Season 21: Episode Live Chat

[Mod-Tigerkatze]

Top Chef fans, here's the episode live chat topic.

A moderator will unlock the topic in the afternoon or early evening of the day of the episode and will lock it again once the episode has finished airing on the West Coast. (If there are any members from Alaska or Hawaii who would like to have the thread open longer, please notify a moderator and we will adjust the lock-time).

As always, episodes should be discussed in their respective episode topics in between episodes.

As the overall impression of the Top Chef forum is that of a green-lit forum and last season's live chat has been officially green-lit, we trust that you'll nudge each other politely at the off-chance that an episode discussion ensues before or after an episode's airing and that you'll handle disagreements and discuss competition and contestants as respectfully as in the rest of the forum.

Thank you and happy live-posting.

[Bastet]

I almost forgot again, but just a couple of minutes in remembered it's on Wednesdays now.  Anyone else here?

[ProudMary]

I like Kristen's jumpsuit.

[Bastet]

I would have no idea what to do with hops.

[Pandora]

Between Kristen “hopping” into the quickfire challenge and faking everyone out with the start, I’d say she’s knocking it outta the park.

[ProudMary]

I've  never worked with hops, but I wonder if blanching them would remove/reduce the bitterness. I always do that with broccoli rabe, before using it in a dish.

1 minute ago, Pandora said:

Between Kristen “hopping” into the quickfire challenge and faking everyone out with the start, I’d say she’s knocking it outta the park.

I laughed hard as the chefs came rushing toward them. Kristen pushed Joe F. out of the way and said, "Run!"

[ProudMary]

A big thank you to @Mod-Tigerkatze for setting up and opening this Live Chat thread for us.

[Bastet]

"I needed to twerk.  I mean, tweak."

That made me laugh in the preview, and again tonight.

[Bastet]

I wonder if Kenny getting the one ingredient he had no idea for is going to be a disaster or he's going to knock it out of the park (or, of course, somewhere in the middle).

[ProudMary]

Wow, Manny's on fire.

[Bastet]

I'm glad Amanda's pre-dessert was loved, after the judges all crapping on a palate cleanser type dessert.

[Bastet]

I love Rasika mentioning But I'm a Cheerleader.

[Pandora]

6 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I love Rasika mentioning But I'm a Cheerleader.

I love Rasika kind of nerding out over Carla Hall too.

[Bastet]

I want all the cheese.

[NotChristine]

Now I'm craving cheese

[Straycat80]

I love Carla Hall. I love cherries and cheese. This is my favorite episode so far! 

[Bastet]

I had to pee and missed what happened with the slippery floor -- who spilled?

[ProudMary]

9 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I had to pee and missed what happened with the slippery floor -- who spilled?

Charly spilled some cream. He tried to wipe it up with a kitchen towel, but I don't think he got it all. He did announce to the other chefs to be careful in the area. Laura then slipped (didn't fall) but had a pot of melted cheese with her and some overflow fell on the floor. She tried to get there to wipe the floor, but Dan fell just ahead of her getting there.

[tljgator]

11 minutes ago, Bastet said:

what happened with the slippery floor -- who spilled?

There were two different spills -- first, Charly spilled (and didn't seem to clean it up at all), then Laura slipped in what he spilled and some of the very hot, heavy contents of what she was carrying spilled. Then Dan fell in the aftermath. All of that seems like it could've been a lot worse than it turned out.

[Bastet]

Thank you both.

[Straycat80]

22 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I had to pee and missed what happened with the slippery floor -- who spilled?

Dan slipped and fell. Someone spilled cream, I don’t know chefs names yet. 

Edited April 4, 2024 by Straycat80

[buttersister]

Where were the p.a.s to cleanup?

[ProudMary]

I've been waiting to see Michelle's. I love collards!

[Straycat80]

I feel sorry for these chefs. I live in Illinois, Wisconsin has basically the same weather, it’s got to be July judging by the corn fields. Hot, humid, dry and buggy. 

