S18.E14: The Next Top Chef Is...

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

After 13 grueling weeks of competition, the chefs must create the best four-course meal of their lives; they'll serve it to an esteemed table.

Original air date: July 1, 2021

[emmawoodhouse]

Bumping...

[Lassus]

I do want to say that I think this lack of being able to talk about the episode during the episode is a solution in search of a problem.  I now care less about commenting.  -sigh-  

ANYHOW, I have been a massive defender of Dawn's plating problems throughout the season; but I really feel like they should have sent her home right then.  Just, no.  Completely pathetic.  I cursed at my television!  I was angry AT Dawn.  Oy.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Lassus

[Bastet]

This was a disappointing result, for a chef who managed to get fired for misconduct in an industry where misconduct is particularly rampant to get the win, but I still greatly enjoyed the season and am bummed it’s over; I just wish I hadn't learned about Gabe until after.

The way Dawn conceptualizes and cooks, timed competition is not a good fit for her, so it’s really impressive she made it to the finale.  She cooks food that makes me want to reach through the screen and eat it, so the exposure should be great for her.

And Shota, too – he’s so impressively innovative.

I wanted ALL the food, especially Dawn’s gumbo and dessert and Shota’s curry.  (Not that I didn’t also drool over Gabe’s food, especially his second course; as I said, I wanted all the food, those were just the ones that most matched my favorite flavors.)  Three great cuisines to have in the finale; what a treat that would have been to get to eat it all.

Good to see Tiffany Derry again (and, on a shallow note, she looked great) as one of the judges at the dining table.

Jamie uses “bitch” way too much for my taste (I will not use it at all), but I like her and she worked her ass off for Dawn.  All the sous chefs were well matched with their chefs.  I'd kind of forgotten how much I miss Maria until she came back on my screen.

That was a nice dinner with the guest judges on night one; I just wish they hadn’t flashed from dish to dish so quickly, as I wanted to see what everyone made!

(Psst, Tom, it’s the cavalry, not calvary, you call in for help.  Oh, well, at least they pronounced Willamette correctly.)

How long do we have to wait for the next season?!  I enjoy this show so much, especially in seasons like this, when everyone gets along so well.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Bastet

[Harry24]

2 minutes ago, Lassus said:

I was angry AT Dawn. 

I was too, which was such a bummer.  I began to get angry when she was so defensive to Nina’s comment at the house.  It was clear from that single moment that she had not yet been able to face the actual issue.  She did NOT want to hear what Nina had to say.  Sigh.

[Bastet]

3 minutes ago, Lassus said:

I do want to say that I think this lack of being able to talk about the episode during the episode is a solution in search of a problem.  I now care less about commenting.  -sigh-

There's a live chat thread.  Normally the episode thread opens up as soon as the episode ends, but this one didn't open until an hour later, when the Amateurs episode that got tacked on ended.

[Lassus]

1 minute ago, Bastet said:

This was a disappointing result, for a chef who managed to get fired for misconduct in an industry where misconduct is particularly rampant to get the win, but I still greatly enjoyed the season and am bummed it’s over; I just wish I hadn't learned about Gabe until after.

Watch What Crappens received email from an employee at Comedor who stated this was specifically over leaving the restaurant to harass someone who left a bad or no tip.  Should he still have been fired?  I'd say yes.  But I don't think that it was anything as far as harassment of a fellow employee.  Caveat:  Who the hell knows if THAT's true, but it is the only thing I've heard.

1 minute ago, Bastet said:

There's a live chat thread. 

Meh.  I'm generally 30 or 60 minutes or so behind, so live chat, again, meh.  I preferred it the way it was prior.  Perhaps I'm alone in that.

[ZeeEnnui]

Dawn - "I did not leave anything on the table." No, you just left it off the plate (for... what number is this now? I've lost count of how many times she's forgotten to plate all her components).

17 minutes ago, Bastet said:

This was a disappointing result, for a chef who managed to get fired for misconduct in an industry where misconduct is particularly rampant to get the win, but I still greatly enjoyed the season and am bummed it’s over; I just wish I hadn't learned about Gabe until after.

