Moncheechee

Stevie Wonder could see that Jessica wasn't into Mark. If he somehow missed that, I'm not sure she's to blame.

As mentioned above, Tyler's West Hartford restaurant is The Cook and The Bear (https://www.thecookandthebear.com/) on the corner of Raymond and Memorial. It's very close to Bartaco (which I also love) -- 2 blocks east and 3 blocks south from there.

15 hours ago, Snarklepuss said: I live in an adjoining town and have dined there many times. I love Tyler's food and he is a really decent guy. My close friend's daughter's boyfriend is his bar manager and I also know the former head waiter (now events manager) and his girlfriend, who waits tables there. I keep meaning to get over to his new barbecue restaurant in W. Hartford, but haven't yet. This is the first time I've known anyone on Top Chef and I've watched since season 1. I am impressed with the lineup of chefs this season and like the direction in which the show is headed despite the needless innuendo and Graham's ridiculous eyeglasses, which seem even more ridiculous than his previous eyeglasses. It was very refreshing to see chefs supporting and helping each other. Go Tyler! 10 hours ago, spacefly said: Tyler seemed like he was a pretty good guy it would be nice to see him succeed after winning the first challenge. My sister lives in WH, what is his restuarant? I love eating in WH, so many good restaurants, Bartaco is a favorite. 4 hours ago, susannot said: I looked up Millwright's. Now I want to make a special trip to Connecticut just to eat there. 3 hours ago, dleighg said: I live in the burbs of NYC and my daughter lives in the Boston area, so we drive by Hartford semi-regularly. I agree the menu looks lovely. Maybe we'll find an excuse sometime! I am really excited that a Connecticut chef is on Top Chef. Tyler seems like a good guy, too, and has that reputation in Connecticut. Glad we don't have this season's cocky asshole (TM)* representing the state. I also live near Millwright's and The Cook and the Bear, but haven't been to either yet. Anyone want to meet up at either restaurant to discuss how we can persuade Top Chef to film a season in Connecticut? I have so many Connecticut/New England-themed QF challenges in mind, e.g.: 1. Connecticut lobster roll vs. the far inferior Maine lobster roll; 2. Incorporate Connecticut shade tobacco into a dish; 3. Invasive species sushi at Miya's Sushi; 4. Settle the Pepe's vs. Sally's debate once and for all; 5. Farm to table at The Golden Lamb Buttery; and 6. Create a new grinder at Subway HQ in Milford. That's just off the top of my head. I've got plenty more. On to the episode. It doesn't bother me that there are 2 Joes because 1. I've watched RHONJ, and 2. Mustashioed Joe is named Snidley in my mind, so I just translate. It's like being bilingual. I liked how they did the first QF where the chefs got to eat each others' food and then talk about what they liked and didn't like. I hope they keep that as the first QF in upcoming seasons because it was a good way to introduce the chefs and their styles to the audience. As for what they can get rid of, I nominate QF eliminations. Bob Dole doesn't need that. IDK how I feel about the first Elimination Challenge because I feel like TC has a tendency to do a lot of "Working as a single team, make a low-fat, high-protein 16-course progressive tasting menu for the entire population of the earth with a total budget of one shiny nickle. You have 30 seconds and your time starts NOW!" type challenges. Then Tom goes full-on Disappointed Dad when the chefs fail. "Why didn't you make granola with protein powder? Oats are not expensive. You could have saved children." **smugly crosses arms.** Fatima's samosa looked and sounded fantastic. She was smart to use a different protein and then cook it well to stand out. I hope she goes far. I remember her from Chopped, but I never knew there were people who didn't like her. Why? What's not to like? Bruce reminds me of Pigpen from last season. Remember that guy who would end up covered in garbage whenever he cooked? Jim? After the cooking time was up, it looked like a pressure cooker bomb filled with kitchen waste went off all over him and his his station? If I recall, he was also an established chef. Bruce and (probably) Jim look nothing alike, but they give me the same vibe, like someone 1 week away from homelessness. I'm probably biased towards Tyler because of the Connecticut Connection (TM local NBC news station). He's very well respected here and it would be cool to see a decent person and a talented chef in a small market with his own small business do well. I guess we will see. *Please don't make me regret writing that, Magical Elves' editing team.

Deleted because I am not good at internet. Please see below.

These bitches all suck.

Way too much Angela this episode.

Carole's thread or Luann's?

With that walk and those saggy tits, Vicki looked like she popped a new hemorrhoid just before her common law husband dropped her off in his tractor trailer.

I know, right? I'd be very surprised if she had those acting chops.

I strenuously disagree. I thought this episode was a masterpiece. How could an hour of TV that has Kenya thinking, "You know what this abortion of a vacation needs? A joint televised surprise divorce party for my BFF who's here on this very vacation with the man she's about to divorce and the woman I've been back on speaking terms with for 2 nanoseconds after she was accusing me of pursuing her now-jailed husband," be anything but gold?

If his giving up immunity didn't mean that Emily would plague viewers for another week, I would totally blow Jamie.

