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

[Leeds]

23 minutes ago, blixie said:

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.

Sorry, I have no sympathy for Dawn.  Her aggressive attitude towards Jamie in the kitchen was unacceptable to me.

I'm sure Shota will benefit from his appearance, but let's face it, $250,00 ain't nothing.

I thought Gabe's first course of random things dropped on a plate was very unappealing looking.  As we're told ad infinitum, we eat with our eyes first.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Leeds

[Ms Lark]

3 hours ago, watchingtvaddict said:

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. 

I think it was the "crunchy rice" that killed him. 😢 I wish he or Dawn (Dawn! Again? WTF?!?!) had won. Not keen on Gabe, but it sounds like he cooked the best on the day.  *sigh*

Nonetheless, I got up this morning and cooked up a big pot of Japanese Curry Rice (one of my favs and I don't use the bricks, either) and a batch of Jasmine rice in the Rice Cooker. Shota's "staff meal" had me craving the stuff.

Since it's up on the Top Chef website, Shota won Fan Fav and at least gets $10k.

Edited July 2, 2021 by Ms Lark
grammar

[Thumper]

It seemed like Gabe  and Maria were the best combo, in  that she understood more about his style of cooking.  Shota and. ______? (Sorry, I never remember that guy!) also worked well together.

I felt like Dawn was not as good of a communicator to Jamie, and was still thinking through some of her dishes, or Jamie was just not as familiar with Dawn’s style.  I felt anxious for Jamie!  I would love to try Dawn’s food sometime, especially that beef cheeks meal she made.

[MerBearHou]

I'm happy for the Gabe I got to know through this season.  His meal for the finale was just outstanding.

So glad Shota won Fan Favorite.  He got all of my votes.  Hope to see him again on my TV soon.

Dawn was snippy with Nina Compton when Nina kindly tried to give her advice about time, editing her plate, etc.  Just as Gregory had tried to tell her.  I'm not a Jamie fan but I sure felt for her trying to be Dawn's sous chef -- that was a manic experience, from what we were shown.

[marybennet]

Headline of an article in the Austin American Statesman seems to suggest that Gabe admitted to harassment (reducing hours of employee he had affair with), but you need a subscription to read the article, and I don’t have one. 

[Rai]

It really felt like this whole episode was telegraphing clearly that Gabe was the winner, and look, that beef dish? I want to be there so bad. I had heard the same comment on Watch What Crappens about his dismissal being due to a terrible customer, and I really wanted to believe that. Unfortch, I had to walk that belief back, and now with social media posts from both Gregory and Padma, it seems like they're speaking out on the situation, and it doesn't look good. In the responses to Padma's tweet, there's a very clear incident detailed about Gabe, and it's both familiar and heartbreaking. Familiar because I've seen countless dudes in my industry behave the same way, and heartbreaking because he came across so well on this season and because his food really does look awesome.

So that's a bummer because I've enjoyed this season overall, even though I was very disappointed (and yet not surprised) when Dawn messed up the plating once again. It's a bummer to have a pall cast over the winner who cooked amazing food throughout the season, and to cast a pall over a season that really gave the world a break from the tension of covid.

Lastly, of course Shota won fan favorite, but Avishar remains the winner of the confessionals in my heart.

[Macbeth]

I think this is it for me and Top Chef.  Gabe didn't fired over some bs tip.  It has to be very serious.  And the rumors are he sexually harrassed his female workers.  I know we think cancel culture took out predatary men - but that's not true.  Harvey Weinstein going down did not fix the problem.   Cosby is out.  And Matt Lauer, who had a button installed in his office to prevent women from leaving so he could sexually assault them, is not in jail - just not employable.  At this time.  Predator men are still protected.

And this happened all in real time.  This is not Paul Qui winning in 2012 and assault allegations come up in 2016.  There's plausible deniability there.  The shooting took place in the fall of 2020.  Gabe gets fired in December 2020.  So there was a build up before he got fired.   That caliber of cooking is a very, very small world.  There is no way people aren't hearing the rumors.  So Top Chef - hearing those rumors - still named him Top Chef.   And for sure - there is no way they didn't know about the allegations when the show aired last night.  Comedor fired Gabe in December 2020 - There is no way Tom wasn't on the phone getting the 411 on what really went down.

