BBQ Brawl - General Discussion

[MerBearHou]

Sunny is the kind who laughs extra loudly at her own “jokes” that aren’t funny.  I watch the show in spite of her — I had hoped she’d be more toned down on this but so far, nope.  

[Maverick]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:38 PM, gaPeach said:

Did she go up to Bobby and take his trophy away because he won with her original group?  I thought that was weird and came across mean spirited.  Maybe its just me.

 Yes, that's exactly what she did.   Then faux-stuffed it her bra when Bobby came to take it back.   I'm not feeling this season.   Sunny is in obnoxious Beat Bobby Flay mode.   The dumb "games" they have them playing are like rejects from Worst Cooks in America.  And I'm not digging the new location.  At all.  Seeing everyone bundled up in scarves and gloves in cold, damp weather doesn't not say "summer barbecue show" to me.  It's like when The X-Files was filming in Vancouver are tried to tell me Mulder and Scully were on an investigation in some tropical locale. 

[Mondrianyone]

On 7/20/2023 at 1:38 PM, gaPeach said:

Not too sure about Sunny on this show.  Did she go up to Bobby and take his trophy away because he won with her original group?  I thought that was weird and came across mean spirited.  Maybe its just me.

It's not just you. I'm not watching this season because of her. But I can totally believe the business about the trophy, because that's how she always was on The Kitchen (which I also no longer watch because of her). In addition to being loud, obnoxious, insecure, and desperate for attention, she's also the worst sport I've ever seen, for an adult. Not surprised to read here that this season sucks.

I don't know whether the Food Network people are just not discouraging her from acting out her worst impulses or actively encouraging her to behave as she does. But maybe it's finally coming back to bite them either way.

[ShowsILoveToHate]

I’m watching tonight’s episode and my dislike of Sunny Anderson is distracting me from the actual show. I’m so glad that I’m not alone in wondering what the deal with her is! She has absolutely NO impulse control!  I have to wonder, does she ever watch herself on tv and regret her behavior? I don’t think so, otherwise she would’ve began editing herself years ago. She’s such an attention hog!  And I keep hoping that either Anne or Bobby wins. Imagine if she wins?! Yikes. lol
 

The only time I’ve ever seen her restrain herself was a recent series of Chopped episodes where they had people from the military competing. She had been in the Navy, I believe, which is why I think she chose her to be one of the judges. The funny thing is, her decorum didn’t last through the entire series of those episodes. By the last episode, her true personality was breaking through. lol 

[Guinnessgirl]

Seriously FN, Sunny is making the show unwatchable.  

[Maverick]

I think Sunny was in the Air Force.  Whichever branch it was they apparently didn't teach discipline.  

 Anne's still being bossy and they're not only hiding it they're actively pointing it out. 

[gaPeach]

Well, the right guy when home.  Actually, the other guy that served raw lobster could have gone, either one was the right elimination.  The guy that went home purposely did not BBQ, but instead, took on side vegetables and did a sucky job at that.

I knew Sunny's team was toast when the judges commented on how both of them did not do much in the team challenge and could tell they were kind of hiding to stay below the radar.  It was their undoing.

Seems this season, the good cooks are apparent much sooner in the season than normal. Not sure if that was on purpose and they picked some so-so cooks vs really talented cooks.  Like the chick that made the apple dessert.  It must have been good as all the judges loved it.

[schnauzergirl]

OK, I wasn't watching closely last night so if I'm wrong, please correct me.  Brooke asked Sunny about no beans in the rice dish and then at the tasting there are Brooke Beans.  My first reaction is that Sunny put them in just to please a judge, not because she intended to include beans.  Did I miss something?  Personally, I think that's a childish thing to do, but maybe that's just me.

[Maverick]

 Yes, she included them because of Brooke's comment.   At first she says there's no beans in dirty rice but then says something like "unless you're saying I need beans".   Brooke basically tells her I'm just asking what you're doing and it goes downhill from there.   Sunny yells at her team to go to the pantry and get beans, one guy runs over there, Anne yells at Sunny that it's cheating to have their team helping, the guy runs back without the beans because he didn't see anyone else over there and Sunny has a talking head about how if a judge asks you about beans you better put beans in there.   She was so spastic about the whole thing. 

[schnauzergirl]

36 minutes ago, Maverick said:

 Yes, she included them because of Brooke's comment.   At first she says there's no beans in dirty rice but then says something like "unless you're saying I need beans".   Brooke basically tells her I'm just asking what you're doing and it goes downhill from there.   Sunny yells at her team to go to the pantry and get beans, one guy runs over there, Anne yells at Sunny that it's cheating to have their team helping, the guy runs back without the beans because he didn't see anyone else over there and Sunny has a talking head about how if a judge asks you about beans you better put beans in there.   She was so s****** about the whole thing. 

