S19.E09: Freedmen's Town

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The chefs are tasked with creating a monochromatic plant-based dish for their Quickfire Challenge; for the Elimination Challenge, the chefs are tasked with creating dishes that speak to their souls for a block party fundraiser.

Original air date: April 28, 2022

[MerBearHou]

I have never been so touched and moved by a Top Chef ever.  This is a lovely, lovely episode.  

I’m from Houston (as I’ve mentioned before - sorry for repeating!) and I will be seeking out Bethel Baptist Church and the red bricks of Freedman’s Town.  Like Dawn Burrell who also lives here, I was so unfamiliar with the incredible history.  

From Evelyn’s emotional sniffles and Tom’s comments, this will be impossible to send someone home this evening.  I’m hoping they don’t but we shall see.

Here at the end of the episode — just saw my precious friend Eileen speak as President of the Freedman’s Town Conservancy.  I was looking away from the TV so I didn’t see her introduction, but then heard Eileen’s distinctive voice and thought “wait, that’s Eileen!”  Had no idea she was going to be on Top Chef (she’s super humble) —  I’m texting her right now — must tell her how wonderful and how educational this episode was.

Edited April 29, 2022 by MerBearHou

[Bastet]

I tuned it a little late, just in time to see the chefs present their QF dishes (which I assume where to be vegetarian dishes in the assigned color); Buddha’s presentation was fantastic, but I most wanted to eat Damarr’s.

And I wanted ALL the EC food.  That was a great challenge all around, both the food and the setting.  I like that while, of course, their eye was on pleasing the judges, they also wanted to provide good food for the event, given the cause it’s raising funds for, and to do right by the family members whose dishes they were inspired by (I liked Dawn saying “That’s love” when Jae talked about her mom getting off a 20-hour flight and immediately making this dish for her).  It resulted in some true soul food, with no bad dishes.

I like that the cheftestants knew this was going to be one of the hardest Judges’ Tables; they knew they all put out fantastic food.  No top three and bottom three, just who had the best great dish and who had the least-best great dish.  I knew Jae was going to come out on top, but wasn’t sure if it would be Ashleigh or Nick going home.  If I could only eat one of those two dishes, I’d want hers.

[Nordly Beaumont]

Luke made no impression on me until he was leaving! Nice that at the end of such an emotional episode Luke left with such a positive attitude.

I love listening to Jae laugh so hard at her own jokes!

[CrazyInAlabama]

1 hour ago, MerBearHou said:

I have never been so touched and moved by a Top Chef ever.  This is a lovely, lovely episode.  

I’m from Houston (as I’ve mentioned before - sorry for repeating!) and I will be seeking out Bethel Baptist Church and the red bricks of Freedman’s Town.  Like Dawn Burrell who also lives here, I was so unfamiliar with the incredible history.  

From Evelyn’s emotional sniffles and Tom’s comments, this will be impossible to send someone home this evening.  I’m hoping they don’t but we shall see.

Here at the end of the episode — just saw my precious friend Eileen speak as President of the Freedman’s Town Conservancy.  I was looking away from the TV so I didn’t see her introduction, but then heard Eileen’s distinctive voice and thought “wait, that’s Eileen!”  Had no idea she was going to be on Top Chef (she’s super humble) —  I’m texting her right now — must tell her how wonderful and how educational this episode was.

Hearing from Eileen and all of the others tonight was so wonderful.     It was a treat to hear about the background of Freedman's Town, and Bethel Baptist Church.     Just watching this episode was so inspirational.      I wish they would have kept all of the chef's on this episode.    

[MerBearHou]

I’m really sorry Luke had to leave tonight of all nights — cooking his mom’s meatball inspired by Denmark.  That was rough, but he was so gracious.

Nice to see DaMarr smile when he won the QuickFire.  Such a nice smile.

I heard back from Eileen.  She said “the food was truly delicious” and was so pleased with how the episode showed Freedman’s Town and the church.  “I’d be honored to give you a tour soon.  It is such a special place with so much history as you just witnessed.  Love and Hugs to your family”.  We are getting together in a couple of weeks for the tour, all inspired by Top Chef of all things!

