S20.E06: Top Chef Is No Picnic

[jpgr]

10 minutes ago, Leeds said:

Here's a quick pronunciation lesson:  "Nicoise" not "Nicoi".  Similarly, it's Anglaise" not "Anglay."  I get that everyday non-native , non-professional speakers would Americanize it, but not professional chefs.

THANK YOU!! This drives me (wal)nuts!

[blixie]

I think someone asked about why Tom's caviar was flop and it's because he put it in tomato gelee, like Judge Tom said he seemed to to over tomato-fy the whole dish instead of concentrating on the really expensive fish he blew the whole teams money on. I still really like him, he just got really short sighted. I did laugh really hard at Amar saying you wanna leave fish out over night? bro, you do you bro, which in hindsight is a bad strategy if you want your team to win, but is still funny. 

I still really thought both challenges sucked, the first was an Elimination challenge in Quickfire time frame, which yielded mediocre food at best, and the picnic challenge was supposed to be about eating with your hands. Like Amar's flan, which you absolutely can't eat with your hands, but is okay because its really good flan. Again please don't pretend it's about the brief. And even the blue team made basic stuff with expensive ingredients, and then all the judges still sat at tables with silverware like it was a tea. Bad bad challenge.

I hope we are officially done with English food culture for the season. Its okay they still have really nice old castles and countryside to exploit.

[bravofan27]

I was a little confused about how they were going to introduce the LCK chefs and it was super confusing when it came to it. I thought they did a good job trying to make it seem unbiased, though it made it more confusing.

I was pretty confused.

Dale's pastry sounded kind of ick because I hate ginger in pastry and I also hate nutmeg. The scone with tomato sounded interesting. Maybe not in the best way. 

The small part where they showed the "tea party" was completely hysterical and the best thing I've ever seen on Top Chef in my life. Amar really makes this show, he is so jovial and getting the biggest kick out of everyone. Padma looked like a giant awkward frog perched in that tiny tea table with happy Tom. I guess tea time is for small people and old white men.

Now that I'm looking at it, they all look like schlumps (my own word) on those tea chairs. They also looked kind of bored (especially Buddha). 

[dleighg]

30 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

I don't know why they intent on the reminding us she's breastfeeding

Personally I think it's impressive. It's unpleasant and takes a lot of time (yes I have personal experience, and I was just an office worker)

[dleighg]

36 minutes ago, Leeds said:

Sara could have pumped and frozen a lot of milk before leaving home, alleviating the need to pump so much while abroad.

 

But she might have lost her ability to breast feed. I say this as someone who gave up pumping and just visited my babies at lunch time and let the daycare use formula to fill in. It worked for me. So I guess she could have pumped much less while on the road to keep up her ability.

Edited April 14, 2023 by dleighg

[Leeds]

6 minutes ago, dleighg said:

But she might have lost her ability to breast feed. I say this as someone who gave up pumping and just visited my babies at lunch time and let the daycare use formula to fill in. It worked for me. So I guess she could have pumped much less while on the road to keep up her ability.

Yes (that happened to me), and I certainly didn't want to insult/offend any working mothers who have tried to work around the "how do I continue to nurse" issue.

But I didn't really think this is the forum to start the discussion about her options!  

[bravofan27]

1 hour ago, Leeds said:

 

Why are so many people suddenly cooking with walnuts?  It was never so prevalent before we learnt one of the contestants was allergic was it, Producers?

Tom (the contestant, but possibly also the judge) is a dick.  So is Buddha.

Sara could have pumped and frozen a lot of milk before leaving home, alleviating the need to pump so much while abroad.

I usually hate the human interest stuff reality shows force down our necks, but Nicole's (?) story about how any prize money would be used made me a little teary.

I agree on the walnuts. WTF? How unfriendly.

Contestant Tom and Buddha are becoming less enjoyable to watch. The competition is getting to them.

I was just at a conference RE tribal health, and the importance of promoting breastfeeding to normalize it in communities. I think it's great that it's being mentioned. It reduces stigma and helps many women feel more comfortable as well taking care of their babies while also working. I personally love it. It's a great message. 