[ProudMary]

Yay Michelle!

[Straycat80]

Just now, ProudMary said:

I've been waiting to see Michelle's. I love collards!

Me too! 

[tljgator]

4 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Where were the p.a.s to cleanup?

I wondered that, too! I mean, you'd think they'd clean stuff up with haste to avoid any potential horrible outcome (and lawsuits, lol)...

[Bastet]

6 minutes ago, buttersister said:

Where were the p.a.s to cleanup?

I think they only do so afterward, not during a cook. 

3 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

I've been waiting to see Michelle's. I love collards!

Yes, other than all the potato dishes (purely personal preference; I hate potatoes), I would be all over this food, but hers was the one I'd most like to taste, so I'm glad she won.

[buttersister]

That was a dangerous situation, I’m surprised they didn’t swoop in.

[CrazyInAlabama]

I didn't like Kenny's lacy looking chip on his dish.   Michelle's looks fantastic, all of the judges love it.  I like that the judges and crowd agreed.  

I like Kristen more each week.  Three favorites Kaleenna, Michelle, and Dan.   Winner is Michelle, and I'm so happy for her, the crowd loved her dish, and so did the judges. 

Bottom three Kenny, Manny and Kevin, they are the crowds' least favorite, and also the judges.  Kenny's dish sounds awful after the judges critique it, and Kevin's does too.   Manny was a failure of time management. I love how the other contestants are consoling the bottom three.  Bye-Bye to Kenny.    

 

Edited April 4, 2024 by CrazyInAlabama

[Straycat80]

No surprise Kenny went home. He seemed nervous and not confident since the beginning. Congrats Michelle! 

[Bastet]

"I've always hated Gemini."
"I'm Gemini."
"Interesting."

Ha!

[NotChristine]

There's a Savannah?

[Seelouis]

Alisha and Kaleena seem to hate each other. 

[ProudMary]

A spice that tastes like tobacco? I think I'll  pass.

 

[Bastet]

Alisha and Kaleena are a disaster waiting to happen.

[ProudMary]

9 minutes ago, NotChristine said:

There's a Savannah?

Savannah Miller

https://www.bravotv.com/people/savannah-miller

[Straycat80]

I like Damanda. 

[Bastet]

The "seemingly similar but strikingly different" (great title) concept -- wasn’t that a challenge in another season, to make two dishes that looked the same but tasted different?

[NotChristine]

Loving Tom's cardigan

7 minutes ago, ProudMary said:

Savannah Miller

https://www.bravotv.com/people/savannah-miller

Ah, I heard the name and was picturing Kaleena's partner (who I now know is Alisha) since it wasn't ringing any bells.

 

7 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Alisha and Kaleena are a disaster waiting to happen.

Welp

Edited April 11, 2024 by NotChristine

[ProudMary]

Having your dish compared to an MRE is...not good.

[Seelouis]

Even if they had worked better together they would have been screwed. Both of their dishes were apparently terrible. 

[Ancaster]

The result was telegraphed so hard from the beginning there was no fun watching what should have been a brilliant episode.

Edited April 11, 2024 by Ancaster

[VintageJ]

I am DYING at Gail pounding on her dish. 

[bosawks]

Looks like Alisha and Kaleena got their wish about not being in the middle and treading water…..

Edited April 11, 2024 by bosawks

[ProudMary]

Rasika for another win?

Edited April 11, 2024 by ProudMary

[Seelouis]

Wow. They won’t even pretend there’s a debate about who loses. 

[VintageJ]

5 hours ago, Seelouis said:

Wow. They won’t even pretend there’s a debate about who loses. 

I know, right.  A clear losing team.  Ouch. 

Okay, my favs so far are Michelle, Rasika, Alisha and Dan. 

Edited April 11, 2024 by VintageJ

[VintageJ]

I love Rasika and am so glad she won 

[bosawks]

I can’t remember when a team was so bad they didn’t even really do a judge’s table.