’t conveyed during the broadcast. To me, what was conveyed was one was a little too salty and whichever V brother’s was far worse. i was hoping he’d go home because then I would finally be able to tell them apart. They both look like Logan Echolls from Veronica Mars too. I was so looking forward to seeing a cute, pregnant Padma (like she was on 30 Rock), but she looked terrible. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/22 "2009-12-04T03:56:57Z")
> [@ArchiveGuy](#): > > I feel bad about Jen leaving because you know she’s going to take it harder than any of the guys would, but this was down to a factor of razor-thin margins, and while I believe they didn’t use history as a factor (since they’ve demonstrated the same rigorousness in other finales), I suppose it doesn’t come as too big a surprise that she got rattled enough to cook something good-but-not-great (which, in this company, was just not good enough). Don’t worry about Jen, she’s the alpha bitch at one of the best restaurants in the country. I want to make a poster of her in that bikini from a couple episodes ago and hang it on my wall for inspiration! But seriously, she’s a really formidable chef, sometimes the bias just won’t spin. She’s a woman, so the fuck what, it don’t matter to her, it don’t matter at all in the kitchen… she was one of the best. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/23 "2009-12-04T04:01:20Z")
> [@Ruby Sees](#): > > I was so looking forward to seeing a cute, pregnant Padma (like she was on 30 Rock), but she looked terrible. I am sorry to say this, but I thought the same thing, it makes me wonder about her and her baby’s health. Most pregnant women glow… she just… I don’t know. Anemic maybe? ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/24 "2009-12-04T04:16:00Z")
Aren’t pregnant women supposed to avoid certain soft cheeses like goat’s cheese? Was she eating the cheese in the two dishes with the goat cheese in them. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/25 "2009-12-04T04:34:39Z")
> [@Wile\_E](#): > > Aren’t pregnant women supposed to avoid certain soft cheeses like goat’s cheese? Was she eating the cheese in the two dishes with the goat cheese in them. There’s a slight risk of listeria, but only if it’s raw. Cooking it kills it, supposedly (or pasteurizing it). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/26 "2009-12-04T06:18:01Z")
> [@Tom\_Tildrum](#): > > This season has just dragged for me and overstayed its welcome. There were so many cheftestants to be weeded out, and the same people kept showing up on top again and again, that the weeks have just blurred together. I think Bravo needs to decide once and for all whether it wants the show to be about established professional chefs or up-and-comers and amateurs. Mixing the two together like they did this season set them up for a largely drama-free, predictable slog, IMHO. Completely agree. Personally, i’d prefer it to be a show about talented, up-and-coming chefs. If they want to do a show about established pros, i’d probably watch that too, but having such a clear gulf in the talent pool, like they did this season, makes the whole thing rather dull. ---
**Author:** ![cactus\_waltz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@cactus\_waltz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cactus_waltz)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/27 "2009-12-04T10:42:54Z")
> [@Ruby Sees](#): > > I think this was a case of bad editing. I don’t think they were trying to surprise us so much as botched it. If Tom in is blog is saying her two dishes were way too salty, that wasn’t conveyed during the broadcast. To me, what was conveyed was one was a little too salty and whichever V brother’s was far worse. I find that I’m getting more and more reliant on Tom’s blog to have a clue on what’s happening. It’s getting annoying. ---
**Author:** ![MitzeKatze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ad7895/32.png) [@MitzeKatze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MitzeKatze)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/28 "2009-12-04T14:40:11Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > I am sorry to say this, but I thought the same thing, it makes me wonder about her and her baby’s health. Most pregnant women glow… she just… I don’t know. Anemic maybe? I thought the same thing, but upon further review I have decided it is the hair. Her hair in this episode is just awful for her. If the stylist softened those bangs a little (or brushed them aside even) I think we would see much more of that pregnancy glow. > [@Wile\_E](#): > > Aren’t pregnant women supposed to avoid certain soft cheeses like goat’s cheese? Was she eating the cheese in the two dishes with the goat cheese in them. I wondered how she could continue judging while pregnant for this reason. Not only the soft cheeses, but a lot of the other foods that are best avoided by expectant mothers and the very real possibility of being served undercooked (or raw) meats and seafood (intentional or not). When Padma continued the gig despite the pregnancy I started thinking maybe it is a situation where ‘the poison is in the dose’. She never seems to have more than a mouthful or two of any given dish, so maybe such small quantities are not as much of a risk or are an acceptable (to her) risk. ---
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/29 "2009-12-04T16:06:22Z")
[Gail’s blog](http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/blogs/gail-simmons/shes-tricky?page=0,0) is up now. She says outright that Jennifer would have won any previous season (which by extension probably means any of this season’s final four would have won any previous season): > [@](#): > > I do not mean any disrespect to any other of the incredibly talented and creative people we have had as contestants over the years, but I believe without a doubt that Jennifer is by far the strongest female cook we have had on the show. Correction: She is by far one of the strongest cooks we have ever had on the show, period. Had this been any other season, I am sure she would have smoked them all (then sliced and served them to us in the most elegant fashion). She proved time and again, through the 26 challenges she faced, that she is a formidable force in the kitchen. I am inspired and awed by her. Most importantly, I am sincerely grateful I was able to get to know her just a little and taste of her wonderful food ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/30 "2009-12-04T17:02:51Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > I find that I’m getting more and more reliant on Tom’s blog to have a clue on what’s happening. It’s getting annoying. It’s the editing. They’re trying to maximize the drama and the surprises. If the judges all knew instantly that Jennifer was done, that’s not very exciting, so they glossed over the fact that both her dishes were really oversalted, and focused on the various failings of Michael’s dishes to make it sound like both of them were in trouble. And looking back on it there’s probably been a bunch of this all season. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/31 "2009-12-04T18:41:57Z")