And I just spent how many hours of my valuable time on this outcome.  Fuck Tom.  

But you have all been lovely people to chat with.  And I will miss you.

 

Edited July 2, 2021 by Macbeth

[Leeds]

Gail regarding the desserts: "They were all stunning."  Ugh, Dawn's may have tasted great, but it looked like something the lovely kitchen ladies might have served up in elementary school when they were trying to be fancy.  Glace cherries anybody?  (Sorry, can't find either an accent aigu or an image of Dawn's dessert.) 

[Ms Blue Jay]

https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoTopChef/comments/obynla/harassment_and_firing_timeline/

 

[DEL901]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

Sorry, I have no sympathy for Dawn.  Her aggressive attitude towards Jamie in the kitchen was unacceptable to me.

I'm sure Shota will benefit from his appearance, but let's face it, $250,00 ain't nothing.

I thought Gabe's first course of random things dropped on a plate was very unappealing looking.  As we're told ad infinitum, we eat with our eyes first.

Re the last point above… I thought Gabe’s first plate looked like someone was at a buffet with a lot of food they didn’t like so they put a couple of random things on their plate to be polite.  

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Ms Lark said:

Since it's up on the Top Chef website, Shota won Fan Fav and at least gets $10k.

Thank you I was wondering about this.  

[tvfanatic13]

Gail and Parma looked stunning at that dinner. 
You all said everything else that needed to be said. 

[Leeds]

9 minutes ago, tvfanatic13 said:

Gail and Parma looked stunning at that dinner. 
You all said everything else that needed to be said. 

You just have to love auto-correct.  (Especially when it makes something sound so tasty.)

[jackjill89]

I'm bummed. Wanted a Shota win. Gabe is a very competent chef, and made some very inventive dishes, but he was so "meh" to me all season. I know sauces can be incredibly complex and make or break a dish, but I kept thinking, "this isn't Top Sauce" all season. His sauces got more praise than almost anything. I did really warm to Maria working with him. She's a bit much at times, but she seems to have a good heart. I wish her well. 

I didn't really pay much attention to the allegations, but hearing more about them, it really irks me that he won.

What's done is done though, and I think both Shota and Dawn will benefit from the exposure. I'm very happy Shota won fan favorite!

Overall, I loved this season. Such great cheftestants this year!

Edited July 2, 2021 by jackjill89

[Darian]

I think it was Padma who said this was like a family reunion and that's what it felt like. So many of my favorites popped in, too many to list, and even Blaise, who usually makes me leap for the remote, was tolerable for the most part.

I feel like Dawn would do great in her own restaurant, where it's set up the way she wants it. I never thought she had any attitude with feedback, just that she's so intense and focused she's taking it in and processing. But, yeah, I love her, and hope for the best for her. And Shota, wow, he was a joy to watch. But the second Gabe got Maria, I felt like he was a shoo in. I love her, and felt she would be an asset in any way (not that Jamie or Byron were lesser, just that Gabe and Maria seemed an incredible fit). It's a lot less feel-good today, but I hope Top Chef does take a hard look at this season and make some changes going forward. 

[AriAu]

Quote

And this happened all in real time.  This is not Paul Qui winning in 2012 and assault allegations come up in 2016.  There's plausible deniability there.  The shooting took place in the fall of 2020.  Gabe gets fired in December 2020.  So there was a build up before he got fired.   That caliber of cooking is a very, very small world.  There is no way people aren't hearing the rumors.  So Top Chef - hearing those rumors - still named him Top Chef.   And for sure - there is no way they didn't know about the allegations when the show aired last night.  Comedor fired Gabe in December 2020 - There is no way Tom wasn't on the phone getting the 411 on what really went down.

Listen. I am not defending Gabe or his alleged reprehensible behavior (remember, at least at this point, these are allegations, altho I have yet to see a denial from him) in any way, but I am not sure what the show, Tom and Bravo were supposed to do. The filming was done and he was named Top Chef before he got fired and before the allegations came to light. I'm sure Bravo/The Elves do/did some basic background checks on the cheftestants, but this would have taken some serious digging into the past of each cheftestant, and then they would have had to decide what is disqualifying. Remember, I seem to recall that the beloved Gregory Gourdet told us that he had substance abuse issues at one point-is that disqualifying? 

