24 in 24: Last Chef Standing - General Discussion

[Rammchick]

43 minutes ago, janeyjay said:

Elia got a pass from me this round because she paired up with my favorite Voltaggio, Bryan. 

The Voltaggios are the living embodiment of the game Shag, Marry, Kill (they'd need to pull in a third one!) 😉, with obvious conclusions.

[Ancaster]

1 hour ago, Rammchick said:

The Voltaggios are the living embodiment of the game Shag, Marry, Kill (they'd need to pull in a third one!) 😉, with obvious conclusions.

Well the third brother has obviously already taken the role of the third possibility.

[Ellee]

2 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

Ditto — that is the ONLY reason she got a pass from me.  Can’t wait till she’s gone. I love Bryan and hope he does well in this.  

I agree with this but I have to question.  I haven’t seen her since Top Chef so she must have changed. Shouldn’t we give her a chance to see how she’s changed?

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, Ancaster said:

Well the third brother has obviously already taken the role of the third possibility.

I didn't realize there was a third brother!

[tessabq]

3 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

I didn't realize there was a third brother!

Let's not leave out their sister, the pastry chef. Some of us like options.

[barshi50]

3 hours ago, janeyjay said:

Not shocked to see that Ilan has not matured nor learned, well, anything, since he was last on my tv screen 18 years ago. Arrogant and ran right over his partner, Goggles Dude. Also not sad they lost. Buh-bye. 

Elia got a pass from me this round because she paired up with my favorite Voltaggio, Bryan. 

Giggles dude  also was on Top Chef 9 (Texas). He was a sous at the time and worked for the guy with two sets of glasses - can't remember his name, Chris, I think ( not Malibu). He was pretty far out.

[eclectcmoi]

On 4/26/2025 at 6:55 PM, Ancaster said:

I think it probably shows just how brutal it was, and not worth it for such a relatively small reward given other shows'.  And the prize money really hasn't gone up - $50,000 + $20,000 honeymoon (if I recall correctly) is now $75,000.

This!  How is the payout only $75,000? Over on Next Level Chef the winner will get $250,000 and there is no where near the talent competing on NLC as on 24 in 24!!

Edited April 29 by eclectcmoi

[mlp]

4 hours ago, eclectcmoi said:

How is the payout only $75,000?

Probably because it's just for one day's work.  Even figuring in coming early for prep and make up, it's still not multiple episodes.  And 75K is way, way better than the prize on Chopped for a similar time commitment.

I don't like the way they axe half the chefs in the first episode but I can understand why they do.  The chefs probably know that possibility exists, especially if they watched season 1, so I'm not really complaining.

I have no idea who that oddball with the goggles is but he was right and Ilan the know-it-all was wrong.  I wasn't sorry to see them both depart.

I'm rooting for Kevin Lee and Bryan Voltaggio.

[CrazyInAlabama]

6 hours ago, eclectcmoi said:

This!  How is the payout only $75,000? Over on Next Level Chef the winner will get $250,000 and there is no where near the talent competing on NLC as on 24 in 24!!

That's a lot more than the seasonal baking shows.  

[GiandujaPie]

I think they were able to get some bigger names to compete because it just a one full day commitment. The sudden elimination of half of the field is just to underscore how tough the competition is. 

I was a little surprised at who Kevin Lee chose to go up against in the first challenge and I couldn't remember where I'd seen her before. I don't watch that many episodes of Beat Bobby Flay so I knew I hadn't seen her on that. Then I remembered she was on Next Food Network Star. Not sure which season and who won that year though. 

[Westiepeach]

2 hours ago, GiandujaPie said:

I was a little surprised at who Kevin Lee chose to go up against in the first challenge and I couldn't remember where I'd seen her before. I don't watch that many episodes of Beat Bobby Flay so I knew I hadn't seen her on that. Then I remembered she was on Next Food Network Star. Not sure which season and who won that year though. 

Quick look - Season 8. Justin Warner won that year.

[Ancaster]

 

Michael Symon, please stop saying "verse" rather than versus.  I know you've heard the word before.

Surely someone in production can correct him?  Or maybe he wants to look like an ignoramus?

