AriAu

This was what I meant...thank you for saying it more clearly than I did! The losers of the head-to-heads should have been up for elimination regardless of whether they were blue or yellow.....the colors of the Brew Crew by the way. And, before anyone asks I am not a Milwaukee or eve Wisconsin native, but I did marry one and get to spend a lot of time in the lovely city......and at Kopps for custard

This was a GREAT idea for a dish since it is a blank canvas for flavors....and seemed to be well executed. This guy seems to know how to play the game as well and I have a hunch he has some more in his back pocket for later in the season! The challenge was pretty straightforward so they cooked consistently good food. However, I am not sure why this needed to be a team challenge giving immunity to the the winning team-why not the 5 winners of the head to head are safe and the other 5 go to elimination?? To be clear, the Sausage Race rules....there is something so "wholesome" about it since it has been around for a loooooong time (I think over 30 years) and started out as pretty innocent and then got commercialized-there is merch in the gift shops at Miller Park.....I mean American Family Park. Amusing as all the back and forth is, and while there is a large Polish population in Milwaukee and the Midwest, if you go to a concession stand at this ballpark, the boards say "Polish Sausage", as is the case at the great hot dog places in Chicago and the surrounding areas. By the way, they have waited far to long to have the cheftestants head to Kopps.....only the world's greatest frozen custard, especially on a day when they have Butterfinger, Cookies and Cream, Carmel Cashew, Mint Chip or Spumoni as a flavor of the day. ETA...or Peach Melba or Mocha Chip or Mr Fudgie or....

THIS is the problem with the season....not the challenges (altho this one was unnecessarily bizarre and hard to follow) or the number of big team challenges (too many), not the personalities of the cheftestants (more bland than usual) and certainly not Wisconsin, but the fact that the cheftestants have made uninspiring food. It is nice seeing the competitors helping out Dan....we'll see if it continues, but still great sportsmanship. He must be a really nice guy and a good chef for them to be willing to lend a hand. Was this the first week we saw him with a cane at judges table? Amen to this. She is a physically attractive woman, but they are trying to make her into some kind of style icon, which, unlike her predecessor, she most definitely is NOT. And, the tats were really distracting with that outfit. YMMV

IYKYK

Any idea who wrote the musical number Get the Boy Back....inspired stuff. Felt like Lonely Island level stuff-the tone of the line "speakin Romanian" reminded me of Lazy Sunday. Was that done by Stapleton or Trost or the actual writers?? Also, do we know who wrote Beavis and Buthead?

Agreed-I don't miss the drama whores and villains, but I do miss the genius creations and so far we have seen very little. I hope that it is just a case of playing it a little safe until the field gets narrowed/saving your best for the end, but so far it is a case of basic dishes solidly prepared, but nothing special or inventive. There is usually some arm-wrestling at checkout to see what needs to be put back and the least creative/most insecure chef usually insists on keeping their "stuff" and looks like that was the case here. By the way, funniest part of this is that dessert is not traditionally a big deal at the classic Wisconsin/North Woods Supper Club-maybe a little ice cream with chocolate sauce or a Pink Squirrel or other ice cream drink......and then another brandy old fashioned! The relish tray (what, no 3 Bean Salad or Merkt's cheese?????) is the deal, with the 1st brandy old fashioned.

Boring episode-to paraphrase someone up thread, if I want to go to a museum, I would. And I dont like the artsy fartsy challenges that require the chefs to draw some inspiration about things unrelated to cooking, and for the most part basic knowledge. On the other hand, they did it early enough in the season that a smart chef(s) should have come up with some type of BS story and then properly cooked the proteins on 2 decent dishes and hope to "out run you"...("I don't have to out-run the bear, I only have to out run you!"). So far this is not an inspiring group of cheftestants other than Rashika and Danny, and to some extent Michelle who is clearly talented but I don't think her skills rise to the same level. Every season there are cheftestants that seem to hold back a little in the early stages and then pulls out their stronger dishes later and I think that is Dan in this season. By the way, would Rashika have pulled out that Rasam (indian sauce that I had never heard of) if Padma had been there????? Yes, I am quoting my self because all it took for Kristen to improve was one episode. I thought she was excellent on this episode-the biggest problem with Top Chef is we don't get to taste the food and Kristen did an excellent job describing the tastes (and lack thereof) and gave insight into what worked and what didn't in a way that allowed me to appreciated the dishes. She is not at Padma (or Gail) level yet (and can only hope to get close to Tom level on this front) but she was really descriptive this week. And the advice she was able to deliver as a former cheftestant showed the right balance of authority and empathy. Seems like others are commenting on the tats. Kristenn is a very physically attractive person, but the tats are a little much for my taste. I follow her on Instagram and the allergy thing is clearly a joke-her chef coat is not sleeveless! Yes, I know that ink is prevalent among chefs including many of my favorite cheftestants (Voltaggios, Brooke etc...), I would prefer it was a little more toned down...YMMV I don't remembering anyone complaining about Padma in a bikini or featuring her decolletage, especially not Padma....or me!

