S01.E01: Richard Blais vs. Marcel Vigneron

[FormerMod-a1]

Richard Blais (Top Chef Chicago runner- up and Top Chef All-Stars winner) vs. Marcel Vigneron (Top Chef Season 2 runner up)

[Lablover27]

I can't wait.  This Wednesday right?  I love all the new trailers. 

[Julia]

1. Did Richard seriously just say that burgers are iconic because they're on his menu?

2. Did Richard seriously just say that australians, canadians and austrians don't understand chopped meat?

3. It's kind of impressive that Richard managed to trash talk Marcel about not acting like a dick.

4. He seems like a perfectly nice man, but it feels like it must violate some law of physics or other that something doesn't rush in to fill the gravitas vacuum of Curtis Stone.

5. Marcel's impulse control is kind of impressive, at least in comparative terms.

6. I can't begin to imagine how either Gail or Richard kept a straight face talking about his constant self deprecation.

[cooksdelight]

I got jaded right off the bat with this episode when I saw Marcel run to the pantry and pick up a wooden tray of ingredients. Which were obviously pre-set. Then we have the flip/flop/tie-breaker vote for the first round. Richard, round one. Marcel round two. Each losing to the other's challenge.

And watching Blais' facial expressions almost made me run for the porcelain god. Someone needs to come up with bumper stickers of his expressions and sell them on Amazon or eBay before he can copyright his "looks." He looked like he was constipated or something.

Is it going to be this way each week? Please... no.

Then, we're heading into the DUEL. OMG. OMG. The suspense. Not.

Curtis Stone is the only thing that makes me keep watching. And my friend Homaro Cantu as a judge tonight. :)

This was just a strange show, for me. And the winners come back for one big smash-bang finale. Alrighty, then! Please don't drag it out into a series of episodes.

Without being able to taste anything, visually I liked Marcel's dishes. Blais' constant woe-is-me makes me hate him to death. Either you are a good chef and confident in your food, or you need to find another career. People who constantly throw themselves a pity party are in desperate need of a pat on the head every day of their lives, in my opinion. There aren't enough trophies or prizes in the world to make Blais feel he's good enough to be breathing air.

In previews, it looks like Mike Isabela has gained 200 lbs. I hope he's OK.

[car54]

Does Marcel have some new thing he's promoting? I've seen him on a lot of talk shows recently.    I feel like he is outgrowing his natural tendency to annoy.   

Most of his food feels like trick food that is there for effect, and it is interesting but I rarely want to eat it.    That burger would have been a horrible mess to eat.
 

Andy Cohen is running a gif of Richard making faces on WWHL.

I didn't hate it but I do dislike them consistently trying to fake us out about the voting before the break so the winner is a surprise.

I have a feeling that there is some agreement that each returning chef wins at least once so they make at least $10,000 for their trouble.

 

Richard won with Pop Rocks?

[PamB]

Personally, I really enjoyed it. Of course I am a Richard Blais fan through and through and not a Marcel fan at all. So I'm sure that colored my perception of the show. I will have to agree that Richard's facial expressions were a bit bizarre. But I truly enjoyed the format of the show and also the cooking. And I like the idea that they are going to have a face-off of all the winners for the finale. I like the concept. One thing that I did not like and seemed to be a bit set up was the fact that each won the other's specialty. I call a bit of BS on that. Overall, an interesting premiere episode.

[roctavia]

Aww... I kind of wanted Marcel to win for once. I know he can be insufferable... but Richard is just as, if not more irritating. Love Gail's line about self-deprecating... so spot on.

 

In the 'duel' I definitely thought Marcel's dishes looked more interesting.. and while we can't actually taste the food, and who knows what was edited.. the comments seemed to sound like Marcel's first 2 courses were better. Was Richards dessert really that good? I mean, I do agree that chocolate is always a winner... and the second course was a blind tasting... but his pasta looked like vomit.

 

The first two round are interesting, especially since they don't matter as far as winning.. just a monetary prize. I am glad that Marcel beat Richard at the burger challenge though...  especially since I don't know what's so inventive about a bacon cheeseburger cut in half... the ketchup wasn't that thrilling.

 

This is going to be an interesting series...

[The Solution]

Boo. I freaking love Marcel. Why won't you let him win, just once, Evil Top Chef gods?

 

I liked Marcel the first time around and think he seems like he'd be even cooler to hang around with now that he's matured some.