Edited April 30 by Ancaster

[MerBearHou]

I would add that production tell people to stop swaying when they're waiting for instructions or judging verdicts.  It drives me NUTS.  I can name a couple who are particularly egregious with this and my eyes have to look away because they CANNOT STOP SWAYING.  Yeah, yeah -- I get that it's nervous energy but it's annoying and hard to watch.  I see it on every cooking show but production has got to tell them to stand still!!!

[Ancaster]

12 minutes ago, MerBearHou said:

I would add that production tell people to stop swaying when they're waiting for instructions or judging verdicts.  It drives me NUTS.  I can name a couple who are particularly egregious with this and my eyes have to look away because they CANNOT STOP SWAYING.  Yeah, yeah -- I get that it's nervous energy but it's annoying and hard to watch.  I see it on every cooking show but production has got to tell them to stand still!!!

Don't ever watch Jeopardy!  The rockers/swayers can ruin things.

[MerBearHou]

2 minutes ago, Ancaster said:

Don't ever watch Jeopardy!  The rockers/swayers can ruin things.

Oh, yes -- I watch Jeopardy almost daily and it drives me bonkers.  Cut it out!

[meowmommy]

Every time Michael would repeat, “One, or two?” I was reminded of when you’re being fitted for glasses at the optometrist’s.

It’s blind judging, but not as blind as ToC.  After each cut, Antonia could see who was left, so the shrinking field narrowed her options for guessing who made what.  I don’t think it affected her judgment, though.

Can’t remember if last season the show swapped out judges or made the same person stay up and keep eating.  I half expected Antonia to say, when asked at the end of this round how she was, “Stuffed to the gills, Mike.”  The two team challenges at least reduced the number of plates she had to sample by four.

[Rammchick]

7 hours ago, meowmommy said:

It’s blind judging, but not as blind as ToC.  After each cut, Antonia could see who was left, so the shrinking field narrowed her options for guessing who made what.  I don’t think it affected her judgment, though.

Can’t remember if last season the show swapped out judges or made the same person stay up and keep eating.  I half expected Antonia to say, when asked at the end of this round how she was, “Stuffed to the gills, Mike.”  The two team challenges at least reduced the number of plates she had to sample by four.

I had that same thought about the narrowing field, especially as it got down to very few people.  I also wondered why they didn't at least give her some water -- nothing had to taste good by the time she was down to the last plates.

[MicheleinPhilly]

I binged the first season last weekend in about 24 hours and found it so exhausting, I'm going week to week for this one. 

Lots of familiar faces and an equal number of unfamiliar faces. With the exception of Top Chef and Chopped and Iron Chef, I don't really watch many cooking competitions so I don't have a lot of pre-conceived notions of these contestants. 

The chef who was chopped 2nd - Black female with a restaurant in Asheville that was impacted by Hurricane Helene. Was she on Chopped or Top Chef? She looked SOOO familiar to me and I couldn't place her. 

Damaris gets on my last nerve so the sooner she clocks out, the better. Although she seems to have mellowed since I've last seen her. 

Ilan has not. Surprise surprise. 🙄 Last season I was rooting for Marcel to get the boot for the first like 4 episodes based on lingering Top Chef hate, but he has actually grown up and I was pleased with his win. Ilan is still the same douchebag he was however many years ago. 

I'm thrilled they're doing blind tasting as I think certain biases definitely came into play last season given past relationships. And it already led to a *shocking* elimination in Marc Murphy. Antonia never would have eliminated him if she knew who had made what. 

[eclectcmoi]

If I'm remembering correctly, Marcel bought his mother cochlear implants with his prize money.  That won me over completely. 

[meep.meep]

3 hours ago, MicheleinPhilly said:

 

The chef who was chopped 2nd - Black female with a restaurant in Asheville that was impacted by Hurricane Helene. Was she on Chopped or Top Chef? She looked SOOO familiar to me and I couldn't place her. 

 

Ashleigh Shanti was on Top Chef the first season that Buddha won.

[MerBearHou]

Darn it, back to not-blind taste testing.

[CrazyInAlabama]

They have 10 oddball ingredients from a farmer's market, and Sawyer gets to pick 6 of them that are must use ingredients for the 3 course meals black tie dinners each chef has to cook.  They have one hour, appetizer in 20 minutes, entre in 40 minutes, and last course by the 60 minute mark.  Jet Tila is the judge.  