[catrice2]

EI have no issue with breastfeeding but this is a cooking show. Normalize things in appropriate spaces. There's no reason on Earth to mention that constantly ,the same with Amar's age, or Sylvia's potatoes. If Victoire were still talking about Italian racism it would be too much. 😒 Also I wonder how Nicole and others  who cannot have kids or are trying to adopt feels  watching Sarah constantly breastfeed something she can never do as many women cannot. Let's normalize not having biased judging against female chefs, chefs with ethnic food and having challenges that are not just fluff.  The things related to a cooking show? They made a nod to it early on and it showed her dedication. Great. People do it every day and work. It is not special and is normal. Precisely why it doesn't need all these edits. 

A quick Internet search shows that picnics are pretty much the same all around the world. Sandwiches salads fruits wine cheese bread maybe cold meat unless you're doing barbecue style. Plain or fancy. This should never have been called a picnic.

I would have liked for someone to throw in a picnic drink

 

1 hour ago, catrice2 said:

not 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by catrice2

[bravofan27]

14 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

I have no issue with breastfeeding but this is a cooking show. Normalize things in appropriate spaces. There's no reason on Earth to mention that constantly the same with Amar's age, or Sylvia's potatoes. 

A quick Internet search shows that picnics are pretty much the same all around the world. Sandwiches salads fruits wine cheese bread maybe cold meat unless you're doing barbecue style. Plain or fancy. This should never have been called a picnic

 

 

I bet you are super fun at parties! LOL. :)

[catrice2]

9 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

I bet you are super fun at parties! LOL. :)

Actually I am...and stay party appropriate and leave other things for different occasions.  First to karaoke!!

[buttersister]

Anyone else think there was a lot of time spent on reaction shots of Buddha?

[Leeds]

41 minutes ago, catrice2 said:

I have no issue with breastfeeding but this is a cooking show. Normalize things in appropriate spaces. There's no reason on Earth to mention that constantly the same with Amar's age, or Sylvia's potatoes. If Victoire was still talking about Italian racism it would be too much.  Also I wonder how Nicole and othwrs  who cannot have kids or and is trying to adopt feels  watching Sarah constantly breastfeed something she can never do as many women cannot. Let's normalize not having biased judging against female chefs, chefs with ethnic food and having challenges that are not just fluff.  The things related to a cooking show? They made a nod to it early on and it showed her dedication. Great. People do it every day and work. It is not special and is normal. Precisely why it doesnt need all these edits. 

Thank you.

26 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

I bet you are super fun at parties! LOL. :)

Can you explain what you mean please?

[catrice2]

28 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Anyone else think there was a lot of time spent on reaction shots of Buddha?

Yes. And he had something on his mouth at one point. I noticed he tried to quarterback the planning. 

[Rai]

I would hope Nicole is glad that Top Chef is giving Sara support to pump like normal working moms should, and in the meantime, she's getting to build her family thanks to Top Chef's support as well. Sara's need to keep her milk going does mean she can't take a break from some kind of pump or feeding. So far, Nicole's come across as someone who's fairly sensible, and as someone who would know that Sara's needs are different from her own and not a commentary on how she'll become a parent. I commend Top Chef for showing the different ways in which these women are building their families. It's a good reflection back to viewers who all may be growing their families in any number of ways as well.

Anyway, boooo, Dale being back. I'm happy to have a villain, and he's going to be as close as we can get until Buddha spirals out, I guess. That flashback to his first season! No one will ever accuse Canadians of being nice and polite after that.

I've enjoyed Tom so far, but his hogging the budget at the most expensive food counter ever was definitely uncool, and like Buddha, he sure doesn't take criticism well. I don't mind a cheftestant going over their own personal budget and getting help from someone who didn't use all their money when it's an individual challenge. For a team challenge, everyone should get an equal budget and pool by consensus if they both want to. If you hog the budget, you better cook something that is gangbusters. (Eddie on the Kentucky season may have sunk his team by hogging the budget, but at least his dish was good!)

I will dream of Fortum and Mason until I die, I guess. What a beautiful place. I've been to Harrod's, but even that couldn't compare! Also, when I think of English picnics, I think of cold meats, bread, cheeses, ale, and savory pies. I think Buddha had a point with canapes, even if I'm enjoying rooting against him. (I mean, why not? He's going to do well if not win, so it's harmless.) If Gabri had finessed his more toward a canape style, for example, that would've been helpful for him and his team.