[wovenloaf]

Ugh this show is soooo boring. 

 

I've always liked Richard. He does seem to have a much bigger ego than he used to. But I still generally like him. And there are certainly way more hateable people out there. 

 

Marcel seems significantly less obnoxious than he used to. 

 

But still....SO BORING. This "duel" concept is terrible and uninteresting. 

[mlp]

I don't dislike Richard Blais at all except for the whining so I would have been rooting for him if he'd been cooking against someone I can't stand like Mike Isabella.  However, I love Marcel and I really wanted him to win.  I had the opportunity to meet him last year and chat with him for about 10 minutes.  He was very nice and personable, not arrogant at all.  And he's darling in person.  He has beautiful eyes.  Just for the record, I like Spike too. 

 

Obviously, I couldn't taste the food but, based on what I could see, I would have given the first two courses to Marcel and dessert to Richard.

[buttersister]

You know at what level Blais needs to STFU? I wanted fucking Marcel to win.

 

Ugh, there's another redemption track--the knockout? Knock off. Knock it off. Knzzzzzzzzz.

[biakbiak]

When did Marcel turn into Spike?

[Lillybee]

I even liked Marcel during his first time on Top Chef. I haven't watch since it was first on so I could be mistaken.  I thought that Marcel was bullied by people who may well have been jealous of him. For someone so young, he had achieved a lot. He was a master cook (as far as I can tell is someone a bit over a sous chef and has to know all the stations) for Joel Robuchon in Las Vegas. Robuchon was named the French chef of the century. Betty, who owned a cafe, seemed to be the one who started the Marcel hate. She was the 40ish shrew who started the Marcel hate. Marcel usually didn't respond to most of the tirades directed at him. After Betty was eliminated , Ilan, San and Elia all turned into the bullying team. Marcel lost because one of his proteins was lost and I always wondered about that since Sam, who hated him was one of his sous chefs. I think that the bullying was almost as bad as Michael Costello's on Project Runway.

[KraftEasyMac]

With every appearance Richard Blais makes on my television screen, I hate him more and more. His false sense of humility and deprecation is such horseshit. It's clear he thinks he's amazing as he's never been shy about expressing that he "should have won" his original Top Chef season over Stephanie.

 

His arrogance is oppressive, even as a television viewer. His burger comments were eyeroll worthy- Yes, I'm aware that he is the proprietor of a very successful burger restaurant, but he is NOT the be-all, end-all authority on hamburgers and his snobbery about Marcel's burger was obnoxious. And the comment that a Canadian, Australian and Austrian are less qualified to judge the quality of an American burger? GTFO. You got beat, bro. Deal with it.

 

Notice how Marcel, who has long been perceived to be one of the villains/assholes from Top Chef never once insulted what Richard cooked, yet alleged "Aw Shucks" "good guy" Richard Blais was throwing shade left and right, criticizing everything Marcel did? He is an ass. If he wins, I'm never watching Top Chef again. The fact that I have to see his homely mug, with that ridiculous hair, and those moronic facial expressions again already makes me want to remove this series from my DVR.

 

Have I mentioned that I can't stand Richard Fuckin' Blais?

[cooksdelight]

I've had a Flip burger. The Varsity makes much better hamburgers in Atlanta. Heck, a dozen other restaurants do. Richard Blais' name wasn't even hinted at in this article.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2014/05/our-top-10-burgers-in-atlanta-georgia.html

I thought he was an arrogant ass with his comments about the judges. That was an outright insult to the people who were a part of the team who invited him to be on the show.

[Julia]

With every appearance Richard Blais makes on my television screen, I hate him more and more. His false sense of humility and deprecation is such horseshit. 

 

Yeah, this? I suppose you could technically call what he does self-deprecation, but what I hear is "Aglow with the ferment of my own genius, I have decided to fling myself over a precipice and produce a dish of such glory that even I fear I cannot achieve it. And that guy, his dish is, um, rustic and stuff, and has adequate flavors, and he didn't burn anything. I fear him."

 

You know, no, he really, really doesn't. Doesn't doubt himself, and doesn't fear his opponents. It worries him that the judges might not be smart enough to appreciate how much better his food is, but he thinks it would be undiplomatic to say so.

 

Surely Gail was being sarcastic.