Remaining chefs are Damaris Phillips, Stephanie Izard, Jonathan Sawyer., Bryan Voltaggio.,  Gabe Bertacci, Nini Nguyen, Elia, Brittany Anderson,  Kevin Lee, Kathleen. (Sorry if I misspelled anyone's name).

Spoiler

The four best are:  Gabe, Sawyer, Nini and Kathleen, they go to the breakroom until the next challenge. 

Brian, Kelsey, Elia and Stephanie to to the breakroom. 

Damaris, Brittany and Kevin fight it out to stay.

Eliminated is: Brittany

Kevin's description of dried scallops that aren't back to hydrated is hysterical. 

Edited May 5 by CrazyInAlabama

[Quilt Fairy]

I suppose it's because I'm older, but I will never, never, get used to pink pork.  As far as I'm concerned, it's still "the other white meat". 

[Grizzly]

Lol, Brittany is a recovering party girl so is used to being up at all hours.

[tv echo]

'24 in 24: Last Chef Standing' Eliminations Tonight: Which Chefs Went Home in Season 2, Episodes 2 and 3?
Andrea Reiher   May 4, 2025
https://parade.com/news/24-in-24-last-chef-standing-eliminations-tonight-season-2-episodes-2-and-3 

[Rammchick]

12 hours ago, Quilt Fairy said:

I suppose it's because I'm older, but I will never, never, get used to pink pork.  As far as I'm concerned, it's still "the other white meat". 

Same.  I once had a waiter asked me how I'd like my pork chop cooked and I looked at him as though he was crazy.  I also think the texture would have to be yucky.  No thanks.  Cooked through for me.

[ShortyMac]

I haven’t watched the new season of TOC yet, so I’m not happy about 24 spoiling me with Antonia’s introduction as judge in the premiere. 😡

I’m happy she won though. But that’s annoying. 😂

[janeyjay]

I only know her from occasional sightings on FN shows and by reputation but I have a feeling that the longer she lasts in this thing, the more unravelled Damaris will become. PS: We know you're a southern chef from Kentucky. No need to mention it in every. single. talking. head. 

Sorry to see new-to-me chefs LT and Laurence go out; it's nice to see new blood, so to speak, in these big competitions. 

[Liddy52]

1 hour ago, janeyjay said:

I only know her from occasional sightings on FN shows and by reputation but I have a feeling that the longer she lasts in this thing, the more unravelled Damaris will become. PS: We know you're a southern chef from Kentucky. No need to mention it in every. single. talking. head. 

Sorry to see new-to-me chefs LT and Laurence go out; it's nice to see new blood, so to speak, in these big competitions. 

I generally enjoy Damaris on various FN shows but I have to agree that the constant talk of being a Southern chef was off-putting. And she does seem to be about to implode, though I had hoped she would do well.  

[DEL901]

9 hours ago, Liddy52 said:

I generally enjoy Damaris on various FN shows but I have to agree that the constant talk of being a Southern chef was off-putting. And she does seem to be about to implode, though I had hoped she would do well.  

It is annoying, but that’s on the show as much as Damaris.  She’s only answering producer questions, and also editors didn’t have to show it.

[MicheleinPhilly]

I'm really disappointed that they went back to not blind taste testing. I think that's a mistake and puts the lesser known chefs at a huge disadvantage. 

I don't recall this many "do well and then go to the break room for the rest of the shift" opportunities in season 1. Yes, I'm sure it is grueling and terribly exhausting, but I feel like some of these folks have been chilling in the break room for hours. Make everyone cook. Give them some other advantage or money if they do well. 

I'm sure it was delicious but I completely disagreed with Chef Tila's assessment of how Elia's dish looked. IMO, she went WAY too heavy on the carrot tops and it looked like someone just dropped a pile of weeds on top of the fish. Also she can stop mentioning that she worked for Joel Robuchon any time now. 