Same. I don't think I would have chosen Gabe as my favorite cheftestant, but he seems so mild mannered that learning about whatever the hell it was that he did absolutely influenced how I viewed him. As @Lassus mentioned it could be over tip harassment but the restaurant industry has a pretty toxic reputation for misogyny and drugs among other things so it takes a LOT to get fired. But who knows? Whatever happened, the season was filmed before Gabe was fired so it's not like Top Chef could take-backsies.

I'm honestly so bummed for Shota. I really thought he had it. Shota was just rad, and his was some of the most exciting and inventive food of the season. I'd run, not walk to try his food. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by ZeeEnnui
I need a spellcheck myself before I wreck myself

[biakbiak]

24 minutes ago, Lassus said:

Watch What Crappens received email from an employee at Comedor who stated this was specifically over leaving the restaurant to harass someone who left a bad or no tip.  Should he still have been fired?  I'd say yes.  But I don't think that it was anything as far as harassment of a fellow employee.  Caveat:  Who the hell knows if THAT's true, but it is the only thing I've heard.

25 minutes ago, Bastet said:

There are tons of articles in the Cheftestants  thread pointing out that occurred even before he came on this show and articles detailing much more evidence that the reasons had nothing to do with that.

Edited July 2, 2021 by biakbiak

[avecsans]

Wait - you can eat burdocks?? To me, they are a sticky weed that used to get stuck in my dog’s coat when she rolled around on the grass. We used to have to cut it out of her fur.  Not appetizing.

 I am disappointed that Shota lost, but they didn’t love his burdock course, and he made the fatal mistake of undercooking his rice. Too bad. It was clear that Dawn would lose during her disastrous first course. Too many components, and she didn’t give Jamie clear directions. I thought her beef cheeks and black eyed peas looked delicious, as well as her dessert.  It seemed like Gabe had fewer mistakes. Other than his charred mushrooms, the judges seemed to like everything.

 I really enjoyed this season. 

[The Solution]

Just so it shows up here as well since I'm a completeist:

 

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Can't post in the actual episode thread until 10, but this was an amazing finale. Any of the three would have been deserving, but Gabe was especially so. Many of those foods sounded like things I would never eat in a million years, but watching and seeing, I want them ALL!  I still loved that all 3 of them were so close and there was no in-fighting amongst them. THAT is the mark of a true professional and artist!

And I so loved that Maria called Gabe cabron at the end and they didn't translate it literally.

They were all 3 amazing and I wish they all could have won.

[tljgator]

34 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Good to see Tiffany Derry again (and, on a shallow note, she looked great) as one of the judges at the dining table.

I know! I usually only get to see her when she's slumming it on Bar Rescue (guilty pleasure show -- don't judge, lol).

In any case, I really enjoyed this season. It was happy and easy and brought some much needed joy at a fairly shitty time in the world at large. I knew my girl Dawn was out after the first dish, but all of the food looked amazing and all three seemed absolutely worthy of the win, so not mad at it. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

I figured this would be a win-win for me because either Dawn would win, and I could enjoy the salty tears of those who think she should have been booted, or she would lose, and I could enjoy pointing out that their conspiracy theories about how Top Chef was conspiring to make a black woman the winner in the name of wokeness was complete BS. Hopefully with this result some people can look back at some of those posts and reflect on their life choices.

I never would have imagined even in the finale, with help AND a specific warning to keep things simple, Dawn still would have not gotten everything plated one more time. She totally cost herself the title IMO because that was one of two bad things anyone said about her food. (The other being that the seafood seemed disconnected from the rest of her gumbo).

I am somewhat sad for Shota. It sounds like he made two mistakes that cost him the title too -- bad rice (which I don't understand how that happened.) and making his beef dish that wasn't a logical progression from the fine dining stuff that preceded it. 

As for Gabe, I did crack a smile when he introduced yet another mole. But good on him. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

Fuck!

Brooke's face - that is a whole lot of fillers and Botox.

Shota was so cute when Gabe won.  I'm sad Gabe won though!

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[Leeds]

I had to spoil myself because I'm pathetic like that.  So, not only was my viewing experience disappointing because I'm stupid and my TV boyfriend didn't win, but one of my favourite plates leapt off the counter during the show and broke.  Serves me right.  Just deserts.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Leeds

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Harry24 said:

I was too, which was such a bummer.  I began to get angry when she was so defensive to Nina’s comment at the house.  It was clear from that single moment that she had not yet been able to face the actual issue.  She did NOT want to hear what Nina had to say.  Sigh.