It sure seemed like a large number of the guests at the 1st ever Top Chef Cheese Festival were cheese makers or otherwise in the cheese biz...and its not hard to find them in America's Dairyland! This gave the guests choices a lot of credibility in my book! The culinary coordinator for this season in Kristin's best pal, Stephanie Cmar and she did not do the cheftestants any favors with this challenge! Cheese....outdoors, in late summer....oy Cheese curds are a truly delicacy/delight, but I don't think I've ever had them when they weren't battered and deep friend (or gloriously naked in all their squeeky goodness) so I thought using the curds in poutine was pretty smart, but obviously not well executed. It's funny, I really liked her in her season and on other shows (Fast Foodies was sneaky good) and I think she has a warm and welcoming persona, but she really falls short when compared to Padma-no gravitas, takes too much of a back seat to others, not the right balance of authority and empathy and not as funny (and to me, the tats are distracting....not an ink fan)....all of which can improve over time (I guess other than the ink). Every cheftestant talks about how grueling it becomes as the season wears on so it will be compelling to see how Dan holds up. While I would like to see some dispensation for his condition, they have N E V E R taken those things into account. Even Lee Anne Wong, the culinary coordinator for many seasons didnt get a break when pregnant in the Colorado season.

Beard finalists include Gregory Gourdet and for the first time I can remember, a current Cheftestant in the season that is airing....Dan Jacobs.

It's a real photo. The 40th was a HUGE blow out and she was there due to 50 Shades of Gray and her parents. Lots of stars in the audience and cameos on stage, including Eddie's first appearance back since he left the show. And interestingly, the cold open featured, Justin Timberlake and that other guy who keeps popping up. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Live_40th_Anniversary_Special

Really disappointingly weak show and horrible misuse of Justin....if they were going to have him bring back a character, then it should have been "bring it on down to..." to at least show his talent. Altho I did like him showing up in his 5 Timers jacket. Oh, wait, he wasnt the host??? She was, to put it politely, NOT good except in PDD and the Shark Tank one, although I knew as soon as they said Shark Tank that Mark Cuban, one of the biggest attention whores in America, would show up. As big an attention whore as Cuban is, there is one that is clearly bigger-Jimmy Fallon. If he was going to do a throwback to a Timberlake sketch, why one that featured FALLON and not Timberlake. Cuz it is and always has been a TERRIBLE, unfunny sketch.

Beard Semifinalists include some TC folks-Gregory, Sheldon, Kelsey (they don't even need last names, right!) and from way back, Arnold Myint. https://www.jamesbeard.org/blog/the-2024-james-beard-awards-semifinalists

Thanks for stating the obvious! Wayyyyyy to happy ending ish for a show that was more complex and had some sour with the sweet most of the time. Many things bothered me, but having Chuck be Axe's toddy seemed out of character-Chuck may have always been a step behind, but to have him only carry out Bobby's plan made Chuck look even weaker than usual. Was happy not to see Wendy and Axe end up together....but I don't see Chuck and Wendy reuniting other than as parents.....altho there was a few glances from Wendy and her saying "I was hoping you would be here" that at least opens the door. Oh really, ya think? That is what this show is and always has been.....a bunch of self important rich jerks who probably got picked on in school (other than Axe) and are taking it out on others......and it just happens to be well written and entertaining enough to enjoy

How did they make Wendy into some damsel in distress....complete with Prince saying he was Snidely Whiplash, complete with tying her to the train tracks. All that was missing was a mustache. Nothing about Wendy has ever shown a level of weakness that required the men in her life to try and save her. Maggie Siff has played her as quiet and insightful rather than ruthless and cunning, but NEVER weak or not in control. And as mentioned above, Chuck would know that actions prior to her taking over could cost her damages, but not jail time. Hey a Silverado reference (a personal favorite, at least for the first 80% of the movie), which makes sense since a chunk of the storyline (the part I like least) has Padden (Kevin Kline) trying to save Stella (Linda Hunt's character), who was also a wicked strong women in what was truly a man's world.

Paul Rubens was in Pee-wee's Big Top with Valeria Golino who was in Rain Man with Tom Cruise who was in A Few Good Men with Joshua Malina (or which was written by AS). Yeah, and no matter how "checked out" CJ was, there is no chance that she didn't know when the Golden Globes nominations were coming out....socially awkward, sure, a little condescending, possibly, but unprepared, never.