As soon as Laurence picked instant ramen noodles, I knew he was doomed. Dude, you have one chance to make a kick ass pasta dish and you select the noodles that cost 35 cents? 🤦‍♀️ 

I forget which chef mentioned it, but apparently if you made your own pasta, your pasta ingredients didn't count against your number. I know homemade pasta can be tricky especially if you're not familiar with it, but I'm surprised how many elected not to take advantage of this. 

They would have had to roll me out of there if I was the judge for that challenge. 

[Liddy52]

5 hours ago, DEL901 said:

It is annoying, but that’s on the show as much as Damaris.  She’s only answering producer questions, and also editors didn’t have to show it.

Good point! I did not think about it that way!! Also since I gave Kody Brown the benefit of the doubt about a similar issue yesterday (and I find him to be generally despicable), I should have done the same for Damaris  since I usually really like her. It is important to remember that the producers do influence a lot of how we feel about the participants by what they choose to show us. 

Edited May 6 by Liddy52
To add extra thoughts

[docmatt]

Quote

9 hours ago

I'm really disappointed that they went back to not blind taste testing. I think that's a mistake and puts the lesser known chefs at a huge disadvantage.

So much this. These shows are becoming a mutual admiration society for a few FN Mean Girls. If it's not blind, I think Sawyer and Izard and Bryan V and maybe Damaris if proving her cred is a priority will go all the way. 

At least that would mean Nini and her middle-aged Hello Kitty vibe would go soon.

[meep.meep]

Did they give them stools this time?  It looked like a few of them were sitting down in the workstations.

[ILuvShibaInus]

5 hours ago, docmatt said:

So much this. These shows are becoming a mutual admiration society for a few FN Mean Girls. If it's not blind, I think Sawyer and Izard and Bryan V and maybe Damaris if proving her cred is a priority will go all the way. 

At least that would mean Nini and her middle-aged Hello Kitty vibe would go soon.

Sawyer has a "redemption edit" for me and since he didn't win on that ho-hum "House of Knives," he gets another shot here. The others are not so much a "redemption" but the "I have something to prove" edit. How many times must they highlight that Bryan V was a three time loser on TC? Or Stephanie was a TC and IC winner but that was decades ago so she must show she still has it? I would not be surprised that at least 2 of the chefs mentioned here make it to the finale. 

[MicheleinPhilly]

Based on the way things are going, I fully expect the final 3 to be Voltaggio, Izard, and Sawyer. 

I would love to be wrong despite having no problem with any of them. I'm not familiar with Sawyer but his food looks delicious. 

I'd love to see someone like Kathleen or Kevin triumph. 

[tv echo]

’24 in 24: Last Chef Standing’: Michael Symon Talks TV’s Most Grueling Cooking Contest
Scott Fishman   April 25, 2025
https://www.tvinsider.com/1187235/food-network-24-in-24-last-chef-standing-michael-symon-esther-choi-streaming-max/ 

Quote

How do you reflect on the last season? Are you surprised there were 24 more wanted to participate after seeing the grueling gauntlet this was? 

Michael Symon: When I first heard about it, I was very excited because this is truly how a chef’s life is. When you’re opening a restaurant or doing all those things as a chef, that’s kind of how our lives are. Most of the chefs doing this, especially ones who have opened restaurants in their career…I always say when [my wife] Liz [Shanahan] and I opened Lola we kind of slept in the restaurant basically for three days leading into opening and it was probably an hour at a time. If there has ever been a show that really is a true look into a chef’s life, this is the show. I feel the first year was harder to find the 24 chefs because people didn’t really know what they were getting into. Then once the show was on, I literally probably got 200 texts from chefs saying, “I want in.” They all wanted to do it because they do this all the time. It was an exciting show to shoot. I think it was the highest-rated freshman show for Food Network over five years. Obviously the viewers got into it too. It was just a really fun show. Exhausting, yes, but incredibly fun. 

Take us behind the scenes. What is it like for you and Esther during the filming process? You also have the crew too. It’s like you’re going through it with them. 

For Esther and I, we’re basically up for over 30 hours because we have to get there before the chefs. Because it is real-time and the clock doesn’t stop and there’s no real stopping. It’s not like any other TV show where you may shoot a segment, there is a stop down. You shoot another segment and the same thing. There is now stop downs. You’re going the whole time. There were three separate camera crews that rotated through every eight hours. Same with sound and all those things. For Esther and I, it was over 30 hours of being awake. Even in the first season, some of the production was like, “You can take a break.” I thought if the competitors were going through it, we’re going through it. We just stayed up with them. 