[Leeds]

I was glad to hear the explanation of hoe cakes.  Now whenever I hear it, my nasty mind won't go where it's always gone before.  (I'm not sure I've seen it written down before.)

PS:  Loved this episode.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Leeds

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, Bastet said:

And I wanted ALL the EC food.  That was a great challenge all around, both the food and the setting.

Totally agree.

This is the kind of challenge that I want to see.  This is the kind of food that I want to see.  Not challenges based on some shitty movie that's probably going to get 22% on Rotten Tomatoes or whatever and has nothing to do with food.

The show can be inspiring when it wants to be which is why it is so frustrating when it refuses to be, and worse, blames the chefs for not living up to the "challenge".

They all talk about loving Buddha's EC dish, but then they bring him up as one of the 'bottom' dishes because it's not spicy enough?  So weird.  I watch so many shows on FN and so many times white judges criticize non-white chefs for making food "too spicy" which just drives me up the fucking wall (Beat Bobby Flay, Guy's Grocery Games, etc.), and they're mad that Buddha didn't add ENOUGH?  Eyeroll. It's based on his family experience - not yours - and he's Chinese - not Thai or Mexican.  Some Chinese cultures use spice and some emphatically do not!

I liked Gail becoming emotional towards Evelyn, it humanized her.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Leeds]

Kwame's glove should have been told to pack up its ridiculousness and go.

[SemiCharmedLife]

What a great episode!  It had everything- amazing food, creativity, passion and soul!  I had really hoped the judges would not send anyone home tonight due to the fact that they said there was no bad dish and the dishes were all so personal and inspired by beloved family members.  I know I said it was Luke's time to go last week, but I was glad he left on a high note, having two good dishes this time.  I was excited by his selection of a frikadeller, as that is one of my childhood favorites and only get to eat it once a year when I travel back home and visit my "second mom."

[argrow]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

Totally agree.

This is the kind of challenge that I want to see.  This is the kind of food that I want to see.  Not challenges based on some shitty movie that's probably going to get 22% on Rotten Tomatoes or whatever and has nothing to do with food.

The show can be inspiring when it wants to be which is why it is so frustrating when it refuses to be, and worse, blames the chefs for not living up to the "challenge".

They all talk about loving Buddha's EC dish, but then they bring him up as one of the 'bottom' dishes because it's not spicy enough?  So weird.  I watch so many shows on FN and so many times white judges criticize non-white chefs for making food "too spicy" which just drives me up the fucking wall (Beat Bobby Flay, Guy's Grocery Games, etc.), and they're mad that Buddha didn't add ENOUGH?  Eyeroll. It's based on his family experience - not yours - and he's Chinese - not Thai or Mexican.  Some Chinese cultures use spice and some emphatically do not!

I liked Gail becoming emotional towards Evelyn, it humanized her.

To be fair, nasi lemak is a Malay dish, and not Chinese dish ( I think he mentioned before his mother is from Malaysia?) The sambal should have some kick to it.

Did he mention whether he cooked the rice with coconut milk? I don't recall him mentioning it and that is a major component of the dish. And now, I need to find some nasi lemak....it speaks to Buddha the same way it speaks to me. :)

[azprimadonna]

When we met Kwame's adorable ex-girlfriend on Summer House, I wondered why they had broken up after so many years together.  Seeing Kwame's black fingernails and "charm glove" tonight helped me to understand.  

[dleighg]

8 hours ago, Leeds said:

Kwame's glove should have been told to pack up its ridiculousness and go

His whole outfit was weird- from the sparkle glove to his weird outfit- the pants' waistline- which wasn't-- it sort of swooped up diagonally on one side, and the color of the pants matched the weird cuff on his right hand. Just too too.

It really was time for Luke to go. I think they only talked about Buddha for the sake of talking about him. He wasn't going anywhere, nor was Ashleigh.

[Koalagirl]

5 hours ago, azprimadonna said:

When we met Kwame's adorable ex-girlfriend on Summer House, I wondered why they had broken up after so many years together.  Seeing Kwame's black fingernails and "charm glove" tonight helped me to understand.  

I thought the same thing! Mya is so sensible and mature. 