I noticed that too.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ms Blue Jay

[buttersister]

Alright, first things first: I want to see the menu for that last supper.

Cards on the table. Dawn isn’t cut out for competitive cooking. But hers is the food I most want to eat.

Shota, Fan Favorite! He needs a show on my TV. I shared his regret for not sticking to high-end food—I think he would have won.

When Gabe’s bosses fired his ass, they worked through a process that included a third-party HR firm and a hotline. Maybe that’s why he constantly talked about doing this (winning $250K) for his FAMILY? Hope he keeps it. For the children’s sake. Maybe he needs to stay out of the restaurant business and get into the sauce business?

 

[Ms Blue Jay]

9 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Shota, Fan Favorite! He needs a show on my TV. I shared his regret for not sticking to high-end food—I think he would have won.

Great idea!

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, buttersister said:

When Gabe’s bosses fired his ass, they worked through a process that included a third-party HR firm and a hotline. Maybe that’s why he constantly talked about doing this (winning $250K) for his FAMILY?

Wasn't he fired after TC filming had concluded, so he was still employed (in whatever capacity the restaurant was functioning) at the time those talking heads were recorded?

I think anyone who has children to raise, whatever they and the other parent normally pull in, would mention the benefit to their family of winning a big ol' chunk of change, especially when their income comes from an industry that has been hit particularly hard by a pandemic.

 

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, avecsans said:

Wait - you can eat burdocks?? To me, they are a sticky weed that used to get stuck in my dog’s coat when she rolled around on the grass. We used to have to cut it out of her fur.  Not appetizing.

It’s the root that’s eaten, and burdock root is a traditional ingredient in Japanese cooking.

[buttersister]

19 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Wasn't he fired after TC filming had concluded, so he was still employed (in whatever capacity the restaurant was functioning) at the time those talking heads were recorded?

Yep, but I suspect he was thinking more about his actions that led to his firing, actions which had reportedly been going on for some time. 

He seems likable and makes tasty food, but so did Besh, Batali, etc.
 

 

[TiffanyNichelle]

I'm disappointed. I was really rooting for Shota but I could see as the dishes went on that it was going Gabe's way.

ETA, I really wish Dawn had taken the advice from the night before and not worried about putting so much on that first dish.

Edited July 2, 2021 by TiffanyNichelle

[SemiCharmedLife]

After that first course, it was Shota's competition to lose.  I thought he would have won easily- it's too bad about the rice and the curry dish.  He put his heart in that one.

  I think they all did an outstanding job and I'm happy for Gabe.  I'm hoping the reason for his dismissal was not as serious as the rumors would have us believe. 

[Leeds]

I hope anyone planning to eat at Dawn's restaurant doesn't have any plans for after they leave.

[LennieBriscoe]

Dawn lost the minute she didn't plate all her items in the first course. The compliments that were given after that were nice for her to hear, but she wasn't going to win. 

Congratulations  to Gabe!

[Fukui San]

I had to notice that Jamie was too busy to do any sound effects this episode!

[LennieBriscoe]

2 hours ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

I figured this would be a win-win for me because either Dawn would win, and I could enjoy the salty tears of those who think she should have been booted, or she would lose, and I could enjoy pointing out that their conspiracy theories about how Top Chef was conspiring to make a black woman the winner in the name of wokeness was complete BS. Hopefully with this result some people can look back at some of those posts and reflect on their life choices.

I never would have imagined even in the finale, with help AND a specific warning to keep things simple, Dawn still would have not gotten everything plated one more time. She totally cost herself the title IMO because that was one of two bad things anyone said about her food. (The other being that the seafood seemed disconnected from the rest of her gumbo).

I am somewhat sad for Shota. It sounds like he made two mistakes that cost him the title too -- bad rice (which I don't understand how that happened.) and making his beef dish that wasn't a logical progression from the fine dining stuff that preceded it. 

As for Gabe, I did crack a smile when he introduced yet another mole. But good on him. 