What stands out in Season 2? 

I think the first year we had incredible chefs. Season 2 though, the level of chefs was insanity, we just really had an incredible lineup of chefs. That I feel helps elevate things immediately. The other thing that happened was everyone doing Season 2 had seen Season 1, so they felt they knew what would happen next. That wasn’t the case. We mixed things up. We changed things up a bit for the competitions, just so they couldn’t walk in and go, “Now I do this. Now I do this.” Predict what would happen. It made the show very unpredictable.
*  *  *
What can you tease in terms of what they will face this time around? 

We had some similar challenges, but changed the order of things. I do some things to mess with them a little bit like pull some things that you’re accustomed to having on a daily basis. Now they need to take a breath and go, “Okay, what do I need to do here?” We sat down after Season 1 and thought, “Okay, what are the worst things that happened to us in the restaurant?” We’ve had a full restaurant and the power went out, a full restaurant when the hood system goes down, full restaurant and lose gas. These are all things that have happened in our careers at one point. Then it’s about how you respond . Fortunately, Liz and I were able to figure those things out when the restaurant down the street couldn’t. One succeeds and one fails in those crunch times. So, we try to sneak those things in there that were really real life restaurant tragedies that have happened to us throughout our careers. Things that we throw at them that have never happened before in a cooking competition or studio type situation. 
*  *  *
The thing I love about a show like this is you can take the same chefs and have them go through this three times and every time you’re going to end up with a different winner. It comes down to who doesn’t have an off day, who’s not getting flustered. It’s literally that day. If you’re off that day, it’s a bad day to have an off day because there is no break in the action because it’s 24 straight hours. I think the beauty of the show is that because of its unpredictability. On paper you may think someone would make it to the final four and had a good chance at winning. Yet if they had a bad night’s sleep the day before or if they’re just off that day, it’s not going to be their day. 

Edited May 7 by tv echo

[Quilt Fairy]

On 5/6/2025 at 8:27 AM, MicheleinPhilly said:

I don't recall this many "do well and then go to the break room for the rest of the shift" opportunities in season 1.

Except for the very first challenge where 2 chefs got to choose "breakroom" it's the same as the first season.  There were a lot of multi-step challenges where early success was rewarded with the break room. 

[mlp]

I loved the first season but this one a little less.  I think they're trying too hard to be quirky and throw surprises at the chefs.  I understand what Michael Symon said in the above interview but I wish they wouldn't throw so much at them at once.  I also wish they would do blind judging.  

The only cook who annoys me is Kelsey.  She had a very high opinion of herself when she was on MC and she's even more impressed with herself now.  I hope she goes soon.

I'm still hoping that Kevin Lee and Bryan Voltaggio get to the finale.

 

[MerBearHou]

1 hour ago, mlp said:

The only cook who annoys me is Kelsey.  She had a very high opinion of herself when she was on MC and she's even more impressed with herself now.  I hope she goes soon.

I didn’t see her on MC but wow, that is sure how she comes across here.  Cannot go soon enough for me.  

The lack of blind judging irritates me so much.  

[meowmommy]

4 hours ago, MerBearHou said:

The lack of blind judging irritates me so much.  

Same here.  It’s as if the producers decided that the aufing of Marc Murphy was a sacrilege that should never be allowed to happen again.

[Ellee]

7 hours ago, meowmommy said:

Same here.  It’s as if the producers decided that the aufing of Marc Murphy was a sacrilege that should never be allowed to happen again.

Maybe I’m crazy but I’m beginning to think Marc only joins these competitions to get aufed.  I don’t know. 
 

Include me in the group that think it should be blind tasting. 

[DEL901]

7 hours ago, Ellee said:

Maybe I’m crazy but I’m beginning to think Marc only joins these competitions to get aufed.  I don’t know. 
 

Include me in the group that think it should be blind tasting. 

Hey!  His 3rd time on ToC he won one match.