Lastly, the love song of Ali and Amar is charming. I'm reasonably sure I caught Ali calling Amar "habibi," which is a term of endearment. So cute! I hope someday they're not on the chopping block against each other. **looks at promo for next week** UH OH.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Rai

[carrps]

49 minutes ago, Rai said:

Lastly, the love song of Ali and Amar is charming. I'm reasonably sure I caught Ali calling Amar "habibi," which is a term of endearment.

I heard it! My dad was in the Middle East (Iran and Iraq) during WWII. He was called habibi, because it was so close to his actual name of Herb. My ears always perk up when I hear the word.

[Bastet]

1 hour ago, Rai said:

Lastly, the love song of Ali and Amar is charming. I'm reasonably sure I caught Ali calling Amar "habibi," which is a term of endearment. So cute!

Aw, damn, I missed that.  I became familiar with the term via the series Mo (Mohammed Amer's series on Netflix), but didn't pick up on that in the episode.  It's an odd thing; I don't remember specifics, but have the vague memory I at least somewhat disliked Amar on his original season, but he's not been bugging me this time.

[Ms Blue Jay]

It's funny to hear week after week that Dale is this horrible human being but to see no evidence of it.  I guess I missed the flashback to his first season, I don't remember it.

6 hours ago, Leeds said:

Tom (the contestant, but possibly also the judge) is a dick.  So is Buddha.

I don't like Tom the judge.  He could certainly deliver his messages in a better way.  I think he relishes being a jerk. I'm fine with Tom the contestant and I love Buddha so they haven't really bothered me yet.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Ms Blue Jay

[ALittleShelfish]

2 hours ago, Rai said:

Lastly, the love song of Ali and Amar is charming. I'm reasonably sure I caught Ali calling Amar "habibi," which is a term of endearment. So cute! I hope someday they're not on the chopping block against each other. **looks at promo for next week** UH OH.

Zero percent ashamed I know "habibi" from the 90Day Fiance universe (Avery and Omar, yay!) and I thought it was such a bro-mantic moment.  I'd watch a show with those two.  I mean, I know I currently am watching a show with those two, but ... you know what i mean lol

Ali's dish looked incredible and I'm the self proclaimed World's Pickiest Eater.  Unanimous vote, btw.  I am more likely to try food with a great presentation than, say, a plate of (random, any kind) fish that just looks like ...fish.  Tom's dish did not make me want to try it and I am a big fan of tomatoes.  

Oh well.  At least I got to virtually "shop" in Fortum and Mason.  It looked dreamy 😍

[Norma Desmond]

I liked Tom up until this episode but spending most of the budget on his horrible dish was so selfish. That said, Polish Potato Lady just needs to stop putting dessert items on her dishes. It's the second or third time the judges complain that her savory dish ate like a dessert.

 

 I like Nicole and the food I'd like to eat the most is hers, Sara's and Buddha's, his dessert looked great, and banoffee is love.

 

Edited to add I like Amar and his food too. I remember I wanted him to win his season so badly. I don't even remember who the winner was. There was also a great female chef that was eliminated in the semifinals - she was badass.

Edited April 15, 2023 by Norma Desmond

[dleighg]

4 hours ago, ALittleShelfish said:

Oh well.  At least I got to virtually "shop" in Fortum and Mason.  It looked dreamy

I guess I'm an outlier. So much of it looked liked packaged boxes and jars (very pretty). I know they had fresh stuff too, but that's not the overall emphasis that I could see. Did Tom buy a lot of his expensive stuff there that he could just as well have bought at Whole Foods (like fish etc)?

[oldCJ]

We got a hint of what a wanker Tom is when he took the opportunity of being on an international stage to publicly kvetch about his brother. This episode he was revealed to be the full-blown a$$ he truly is. The idea of cold ciopinno sounds vile especially with precooked shrimp.

And then to deny anyone didn’t get what they wanted because of him when he literally removed Sylwia’s chicken from the checkout counter…

What I do not understand is why did the team agree to him using so much of the budget? So many chef who have repeatedly been in the bottom and they were fine with spending nothing?

I would have expected an immediate PYKAG to the person spent 3/4 of the team budget on a crappy meal. But Silwia’s lemon posset mushy chicken muffin thing sounded bizarre and not like any su boregi I have ever heard of.