The show/network didn't have a lot of choices-it was not like the episodes where they (badly) edited out Besh and the dessert guy Johnny something. Gabe was in every episode and won the last one, meaning the only  choices were to air the season or not air the season. This would have happened after Bravo/The Elves had spent all that money, lest we forget this is about money, although sometimes money can't fix bad PR. However, not airing the season would have been terribly unfair to the other cheftestants  who had given up months of their lives and been separated from family and friends, for this opportunity. Remember, while the other cheftestants did not get "$250,000 (from San Pelligrino) and the title of Top Chef" they did get great exposure-anyone doubt this will help Shota, Dawn, Maria, Jamie etc.... and if you don't show this season, they don't get the bump.

Edited July 2, 2021 by AriAu

[blixie]

Quote

these are allegations

No he has admitted in an Austin paper to sleeping with a subordinate and then cutting her hours, he says for cause, but come the fuck on.

[Lisapooh]

14 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

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!

I have been patiently waiting for someone else to snark on Brooke’s face. It is so overdone and I can’t believe we have not been talking about it, lol!

[The Solution]

1 minute ago, Lisapooh said:

I have been patiently waiting for someone else to snark on Brooke’s face. It is so overdone and I can’t believe we have not been talking about it, lol!

I guess I'm a total guy because I thought she was especially beautiful on last night's show.

[Ms Blue Jay]

2 minutes ago, Lisapooh said:

I have been patiently waiting for someone else to snark on Brooke’s face. It is so overdone and I can’t believe we have not been talking about it, lol!

I don't even know what she looked like before but that is all I can see when I look at her.  😥   

[Phebemarie]

The Oregonian's article about the finale. 

https://www.oregonlive.com/entertainment/2021/07/top-chef-portland-names-a-winner-but-controversy-casts-a-shadow-over-a-feel-good-season-recap.html

Edited July 2, 2021 by Phebemarie

[Chicago Redshirt]

It will be very interesting to see what Bravo does with the allegations against Gabe. On the one hand, sexual harassment is serious stuff and it doesn't look good to have a winner have been anywhere in that realm, no matter what spin might be put on it. On the other, it happened apart from the competition and presumably Gabe earned his win without showing any signs of the harassing behavior.

I don't think there's an easy answer.

[worleybird]

Bravo should have done what RuPaul did a few seasons ago when allegations about Cherry Pie came out. Put a disclaimer at the beginning of the show. Say that because of all the hard work the other contestants did, continue to air the show. Minimize the talking heads of the cheftestant in question. And declare him ineligible for the win.

[Darian]

10 minutes ago, Chicago Redshirt said:

It will be very interesting to see what Bravo does with the allegations against Gabe. On the one hand, sexual harassment is serious stuff and it doesn't look good to have a winner have been anywhere in that realm, no matter what spin might be put on it. On the other, it happened apart from the competition and presumably Gabe earned his win without showing any signs of the harassing behavior.

I don't think there's an easy answer.

I am not advocating for anyone else to do anything, or telling anyone else how to feel or respond, but I'm in the process of drafting a letter to let Top Chef/Bravo know that in any future episodes, Gabe showing up in any capacity is a deal-breaker. He'll have a successful career whether he's there or not, but I won't watch him in anything again. Especially when this season shows they have a wealth of gifted former competitors to return and share their knowledge and skill.  

[PhoneCop]

So really, the person Dawn needed all this time was Tim Gunn to tell her to edit, edit, edit! 

Honestly, I really hoped that all this buildup was leading to Dawn finally sorting herself out and nailing the plating, but then on top of simply not learning from past rounds, she chose to ignore the giant flashing sign Nina was holding up and that makes it an easier pill to swallow. I was rooting for her and Shota from jump, so I was thrilled that both made it to the end. Less thrilled with the outcome, but I could see how Gabe just plain outcooked them and would've been fine if the story had ended there. Instead, it appears the real drama's just beginning. I wonder if this will end with the title being revoked and the Season 17 winner's slot getting filled with a giant asterisk. 

Lovely to see Tiffany again, even if it only amounted to a brief cameo.

 

[Irlandesa]

I was preparing myself for Gabe winning even though I was rooting for Dawn or Shota.  I just didn't think it would come on the heels of Cosby getting out and man, it just exhausted me. 

