S17.E04: You're So Fresh

[tribeca]

How to Markleys quick fire dish not place in the bottom?  That looked awful and I actually like him.

Brian V. was shocked his dish was in the bottom.  Dont think he is use to everyone not loving his food.  
Jen was the only chef I noticed who was not excited about the vegetarian challenge. She does recover well in the kitchen though.  In past seasons that burner turned up instead of off would have been a big issue. 

[dleighg]

17 hours ago, Fukui San said:

Tom's comment was "Of all the things you could've made, you gave us chicken pot pie. It was fine, but it's chicken pot pie." Whether or not you agreed with Tom, he's still judge lo these many years later and he's not looking for a good version of a time-tested dish.

But if my memory serves right, didn't Carla Hall do really well with chicken pot pie on her season? (However I think in that case everyone was doing an old-favorite.)

16 hours ago, meep.meep said:

But I spent the whole episode saying Sailer Malarkey?  Who would do that to their child?

Yeah, some names scream "what a cute name for a 5 year old." But you know, Malarky, that kid's going to be a 40 year old some day with a "cute name for a 5 year old."

[dleighg]

I think I heard Karen say that Kelly's song "Since U Been Gone" is a lesbian anthem--

I'm trying to figure out why...

[ratgirlagogo]

17 hours ago, Brookside said:

Most of what I eat is vegetarian or vegan, but I have yet to come across "avocado tofu".  Anyone able to explain this, beyond pretentiousness?

Like an avocado cream sauce, but made with tofu instead of cream.  At least I assume so.

[Brookside]

13 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

Yeah, I hope Gregory is going to be okay. His restaurant is in a beautiful, popular spot in Portland (rooftop of a beautiful hotel right downtown), so I hope he’s able to bounce back. His food is delicious.

I love Gregory too and pinkie swear (with myself of course) that I will go to his restaurant when this is all over, but that puffy sleeved leather jacket/waistcoat thing he was wearing in the talking head was tragic.

[geauxaway]

55 minutes ago, dleighg said:

I think I heard Karen say that Kelly's song "Since U Been Gone" is a lesbian anthem--

I'm trying to figure out why...

I thought it was odd, too, but I think she ended that sentence with “for me.”  I’d have to go back and rewatch to be certain, but I think I am remembering correctly.

[jackjill89]

1 hour ago, geauxaway said:

I thought it was odd, too, but I think she ended that sentence with “for me.”  I’d have to go back and rewatch to be certain, but I think I am remembering correctly.

I didn't hear the "for me" -- I too was trying to figure out why it is a lesbian anthem. 

[Brookside]

Anyone else wonder how many times they have to reshoot the elimination scene because the super cheap French doors fall down when the cheftestants rush through?

[Brookside]

Why do meat eaters on TV cooking shows feel obliged to say "beets are meaty"?   Is it because beet and meat rhyme?

As a former meat-eater, now vegetarian, I can tell you that the texture, taste, and particularly colour don't make this comparison work.

 

On 4/10/2020 at 9:25 AM, MerBearHou said:

I got a kick out of Karen’s fangirling over Kelly Clarkson — then calling home and when she couldn’t tell her spouse who she’d met due to confidentiality, she used some of Kelly’s lyrics (Since you’ve been gone, I can breathe for the first time) and her spouse didn’t get it!  Her wife was like “um, ok, that’s kind of insulting” — thought that was so funny.

Myself, I thought it was NSFW.  😉 

Edited April 11, 2020 by Brookside

[AAEBoiler]

You get a chance to cook wonderful California produce and your first instinct is deep frying?!? Lisa, you deserved to be PYKAG'ed!

[nutella fitzgerald]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:49 PM, Cheyanne11 said:

Love Gregory, aka Grown-Up Urkel.

How did I not see this before? Will I ever unsee it?!

[bravofan27]

13 hours ago, spiderpig said:

 

None of the dishes in this ep would compel me to leave the house and drop cash in a restaurant.  (If we ever have actual restaurants again.)