Thanks!  Sorry/not sorry I missed that exchange.  I really do try to give Sunny the benefit of the doubt, but that's getting harder and harder.

[Mellowyellow]

I'm probably the only one here but I didn't think Sunny did anything offensive in this episode. It's TV so they expect some shenanigans but I thought she was absolutely fine. I've seen her in loud mode on Beat Bobby Flay and she was nowhere near it here.

I like this season. It's probably one of the shows I enjoy more right now, if I compare it against all the other cooking shows that are airing.

[gaPeach]

On 7/26/2023 at 7:24 PM, Mellowyellow said:

I'm probably the only one here but I didn't think Sunny did anything offensive in this episode. It's TV so they expect some shenanigans but I thought she was absolutely fine. I've seen her in loud mode on Beat Bobby Flay and she was nowhere near it here.

No, you are not the only one. I will watch anything BBQ.

I love Bobby and watching anything he is on.  But Sunny is so LOUD.  And I noticed this last episode her team is following her lead.  

[Guinnessgirl]

I love Watching Bobby as well.  I felt bad for Larissa though.  I thought she had been pretty strong up until now.

[gaPeach]

Ok we now know there are at least 3 of us watching the show.  Hi Guys!

It was obvious that Bobby was going to win the first challenge.  He has mad skills in putting flavors together.  But the 2nd challenge I thought Sonny's team had a good shot at it, that is until the judges tasted their food and saw the burnt paper on the cheesecake, I knew they were in trouble.  What thought process did she have thinking that burnt paper was a cute way to present her dessert?

And now all the teams are loud.  I attribute that to Sonny completely.

[schnauzergirl]

Larisa made a huge mistake with that paper, but I thought Chuck would be the one to go.  

[Mellowyellow]

Ok I think everyone is loud this week (except Bobby, Bobby is never loud) so I don't blame Sunny🤣

I really like the judges on this show and especially love Carson. He's a great contrast to the other two judges who are quiet. He's a very good judge considering he's not a chef. 

Haha I love this show. The food is very yummy!

[Guinnessgirl]

Waves back!

Yea the first challenge was way too easy for Bobby.  I didn't get her choice of the burnt paper either.  I just felt though that too much was put on her for that challenge, like she was basically team captain instead of Sunny.

 

For those of us who like Bobby, the latest Beat Bobby Flay was hysterical.

[MerBearHou]

I really enjoyed tonight’s Brawl — it was cool to see the 3 “old school” cooking methods and how each team figured out their cooking challenge.  Sunny was in a calmer, good leader mode and that’s the Sunny I can watch without having to hit Mute.  She only made one lame joke at Bobby’s expense — they are never, ever funny.  

Edited August 15, 2023 by MerBearHou

[Trey]

Unfortunately I missed the last bit of the show - just after Bobby got out of jail - so I missed which team won and who got sent home. Could someone let me know?

I thought this was one of the better episodes; too bad I had to miss the end.

[Salacious Kitty]

Bobby's team won. The short blonde gal from Anne's team went home. 

[MerBearHou]

Roasting the pig on the spit ended up not yielding much tender, usable pork so Anne's team had little pork to work with and it was a bit tough to chew apparently.  Christie's sliders had very little pork to slaw and bread ratio and were really lacking -- the judges could mostly just taste slaw.  Brooke commented that, even if Christie's sliders had more pork, they would have been hard to chew.  So Christie had to go.  

Edited August 15, 2023 by MerBearHou

[gaPeach]

It was apparent from the beginning that Ann's team was in trouble.  They did a galant job of preparing tasty sides but it was  not enough to offset the "not enough pork" issue since that was the challange.  The right person went home this time.

And I got to say, Sunny was very quiet this time around.  She must not have been feeling well.

The banana wrap challenge was very intersting and most of the dishes looked good.

[Maya]

Aww I liked Christie. Sorry to see her go. 

[MerBearHou]

7 minutes ago, Maya said:

Aww I liked Christie. Sorry to see her go. 

I liked her too.  I actually really like this entire group.  

[Mellowyellow]

On 8/19/2023 at 2:11 AM, MerBearHou said:

I liked her too.  I actually really like this entire group.  

The food seems especially good this season. This is only my third season watching the show but I feel like the contestants have to REALLY cook high quality food, desserts and all. 