I find it funny Dale with immunity served an egg sliced in half for his dishes after an egg sliced in half that sent him to LCK.

 

[Daisychain]

9 hours ago, Norma Desmond said:

Edited to add I like Amar and his food too. I remember I wanted him to win his season so badly. I don't even remember who the winner was. There was also a great female chef that was eliminated in the semifinals - she was badass.

For the life of me I couldn't recall his season.  So Google sent me to Season 13, and I'm still not sure it was his one and only season - it feels like competitors repeat a lot now on TC US.  However season 13 was that wackadoodle California season.  I only watched the first episode; Grayson from the putrid Texas season melted down over making an average meatball with red sauce (that I could also cook with a jar of Rao's), there was the massively messy chef who left piles of garbage and dirty pans down on the floor of his workspace.  Also, Amar dissed this woman chef from Kansas who had silly flirty branding, ugh, but was the first to finish the mise-en-place race and was on the immunity-winning team.  And Amar did in fact retract his previous comment to his credit.  There was that I don't know what Philip Frankland Lee.  That guy.  It's all coming back to me now - the Palm Springs thing when he plated under a tablecloth?  BUT, good times - Karen Akunowicz (sp?) and Isaac Toups.  Such lovely chefs.

Oh sorry, and I think the other woman badass chef was Marjorie Meek ____? She was christened Top Baker IIRC.  She was associated with Mike Isabella unforch but hopefully has landed on her feet.  She had very positive energy.

 

[susannot]

I was disappointed that we didn't get the chefs cook inside Highclere Castle.  My husband has seen pictures of the kitchen and says it's awe-inspiring.

[catrice2]

10 minutes ago, susannot said:

I was disappointed that we didn't get the chefs cook inside Highclere Castle.  My husband has seen pictures of the kitchen and says it's awe-inspiring.

I thought they cooked somewhere else and bought the food there but I wonder if they were allowed to spend any time in the house?

[Norma Desmond]

2 hours ago, Daisychain said:

Oh sorry, and I think the other woman badass chef was Marjorie Meek ____? She was christened Top Baker IIRC.  She was associated with Mike Isabella unforch but hopefully has landed on her feet.  She had very positive energy.

Yes, that's her, Marjorie!!  I ended up rooting for her, though I wasn't crazy about her in the beginning - just like Kentucky Sara in her season.

[ProudMary]

2 hours ago, Daisychain said:

For the life of me I couldn't recall his season.  So Google sent me to Season 13, and I'm still not sure it was his one and only season - it feels like competitors repeat a lot now on TC US.

I loved Amar from his competition season and was very happy to learn that he was coming back to compete in this International All-Stars season. He did return to Top Chef after his first competition, but as a judge. It was during the Covid lockdown season where all cast, crew and judges were in their own bubble, and several noted former TC cheftestants agreed to remain in the bubble to judge multiple rounds. Amar further endeared himself to me that season when he actually licked one of the plates they were served because he thought the sauce was so delicious. 😄

[susannot]

Yes, Amar was the runner-up to Jeremy Ford in Top Chef 13.  To my mind, I think he was a forgettable winner but I guess he has done well since the show aired in 2015.

[Norma Desmond]

Yes, Jeremy. Ugh. One of the worst winners along with that guy Nick that inexplicably beat Nina.

[ProudMary]

28 minutes ago, susannot said:

Yes, Amar was the runner-up to Jeremy Ford in Top Chef 13.  To my mind, I think he was a forgettable winner but I guess he has done well since the show aired in 2015.

That is actually the one and only Top Chef episode I've never seen over 20 seasons. For whatever reason, I couldn't watch it live and then I was spoiled that Jeremy won and decided I had no interest in watching it play out. I completely agree that he was a forgettable winner.

[Suzn]

This episode was just awful and if I didn't want to see what happens with the contestants, I would bail out.

What was the point of going to  Highclere Castle, to eat outside at picnic tables?  Also, as others have pointed out, most of the food was not picnic food.  Where was the elevated potato salad (that could have been interesting), cold fried chicken, sandwiches, hand pies, bite-size food?  It was ridiculous, hard to eat food.