I love vegetables, and they make up most of my diet. But after dish after dish and description after description of vegetables and more vegetables my stomach started churning. My tummy used to vegetables but I think the judges probably were in pain the next day. Yuck.

[caitmcg]

There is no question this episode was filmed in early fall, September or October, given they could get tomatoes, peaches, and corn but also butternut squash,  Brussels sprouts, and apples at the farmers' market. SoCal has year-round growing seasons, but produce is still seasonal, and the Santa Monica FM is a California Certified Farmers' Market, which means everything is sold directly by the growers.

[Chyromaniac]

Time to see if anyone’s watching the same reruns as me...

Malarkey’s wearing that hat because it makes him look “street.”

[carrps]

Forgot to mention how sweet I thought it was that Gregory kept his promise to take Nini to the Trolls premiere. Sadly, it ain't gonna happen now.

[seacliffsal]

I'm wondering if Lee Ann keeps barely making it through elimination due to her pre-existing work relationship with the show.  Nothing she has made has appealed to me and she has consistently placed in the lower tier of judging.

[Yeah No]

On 4/10/2020 at 12:49 PM, Cheyanne11 said:

Love Gregory, aka Grown-Up Urkel.

LOL, I remember saying that during his first season!  Even now I can't see him any other way.

[Heathrowe]

I think one of Malarkey's problems is that he thinks too much like an exec chef in these challenges. It feels like he is more conscious of the time/kitchen constraints than some others and takes his expectations down accordingly. Which is good for having your team meal not be a disaster, but bad when you need to shine. That said-I like him. The guest judges always say his food is good and then Tom and Padma are like, "Yeah, but......" Also, his kids are so cute!

Lisa and the brussel sprouts. Why wouldn't she grill or roast them? (Again-maybe time/kitchen issues) but yuck-I can't imagine someone giving me a plate of brussel sprouts that came out of a deepfryer. Maybe to share-but a big plate for me? Blergh.

Jen Carroll's dish did not look good. I thought she would be on the block.

I do like Bryan Voltaggio and his expression when Kelly Clarkson criticized his ceviche as "mushy" was just funny. It was a combination of trying to not be a dick, and trying not to yell out "IT'S CEVICHE!" Maybe it was texturally off or maybe she is just not ceviche-friendly. Anyway, he just has such a nice vibe. I don't really see him as a big contributor to any "bro" energy in the house. 

LeeAnn & Malarkey-thanks for the poster who mentioned that she threw him under the bus first for seasoning her dish. She just seems like weak sauce to me! But then he did panic and behave unbecomingly in the stew room. 

 

 

 

 

[Ms.Lulu]

On 4/10/2020 at 4:06 PM, sharifa70 said:

Yeah, I hope Gregory is going to be okay. His restaurant is in a beautiful, popular spot in Portland (rooftop of a beautiful hotel right downtown), so I hope he’s able to bounce back. His food is delicious.

It is one of my favorite restaurants, and just two blocks from work.  I can't wait to get back there.

[catrice2]

On 4/10/2020 at 5:19 PM, sugarbaker design said:

It was off-putting to say the least.  3 grown men making fun of, and laughing at a younger woman was not funny.  Nor was the high-fiving when Nini left the room.  Very mean boy.

Who was the 3rd?

9 hours ago, Yeah No said:

LOL, I remember saying that during his first season!  Even now I can't see him any other way.

I cannot unsee this now

16 hours ago, carrps said:

Forgot to mention how sweet I thought it was that Gregory kept his promise to take Nini to the Trolls premiere. Sadly, it ain't gonna happen now.

We can pretend they Face Timed or Zoomed, got dressed up and made it an event

[catrice2]

16 hours ago, carrps said:

Forgot to mention how sweet I thought it was that Gregory kept his promise to take Nini to the Trolls premiere. Sadly, it ain't gonna happen now.

We can pretend they Face Timed or Zoomed, got dressed up and made it an event

[bravofan27]

2 hours ago, Heathrowe said:

 

LeeAnn & Malarkey-thanks for the poster who mentioned that she threw him under the bus first for seasoning her dish. She just seems like weak sauce to me! But then he did panic and behave unbecomingly in the stew room.