[seacliffsal]

I was surprised that Ashleigh wasn't eliminated as it seemed like there were more negative comments about her dish throughout the episode than Luke's.  I also thought that the oyster gravy would overwhelm the taste of the crab meat.  

I continue to really like Demarr (he has been my favorite this season).  I think he doesn't have a lot of confidence (hence the downward looking and his statement that he didn't have a lot of friends/make friends easily at the beginning of the season).  I doubt that I will get anywhere near his restaurant in Illinois, but if I ever find myself up that way I would definitely try his restaurant.

[GiandujaPie]

I liked this challenge. I'm glad all of the chefs were able to conjure up something very personal to them to satisfy the challenge and everyone put out a great dish. Luke only managed to get as far as he did because he was never the worst of the week but he's always been the middle of the pack at best. His dish did look good and I would have loved to try it, but it was definitely time for him to go. I'm glad he went out so graciously and on a high note, being able to finally have a good week. 

 

[Rai]

It's so wild to me how much it seems to upset people that Kwame paints his nails. A lot of men do it. It's just not news any more. Also, I'm wearing the silver nail polish from his minicollection right now, and it's terrific. Plus, he wears the most innocuous color too. It's not like it's neon green or orange (although I wouldn't care if he did).  Much like Padma and Gail, he has fun with his fashion, and I want to see more of that in the world. Especially from dudes.

[dgpolo]

15 minutes ago, Rai said:

It's so wild to me how much it seems to upset people that Kwame paints his nails. A lot of men do it. It's just not news any more.

Absolutely! and I hate that 'girlish' is used as an insult.

[CrazyInAlabama]

12 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

I’m really sorry Luke had to leave tonight of all nights — cooking his mom’s meatball inspired by Denmark.  That was rough, but he was so gracious.

Nice to see DaMarr smile when he won the QuickFire.  Such a nice smile.

I heard back from Eileen.  She said “the food was truly delicious” and was so pleased with how the episode showed Freedman’s Town and the church.  “I’d be honored to give you a tour soon.  It is such a special place with so much history as you just witnessed.  Love and Hugs to your family”.  We are getting together in a couple of weeks for the tour, all inspired by Top Chef of all things!

I hope you'll tell Eileen what a lovely experience I had learning about Freedmens Town, and Bethel Baptist church.    Seeing how inspired all of the chefs were was so touching.   

I was very reluctant to watch this season, but I really enjoyed seeing places the show has highlighted.     

Edited April 29, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[cameron]

19 minutes ago, Rai said:

It's so wild to me how much it seems to upset people that Kwame paints his nails. A lot of men do it. It's just not news any more. Also, I'm wearing the silver nail polish from his minicollection right now, and it's terrific. Plus, he wears the most innocuous color too. It's not like it's neon green or orange (although I wouldn't care if he did).  Much like Padma and Gail, he has fun with his fashion, and I want to see more of that in the world. Especially from dudes.

Still prefer a man with clean unpainted nails.  Don't care if a lot of men do it or not.  My own personal preference.

[MerBearHou]

38 minutes ago, CrazyInAlabama said:

I hope you'll tell Eileen what a lovely experience I had learning about Freedmens Town, and Bethel Baptist church.    Seeing how inspired all of the chefs were was so touching.   

I promise I will!  She will love hearing this from you.

[Rai]

35 minutes ago, cameron said:

Still prefer a man with clean unpainted nails.  Don't care if a lot of men do it or not.  My own personal preference.

Big difference between personal preference and ragging on a man for his own personal preferences. And since his appearance has nothing to do with how he judges on the show, I'm all in favor of letting him live his truth.

Edited April 29, 2022 by Rai

[Fukui San]

When they were gushing over every dish, I was expecting them to say “No elimination this week, next week will be double elimination”.  I’m glad they didn’t though. 

[Thumper]

3 hours ago, Koalagirl said:

I thought the same thing! Mya is so sensible and mature. 

Mya dated Kwame?   I missed that.  The one she’d been with for years?

[Ms Blue Jay]

1 hour ago, Rai said:

It's so wild to me how much it seems to upset people that Kwame paints his nails. A lot of men do it. It's just not news any more. Also, I'm wearing the silver nail polish from his minicollection right now, and it's terrific. Plus, he wears the most innocuous color too. It's not like it's neon green or orange (although I wouldn't care if he did).  Much like Padma and Gail, he has fun with his fashion, and I want to see more of that in the world. Especially from dudes.