This is a TV show and yes, the person winning is independent of what they've done outside of the competition but it's still a privilege to be able to compete on this show.  It starts with casting and they want to make sure the people competing can bring talent, stories and even attractiveness to a certain extent. 

They probably didn't know when they filmed but they did know before it aired.  And now he gets to walk away with $250,000 in his pocket.  I'm surprised Top Chef doesn't have something in place for a situation like this.

[Lisapooh]

46 minutes ago, The Solution said:

I guess I'm a total guy because I thought she was especially beautiful on last night's show.

She definitely looks different, especially around her mouth and eyes. 
 

she was really pretty naturally. The fillers plump up fine lines and wrinkles which theoretically make you look younger/fresher. She’s just gone too far this time.
 

Kinda like what the lady that waxed my eyebrows did last week. I’ll be looking a little surprised until they fill in lol

[blixie]

Quote

I'm surprised Top Chef doesn't have something in place for a situation like this.

Right essentially like the code of conduct reason given for his firing at Comedor. If they don't have a Code of Conduct thing in place now they certainly should going forward that at least would require returning their winnings. I don't know how they could craft it but I assume professional lawyers could find a way? It's stunningly arrogant that he knew he was under investigation when he left to shoot, said nothing, and then returned and continued the behavior knowing he had 250K in the bank to face down any repercussions. The more think about it the angrier I get. 

[MerBearStare]

25 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

They probably didn't know when they filmed but they did know before it aired.  And now he gets to walk away with $250,000 in his pocket.  I'm surprised Top Chef doesn't have something in place for a situation like this.

I wonder if there's a morals clause that they could use to not pay him, after Bravo/Top Chef/Magical Elves does an investigation of their own. I think they withhold payment until after the finale airs so there's incentive not to spoil the season, so he may not have the money yet. There could also be pre-production paperwork and agreements that could trip him up.

My sister's worked in professional kitchens and the best ones have had some form of toxicity and behavior that wouldn't fly in most other professions, so the fact that Gabe, a talented and celebrated Austin chef, *got fired* for his behavior leads me to believe the accusations are true. The restaurant owners wouldn't have fired him unless they really had to.

ETA:

Quote

It's stunningly arrogant that he knew he was under investigation when he left to shoot, said nothing, and then returned and continued the behavior knowing he had 250K in the bank to face down any repercussions. The more think about it the angrier I get. 

To me, that arrogance is totally on-brand for a man who thinks he can get away with sexually harassing women and making, or at least tolerating, anti-semitic comments.

Edited July 2, 2021 by MerBearStare

[theajw]

5 hours ago, AriAu said:

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.

I realize I might be the only one to remember this foodie reality television moment, but I kept thinking about Season 3 of The Next Food Network Star when the producers had discovered that JAG lied about his military experience and inflated his resume.  I was half-expecting some sort of BSOJ announcing that Gabe had been disqualified.  Nope.  

@questionfear: The "choose your own adventure" Reddit metaphor is brilliant.  I often use the description of Reddit as a microcosm of the internet.  There are some places you should never ever go, but other spots are full of brilliant insight, and some are just damn entertaining.  

[Msample]

If the TPTB didn't have a morals clause in prior seasons, you can bet your ass there will be serious discussion of having one going forward. Like, "if you are fired/terminated from your restaurant for harassment between the time the show is taped and aired etc you forfeit any winnings and will not be eligible to appear in future seasons as a guest judge or a contestant".  As well as a more thorough vetting process. I bet Padma and  Tom are furious with the producers as they are the face of the franchise  . Will be interesting to see what happens going forward. 

If there is justice in this world, it will be that the people Gabe harassed will file suit and go after his winnings. 

[hendersonrocks]

Team Shota. That's about all I got after watching this finale and finally seeing people take the allegations against Gabe seriously. 

It doesn't matter if he seemed like a nice guy on TV. It doesn't matter if he makes a great mole. It's a pall on this entire OTHERWISE LOVELY season, and it says a lot about him that he chose to put himself in the spotlight despite alllll of what he was up to at home.

(I also thought the finale was kind of boring, truth be told.)

[AriAu]

Quote

It's stunningly arrogant that he knew he was under investigation when he left to shoot, said nothing, and then returned and continued the behavior knowing he had 250K in the bank to face down any repercussions.