The start at the Whistle Pig Diner is just so perfect....and so satisfying all at the same time., as is the scene with CJ's press conference about POTUS being shot by the best trained armed guards in the history of the world-no, I did not need to look up the quote! There are many, many, MANY that I have seen enough to recite the dialog, but none more than this 2 parter. When a client tells me that they don't like the approach we suggest to protect them, I almost always paraphrase Ron Butterfield "I would never let you not let me protect the President. You tell us you don't like something, we figure out something else." Ya fell in the pool there CJ....avert your eyes. I think they'd call it a coup d'tat....I imagine I'd do so time for that.

I came here to discuss something else and then got distracted with the fact that people are still playing 6 Degrees of The West Wing with characters that pass away. Paxton Whitehead was in Mad About You with Helen Hunt who was in Bobby with Martin Sheen What I came here to mention is that Mrs Au was watching The Diplomat and I was like "that dialogue sounds familiar....only with a lot more swearing..." and sure enough it was written by Deborah Cahn. Not TWW level, but certainly familiar.

Gail moving over to the middle chair and bringing in additional judges would make the most sense and provide the continuity they need, and keep the connection with Tom going. If they stay in the family, Brooke Williamson is a pretty easy call. In her stints as a judge, she has articulately explained dishes and what worked and didn't, seems to have strong standing in food community, is a winner (of TC and on that other network) and is appropriately low key, especially when compared to someone like Carla Hall, whom I liked, but is pretty over the top. If they go outside the family, they are going to have to test the hell out of the person to make sure it works with Tom and Gail.

I'm confused-Kann did win Restaurant Wars that season.....and Melissa King won the whole thing on one of the biggest hot streaks in TC history?

Big night at the Beard's for Top Chef Alums Kann from Gregory Gourdet, which started out in Restaurant Wars, was named best new restaurant. Demarr Brown from Houston season was named Emergingr Chef.

So.....you are telling me there is a chance!!! 3 times...I think. Kristen Kish (after the Josie debacle), Brooke and Flamm, I think.

Chemistry means E V E R Y T H I N G on this show. The camaraderie adds a lot to the show, or at least my enjoyment. As much as Padma has diva like qualities, somehow they stayed under control and her love for her co-hosts and total respect for everyone came through...a special quality for someone who is brilliant, ambitious, talented and, oh yeah, one of the most beautiful women on the planet. If you don't think it matters, watch one episode of Katie Lee or the mistake they made having Kelly Choi host Masters at the same time Padma was running the show on the mothership.

On her IG, Padma says she is leaving to focus on Taste the Nation and other projects....is that why Gail said "as my friend Padma Lakshmi says...I guess we have a decision"! Nah, I dont think they knew she was leaving all those months ago!

Just saw Padma's IG story that she is leaving TC. Who's next-need someone with food chops, class and a warm and welcoming personality.....will they stay in family like with Brooke Williamson or Kristen Kish or go outside. Seems like it has to be a name and finding someone who meets those criteria will be tough

I don't know how many ways I can disagree with this-if they did it based on the whole season, there would be no reason to watch next week given Buddha's dominance....Sara was only low once....and then got eliminated, albeit in a team challenge. Since I am rooting for Sara, I am THRILLED it is based on how you do THAT week, cooking the "best meal of your life" or whatever they call it. I can not believe Gabri is still alive.....what a mess and he is really lucky Sara was watching out for him or he would have badly burned the sauce that the judges loved. If anything, Ali has Sara to blame since if Gabri had burned the sauce, Ali moves on! While I am thrilled that Sara won, which was not a huge surprise given Alain Ducasse's reaction to her beef marmalade/sauce, history is not on her side-the winner of the penultimate challenge has only won the finale 6 times, and 3 were among the most dominant runs in TC History (Blais in All Stars, Paul Qui in Texas and Melissa King in 2nd All Stars.....and the others were Harold in Season 1, Joe Flamm in Colorado season and, yeah, it shouldnt have happened, but Nick Elmi). Side observation-I think the cheftestants have learned to be "good sports" and to "play well with the other children", but sometimes the opinions seep out. If you watch it closely, the other cheftestant were clearly thrilled for Sara and there were big hugs all around. When Padma announced that Buddha moved on to the finale, there were polite congratulations, but clearly he is not that well liked. I follow her on Instagram and she does lots of cool things, and the personality on the show is consistent with who she appears to be. While this is admirable, a LOT of chefs did similar things to keep their staff's afloat-they really took care of their own and the PPP was a lifesaver for many places.