 

 

It was a tough situation. She asked Marlarky to put on the oil and salt, and that is exactly what she got dinged for. It's a competition so I think she was smart to defend herself, otherwise, she could be going home for not knowing how to do the basics. It's more likely a chef goes home for basics like seasoning, rather than not making sure a dish was expoed right.

That said, Marlarky panicked and then he piped up that it was him (shouldn't have) and then did throw Leanne under the bus by saying, "I'm hearing that the hummus was also underseasoned, am I right?" I rewatched that a dozen times (because I'm a sad person with no life) and the judges did not say anything negative about the hummus. They said that in addition to the hummus, some salt and oil would have been nice. He should have just said, "I dressed the salad, so sorry Leanne" and left the hummus part out, as he wasn't at risk for being sent home because of Leanne's dish in anyway. He could have spit on each salad and he would be safe since it would be Leanne's dish. 

Also remembering that he really liked to talk about the chunky crunchy salt he put on top. He said that like 5 times "I put that crunchy chunky salt on top." Maybe as someone mentioned, he's used to being an executive chef, so he was rusty at expoing. 

Edited April 12, 2020 by bravofan27

[sugarbaker design]

1 hour ago, catrice2 said:

Who was the 3rd?

I've already forgotten.

[catrice2]

In terms of Lisa saying she's the only one who had not been told to pack their knives and go... if that's what she said ...I didn't see that season but wasn't Gregory a runner up? Usually at the end they don't tell the other people to pack their knives and go they just say who is  Top chef so if that is correct then he also has not been told to pack his knives and go unless he competed in 1 of the other comeback shows

[ProudMary]

5 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

In terms of Lisa saying she's the only one who had not been told to pack their knives and go... if that's what she said ...I didn't see that season but wasn't Gregory a runner up? Usually at the end they don't tell the other people to pack their knives and go they just say who is  Top chef so if that is correct then he also has not been told to pack his knives and go unless he competed in 1 of the other comeback shows

You're correct. All Gregory heard was, "Mei, you are Top Chef." Also, Bryan and Kevin heard only "Michael, you are Top Chef." (I may be missing someone else who was still standing at another season's finale episode, but those are the ones that stand out in my mind.) None of them was specifically told to PYKAG. So yes, Lisa should STFU about that.

[Irlandesa]

On 4/11/2020 at 5:16 AM, dleighg said:

But if my memory serves right, didn't Carla Hall do really well with chicken pot pie on her season? (However I think in that case everyone was doing an old-favorite.)

I do think that you can do tried and true meals, it just better be close to the best version the judges ever tasted.  I think Malarkey's tomatoes and mozzarella was really good, which is why he likely wasn't in trouble compared to other failures, but nowhere near the top.  And as things get closer to the end, being too simple without being "the best simple thing ever" could have meant the boot.

 

1 hour ago, bravofan27 said:

It's a competition so I think she was smart to defend herself, otherwise, she could be going home for not knowing how to do the basics.

Had he just done it without giving her a choice, I could see why she'd defend herself.  But she was in a position where either he did it or it didn't get done because of time.   It would have still looked like she didn't know how to season her dish.

[Nordly Beaumont]

24 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

In terms of Lisa saying she's the only one who had not been told to pack their knives and go... if that's what she said ...

She said she had never had that said to her before. Not that she was the only one.

[Impalace]

1 hour ago, catrice2 said:

In terms of Lisa saying she's the only one who had not been told to pack their knives and go... if that's what she said ...I didn't see that season but wasn't Gregory a runner up? Usually at the end they don't tell the other people to pack their knives and go they just say who is  Top chef so if that is correct then he also has not been told to pack his knives and go unless he competed in 1 of the other comeback shows

And Bryan V and Kevin were on their finales I think.

[SemiCharmedLife]

Too bad Lisa didn't employ the wood fire roasting method to her Brussel sprouts.  I can't think of a better way to cook them.