[Lamb18]

Again Richard cannot acknowledge someone cooked better than he did.  He must have lost because the judges aren't American!  I was hoping Marcel would win.  This episode wasn't that interesting.  I don't know if it's the format or if it was this week's contestants.  But I'll keep watching.

[riverheightsnancy]

Richard's facial movements are becoming Tourette's like. Seriously, I can hardly watch him. He should consider botox so he CAN'T move his face!  The stuff he was doing with his mouth looks like what people do who have lost teeth and their cheeks sink in. He just embodies the idea that he MUST WIN!!!!!  His angst oozes out of every pore in his face!  He has become so dour and sour that the duel wasn't even fun. I wanted Marcel to win because he does seem like an innovative chef. I will give him this, Blais did give Marcel compliments on his food and I think that says a lot because Blais is an uber perfectionist. 

 

Ok- Rooting for Shirley! (I do like Brooke though) Kristen! Kevin, Antonia (I hope that she goes far, she has always been a strong contender) 

[hammaboo]

I think the premise of each chef designing a challenge puts them at a automatic disadvantage.  You decide what the challenge is, you pre-decide what you are going to make that will be perrrrrfect and the winner.  Then you present the challenge and the other person gets the short time to be creative and come up with something on the fly, which is what TS has pretty much historically been about.  You (as the challenge creator) are almost pre-destined to lose your own challenge.

 

I am not a Blais fan, but I think I would have picked him as the winner.  Dish 1 to Marcel, Dish 2 to Blais, dessert to Blais.  The comments on Marcel's dish #2 (medicinal) made me think it was less appealing than the fact that Blais #2 was ugly, as it was meant to be a challenge about how it smelled, not looked.

[dargosmydaddy]

Forget Richard's facial expressions, was anyone else amused by the fact that Marcel repeatedly looked like a two-year-old trying to put his gloves on?

 

Aw, Marcel. I was rooting for you...

[Primetimer]

Top Chef: Duels gets a little kinky as Marcel and Blais face off in the premiere.

Read the story

[pawsodoom]

With every appearance Richard Blais makes on my television screen, I hate him more and more. His false sense of humility and deprecation is such horseshit. It's clear he thinks he's amazing as he's never been shy about expressing that he "should have won" his original Top Chef season over Stephanie.

 

This x100. I rewatched a bit of the Top Chef All-Stars marathon yesterday and he was insufferable. The way he has constantly said he "choked" and not giving Stephanie any credit whatsoever is annoying as hell.

 

I didn't watch the episode last night and if Blais was as irritating as you all say, I think I'll skip it and wait for next week.

[KraftEasyMac]

To take a short break from my blazing Blais hatred, the fuck was up with all the super dramatic slow mo cooking & plating shots? Was not a fan of that cheese factor.

 

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming: BLAIS IS A DOUCHECANOE!

[cooksdelight]

 

all the super dramatic slow mo cooking & plating shots?

 

That was weird. I think they are trying to be dramatic and some new camera person with some idea "hey, let's do this!" and it happened.

 

 

The way he has constantly said he "choked" and not giving Stephanie any credit whatsoever is annoying as hell.

 

That's the main reason I can't stand him. And he was going on and on and on last night, with the facial contortions, it was like watching someone gut a deer.

[candall]

Really?  REALLY?  Another "competition" with such obvious producer-manipulated results?

 

 

First round, ooh, so close, unexpected results in a tiebreaker.  Second round, hey, this time HE beat HIS dish.  Final round, another nailbiter, it all comes down to dessert.  Blais goes on to the finals.

 

 

Top Chef, I weep for you.

 

 

On the plus side, the rules for the final challenge were extremely creative.  Will they be able to maintain that level of creativity or fall back on gimmick judges?  Hello, Brooklyn Nine-Nine.

 

 

(P.S.  I don't understand how menthol vapor would ever enhance the flavor of food, but it tickles me that Wolfgang Puck seems to share my appreciation for Gold Bond Medicated Powder.)

Edited August 7, 2014 by candall

[cooksdelight]

 

Wolfgang Puck seems to share my appreciation for Gold Bond Medicated Powder

 

 

His comments were the best part of the show, for me. That comment, and the one about wearing a mask in the bedroom. I'd love to be a fly on the wall.

[dargosmydaddy]

 

Marcel was the runner-up to Blais in the all-stars season.

Um... no he wasn't. Didn't Marcel go out around the middle of All-Stars?