And now those of us who thought Dawn's timing incompetence should have gotten her a PYKAG, if not the 1st time, if not the 2nd time, maybe the 3rd time, but finally DID the 4th time (though still technically not, as the Finale has no PYKAG)---can smugly discern the internal "salty tears" of Dawn's staunch defenders who will now surely (don't call me Shirley) reflect on their "life choices."

Kidding on the square. 

10 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

I had to notice that Jamie was too busy to do any sound effects this episode!

Being ordered by Dawn to do everything.

[icol]

Felt bad for Shota, really thought he had it. Of course a fan fave is nice (and the final two for Fan Fave is between him and Dawn), but winning Top Chef AND fan Fave would have been way cooler. 

[Kimmykun]

Such a great season only to end like that.

Not that Gabe didn't deserve the win as much as Shota did, I just don't care about him. 

[vb68]

Man I was disappointed at the end. I definitely preferred Dawn and Shota to Gabe.  Somehow because of these stories that surfaced, I just never took Gabe that seriously as a potential winner and never formed much of an attachment to him as a contestant . And both Shota and Dawn were so engaging and charismatic. Once it was beyond obvious that Dawn wasn't winning, I thought Shota couldn't lose. 

The upside is that I fully expect both Shota and Dawn will be back for the next All-Stars.

And we will always have Shota's laugh. 😄😁

I also second how nice it was to see Tiffany Derry again. Always really liked her.

Edited July 2, 2021 by vb68

[icol]

Padma tweets about the Gabe situation post-episode

[Vermicious Knid]

Quote

(for... what number is this now? I've lost count of how many times she's forgotten to plate all her components).

Sixth. Even with nine hours and help, she still couldn't get things done on time. And she was waffling about the menu again and practically guaranteed she wouldn't be finished.

Well, I'm not enraged but Shōta was robbed. I'd like to eat all the non-seafood dishes. I think Gabe is the first chef on TC to use hibiscus as an ingredient.

[Ellee]

I like the finale this way. The finalists only cooking for the panel.  
 

Personally  believe producers interfere with the cheftestants relationships.  This year they were sidetracked with other issues. MO  And we ended up having a terrific season without that drama.  Here’s hoping that future seasons allow relationships to develop naturally and the chefs can be themselves.  
 

I enjoyed this season. 
 

I wonder what the finalists from other seasons would say. 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ellee

[Ellee]

Had to come back again and say I love Maria.  I’m betting her business has increased substantially since this show.  Others as well. 
 

[tv echo]

Disappointing result - but happy that Shota won Fan Favorite. I would love to taste his food and Dawn's food.

FWIW, here's a Reddit thread outlining the (serious) allegations against Gabe and one of many media articles discussing the controversial win...

Top Chef Season 18 Ep 14 - The Next Top Chef Is... - Post Episode Discussion 

‘Top Chef’ crowns controversial winner who was fired from restaurant for inappropriate behavior

Edited July 2, 2021 by tv echo

[becauseIsaidso]

I was very disappointed in the outcome, partly because from the start of the episode it was clearly the designated 'gabe' show. I haven't liked him from the first episode, didn't know anything about any allegations then, don't know any particulars now, and - as far as this show is concerned - don't care. I just never cared for the guy.

IRL, I have at times worked with men who have turned out to be abusers - (not of me) - most of them were very appropriate in public/when someone could be watching - but later proven to be complete assholes/predators behind closed doors. They seemed to take the positive reactions they got from their 'public audience' as an empowerment of all their attitudes and actions (current case in point - Bill Cosby). So it would not at all surprise me to find out that someone who came across very well on the show was a nasty piece of work when the cameras are gone and no one is recording anything.

[Lassus]

 

54 minutes ago, tv echo said:

FWIW, here's a Reddit thread outlining the (serious) allegations against Gabe and one of many media articles discussing the controversial win...

Thanks.  I admit that I consider reddit kind of a "well, nah" section of the internet, but I did scroll through and it seems credible.  

Padma tweeted last night about it, and I could be wrong, but I think think this is going to have some legs.
 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Lassus

[Lassus]

7 hours ago, buttersister said:

Cards on the table. Dawn isn’t cut out for competitive cooking. But hers is the food I most want to eat.

This was the opinion in our house, and of at least one of Padma, Tom, and Gail's (although now I forget which) opinion on WWHL.

