# Top Chef Season 10 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 8, 2012, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370 "2012-11-08T16:51:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 10
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/183 "2013-02-07T18:32:32Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > Brooke’s the one left that I really like. But, the judges have favored Sheldon all season. I like either one of them for the win ( Josh doesn’t deserve it IMHO ) and would be perfectly happy either way. But just to nitpick Brooke has four elimination wins to Sheldon’s two and they are tied in quickfire wins at two a piece. If you count elimination “highs” + wins, they’ve both been among the leaders six times. So pretty even, but if anything Brooke has gotten the most love of those left. Only Kristen was as successful in eliminations with four wins of her own before being bumped. ---
**Author:** ![VOW](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vow/32/3043_2.png) [@VOW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VOW)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/184 "2013-02-07T18:42:45Z")
I, too, was rather bummed by Padma’s put-down of Sheldon using chum. There was a past season where Antonia got the win for using a so-called “garbage fish” (porgy) and she was praised to the skies. The locals seemed a bit unhappy hearing that Sheldon had used chum, but his dish was eaten and enjoyed by many. ~VOW ---
**Author:** ![SykoSkotty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c0e974/32.png) [@SykoSkotty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SykoSkotty)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/185 "2013-02-07T18:53:24Z")
Let us not forget about Last Chance Kitchen…someone (Kristen) will be coming back. ---
**Author:** ![MaxTheVool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MaxTheVool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MaxTheVool)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2013, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/186 "2013-02-07T23:10:57Z")
Apparently two people will be coming back… one from Last Chance Kitchen and one from the SaveChefFoo phone-in fan favorite thing. (Unless those two have a playoff before they actually rejoin the show?) I actually genuinely like all the remaining contestants, which is both a good thing and bad thing… it’s kind of dull not having a villain. My big complaint, however, is that they’ve stopped doing the cooking-relay thing where one chef starts making a dish and then another chef has to tag in and take over, which I think is far and away the most entertaining “gimmicky” challenge. They did it for two years in a row (maybe seasons 6 and 7?) and it looked like it might become a tradition, then it didn’t. On another note entirely, I’m quite enjoying watching **Arrow** over on the CW, and in today’s episode, Oliver Queen (the secret identity of The Green Arrow) was looking at resumes for what chef to hire for his nightclub, and mentioned that one of them won season 6 of Top Chef. He might hire Michael Voltaggio! ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/187 "2013-02-08T00:18:03Z")
Tom Colicchio hasn’t posted his blog yet. :mad: \*\*Max \*\* - I like the relay where they have to each do one part of the mise en place. I also like the blind taste test, where they have to identify mystery ingredients. And it’s silly, but remember the early seasons where they were given quarters adn the vending machines, or relegated to one aisle of the grocery store? Sure, they’re gimmicky, but fun. StG ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/188 "2013-02-08T02:17:05Z")
Oh man. I’d sure like to eat food cooked by any of these chefs. I’m probably going to root for Kristin. I wouldn’t mind seeing Stefan or CJ come back. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/189 "2013-02-08T05:10:41Z")
Did the results of the Last Chance Kitchen seem rather forced to you? I mean, Tom seemed to love Lizzy’s food, ate it with gusto, praised it highly, then gave the win to Kristen. In one way I’m not complaining, I think Kristen should be the one to go back since she was eliminated unfairly. But it sure seemed like Lizzy made the better dish, but Tom decided ahead of time that Kristen would go back in. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/190 "2013-02-08T12:49:33Z")
I haven’t had a chance to watch it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Tom made his choice based on the whole season. Even if he doesn’t mean to. ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/191 "2013-02-08T14:12:32Z")
> [@VOW](#): > > I, too, was rather bummed by Padma’s put-down of Sheldon using chum. Padma is one of the main reason I watch this show. My wife knows this. But that little sneer and the suggestion that everybody knows chum is dog food was not pretty. They mentioned chum=dog food a few times in the episode and I’m willing to bet that few of the judges knew this “fact” before they got to Alaska. Does anyone know? Is chum considered worthless fish or is it only in a salmon fishing town that they look down their noses at the the second best? I’m no salmon expert. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2013, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/192 "2013-02-08T14:56:55Z")