I didn't see anyone upset.  Just lighthearted jokes!

[rlc]

When Luke was leaving, that was the happiest I've seen him on the show. Really unsure why Ashleigh is still there (or why she won last week) because I've found her to be completely underwhelming all season. There are some incredibly talented chefs this season, and most of the food last night looked incredible. 

[mlp]

5 hours ago, seacliffsal said:

I was surprised that Ashleigh wasn't eliminated as it seemed like there were more negative comments about her dish throughout the episode than Luke's.

I thought so too.  Her dish didn't sound good to me and looked worse.  She hasn't impressed me at all and I don't like her attitude.  I can't imagine she'll last much longer.

[HurricaneVal]

I thought for sure Demarr with his hoe cakes and ham hocks and greens was going to get dinged for being a little too literal with the soul food interpretation, when they were clear at the beginning that the challenge parameters didn't literally mean "make soul food."  I also wasn't sure he'd have the right amount of time to really cook the greens down, but I guess they were pretty good.  I was really confused why he only had two burners with dinky cast iron skillets so could only do six hoe cakes at a time, when Evelyn and Luke had those huge griddle/grill for their dishes.  Did Demarr just not think ahead and request the right equipment be in place?  Or was he totally committed to the whole cast iron skillet thing and truly didn't think through the process of making 100+ servings in a short amount of time.  He did very well, and he had immunity, but I was holding my breath a bit thinking he'd get in the weeds as we've seen so many times on challenges like this, but he hit his stride.

I knew Luke was going home the moment Padma told him "Welcome to the party!" in that warm/sarcastic tone at the QuickFire. 

[Koalagirl]

2 hours ago, Thumper said:

Mya dated Kwame?   I missed that.  The one she’d been with for years?

The very same Kwame!  

[PhoneCop]

56 minutes ago, HurricaneVal said:

I knew Luke was going home the moment Padma told him "Welcome to the party!" in that warm/sarcastic tone at the QuickFire. 

"Week 9! Better late than never!" 

Luke's the closest thing I had to eye candy this season, but yeah, this just wasn't his competition. Still think Buddha, Damarr, and Evelyn are the uppermost tier, but I won't be surprised if there's an upset by one of the others. 

[Lamb18]

Watching now, haven'tnread any posts. One chef was talking about cauliflower and cheese. But wouldn't be nonpartisan? Well it was Buddha, and Padma and Nyesha didn't say anything.

[Lamb18]

Dawn walks in, and seeing her I thought didn't I just see her at tribal council on Wednesday (Survivor)? But that was Drea.

[molotovcupcake]

9 hours ago, Rai said:

It's so wild to me how much it seems to upset people that Kwame paints his nails. A lot of men do it. It's just not news any more. Also, I'm wearing the silver nail polish from his minicollection right now, and it's terrific. Plus, he wears the most innocuous color too. It's not like it's neon green or orange (although I wouldn't care if he did).  Much like Padma and Gail, he has fun with his fashion, and I want to see more of that in the world. Especially from dudes.

Thanks for this. 

[Rammchick]

How lovely to see the final six chefs all be POC.  Representation is so important.

[IdEatThat]

What a great episode.  This is the Top Chef I love.  Hard to believe it’s the same show that had the cheftestants cross country skiiing and chopping ingredients out of a block of ice.   

[caitmcg]

46 minutes ago, IdEatThat said:

What a great episode.  This is the Top Chef I love.  Hard to believe it’s the same show that had the cheftestants cross country skiiing and chopping ingredients out of a block of ice.   

They also had to ride bicycles around in extreme heat for no real reason. I guess the producers have learned something in the 10 seasons since

[sharifa70]

On 4/28/2022 at 7:40 PM, CrazyInAlabama said:

I wish they would have kept all of the chef's on this episode.

I was praying to the tv “don’t send anyone home don’t send anyone home don’t send anyone home.” I understand that it’s a competition but I really wanted them to decide they all got to have another week.

Damarr during QF: “This is my happy face” made me laugh.