[DEL901]

6 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

After that first course, it was Shota's competition to lose.  I thought he would have won easily- it's too bad about the rice and the curry dish.  He put his heart in that one.

  I think they all did an outstanding job and I'm happy for Gabe.  I'm hoping the reason for his dismissal was not as serious as the rumors would have us believe. 

I thought before the first dishes were plated that it was Dawn’s to lose… and then she did.  Her cooking was good enough to over come her time issues in earlier rounds…something that would have sent a lesser chef home…but couldn’t be ignored at the finale.   I wish Shota had won, but I think he is going to be one of those contestants who is a winner without actually taking the title.  

[Jodithgrace]

As a person who knows a few Japanese people and others, such as my brother, who lived in Japan for many years, I don't understand why Shota didn't use a rice cooker. I'm sure they have access to any appliances they need, such as sou vide machines, etc. so I'm sure he could have gotten one. He was only making plain white rice, not some special risotto. It's not cheating, any more than using a pressure cooker is cheating. You just put in your rice, fill with water to the line and set the time you want it to be done, and, voila, perfect rice every time. I use mine all the time.

He was my favorite to win, so I was disappointed. I didn't dislike Gabe, and knew nothing of his issues, but he didn't interest me either.  Funny, he seems like such a bland guy to be in all this trouble. I knew Dawn wouldn't win after her first course, though I liked her too, even though she refused to take good advice. She just HAD to put 40 items on a plate, even though she routinely didn't make it. 

What I really liked was the diversity of the finale. Three menus from three different cultures. Just looking at the third course when everybody did beef, showed just how diverse they were. 

I was psyched for a two hour finale, and then realized that my DVR was tacking on an episode of that amateur show which I have no desire whatsoever to see. 

[vibeology]

38 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

I thought before the first dishes were plated that it was Dawn’s to lose… and then she did.  Her cooking was good enough to over come her time issues in earlier rounds…something that would have sent a lesser chef home…but couldn’t be ignored at the finale.   I wish Shota had won, but I think he is going to be one of those contestants who is a winner without actually taking the title.  

I think things were too close between the three to say it was Dawn's to lose but I do think her food is probably spectacular. I have never seen the judges dig in the way they did with her crab in the last episode. Even with her screw-ups she was never the worst because the quality of the food she did manage to plate was so high. But, at the same time if you leave stuff off of several plates, it's impossible to be the best and that's the difference of weeks 1-13 and the finale. Dawn is wonderful and I hope she stays far away from competitive cooking as a contestant going forward because it's not her strength. But I would rush to her restaurant to eat when the cooking isn't timed.

[rlc]

I’m pleased with the outcome. Gabe repeatedly made the food I most wanted to eat. Call me crazy, but that’s what I want to see from the winner of a cooking competition. Shota is extremely likable (and absolutely adorable), and his food often looked wonderful, but it was not always consistent (crunchy rice scooped like you would see in a cafeteria?!?). Dawn lost the second she left something off a plate. Again.

For those complaining that Gabe made ‘another mole’, would you feel better if I said ‘Gabe made another completely different, incredibly complex sauce that only resembles something else he has made on the show because it is also a sauce’?

As for any allegations against Gabe, true or not, all we have seen are vague statements. No one has come forward to claim that they were a victim of any sexually inappropriate behavior. I think it is wildly inappropriate for Padma to tweet about it and amplify something without having any solid information.

Congratulations to Gabe for cooking the best meal.

[watchingtvaddict]

26 minutes ago, Jodithgrace said:

As a person who knows a few Japanese people and others, such as my brother, who lived in Japan for many years, I don't understand why Shota didn't use a rice cooker. I'm sure they have access to any appliances they need, such as sou vide machines, etc. so I'm sure he could have gotten one. He was only making plain white rice, not some special risotto. It's not cheating, any more than using a pressure cooker is cheating. You just put in your rice, fill with water to the line and set the time you want it to be done, and, voila, perfect rice every time. I use mine all the time.

He was my favorite to win, so I was disappointed. I didn't dislike Gabe, and knew nothing of his issues, but he didn't interest me either.  Funny, he seems like such a bland guy to be in all this trouble. I knew Dawn wouldn't win after her first course, though I liked her too, even though she refused to take good advice. She just HAD to put 40 items on a plate, even though she routinely didn't make it. 