I’d also prefer blind judging, however, with the timing constrictions due to the format, I don’t think they’d have time to do a blind judging. 

[Ellee]

16 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

Hey!  His 3rd time on ToC he won one match.

I’d also prefer blind judging, however, with the timing constrictions due to the format, I don’t think they’d have time to do a blind judging. 

Duh, I didn’t think of the timing constrictions. You are right. They probably couldn’t. 

[Ancaster]

40 minutes ago, DEL901 said:

I’d also prefer blind judging, however, with the timing constrictions due to the format, I don’t think they’d have time to do a blind judging. 

I don't think it would be impossible - have the judges walk to a nearby back room as the cook is beginning while the chefs are running around, have the chefs leave right before the judging (the stew room is right there), then bring them back for the results.

I wish all cooking shows were blind, but this one particularly needs it because friends are cooking for friends, and the unknown chefs are at a huge disadvantage.  I don't care how much the judges say they will be impartial, implicit bias is a thing.

[paramitch]

This show is so much fun, so I'm glad it's back.

I'm currently rooting hard for perpetual bridesmaid Bryan V., as well as Stephanie, Damaris, Kevin, and Gabe in a minor way, just because he's fun to watch (he has a sort of casual happy approach to competing that reminds me of Marc on these things, and I cracked up when he fell asleep so early).

And Elia cannot go soon enough for me. Bonus points if she crashes and burns in as humiliating a way as possible.

On 4/1/2025 at 10:27 AM, Salacious Kitty said:

Then there's the chaff like Ilan and Elia. I will never forget what those two scumbags did to Marcel. 

Neither will I. I was virulently bullied as a kid, so those TC events will always make me angry. I'll never forgive the chefs involved. Especially Elia or Ilan, who have remained unrepentant asshats ever since. Elia even doubled down in her TC return by insulting Tom C and Eric Ripert to their faces -- I loved that Ripert was so bothered by her arrogance and lack of skill that he made an entire rebuttal video. Eric Ripert -- one of the most respected, skilled, and notoriously kind chefs out there!

(I'm not a fan of Sam or Cliff either -- and have been very unhappy to see Cliff have something of a resurgence recently on FN -- like, he committed felony assault on national TV! No, I do not want to watch him in any capacity, ever.)

I am still having trouble just looking at Elia, honestly. She still just exudes this Mean-Girl snottiness and defiance. When she said she'd "hard a hard year"? That was the first time I smiled. Good. Karma works.

On 4/1/2025 at 6:30 PM, Grizzly said:

What was Marc Murphy thinking signing up for this? I don't picture him lasting too long. Will be interesting to see how everyone reacts to the conditions.

Aw, I love Marc! I know he almost never wins, but he's still so much fun to watch -- he has obvious skills, he's always visibly joyful, and I think it takes guts for him to do these kinds of competitions and test himself. I don't care if he doesn't win, I'll always enjoy seeing him on this stuff, and just hope he enjoys himself. Bonus points if he speaks French or Italian while doing it.

On 4/28/2025 at 7:26 AM, janeyjay said:

Not shocked to see that Ilan has not matured nor learned, well, anything, since he was last on my tv screen 18 years ago. Arrogant and ran right over his partner, Goggles Dude. Also not sad they lost. Buh-bye. 

It doesn't help that Ilan's resting expression is a sneer. And everything he says is also said sneeringly, for a maximum audio-visual sneer approach. Ugh.

I felt a little bad for Richie (Goggles Guy™) -- first, because he had some good ideas and all of them were shot down by Ilan, resulting in their elimination. And also because he wears the goggles so people will think he's scientific. I mean, bless his heart. I actually cringed for him.

On 5/1/2025 at 2:13 PM, eclectcmoi said:

If I'm remembering correctly, Marcel bought his mother cochlear implants with his prize money.  That won me over completely. 

He did! There's even video of it. It's really touching.

On 5/4/2025 at 6:48 PM, Quilt Fairy said:

I suppose it's because I'm older, but I will never, never, get used to pink pork.  As far as I'm concerned, it's still "the other white meat". 

I can't get used to it either. 