[lgandkihei]

Is it just me or has Brooke Williamson become completely miserable?  If memory serves, I even think I kinda sorta liked her back in her Top Chef season, so I haven't always been negative towards her.  Lately though (I'm talking a few years here) she just comes off as so smug and humorless that I find it annoying just to see her face appear anywhere on my screen.  And she shows up A LOT!!

Maybe she's so super talented and magnificent in all things cheffery that she's earned the right to be so picky and critical and nasty towards everyone's food, but to me, she just comes off like a snotty bitch.  

I always assume that Carson's lines must be written for him, but whether they are or he's just truly that quick-witted, I love him and always have, even since Queer Eye.  He just seems like he'd be so much fun to hang out with.

 

[HyeChaps]

I didn't care for Brooke on Top Chef.   Now she is everywhere on Food Network.  I much prefer to see Shota and Gregory.

[schnauzergirl]

I just watched Sunday's Brawl and between Sunny's shenanigans and Brooke's critiquing every single thing, it was a long hour.  Sunny did take a chance with those green beans -- which Brooke really liked -- and I think was absolutely stunned she won that challenge.  They were my choice, too.  Right now my favorite is Dominique.

[Grizzly]

I won't miss Brian. He seemed full of himself. Glad you pushed yourself but this is a team competition at this point. Can you imagine trying to do octopus on Ann or Bobby's team? They would have shut him down pretty quick. Brooke had to come over and be a surrogate captain questioning the octopus choice. This show really demonstrates that Sunny is not quite of the same caliber as the others. She's there because she makes Bobby laugh. And then she goes and wins with green beans. SMH. 

[MerBearHou]

I'm in a different camp than some when it comes to Brooke -- I really, really like her and she's become a favorite of mine to watch.  She is immensely talented and stays very calm under pressure, it seems.  I've watched her a great deal over the years and she's just super mellow, not prone to being effusive, she speaks with a low voice and her smile is more subtle.  When it comes to these judges, Carson will always have the funny take which makes his critiques not seem biting; Rodney doesn't say as much as Brooke and I think part of that is his personality and much is producer-driven (to the judges:  you take this line, then you take this line, etc).  

[MerBearHou]

Had to agree with last night's eliminated BBQer.  I thought Ami was so strong in some of the earlier weeks, but not last night.  Gosh, Chuck has grown on me and I absolutely love him.  Earlier I thought his frequent rapping and loudness would annoy me, but he is just JOY.  

[schnauzergirl]

3 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Had to agree with last night's eliminated BBQer.  I thought Ami was so strong in some of the earlier weeks, but not last night.  Gosh, Chuck has grown on me and I absolutely love him.  Earlier I thought his frequent rapping and loudness would annoy me, but he is just JOY.  

Agree with Ami leaving.  She certainly had an off night.  I'm rooting for Dominique or Harold.  Chuck still annoys me, but much less than the earlier weeks.

[jcbrown]

I don't know the woman's name on Bobby's team, but it must be Dominique, I guess, since I think she is the only one left? I am rooting for her.

[MerBearHou]

I thought this was a fun Brawl series thanks to the terrific personalities and talents of the BBQers.  As Sunny settled into a smaller team and the wound-up energy lessened as the competition got more serious and there were fewer competitors, she really became a very good team leader and I enjoyed her so much which is a big swing for me.  Wow, she melts around Bobby Flay.  I thought the winner was a little anticlimactic because Dominique’s edit seemed very “winner”.  The camaraderie in this final episode was great to see.  Carson is the glue and I am a big fan of Brooke and Rodney.  Anne was 1000x better this season and led her team so well — she never dipped into the hyper-competitive, unpleasant mode like a season or two ago.   Anne and Sunny seemed to really, really gel with their team.  Bobby is always a little more reserved, removed, aloof as a leader so it felt like he liked his team but the bond was not the same as A&S.  I hope they do a couple of Brawls a year.  

[KayVeeTeeVee]

One Brawl in the summer is plenty for me.

 

[MerBearHou]

4 hours ago, KayVeeTeeVee said:

One Brawl in the summer is plenty for me.

 

I think you'll get your wish.  It's got to be quite an off-site production to do more than once a year.

Edited September 6, 2023 by MerBearHou

[gaPeach]

I don't know why Anne did not keep Harold.  I think she realized it was a big mistake when Bobby grabbed him.  She even looked surprised.  My guess is she thought Bobby would take his other team member back from Sunny.  She seemed resigned to the fact her team would be eliminated.  