Also ridiculous to allow Tom to hog the budget, especially to make something inappropriate for a picnic. Then the inexplicable dessert chicken by Slywia - WTF?

I realize that a time limit is part of the competition but when they make the time inadequate for anyone to produce their best food, it defeats the whole purpose.  One hour isn't enough time for anyone to make such a volume of food for an afternoon tea.

[bravofan27]

17 hours ago, Bastet said:

It's an odd thing; I don't remember specifics, but have the vague memory I at least somewhat disliked Amar on his original season, but he's not been bugging me this time.

According to him he's an old man now at 40 and has a baby. Because old men have newborns. LOL (40 is hardly old). He was 33 when he was on initially. I liked Amar on his initial season cuz he was this big guy but so dainty with ingredients. It was cute seeing him but these tiny herbs on a small bite with a tweezers with his huge hands.

I looked up British picnic and it's a thing-- sort of like a tea- time, taken outdoors, with lunch bites. It's fancy but casual and it seems like there are lots of eggs and mayo in stuff, along with finger sandwiches and scones (what Tom Judge said). Who knows, I'm not British.

They keep showing Amar looking giddy and delighted, and Buddha looking petulant and annoyed like something smells bad. Amar is at Disney Land. Buddha is on a hog farm.

Bodela cooking her sandwich was bad idea for lunch. Needs to be light and cold and bitey. 

The team letting German Tom spend all the money was super smart. They knew his dish was going to be terrible and they could use it against him later, which they ALL did. The silence was very intentional when Padma asked them about the budget. No one defended Tom at all-- fall dude! Nicole Gomes was the most passive aggressive about it-- she also "innocently" calls out things and tattles. Like she was the one that made sure everyone knew there was no mango compote on her scone thing. Also bitchy-- just does it with a smile. 

I think this is my first time seeing Dale, but he seems way more humble and maybe taking Prozac. LOL. He's a totally different person than the throwback. 

I'm glad Begona is gone. She totally screwed over Luciana, and was a total asshole about it in LCK. Luciana tried to collaborate when Bogona took the same protein, but Bogeona just ignored her completely. Very bitchy and Luciana looked a bit shell shocked. I felt bad for her- bullies suck, but I guess they are all over this show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 15, 2023 by bravofan27

[blixie]

 

Quote

Did Tom buy a lot of his expensive stuff there that he could just as well have bought at Whole Foods (like fish etc)?

Yes he bought fish, when he should have only bought the caviar, because his reasoning about Sylwia's chicken was she could get it at Whole Foods. Like Buddha in the family challenge he just went overly Cheffy, I really don't think his use of the budget is what sank the team so I kind of agreed with him, F&M chicken wasn't gonna fix Sylwia's dish and Amar/Ali were able to get what they needed. Both bad dishes were poor in conception and execution, but I'd say Potato's was little bit worse because of the spicy lemon pudding chicken.  Tom just needed to edit and focus on more simple prep of cioppino, although I still trying to turn a stew usually served warm into a cold/room temp dish is not a great idea. 

As much as I like Gabri, I'm still super irritated that someone who has been on the bottom so many times is still here. It's BS.

 

[ZettaK]

On 4/14/2023 at 4:43 PM, DEL901 said:

Regarding the menus for the picnic and suggestions about potato salad, fried chicken, etc., I’d expect that in an American or Canadian version. But the majority of the chefs are from outside North America and perhaps what the6 made is common for picnics in their part of the world….

Potato salad is a common dish in many European countries, as well.

[susannot]

O/T I'm sorry but I started watching Season 13 again.  It had a really strong cast.  Amar and Jeremy floated to the top in the very first episode, winning Quickfire and Elimination.

[SemiCharmedLife]

21 hours ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

It's funny to hear week after week that Dale is this horrible human being but to see no evidence of it.  I guess I missed the flashback to his first season, I don't remember it.

I don't like Tom the judge.  He could certainly deliver his messages in a better way.  I think he relishes being a jerk. I'm fine with Tom the contestant and I love Buddha so they haven't really bothered me yet.

I saw the flashback and it was cringey, but I am willing to judge Dale on his behavior this season, especially as he says his behavior was outrageous and has changed.  We've seen many chefs return as a more mature, zen version of their earlier selves (or attempt to, in some cases 😉).  I also don't blame him solely for his and May's unfortunate lack of teamwork. They were both immovable at some point.  