[Ms Blue Jay]

Demarr is coming out of his shell more or at least the editors are choosing to show it more and it's great.  Didn't he say "You'll have to wheel me out of here" when they were all eating? 😄

[South]

I’ve always loved Kwame.   Partner South and I were broken hearted for him during his season.  There was so much on his shoulders.  Now we’re thrilled whenever we see his face, and appreciate the self expression he exudes through his thoughtful words and personal style.  I ,too have ordered the silver polish.  Come to think of it, it’s been nearly 2 weeks.  Probably should check on that.   Keep it up, Kwame!

[LBS]

9 hours ago, sharifa70 said:

Damarr during QF: “This is my happy face” made me laugh.

Me too!  I think his shy body language is because he’s not used to being filmed. ( I’m extremely self conscious when someone films me so I may be biased.)  I loved this episode!  All the food looked so good.  I was skeptical of Jae’s dish when she was describing it but man did it turn out well! Luke was the right choice to go although I warmed up to him as the season progressed.  
Damarr has collard greens on his menu.  In fact everything on his menu looks fantastic.  As soon as it is outside patio weather here, I’m going and I’ll report back.

https://www.virtuerestaurant.com/menus/

 

[cameron]

4 hours ago, LBS said:

Me too!  I think his shy body language is because he’s not used to being filmed. ( I’m extremely self conscious when someone films me so I may be biased.)  I loved this episode!  All the food looked so good.  I was skeptical of Jae’s dish when she was describing it but man did it turn out well! Luke was the right choice to go although I warmed up to him as the season progressed.  
Damarr has collard greens on his menu.  In fact everything on his menu looks fantastic.  As soon as it is outside patio weather here, I’m going and I’ll report back.

https://www.virtuerestaurant.com/menus/

 

I disagree about the judges assessment of Luke's meatballs.   European meatballs (excluding Italy) have a different consistency than their american counterparts.  Tend  to be tighter and drier, but still very good.

Edited April 30, 2022 by cameron

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, cameron said:

I disagree about the judges assessment of Luke's meatballs.   European meatballs (excluding Italy) have a different consistency than their american counterparts.  Type to be tighter and dried, but still very good.

Thank you I was going to say that myself having had Northern Euro. meatballs and noticing how much different they are from Italian meatballs in consistency.  If not for feeling like Luke got a raw deal I would have felt better about this episode.  It hurt more after hearing what felt like harsher criticism for Ashleigh's dish.  My favorites keep going home.  I like Buddha, Nick and Evelyn, but with my rotten luck all of them will go home.

And it wasn't Kwame's nails that bothered me but that ridiculous glove.  Whatever "truth" he's exhibiting is IMO a little strange and seems like a clumsy attempt at making some kind of impression for attention's sake.  And I don't think there's anything wrong with saying that given how out there it was.  If someone goes on TV like that they make themselves fair game for criticism.  I liked him enough during his TC season, but have never completely understood all the Kwame love given stuff like this.

Edited April 30, 2022 by Yeah No

[dleighg]

3 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

but that ridiculous glove

and I don't think anyone can see that glove and not think of exactly one person who is no longer with us. And I'm really not sure that's a connection one wants to make.

[Rai]

I'm so happy Jae won this challenge! I don't eat seafood, so her dish wasn't necessarily the one I wanted to try the most (Evelyn's sope probably was my personal winner), but the personal connection she had and the reaction she had when she won were really heartwarming in a genuine way. Still, I was a little surprised Evelyn didn't win given how everyone was responding to her food. It looked and sounded amazing.

I'm okay with Luke leaving over Ashleigh although his dish sounded more composed (also, meatloaf and mashed potatoes are my thang). He really hasn't fulfilled the potential I expect from someone who worked at Noma for so long, and I think that expectation has been coloring the judges' perception of his food as well. Luke was a very strong candidate to go home last week, so this feels a little inevitable. I don't think Ashleigh will make it to the finals either, truth be told, but her point of view interests me more, so I want to see what else she does in her time left on the show.

Buddha, Evelyn, and Demarr now seem like the logical top three, but I wouldn't mind Jae bumping out Buddha. An Evelyn/Demarr final showdown as top two (depending on how Top Chef does the final table this year) would be pretty amazing. It's hard not to see Evelyn as one of the last finalists standing, basically.