[walnutqueen]

I have an automatic response to Marcel (it involves the desire to bitchslap) that I try to ignore, as it is totally irrational.  I've never really disliked Richard, aside from his douchiness about the Stephanie win, either.  That said, I wasn't rooting for anyone and thought the competition was contrived. 

 

Anyone who makes my dinner smell of Vicks VaporRub is going home (unless I'm in my childhood bed sick with a cold & I get homemade chicken soup with that chest rub from Mom or Oma).  

 

Apparently Richard needs to spend a little more time absorbing the San Diego chill factor.   I think I remember reading that he had moved his family here, and his restaurant seems to be doing well; it must be his other 6 that are stressing him so.  Too much on his plate, perhaps? 

[Julia]

Um... no he wasn't. Didn't Marcel go out around the middle of All-Stars?

 

Early middle. He was the eliminated sous for Tiffany D in the New Orleans seafood battle.

[Ketzel]

Once I decided to ignore the whole "this is a real competition" nonsense, I found the show interesting. I can be entertained by the cooking techniques and not get caught up in the personalities or the win-lose decisions, which do seem to me to be entirely scripted. But once Isabella shows up, I'm outtathere. Just the brief glimpse of his smug face in the trailer made me slightly ill.

[pawsodoom]

Um... no he wasn't. Didn't Marcel go out around the middle of All-Stars?

 

Yep. Mike Isabella was the runner-up.

[hilaryvm]

I can't understand why Bravo would air this episode first.  Of all the upcoming contestants they've previewed, these two have to be among the two most disliked.  I basically can't stand Marcel, and this appearance didn't change anything.  Then, I didn't mind Richard until he got all sour grapes about Stephanie winning (who I loved), and his every appearance has made me like him less.  I would think they would want to start off with contestants who people really liked, at least at first, to get off to a strong start.

 

That said, it all did feel contrived.  I thought it was interesting that Gail voted for Marcel for everything. 

[Fostersmom]

I missed the very beginning, so now I'm a little confused. I saw Richard win the first round (missed the cooking or even what the dish was) and everything after that. So, are the first two rounds just for cash? What happens if one of the chefs win both of the first two rounds, does the other chef even still hold a chance at winning the last? And what do they win if they win the last? Just move on to the next round? What's the prize for winning the whole show? Obviously the first 10 minutes are pretty damn important for a new show! LOL! 

[Darian]

Then, I didn't mind Richard until he got all sour grapes about Stephanie winning (who I loved), and his every appearance has made me like him less. 

Exactly how I feel. Now I'll be likely to avoid watching anything he appears on. He was terrible last night. 

 

I've always liked Marcel, so I was glad to see him represent himself well.

 

I didn't love the show, but will stick with it since I like so many of the chefs competing. 

[Totale]

That said, it all did feel contrived.  I thought it was interesting that Gail voted for Marcel for everything. 

 

I thought nobody hated Blais more than I did.  But it looks like regardless of what the top end of production thinks the editors were having a great time making him look stupid, and between her comments and votes maybe Gail has had it up to here with his act, too.  And speaking of Gail, I'll jump in the shallow end and say she looked great on this show.  You go, girl.

[cooksdelight]

Obviously the first 10 minutes are pretty damn important for a new show! LOL!

The first two challenges are determined by the contestants themselves. Marcel challenged Richard to do a dessert. Richard won. He then challenged Marcel to do a burger, and Marcel won that one. The final challenge is put forth by the judges.

I seriously doubt anyone is going to win both of the first two rounds, this show is too predictable and set up. If it happens, I'll be very surprised and the first to say I underestimated Bravo's Magical Elves.

[roctavia]

The first two challenges are determined by the contestants themselves. Marcel challenged Richard to do a dessert. Richard won. He then challenged Marcel to do a burger, and Marcel won that one. The final challenge is put forth by the judges.

I seriously doubt anyone is going to win both of the first two rounds, this show is too predictable and set up. If it happens, I'll be very surprised and the first to say I underestimated Bravo's Magical Elves.

 

 

But... the first two challenges are for money only and have no bearing on the final outcome.. at least they aren't supposed to. The actual "duel" is the challenge put forth by the judges and that determines if you move forward or not.

So someone could win both the beginning challenges and still lose the battle. I suppose it's sort of like the quickfires in that it gives us a little more cooking to watch instead of just the main challenge. I did like that aspect of it, in that they had several challenges to meet. Just the duel part would have been boring for an hour.