[gorgy]

Enough time has past where there's enough people for me to remember who is who. I'm glad the group seem to really have bonded as they were a little stiff which each other the first few episodes. This is a little different than other "All-Star" seasons, since as a viewer I'm not familiar with like 80% of them. Generally, a new season's cheftestants come in guns-a-blazin' acting like college freshmen with  their first taste of independence - just excited and roaring to go, and their energy is palpable for me as a watcher. "All-Star" season have a more been-there-done-that attitude. Seniors waiting to get on with it, but I'm more familiar with the personalities, so I'm okay with them being reserved. What am I saying? I don't know. I guess it took me a while to warm up to this group.

Team challenges plus challenge-forced food preparation limitations are more miss that hit for me, so this was a meh episode, personally. I'm not a cook by any stretch of the imagination, but even I could put some caviar on a hardboiled egg and call it a day.  Speaking of Canadian Dale, I'm not seeing what some of you are seeing. He seems like a good-natured, affable sort of fellow. Someone above called him a villain, I don't know where that is coming from exactly. If you want to see ultra-competitive, go watch Begonia during Last Chance Kitchen. 

I think last week's results really shook German Tom, so he was overcompensating this challenge. He got in his own head (where Tom Colicchio lives rent free) and wanted to prove he's good enough to be there, and that didn't work in his or his team's favor. 

Sorry to see Potato Girl pack her knives, but that dish she made was "challenging" at best. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by gorgy

[argrow]

1 hour ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

I saw the flashback and it was cringey, but I am willing to judge Dale on his behavior this season, especially as he says his behavior was outrageous and has changed.  

And let's not forget that his season aired in 2011. To put that in Top Chef timeline, when that season premiered, Top Chef just crowned Richard Blais as winner of All Stars. It was that long ago.

And as someone who watches Top Chef Canada, I don't even remember Dale being like that way his season. Just a small snippet to tell the story that editors want to tell.

Edited April 16, 2023 by argrow

[bravofan27]

6 hours ago, blixie said:

I really don't think his use of the budget is what sank the team so I kind of agreed with him, F&M chicken wasn't gonna fix Sylwia's dish and Amar/Ali were able to get what they needed. 

 

I don't think anyone felt strongly about an ingredient that they weren't able to obtain (hence German Tom taking advantage) or anyone felt their own dish suffered significantly because German Tom used most of the money for his dish. That said, it defintely made him look really bad at judge time. As others said-- if his dish was amazing, maybe the judges would be more impressed, but he took the budget, made a dish that wasn't that popular, and made him look sort of stupid to the judges. 

Or maybe I just think he's stupid. Who knows. LOL. In any case, he's not coming off as very wise and certainly not showing much leadership (which you need to be as an executive chef). Buddha has more leadership skills than German Tom. But of all these people, the most capable of running a kitchen would probably Ali, Charbel, Sara, or Nicole. They are quiet, don't need to be center of attention, focused, and handle pressure pretty well without losing it. Buddha has shown he isn't very mature, same with German Tom, and it's on the fence with Dale. Victorie seems a bit introverted/ imposter syndrome happening. 

Bodela was probably the most confident with running a kitchen-- I'm going to say Sara is right up there. Now, are they the best chefs for cooking things within the bizarre confines of a cooking reality show? Not sure. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by bravofan27

[Leeds]

8 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

According to him he's an old man now at 40 and has a baby. Because old men have newborns. LOL (40 is hardly old).

 

(40 is hardly old)  Unless you're a first-time mom with a newborn needing to go back to work after twelve unpaid weeks because your insurance (if you are lucky enough to have it) doesn't cover maternity leave and the govt doesn't give a sh#t. (Sorry.)

9 hours ago, Suzn said:

 

What was the point of going to  Highclere Castle, to eat outside at picnic tables?  Also, as others have pointed out, most of the food was not picnic food.  Where was the elevated potato salad (that could have been interesting), cold fried chicken, sandwiches, hand pies, bite-size food?  It was ridiculous, hard to eat food.

 

I'm pretty sure that a picnic traditionally involves eating outside. 

