S19.E09: Freedmen's Town

[Morrissey]

Wonderful episode! I think Evelyn might be one of my favourite contestants of all time. And I'm happy for Jae that she's coming into her own. 

[AriAu]

Very enjoyable episode all the way around. Interesting and visually stunning QF, no ridiculous constraints on the elimination challenge, good food and the right person went home...finally couldn't out-run the bear. For some reason, it did not get me in the "feels" like prior years (the one from All Stars at Ellis Island hit all the feels) and maybe it's because they didn't have family members show up, but still brought out the best in them. 

Quote

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

I agree that it is nice to see....but even better is that they are 5 of the 6 best cheftestants this season...still partial to Jackson over Ashleigh....and in all ways it feels genuine and appropriate since these chefs have cooked the best food and just happen to be POC. The Elves found talented chefs and they then performed!

[Leeds]

On 4/29/2022 at 8:19 AM, 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 don't think posters care about the fact that he paints his nails, rather that he comes across as a pretentious dick.

 

On 4/30/2022 at 1:57 PM, Darian said:

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.  

Who's "that person"?

[dleighg]

1 minute ago, Leeds said:

Who's "that person"?

Michael Jackson 

[dgpolo]

12 minutes ago, Leeds said:

I don't think posters care about the fact that he paints his nails, rather that he comes across as a pretentious dick.

I think that one post that expressly 'cared' about his painted nails has been removed.

[Darian]

14 hours ago, Leeds said:

I don't think posters care about the fact that he paints his nails, rather that he comes across as a pretentious dick.

 

Who's "that person"?

I obviously disagree about his personality, and yes, some posters did make comments about his painted nails (and glove)  which may have been removed. Your question has been answered so I'll leave it there.  

[Yeah No]

14 hours ago, Leeds said:

I don't think posters care about the fact that he paints his nails, rather that he comes across as a pretentious dick.

Thank you that's actually it in a nutshell for me.  Whenever I've seen him on TC since his season I've never found anything particularly to like about him as far as his personality goes, and yes he does come off rather like a pretentious dick to me.  The glove only made that impression that much worse.

[Leeds]

On 4/30/2022 at 9:32 PM, Rai said:

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.

Woo hoo, the token vegetarian challenge.

Maybe I need a new TV because to me Evelyn's soup looked like baby poop and in the "money shot" had a terrible cracked top.  And wasn't her color black not beige? 

What's "super bold" about making a soup Nyesha?  (And why are you wearing your 4 foot 6 inch grandma's Sunday dress?)

Using vegetables is actually not "really a challenge to make you kind of forget you're not eating meat", Luke.  Gosh, didn't they teach you anything during your 7,000 years at Noma?

Edited May 6, 2022 by Leeds

[lh25]

On 4/29/2022 at 12:00 PM, HurricaneVal said:

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." 

For me, it worked because while it was close to classic soul food, it was also his soul food.  

On 4/30/2022 at 1:34 PM, kirklandia said:

 (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.)

I had to laugh, you do seem to capture the PNW color scheme!

[stewedsquash]

I kept thinking that Ashleigh's dish probably would have been better received if she had put the oyster gravy (sauce?) on the bottom of the dish and a scoop of rice on top. That would have kept more distinction between the flavors and texture. 

I like Kwame, I think he is a really smart dork, but I have no idea what he was saying with in his critique of Buddha's dish: I wish the whole dish had as much depth together as it did separately (the items). I think I get what he was trying to say but just wish he had said it better. On his fashion, sure he can wear whatever he wants to wear I just think he has no fashion sense at all and he looks like a Project Runway contestant (the kind that try to be oh so edgy). Marcus Samuelson is the best at off beat dressing and Kwame just doesn't come across as at ease with his choices. 

[Leeds]

"The love in your eyes is emanating through your soul when you talk about this dish."

"I am so impressed by the use of a vegetable in a sope.  That's totally a progressive thing to do."

"It's so beautiful that you're peering on the legacy of your grandmother."

 

Does the Food Network have some kind of contractual obligation with Nyesha that forces viewers to endure this idiocy?

I don't expect the competitors/judges/guests to be Nobel Laureates, but could they at least demonstrate some basic literacy?

And then there's Demarr:

"I get to shenneck with the community."

"This is my nana, which her name is Queen."

 

[ilovebeaarthur]

On 5/8/2022 at 4:23 PM, Leeds said:

"It's so beautiful that you're peering on the legacy of your grandmother."

Why did I read “peering” as “peeing”? I would not put it past a judge to say something like that, though. 

[Captain Asshat]

I have to say that I freakin' love Evelyn, and not just because she's a hometown girl. I love her attitude, her spin on food, and just her passion. This episode is one of the few times I wish I could taste a dish!

I live about a mile from Freedmen's Town, and while the area's been heavily gentrified over the years, I absolutely love that so much love has been put into preserving the history of a number of the homes and the brick streets. The walking tour really underscored that! In the case of the brick streets, a few of them were recently discovered when the city was doing some kind of drainage maintenance. When they pulled up streets that had been laid over the brick, they discovered the brick. The Freedmen's Town Conservancy worked to preserve the bricks. Another local observation: The restaurant that served the cheftestants lunch, This is It, is an amazing local soul food restaurant that's been serving the community for years.

ETA: I literally just read the other day that one of the area homes is in danger of being demolished. The Conservancy has a fundraiser going to purchase the home and turn it into affordable housing. I hope they meet the goal, because as this episode demonstrated, that history needs to be preserved. And, no...I have no connection to the Conservancy at all. I'm just a local who hates seeing local history replaced. Also? Sorry if any of my local commentary is too off topic. I'm happy to edit it out warned to do so.

[LBS]

@Captain Asshat thank you for the local insight!!!