What I really liked was the diversity of the finale. Three menus from three different cultures. Just looking at the third course when everybody did beef, showed just how diverse they were. 

Yep! I wonder if they didn’t have a big enough rice cooker for the finale. I do adore my rice cooker… but I am on my 3rd one and sometimes the ratios are a little different depending on the brand. I grew up without a rice cooker though and sometimes it’s easier to just cook rice on the stove. I’m thinking the quantity of rice threw him off. 
 

the diversity in the finale was so great. I had my reservations about this season because it seemed so “woke” at the beginning but I have come to appreciate how awesome it is to have 3 chefs able to cook their own cuisine with access to the ingredients they usually use. No finale where you have to cook with the food of the region and maybe cook proteins or vegetables you’ve never used before. 

[questionfear]

1 hour ago, Lassus said:

 

Thanks.  I admit that I consider reddit kind of a "well, nah" section of the internet, but I did scroll through and it seems credible.  

Padma tweeted last night about it, and I could be wrong, but I think think this is going to have some legs.
 

 

That tweet says a lot. 

Off to read the reddit threads. And FYI, Reddit is very much a choose-your-own-adventure of the internet. If you curate it with the right subreddits, it's a fantastic group of supportive people. If you go into the wrong subreddit, you think the world is awful and everyone is terrible. 

[Ellee]

https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoTopChef/comments/o92jzp/kokoson_popup_august_1st_in_san_diego_at_brian/
 

Found this in the link above. 

[Chicago Redshirt]

8 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

And now those of us who thought Dawn's timing incompetence should have gotten her a PYKAG, if not the 1st time, if not the 2nd time, maybe the 3rd time, but finally DID the 4th time (though still technically not, as the Finale has no PYKAG)---can smugly discern the internal "salty tears" of Dawn's staunch defenders who will now surely (don't call me Shirley) reflect on their "life choices."

Kidding on the square. 

I don't know if I would consider myself a "Dawn defender." If she had been booted previously, I certainly wouldn't have been complaining about the unfairness of life or how it reflected the determination of the judges to prevent a black woman from winning the title or anything like that.

I don't have much of a problem with people thinking that Dawn should have been sent home for the failure to plate the cheese thing (which was the only time that her failure to plate things in and of itself could have potentially gotten her sent home. There were I believe something like 5-6 previous to this episode, and most of them were in Quickfires. The one other one was in the Tofu elimination challenge, and IMO the judges did the right thing by DQing her entry for that round of the progressive challenge but not sending her home).

My problems come from a) acting like this standard of "failure to plate or complete every aspect of the challenge is an automatic ticket home, even if there are worse dishes" as established and sacred when it is not and b) jumping to the conclusion that Dawn is being shown favoritism because she is a black woman. 

I have no regrets over my TC posts. Maybe people who saw racial preference in Dawn's treatment don't as well. But I think they should. 

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Chicago Redshirt

[AriAu]

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Cards on the table. Dawn isn’t cut out for competitive cooking. But hers is the food I most want to eat.

YUP.....not one time all season did they complain about the flavor and seasoning of her dishes....which means I want to eat it all! On the other hand, she is NOT great at this game.... not plating everything is just unforgivable given the stakes AND her history.

Quote

Shota, Fan Favorite! He needs a show on my TV. I shared his regret for not sticking to high-end food—I think he would have won.

Like him and he is a strong cheftestant, but screwing up the rice in the finale was and should be fatal. While I can imagine what Dawn's food tastes like, I have no idea, at all, what Shota's food tastes like and the judges just raved about it....and I really really want to try it and high end Japanese food.

Not going to waste keystrokes on Gabe. Great chef who made great looking and tasting dishes....who will disappear from the Top Chef biosphere even more quickly than Hosea. You'll never see him on an episode again and I have a hunch you may never see this season replayed once all the details come out. This was all filmed a long time ago and it has been 6 months since he was let go and he knew this day was coming....yet he has no answer/PR spin to put on it and if there was another explanation, we would have heard about it 30 seconds after the episode aired.