Perfectly said.....and he had time to come up with an excuse/explanation/alibi, yet nothing.

Quote

As well as a more thorough vetting process.

Clearly, that is needed, but be careful what you wish for since, while this is clearly an unacceptable situation, what happens with things that appear to be less egregious. The PC police could make things uncomfortable.

Quote

I bet Padma and  Tom are furious with the producers as they are the face of the franchise

ummmm, they are producers, but, yeah, they are pissed at the Magical Elves. Tom should not be surprised-he works in the industry and knows that this behavior is pretty much commonplace.  

And no one should worry about seeing Gabe on Top Chef again....in recent years, they have only brought back the popular ones and not the "villians"....no more Ilan, Josie etc....and the less popular winners almost never appear so no Hosea, Nick Elmi etc....

 

[albarino]

As the Austin Chronicle reported late last year, on Dec. 15, the owners of Comedor, where Erales had been executive chef, announced in an email that Erales was “no longer with the restaurant due to his misconduct.”

Meh....He slept with a co-worker and then cut her hours when he returned from Top Chef.  *Shrug*.  That is for him and his family to work out.  Padma can zip it.  Her ex, Rushdi, called her incredibly stupid (or something like that).  Padma can really zip it.

Look, women have slept with their bosses for a very long time.  I would never recommend it (and it teaches those who do so about professionalism) but this is not a one way street. Hah, Erika slept with her boss for 21 years....

[biakbiak]

9 minutes ago, albarino said:

Meh....He slept with a co-worker and then cut her hours when he returned from Top Chef.  *Shrug*.  That is for him and his family to work out.  Padma can zip it.  Her ex, Rushdi, called her incredibly stupid (or something like that).  Padma can really zip it.

The affair is one that he currently admits to there are many more other stories and a full tip line. As for Padma that says much more about Rushdie than her.

Edited July 2, 2021 by biakbiak

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

 Padma can zip it.  Her ex, Rushdi, called her incredibly stupid (or something like that).  Padma can really zip it.

What in the actual %*$&@ is this. Did I wake up in 1950? (Also, it's Rushdie.)

Keep reading. This isn't just about Gabe sleeping with a staff member.

[albarino]

1 minute ago, hendersonrocks said:

What in the actual %*$&@ is this. Did I wake up in 1950? (Also, it's Rushdie.)

Thank you for the spelling correction.  I stand by my statements about Gabe and Padma.  I'll pay attention when he is charged with rape.  Until then, shrug.  This is the food service industry in Austin, not Hollywood.  Cancel Carl, you have a new meme.

[albarino]

45 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

As for Padma that says much more about Rushdie than her.

I disagree.  I'd like to know who she slept with to get this gig.  She really isn't very good.

Edited July 2, 2021 by albarino
added comment

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I'll pay attention when he is charged with rape.  Until then, shrug.

This pretty much says it all, sadly.

[Heathrowe]

I will just say-I am sad it wasn't Shota as Top Chef, and I hope someone gives him his own show if that's what he wants. Amazing chef and totally charming on tv. 

I too was kind of mad at Dawn for blowing it. I felt bad for Jamie, who seemed like she was working harder, under less organized instruction than everyone else.  Not fair to Jamie. I thought this was really Dawn's to lose, and she lost it fair and square. She seems like a tremendous cook with great instincts but I wonder what the service is like at her restaurant? Is everything disorganized and missing elements in real life or just on this show? I just read a nice interview with her in the LA Times where she talks about how hard it was for her flaws to be put out there on TV - I really like her as a human. But this episode was so frustrating as a Dawn fan.

Gabe's food did look good. I am bummed after such a nice season to have it end with a controversy. That stinks. 

[dleighg]

6 minutes ago, Heathrowe said:

I wonder what the service is like at her restaurant? Is everything disorganized and missing elements in real life or just on this show?

I would guess that the "system" is worked out, since presumably she and the team have made the dishes many times before. Here, she's doing it for the first time, and she obviously is terrible as estimating how long each step will take.

[Bastet]

4 minutes ago, Heathrowe said:

She seems like a tremendous cook with great instincts but I wonder what the service is like at her restaurant? Is everything disorganized and missing elements in real life or just on this show?