As for the Kwame thing, his hand jewelry certainly looked heavy to wear all day, but it's not particularly out there. Kwame has said he likes to be fashion forward, and jewelry on men in Black culture especially isn't unusual. His outfit was very classic in tailoring, and the yellow accent stripe worked better than that outfit he wore in Portland with the yellow caution tape pattern. This will probably be my last weighing in for this episode, but basically, Kwame is dressing up more formally to be on the judges panel the way the other judges dress to impress. He's just going about it in a younger, more contemporary way, and he enjoys playing with fashion. I wish more celebrity men -- or even average joes -- paid that much attention to their clothing. I guess the one upside is that he's getting the same level of criticism Gail and Padma get, but that's not the kind of fashion equality I want. It's so much more fun to see someone take chances with their outfits. Even if they aren't always successful -- although he looked very sharp to me here -- it's way more interesting to see something new than, say, Tom's knit beanie from the Portland season. Now THAT was a tragedy.

 

[ProudMary]

7 hours ago, LBS said:

Me too!  I think his shy body language is because he’s not used to being filmed. ( I’m extremely self conscious when someone films me so I may be biased.)  I loved this episode!  All the food looked so good.  I was skeptical of Jae’s dish when she was describing it but man did it turn out well! Luke was the right choice to go although I warmed up to him as the season progressed.  
Damarr has collard greens on his menu.  In fact everything on his menu looks fantastic.  As soon as it is outside patio weather here, I’m going and I’ll report back.

https://www.virtuerestaurant.com/menus/

 

Wow, that menu is amazing! I want EVERYTHING in each category. I'd have to visit his restaurant about 10 nights in a row! Damarr has been my favorite cheftestant since episode 1. Seeing his menu just cements that for me.

I never even noticed Kwame's glove or his nails. Who cares? I loved him from the beginning in his first Top Chef season and I guess first impressions go a long way with me because I've always been happy to see him appear on the show since then. I love it when prominent Black men from all fields incorporate African influences into their fashion choices. I'm thinking about people like Michael B. Jordan and the late Chadwick Boseman. I put Kwame in this category too. Why does there always have to be so much judgment about how people we don't even know choose to live their lives? I just don't get it. 

[kirklandia]

7 hours ago, Rai said:

It's so much more fun to see someone take chances with their outfits.

Marcus Samuelsson never disappoints!  
And I admire Nancy Silverton as well.  I like to see a woman "of a certain age" with her own personal style. (Mine is classic PNW - mushroom brown, sky gray, enlivened with a touch of mossy green. And that tragic knit beanie is a staple in my wardrobe. Dress to blend in.)

Edited May 1, 2022 by kirklandia

[Darian]

2 hours ago, dleighg said:

and I don't think anyone can see that glove and not think of exactly one person who is no longer with us. And I'm really not sure that's a connection one wants to make.

I am one. I saw it, thought, "Good for him," tried to get better looks at it, and didn't associate it with a single silver glove (and I was born in 1961, grew up loving that person's music and was a Motown fiend, so I saw the first time he wore it and was clubbing all the time when the glove was a thing). I guess I had/have enough friends who have worn hand jewelry that covers a lot of hand so if anything I was comparing it to a some of that. Kwame seems happy with his choices. He's a great judge, very deliberate in his comments, and doesn't strike me as "look at me" (he's been compared to Blaise, who does, but I never think so because of his hair. If he likes wearing it a certain way, good for him, too).   He seems to care about the chefs and maybe it's because I read his book and came away impressed, I'm just happy if what he's wearing makes him happy.  

[sATL]

Is there a site that has the QF recipes on ? I would like to try a few of them

[Rai]

Oh yeah, I forgot to comment on the Quickfire! I enjoy the color challenges and appreciated that this time, they had the ingredients all separated out already as opposed to on season 2 when the chefs had to scramble to see what was available, and Cliff got purple but was colorblind. This setup was way more accessible. The dishes all looked amazing, but for some reason, Evelyn's really jumped out at me. It might have been the most composed plate she's done yet, and I wanted a bowl of my own immediately.

[bravofan27]