[cooksdelight]

@Jjrmt, thanks for clarifying. I was sort of zoned out on Benadryl when this show started, so I didn't hear the part about the money. The money goes to their charity, correct? I think I remember Blais mentioning an aquarium.

[Totale]

Nope, they keep the cash.  I think they ran out of people willing to play these games for charities.

[cooksdelight]

I had to look it up, it was driving me crazy. On Bravo's site, they are indeed giving some money to charity, but it's by a popular online vote, nothing to do with the actual competition:

 

 

"The chefs aren't just competing in the kitchen - each week the chef with the most votes will receive $5,000 for their favorite charity!"

 

http://www.bravotv.com/top-chef-duels/vote

 

 

I knew I heard something about an aquarium! LOL  I voted 40 times for Marcel, I don't want Richard to win anything. I don't care if it is to save a whale.

[becauseIsaidso]

For some reason, when I tried to post earlier, I got a reply that I was not authorized to do so. Not quite sure what that means, but I'll try again, albeit shorter.

 

Too predictable, ridiculous facial contortions from Blais, who, along with Marcel, I am fairly ambivalent toward, not a fan, not a hater.  Maybe that;s why this opener was SO lackluster for me. The tipping point was the give-away of Blais as the winner by heaping praise on Marcel during the final judging segment...and here I'd been hoping for a fresh look...still, in all, I'll tune in next week because I don't yet know who is up for the next duel and I still have hope that things will start to be more about the cooking/dishes and MUCH less about contrived almost-drama.

[Julia]

I knew I heard something about an aquarium! LOL  I voted 40 times for Marcel, I don't want Richard to win anything. I don't care if it is to save a whale.

 

Otters :)

 

The beleaguered husband and I went to the Monterey Aquarium on our honeymoon to see the otters. And I voted for Marcel too.

[Bella]

Yeah, this place has been belching a lot this afternoon.

[Mountainair]

I thought it was alright. I lost my love for top chef a while ago but I still watch. I've always hated Richard and his faces.

I would have enjoyed the money rounds a lot better if they had done a blind judging.

[leighdear]

I totally agree with Gail that Marcel's sheer joy and enthusiasm for cooking is right there in your face. THAT is what I enjoy seeing.

 

For Dick Blais, it just comes off as another chore to be gotten through.  No discernible passion for his food, only passion for the win.  To me, that makes sad food: marinated in resignation and sautéed in obligation. 

 

Marcel has always been one of my favorites, and I'm loving the hair.  Like he's channeling his inner-Wolverine!

Edited August 7, 2014 by leighdear

[Julia]

For Dick Blais, it just comes off as another chore to be gotten through.  No discernible passion for his food, only passion for the win.  To me, that makes sad food: marinated in resignation and sautéed in obligation.

That's kind of perfect.

[cooksdelight]

I agree, a perfect assessment of DICK Blais. I'm going to call him that if I ever run across him.

[ratgirlagogo]

Without knowing either Marcel or Blais I like them both and had no real horse in the race.  I do like that this Duels show crams in a lot of actual cooking into the hour, which Top Chef Original Recipe too often doesn't.

 

I really did not understand how FRESH mint leaves in hot water  (as they would be used in say,  mint tea) would remind anyone of menthol cigarettes or mentholated shaving cream, soap, etc.  This is obviously a case of not being able to taste or smell the food through my damned Sight and Sound Only TV, but I kind of felt like Marcel got a little boned by the judges there.

Edited August 8, 2014 by ratgirlagogo

[cooksdelight]

I think Marcel had the mint aroma in mind as a "palate cleanser" for the nose. Since they were tasting his food blind, before they went on to Richard's course, the mint might have been there to serve the purpose to allow them to clear their nose before sniffing again.

I know as I was snorting with sinus issues, I would have loved to smell that.

[CorgiNarnia]

I was trying to figure out why Hubert Keller and Gordon Ramsay can open up a gourmet burger restaurant and I am completely fine with it, but when Richard Blais and Spike do the same thing, it pisses me off. I believe the reason is this: for Keller and Ramsay, this is just another in their line of specialty restaurants designed for mainstream appeal, but Blais and Spike start to act like burgers is "my thing" and no one is better at making burgers. So, I didn't think Blais had any kind of advantage in his challenge because anyone can create one amazing burger.