I would be very surprised if it's a problem in the restaurant; there, the dishes were fully conceptualized and tested long ago, not something she came up with on the fly, and while the food needs to come out in a timely fashion, she's not held to a specific countdown (and she has a second set of eyes making sure what goes out is right).  Even with the specific countdown, she usually could have made it with just one extra minute.  So I think it's very much a timed competition problem for her, but something she's able to make work in real life.

[Chicago Redshirt]

15 minutes ago, albarino said:

I'll pay attention when he is charged with rape.  Until then, shrug.  This is the food service industry in Austin, not Hollywood.  Cancel Carl, you have a new meme.

People's mileage may vary, but there's a lot of area between criminal charges of rape and consensually hooking up with a co-worker that would still IMO be problematic and potentially worth stripping him of the title/making him persona non grata in the Top Chef world.

If all he did is what he seemingly admitted to (having a consensual affair with a co-worker and then cutting the co-worker's hours for performance related reasons), that's not IMO worth further.

However, if it turns out that he did cut her hours in retaliation, or if the affair wasn't so consensual, or if there were harsher forms of retaliation alleged, or any number of things, we're in a different ballpark.

[Rai]

There seems to be a pretty clear line between the end of the affair with Gabe's coworker and then Gabe cutting her hours. From the outside, it looks like retaliation. I can't speak for Texas harassment laws, but that's totally illegal in New York.

I am okay with "cancelling" profoundly crappy people. A good-looking, talented, and charming guy like Gabe is going to do all right in this world, with or without getting to retain his title. I would find it interesting if they did strip him of his honors, but I can't think of a reality show that's ever done that.

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, Rai said:

but I can't think of a reality show that's ever done that.

Ellen’s Design Challenge did because the winning piece was basically a copy of someone else’s design. 

[Macbeth]

2 hours ago, worleybird said:

Bravo should have done what RuPaul did a few seasons ago when allegations about Cherry Pie came out. Put a disclaimer at the beginning of the show. Say that because of all the hard work the other contestants did, continue to air the show. Minimize the talking heads of the cheftestant in question. And declare him ineligible for the win.

That's exactly what they should have done.  TC looks like assholes now.  There attitude is "We are fine naming a sexual predator Top Chef."  

No other way to put it.  Gabe even got the nice guy edit - well after he was fired from his restaurant.

They will not address this in the press in any way.  But their silence means collusion as far as I am concerned.  And I am done with TC going forward. 

[rina9294]

I'm looking at this as either he had an affair and the person wasn't performing but he kept her on anyway or they were performing and he cut her hours when things fells apart. Either way he was her boss and slept with her and that is wrong. Using your position in the workplace to influence someone else's job is unethical and worth being fired for. Food wise I was fine with any of them winning, I just wouldn't eat at Gabe's restaurant knowing this.

[The Solution]

10 minutes ago, rina9294 said:

I'm looking at this as either he had an affair and the person wasn't performing but he kept her on anyway or they were performing and he cut her hours when things fells apart. Either way he was her boss and slept with her and that is wrong. Using your position in the workplace to influence someone else's job is unethical and worth being fired for. Food wise I was fine with any of them winning, I just wouldn't eat at Gabe's restaurant knowing this.

This is why you don't have affairs with your employees. That, and it's an abuse of power even in the best of circumstances.

 

[Leeds]

1 hour ago, albarino said:

As the Austin Chronicle reported late last year, on Dec. 15, the owners of Comedor, where Erales had been executive chef, announced in an email that Erales was “no longer with the restaurant due to his misconduct.”

Meh....He slept with a co-worker and then cut her hours when he returned from Top Chef.  *Shrug*.  That is for him and his family to work out.  Padma can zip it.  Her ex, Rushdi, called her incredibly stupid (or something like that).  Padma can really zip it.

Look, women have slept with their bosses for a very long time.  I would never recommend it (and it teaches those who do so about professionalism) but this is not a one way street. Hah, Erika slept with her boss for 21 years....

I've no idea who Erika is, or who you are for that matter.  But I hope Erika sought and was able to get help.  You too.

[catrice2]

19 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. 

Ha!  Nah....they will still be on here complaining about Gabe saying he was Mexican American.   I never really thought Dawn was going to win, but like you would have been happy with any of them.  As I have said previously, winning is not always an indicator that you will be the most successful.  I was good to see Maria and Byron again