[jcbrown]

I enjoyed this season more than I expected to, which was especially notable because I can't generally stand Sunny and Anne's often hyper-competetiveness really turns me off. They seemed toned down after the season got rolling and I think it worked well. The show also did a good job of weeding out the contestants who deserved it early in the season.

[schnauzergirl]

New series starts on July 15, 7:30 p.m.  Bobby, of course, Sunny, and Michael Voltaggio.  

[Trey]

I like Michael Voltaggio and I much prefer Sunny to Ann Burrell so it sounds like a good season of BBQ Brawl.

[schnauzergirl]

Team Michael all the way.  Both Bobby and Sunny's teams made rookie mistakes.  I recognized only one contestant, Sam who won Beachside Brawl in season #2, I think she said.

[Maya]

I don’t know if Sunny is a strong enough leader for this show. She does look really pretty though :) 

[kirklandia]

I recognized Sam Cruz right away.
I guess she wants to win all the Brawls.

Then I saw another familiar face, Elena Terry. I loved her appearance in the Wisconsin season of Top Chef.

Now I'm just waiting to see my favorite Food Network judge, Carson Kressley!

Edited July 10 by kirklandia

[Trey]

I recognize three of the contestants as having been frequent judges on Fire Masters:  Andrea Nicholson, Ray Lampe, and Hugh Mangum.  Dominique Leach, who won last season's BBQ Brawl, was also a former judge on Fire Masters.

I am rooting for Andrea and felt bad that she didn't do the seasoning so well last episode.  I hope it's all good for her for the rest of the season.

[HappyDancex2]

Si wild to see the indigenous chef guest judge from top chef on this show!!!  She has a lovely smile and energy about her.  I hope they keep her around for awhile.  My impression is that their food is relatively bland/natural because they were sticklers on top chef for the ingredients being highlighted but still in their natural state.  This should be fun.

i haven’t seen this since it’s debut season…it was bit too slow for me.  I love Carson’s energy but he just isn’t fit to be a real judge on these cooking shows.  I’ve seen him grouse at tartare, ceviche…raw stuff.  He’s a personality.

I’ve seen sunny so much on beat Bobby flay I’m used to her yelly personality.  Her cleopatra hair thing was cute LOL

[MerBearHou]

I enjoy Sunny so much when she’s not elevating her volume — which is OFTEN.  Good lord, I have to mute her a lot.  

[mlp]

I recognized Ray, Hugh, Sam, Elena and Noah right away.  I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Noah and had to Google to make sure I was right.  He was on Master Chef several seasons ago, the hick who worked in a sewer - or played one on TV.  I'm still a bit amazed that he (or anyone really) let Gordon Ramsay and company play him for a fool like that.  I want Sam and the woman with the red glasses gone so I was hoping Noah would slide this time.  Oh well.  

Michael's team looks like the one to beat so far.  I like him and Hugh so I hope they do well.

I always get a kick out of Carson.  He's a foodie and knows his stuff so I don't think having him as a judge is as weird as it might seem.

 

[Trey]

Other than the few chefs I already know I am not familiar with the rest so don't know the name of the fellow who got eliminated.

Whatever his name, that was a devastating critique of his dish.  However, twice (or thrice) baked potatoes loaded with three fats and four cheeses (also fats) sounds bad to me.  The potato would have been just saturated with fat.

[SHERMDOG]

On 7/16/2024 at 3:47 PM, mlp said:

I recognized Ray, Hugh, Sam, Elena and Noah right away.  I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I saw Noah and had to Google to make sure I was right.  He was on Master Chef several seasons ago, the hick who worked in a sewer - or played one on TV.  I'm still a bit amazed that he (or anyone really) let Gordon Ramsay and company play him for a fool like that.  I want Sam and the woman with the red glasses gone so I was hoping Noah would slide this time.  Oh well.  

Michael's team looks like the one to beat so far.  I like him and Hugh so I hope they do well.

I always get a kick out of Carson.  He's a foodie and knows his stuff so I don't think having him as a judge is as weird as it might seem.

 

LOVE me some Carson. Hes a goofball thru and thru but I feel he is a good judge and fair. But so are Brooke and the other guy. Sorry...I am not as familiar with him. Ha. But I like him. 

[mlp]

Who was eliminated last night?  I fell asleep right before the judging.

I wish Sunny would stop taunting Bobby.  It's not nearly as amusing as she seems to think it is and she's overdoing it.

I have to admit that I want to eat practically everything these people make.  The food always looks more appealing to me than most things made on Top Chef.