Re Jenn's cashew near disaster:  why did Erik touch her burner at all?  I know he thought he turned it off, but shouldn't he have left it alone and just told her about it?  I'm glad to see she rolled with the punches and saved her dish.  I don't like her personality from other seasons; maybe she has matured.

[Rammchick]

21 hours ago, ProudMary said:

None of them was specifically told to PYKAG. So yes, Lisa should STFU about that.

Jen Carrol was.  Twice.  But as Nordly Beaumont said above, it was more about the fact that Lisa was never told to PYKAG.

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, Rammchick said:

Jen Carrol was.  Twice.  But as Nordly Beaumont said above, it was more about the fact that Lisa was never told to PYKAG.

We were discussing the chefs who were never specifically told to pack their knives and go; hence, Gregory, Kevin and Bryan along with Lisa, who seemed to wear it as some kind of exclusive badge, even though she clearly was not the only one of this season's chefs to make it to the final episode in their respective season.

Jen Carroll is among the rest of the chefs who were eliminated prior to the season finale, although twice in her case.

[jcbrown]

On 4/10/2020 at 4:06 PM, sharifa70 said:

Yeah, I hope Gregory is going to be okay. His restaurant is in a beautiful, popular spot in Portland (rooftop of a beautiful hotel right downtown), so I hope he’s able to bounce back. His food is delicious.

Oh, wow, I did not realize he had taken over that restaurant at The Nines. Back when I had to be in Hillsboro for work all the time, that was my favorite hotel to stay in.

I love Top Chef but this season is so bittersweet for me, thinking of what kind of shape these chefs and their industry will be in by the time we get beyond this.

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, jcbrown said:

Oh, wow, I did not realize he had taken over that restaurant at The Nines. Back when I had to be in Hillsboro for work all the time, that was my favorite hotel to stay in.

He has led the kitchen at Depature for 10 years, I don’t believe this is a spoiler but

 

he actually announced  late last year that he would be leaving there this year to start his own restaurant but those plans have obviously been put on hold.

Edited April 14, 2020 by biakbiak

[Rai]

On 4/11/2020 at 6:16 AM, dleighg said:

But if my memory serves right, didn't Carla Hall do really well with chicken pot pie on her season? (However I think in that case everyone was doing an old-favorite.)

Yeah, she did a chicken pot pie for that Jimmy Fallon/comfort foods challenge.

Malarkey actually did a shepherd's pie for a classically French cooking challenge, and he made his mashed potatoes bright green through the use of ramps. It sounded delicious, but it looked a little weird and definitely seemed low effort in comparison to the other dishes.

[ninjago]

I don't like Lisa, but I feel bad for her.  She has a very unlikeable way about her.  She said something during this challenge-something about having a lot of brussel sprouts?-and the way she said it made me just think, "That is not how someone who knows how to get along with people talks."  I don't think she's necessarily doing it on purpose, to be obnoxious or braggy, but more like she just has kind of a bad personality.

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

Forgot to mention how sweet I thought it was that Gregory kept his promise to take Nini to the Trolls premiere. Sadly, it ain't gonna happen now.

I do hope they're given an opportunity to attend another red carpet premiere. But they may have dodged a bullet, the Trolls movie is getting pretty bad reviews.

[JeezumCrow]

On 4/12/2020 at 9:52 AM, Heathrowe said:

LeeAnn & Malarkey-thanks for the poster who mentioned that she threw him under the bus first for seasoning her dish.

I like both Malarkey and LeeAnn, and I didn’t see her throw him under the bus at all. She told the judges that another chef did her finishing - not calling any specific chef out - and also didn’t try to cover her own ass by saying she checked their work to make sure it was to her standard (an error in and of itself, as Tom commented). Brian took offense to this factual statement and doubled down trying to cover his own ass in anticipation, and instead it made him look like an ass in the process. (Of course, there may be cutting room floor footage that changes this narrative, but this is what was presented on screen.)
 

I also found the oil change joke funny. I don’t know that I’d say Nini is humorless, though - maybe she hears that joke often and it’s worn thin, maybe she was just tired, who knows.