Edited July 2, 2021 by AriAu

[pally]

From a food standpoint alone, anyone of the chefs would have been a worthy winner.  All 3 meals looked and sounded delicious.  However, I suspect that Gabe will be persona non grata in Top Chef world for some time to come.  Again, purely from a food standpoint, that is a shame as his Mexican food viewpoint is unique among Top Chef winners.

 

[blixie]

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I had to notice that Jamie was too busy to do any sound effects this episode!

Heh I thought it was telling that Jamie was also often critiqued for doing too much on the plate and even she was like, uh it's A LOT.

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Dawn lost the minute she didn't plate all her items in the first course. 

I mean if Gabe/Shota had messed up something significant I think she could have been in the conversation, but it was unlikely both would screw up enough to save her. Clearly even crunchy rice and staff meal curry wasn't going to do it, and Gabe's few issues were clearly nitpicks (overly charred shrooms, not crispy enough pibil). I knew Dawn was gonna lose as soon as she said during prep that the first thing she had to do was bake the bread and yet it seemed like baking bread first was absolutely not what she did. Like someone else said it's been clear pretty much all season her process isn't well suited to competitive cooking or at least to TC in particular.

I was a little disappointed in the finale not just because they chose a guy who has been fired seemingly for sleeping with/harassing his women chefs, but because I feel like the grind of this season meant the chefs couldn't deliver the best meal of their lives. Unlike most every other season there was no hard break between being a finalist and the finale itself. And I feel like the last few challenges were particularly grueling (cheese five ways, digging up clams in a QUICKFIRE, and having to go crabbing and pick it all in single day and it seemed like both challenges happened the same day?) Probably not though even two consecutive days of ass crack of dawn fishing is a bit much on top of having to cook). So yeah I feel like if any cast needed the break it was this cast.  As a consequence I think Shota/Dawn who were pretty solid performers for the whole season, fell off at the exact wrong moment while Gabe who experienced a mid season dip, was able to mentally regroup for the lasts three episodes. I also thought it was pretty clear from the plating alone he had made a superior progressive meal and was the clear winner.

Given that the highlight of the episode in a season that was so good because of collegiality, was the rest of the chefs cooking a family meal for the finalists, corny yes but I cried, and sadly Dawn didn't know how to receive what Nina was saying about editing. Whereas again if she heard that before prep had a few weeks to game plan for the finale she might have been able to correct for it. I do hope that despite the plating issues Dawn is able to really benefit professionally from her time on the show.

The only reason I'm not quite as sad for Shota is because like Nina I think he's gonna be *good* after this, he was outstanding pretty much wire to wire with a few blips, and he was fan favorite. I have no doubt he'll be able to translate the experience into more success.

[watchingtvaddict]

53 minutes ago, blixie said:

Heh I thought it was telling that Jamie was also often critiqued for doing too much on the plate and even she was like, uh it's A LOT.

 And I feel like the last few challenges were particularly grueling (cheese five ways, digging up clams in a QUICKFIRE, and having to go crabbing and pick it all in single day and it seemed like both challenges happened the same day?) Probably not though even two consecutive days of ass crack of dawn fishing is a bit much on top of having to cook). So yeah I feel like if any cast needed the break it was this cast.  As a consequence I think Shota/Dawn who were pretty solid performers for the whole season, fell off at the exact wrong moment while Gabe who experienced a mid season dip, was able to mentally regroup for the lasts three episodes. I also thought it was pretty clear from the plating alone he had made a superior progressive meal and was the clear winner.

Given that the highlight of the episode in a season that was so good because of collegiality, was the rest of the chefs cooking a family meal for the finalists, corny yes but I cried, and sadly Dawn didn't know how to receive what Nina was saying about editing. Whereas again if she heard that before prep had a few weeks to game plan for the finale she might have been able to correct for it. I do hope that despite the plating issues Dawn is able to really benefit professionally from her time on the show.

 

Agreed, I really think if Dawn had been able to go home for a break to think about the structure of this competition she might have been able to process the feedback a little better (and win?). Her beef course showed she is able to create a delicious dish that does not require an edit. It was so simple, and she did tell Jamie "don't worry this one will be easy to plate". 

Edited July 2, 2021 by watchingtvaddict
cut out the part i didn't mean to quote