I'm not heartbroken to see the backside of Dexter.

Get a load of this gem from Kelly's blog: I may never stop laughing.

Herr Führer Senior Dickhead is a piece of work. Unbelievable. He can't get sent to the bunker soon enough for me.

I couldn't agree more.

Am I on glue? Does Tamra think it was her careful, responsible driving that caused the dune buggy flip of (near) death? I get if she's mad that the truth is getting disseminated and blown up, but the way to deal with that is to say to her friends that she's sorry and ashamed and can we please keep it down? Instead she thinks that Hulking out is the answer? The fuck? Did someone drop her on her head as a child? I am so on Detective MKE's side with everything. While she didn't rush to Vicki's temporary hospital cot, she corresponded with Vicki to find out how she was (besides, of course, screaming about how this is the worst thing that ever happened to anyone while making vomiting sounds -- and btw, how can Vicki both complain about other people making those noises while doing it herself for 400 seasons?). MKE determined, like Vicki's own children, that this wasn't a life or death situation requiring a trip to the hospital. MKE also kept in touch with awful Briana, a nurse, in case things changed. Then Detective MKE detected via Mapquest (or whatever) that those more emotionally close to Vicki were almost as close to the hospital as she was. Learning that this wasn't a life-or-death situation, MKE suggested that those who could bring Vicki comfort should go to the hospital instead of her, an antagonistic co-worker. MKE actually did a lot. She took over triage pretty well, which I have to think Heather knows. Heather also knows that someone from the production side either went with Vicki on the helicopter or arrived shortly after and sent information back to the production crew in Glamis who may or may not have shared information about Vicki's injuries. No matter how much Heather may pretend that random cameras everywhere are capturing some assholes' real lives, that is not the case. This is a production; this was a workplace accident; and, Heather and Kelly were trying to shame MKE into being their look-i-loo by proxy. Not cool, Heather. (I don't expect any better from Kelly because she seems like a long-time alcoholic suffering from wet-brain.)

I can tell already that Trevor suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuucks. If I were one of the underling deck hands that senior deck hand shit would get old the first time he said it. And taking Nico's bunk? GTFO you asshole.

Oh fleek off, Tregaye.

Table for 1 here, but Ana is my favorite by a Cuban mile. As the weeks have gone on, I've gotten the sense that she's playing the part of a pseudo-serious competitor in a piece of performance art designed to mock reality TV and the fame whores it attracts. She always scrapes by on good-enough food and the 2nd or 3rd worst in the presentation segment. As the weaker players are eliminated, she gets just enough better to not be the weakest contestant. Her interview segments are filled with cliches about finding her voice and needing to win because this is her dream, despite her career as a lawyer (which, granted, is hard and not always prosperous) and being a past participant on a different reality show. Meanwhile, Bobby and Giada scratch their heads every week, kind of wanting to eliminate her for reasons they either don't or can't articulate, but they keep her because there's always someone just a hair worse. And every week is a repeat of the same, as if to demonstrate the banality of the process. I hope Ana's doing this on purpose (and I think she is) because it's both brilliant and hilarious.

Whatever. Smell ya later, season meh.

I'm so heartbroken for Isaac!

Seriously, can we? Maybe I'm biased because Blais has rubbed me wrong ever since the finale of his first appearance on TC when he was all, "Ugh, I beat myself," about his loss with no acknowledgement that Stephanie -- who won just as many challenges as he did throughout the season -- maaaaybe was just better than him. So yeah, I'd prefer M. Volt and his, "Bruh, what were thinking about this lack of seasoning?" vs Richard's, "When I ate your food, I felt like I was back on a train speeding through the Swiss Alps that was about to derail into a giant salt mountain, but then it just turned out to be snow and ice. We derailed all the same, but the snow and ice was so under seasoned and that bummed me out more than having to cannibalize the flesh of my fellow survivors -- which, by the way, was also under-seasoned -- while awaiting rescue." I'd compare Man Bun to Josie, actually, because he's not only the second worst every week, but he also spends his on camera time lamenting the terrible taste of the panel of seasoned food tasters. I mean, anyone who's all like, "I MEANT my potatoes to be gummy and NO ONE ELSE KNOWS MY PAIN," should immediately be sent packing [his knives]. I'm at a loss as to how he continues to survive. I loved Jeremy's story, but I hated Jeremy's referring to his mother's birth mother as her "real" mother. As far as I'm concerned, everyone's "real" mother is the mother that changed diapers, cleaned up baby vomit, comforted after scary dreams, went shopping for school supplies, kissed scraped knees, and made dinner and tucked her kids in every night. DID YOUR "REAL" ITALIAN GRANDMOTHER DO ANY OF THAT, JEREMY?

I'm getting a little tired of Karen's affectation of always referring to her apparently genderless "spouse." And sayonara, Messley. Don't let the door hit ya where we all got to see that the good lord split ya.

I didn't think this episode ended in a cliffhanger. Richard Shiff, TV Attorney at Law's "well, well, well," and long face kind of told the story, if you ask me.

I hope I'm not being too forward, but I think I love you.