That’s the editors’ job, though. If it was obvious from the beginning who was going on, we might not stay until the end and it worked on me. I wasn’t planning to stay up and watch the entire episode because I know I’ll be able to see it again umpteen times, but I did. I kind of like the way they’ve given someone the traditional loser’s edit, complete with a call home, only to have that person finish in the middle or top. If chefs are expected to polish their craft when they put it on display and have it suitable admired, why not editors? I’ll miss Jen, though. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/32 "2009-12-04T19:16:03Z")
It’s television and I realize the demands involved. I’d prefer they edit things in a way that keeps it interesting _without_ totally misleading the people watching the show. Some fudging on a concept like “loser edits” is one thing - that’s just the impression I get based on knowing the tells of the show. If you mislead me about the way the competition is going I’m not sure why I care about the way it ends. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/33 "2009-12-04T19:20:41Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > It’s television and I realize the demands involved. I’d prefer they edit things in a way that keeps it interesting _without_ totally misleading the people watching the show. Some fudging on a concept like “loser edits” is one thing - that’s just the impression I get based on knowing the tells of the show. If you mislead me about the way the competition is going I’m not sure why I care about the way it ends. Exactly. A bit of creative editing for drama is one thing; editing in a way that actually misrepresents the most crucial aspects of the show is something else altogether. Between this, and the imbalance between the great chefs and the average chefs on this year’s show, i’ll be watching the first couple of episodes next season with a somewhat jaundiced eye, and will be ready to ditch the show if it plays out the same way again. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/34 "2009-12-04T20:32:54Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > All of the vegetarian dishes looked really good, although Michael’s dish was arguably not vegetarian because of the egg. I’m not really a stickler on that because eggs are in just about everything. On another note it was nice to see Michael admit for once that he’d learned something. It wouldn’t be vegan with egg in it. Egg’s fine for (ovo-)vegetarian dishes. It does sound like the right person went home. I wish that there would be a “debriefing” commentary after the boot where, say, Colicchio says something like “in the end, the extreme oversaltiness of Jennifer’s dishes was a far worse failing than…” or whatever. As it’s done now, it leaves too many people going WTF?! And I don’t care what Gail says, I’m still a [Stephanie](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephanie_Izard) fangirl. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/35 "2009-12-04T20:43:13Z")
> [@cactus\_waltz](#): > > Did Bryan go on without any prize? Seems sort of bitter-sweet considering Kevin landed 30 grand last week. In that episode, he indicates that $30K is almost as much as he makes in a year. Is that really in the range of a higher end chef? I’m happy with the final 3, and would love to see either Kevin, or the “Relaxed brother V” (older one?) win. I’m looking forward to the final episode! ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/36 "2009-12-04T20:48:15Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > In that episode, he indicates that $30K is almost as much as he makes in a year. Is that really in the range of a higher end chef? > > I’m happy with the final 3, and would love to see either Kevin, or the “Relaxed brother V” (older one?) win. I’m looking forward to the final episode! Kevin owns his own restaurant I think, so… considering a lot of restaurants just fail outright or struggle along, at least he’s making that much. “Relaxed bro V” is Bryan. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/37 "2009-12-05T04:35:49Z")
I’m rooting for Kevin, but it will probably be a final showdown between the Voltaggio brothers. That is obviously where they are leading us. Stupid Bravo… (shakes fist)! It’s a frikkin’ joke, if Bryan Voltaggio wins, mark my post… the fix is in. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/38 "2009-12-05T04:53:40Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > In that episode, he indicates that $30K is almost as much as he makes in a year. Is that really in the range of a higher end chef? > > I’m happy with the final 3, and would love to see either Kevin, or the “Relaxed brother V” (older one?) win. I’m looking forward to the final episode! For a fairly new resteraunteur that is a very good profit. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2009, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842/39 "2009-12-05T21:17:35Z")
And once again I only manage to catch up right before the end, but at least I’m caught up! I think the V brothers are great, and love watching them. I also think they’re androids masquerading as human brothers. I don’t really buy the good brother evil brother schtick. I also think if you flipped a light on in the middle of the night you’d find them both standing there motionless like a Terminator in stand-by mode. Padma creeps me out pregnant or not. Can’t imagine her even handling a baby without rubber gloves & tongs. Kevin looks like Santa’s head elf. His food must really taste amazing though, because how else could you get excited over a couple carrots and a beet? Overall I’ve really enjoyed the season, but the personalities last season were more fun. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-2-dec-open-spoilers/519842.md?page=1)