 

Edited April 16, 2023 by Leeds

[bravofan27]

32 minutes ago, Leeds said:

 

I'm pretty sure that a picnic traditionally involves eating outside. 

 

Not to nit-pic (see what I did there, LOL), but aren't picnics on the ground? I feel like people should have been laying out on some plaid burberry blanket with a scenic view of something. I forced my ex-husband (when we were dating) to go on a picnic with me. I went to Whole Foods and picked up a bunch of different items from the cold and hot bars, grabbed some sleeping blankets, and we set up shop next to some lake. It was very sweet. A little uncomfortable though. Definitely prefer a restaurant these days -as I'm as old as Amar and cranky- unless there is some scenic spot that my family/partner would be hankering to enjoy. 

Edited April 16, 2023 by bravofan27

[Mellowyellow]

1 hour ago, argrow said:

And let's not forget that his season aired in 2011. To put that in Top Chef timeline, when that season premiered, Top Chef just crowned Richard Blais as winner of All Stars. It was that long ago.

And as someone who watches Top Chef Canada, I don't even remember Dale being like that way his season. Just a small snippet to tell the story that editors want to tell.

This is me! I was surprised by the clip. The only things I remember about Dale was that he won, he did some overachieving stuff in his finale (nothing bad, I vaguely recall he did more than what he was asked for) and that he's returned a few times as a guest judge (nothing offensive). It's really weird to me that people think he's a villain this season!

9 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

They keep showing Amar looking giddy and delighted, and Buddha looking petulant and annoyed like something smells bad. Amar is at Disney Land. Buddha is on a hog farm.

😂😂😂 Love this. Amar is very jolly I think. I remember him being a guest judge and he was always very enthusiastic and cheerful.

[Norma Desmond]

I don't think people see Dale as a villain. I certainly don't. I mean, he was unfortunate in his treatment of May, but bygones, unless he does something like that again.

 

I think german Tom stole the villain spot for now...

Edited April 16, 2023 by Norma Desmond

[Mellowyellow]

1 minute ago, Norma Desmond said:

I don't think people see Dale as a villain. I certainly don't. I mean, he was unfortunate in his treatment of May, but bygones, unless he does something like that again.

 

I think german Tom stole the villain spot for now...

See I didn't think May was a peach during that episode either so I just lumped them equally as "people who worked poorly together."

[dleighg]

6 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

I feel like people should have been laying out on some plaid burberry blanket with a scenic view of something.

a la "Emma" on the trip to Box Hill, right?

[nitrofishblue]

Sorry, but I find this group of "winners" to be extremely disappointing. No one stands out as a quality chef. Tom needs to go asap. What a selfish a##h##. Spend all the teams money on himself and end up on the bottom. Hope the chefs remember this in the future.

[FormerMod-a1]

Picnics aren't just sitting on the ground in a blanket.  Some are, of course.  But there's a reason there are picnic tables at many parks and other areas.  And picnics, even in the USA, aren't just handhelds and lemonade kind of things either.  They even make picnic baskets that carry cutlery, and plates, (some carry wine bottles, too). This example is from Walmart, even.

[carrps]

I know about those mega pick-a-nick baskets, but I've never used one. Guess I'm not fancy enough!

[catrice2]

The problem was  when they spoke about 5 star chefs making high end picnics and the photos they showed were all outside on blankets🙄

Of course there are outside picnic tables! Personally I have the fancy basket etc but I am such a germ phobe that I make everyone too nervous when we sit on the ground worried about bugs etc.   It is the table for me!!

Charbel or Ali for me. Now that I know who he is I think he is solid.

I have no issue with Dale. He and Mei are not the first team that did not work well together. 

Really hate how editing dictates how people feel. It is what I hate most about reality shows. And sadly they know what they are doing..another reason I am in and out on Top Chef.

 

[Suzn]

12 hours ago, Leeds said:

 

I'm pretty sure that a picnic traditionally involves eating outside. 

 

But what was the point of going to Highclere Castle to do it?  There was absolutely no benefit of going there. 

[dleighg]

2 minutes ago, Suzn said:

But what was the point of going to Highclere Castle to do it?  There was absolutely no benefit of going there

The only thing I can think of is to emphasize that they should elevate it to "fancy," plus the trip to the fancy-foods store.