> [@Palo\_Verde](#): > > Did the results of the Last Chance Kitchen seem rather forced to you? I mean, Tom seemed to love Lizzy’s food, ate it with gusto, praised it highly, then gave the win to Kristen. In one way I’m not complaining, I think Kristen should be the one to go back since she was eliminated unfairly. But it sure seemed like Lizzy made the better dish, but Tom decided ahead of time that Kristen would go back in. Isn’t it possible that they were both really good dishes, and that Lizzie’s was really worthy of praise but still not quite as good as Kristin’s. I think he wanted her to know that she’d done a good job despite getting the loss. Also, editing. Colicchio has always said that the judging is about the food, and to me he comes across as very sincere. Especially in his blog, where he’s defended some of the more controversial eliminations. I find it hard to believe he’d “decide ahead of time” who was going to win. ---
**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:** [February 8, 2013, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/193 "2013-02-08T15:04:03Z")
> [@MaxTheVool](#): > > Apparently two people will be coming back… one from Last Chance Kitchen and one from the SaveChefFoo phone-in fan favorite thing. (Unless those two have a playoff before they actually rejoin the show?) If I understand correctly, whoever wins the last Save-a-Chef (between CJ and Lizzie) gets into the last Last Chance Kitchen, to compete with both Kristin and whomever is eliminated in the next episode. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/194 "2013-02-08T15:30:58Z")
The [wiki on Chum Salmon](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chum_salmon), also known as Dog Salmon (so Padma wasn’t that out of bounds describing it that way.) Here’s a description from the wiki: > [@](#): > > The chum salmon is the least commercially valuable salmon. Despite being extremely plentiful in Alaska, commercial fishers often choose not to fish for them because of their low market value. Recent market developments have increased the demand for Chum salmon. Markets developed for chum from 1984 to 1994 in Japan and northern Europe which increased demand. They are a traditional source of dried salmon. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/195 "2013-02-08T19:45:53Z")
I also found Padma’s finger wagging a Lizzy off-putting. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/196 "2013-02-08T20:16:40Z")
Agreed. Whenever Padma gets too imperious, I have to ask myself–WTF does she think she is, really? All the other judges are chefs, critics, restaurant owners, or a deft combination of those disciplines. And they all have other gigs (writing, cooking, managing, etc.) and _Top Chef_ is a side commitment, albeit a highly visible one. But what does she do other than this show? And what did she do before it in the culinary world? Nada. Everyone’s got an opinion, and I don’t doubt she’s learned plenty being in the orbit of so many gastronomic legends, but she is still just a hostess and MC. Nothing more. ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/197 "2013-02-08T20:18:50Z")
Actually, Padma published a [cookbook](http://www.amazon.com/Tangy-Tart-Hot-Sweet-Recipes/dp/1602860068) in 1999, prior to her Top Chef hosting gig. She has a little bit of foodie cred, but not, I’ll grant you, equal to the rest of the judging panel. ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/198 "2013-02-08T20:57:11Z")
She had a show on Food Network, (which I never saw in 1st run, but caught repeats of recently) ---
**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:** [February 9, 2013, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/199 "2013-02-09T02:43:51Z")
I was amused as hell to see Josh get slapped down for throwing bacon in yet another dish. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/200 "2013-02-09T12:30:31Z")
I must not have been paying close enough attention. I thought the chum comment was a joke. Didn’t she follow that up with a big smile and approval of the dish? ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/201 "2013-02-09T14:41:48Z")
Lizzie got the shaft, a big fat goose egg on top chef. They gave Strapon er Stefan 5k, they could’ve thrown some dough Lizzies way, give her at least one frickin win that she deserves! My bet for the final, Kristin, mustache guy and Hawaiian guy ( they actually showed this threesome in a shot a few weeks ago where Kristin pulls Josh’s stache) ---
**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:** [February 10, 2013, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370/202 "2013-02-10T01:16:15Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I must not have been paying close enough attention. I thought the chum comment was a joke. Didn’t she follow that up with a big smile and approval of the dish? That was basically how I took it too – just messing with him for TV drama. “The locals think that fish is dogfood… [long pause while Sheldon looks nervous] …but they said yours was really good!” (Or something like that, I can’t remember exactly what she said) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370.md?page=9) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/top-chef-season-10/640370.md?page=11)