On 5/5/2025 at 4:05 PM, janeyjay said:

I only know her from occasional sightings on FN shows and by reputation but I have a feeling that the longer she lasts in this thing, the more unravelled Damaris will become. PS: We know you're a southern chef from Kentucky. No need to mention it in every. single. talking. head. 

I am an unabashed Damaris fan. As a misfit myself, I always love that she's a genuine goofball who is nevertheless very, very smart and skilled. I adored that she won TNFNS by being this charming airhead who surprised everyone by being able to cook like a beast. She has since made a real mark as a skilled chef and recipe creator of vegetarian food, and I've also enjoyed her as a judge on various things, because she speaks so eloquently about food and what works or doesn't work.

So I don't blame her for being visibly stressed here. This has to be scary for her, especially as I agree with her that she tends to be underestimated and underrated for her actual cooking skills (in part, because a lot of her approach is so rooted in Southern cuisine, and also because of her inherent goofiness). I would love for her to win it, but either way, I just want her to get far enough that she can feel good about taking the risk here.

On 5/6/2025 at 3:21 AM, DEL901 said:

It is annoying, but that’s on the show as much as Damaris.  She’s only answering producer questions, and also editors didn’t have to show it.

Yeah, this -- the producers love to hammer those character arcs. I would also add that when Damaris talks about her POV, she is articulate about it and I like that she discusses what she wants to say about her style of cooking and what she wants it to say.

On 5/6/2025 at 6:27 AM, MicheleinPhilly said:

I'm sure it was delicious but I completely disagreed with Chef Tila's assessment of how Elia's dish looked. IMO, she went WAY too heavy on the carrot tops and it looked like someone just dropped a pile of weeds on top of the fish. Also she can stop mentioning that she worked for Joel Robuchon any time now. 

I forget which chef mentioned it, but apparently if you made your own pasta, your pasta ingredients didn't count against your number. I know homemade pasta can be tricky especially if you're not familiar with it, but I'm surprised how many elected not to take advantage of this. 

I agree -- I thought Elia's looked kind of ugly, because the carrot fronds looked oily and almost burned, and there were so many of them covering the fish.

I was knocked out by Gabe's idea of adding so much flavor to his pasta -- he had carte blanche for that part of the dish, and he absolutely used it to its full advantage! That was brilliant and I really wished more people had done that.

On 5/6/2025 at 4:20 PM, docmatt said:

At least that would mean Nini and her middle-aged Hello Kitty vibe would go soon.

I love Nini and think she's really charming. (Is she middle-aged? She looks so young.) But I admit I'm biased as someone definitely in middle age who has occasional Hello Kitty vibes. I have a weakness for cat emojis in my texts. It's embarrassing but I do it anyway.

On 5/6/2025 at 9:44 PM, ILuvShibaInus said:

Sawyer has a "redemption edit" for me and since he didn't win on that ho-hum "House of Knives," he gets another shot here. The others are not so much a "redemption" but the "I have something to prove" edit. How many times must they highlight that Bryan V was a three time loser on TC? Or Stephanie was a TC and IC winner but that was decades ago so she must show she still has it? I would not be surprised that at least 2 of the chefs mentioned here make it to the finale. 

I just can't bring myself to like Jonathan Sawyer. For me, he has always exuded that similar arrogance and "sneer" that Ilan has, and he is also reputed to be kind of a douche in real life, and to me some of that douchiness shows up onscreen. I am happy for his sobriety and fitness though, and salute him for that.

On 5/8/2025 at 3:05 PM, Ancaster said:

I wish all cooking shows were blind, but this one particularly needs it because friends are cooking for friends, and the unknown chefs are at a huge disadvantage.  I don't care how much the judges say they will be impartial, implicit bias is a thing.

The "friends" aspect doesn't bother me because FN is so incestuous at this point, with everyone crossing from show to show to show -- from Beat Bobby Flay, to Chopped, to Guy's Grocery Games, etc. I mean, I love Guy's Grocery Games, but half the time, I swear it's like he just invites his friends so one of them can win $20k. This includes frequent judges -- to the point that I wonder if he hears someone is hard-up on money and just brings them on for a quick chance at a prize.

[Grizzly]

I hope these chefs have someone to drive them home. I would not want to be on the road with any of them.

The art task was interesting. Happy for Sawyer that he was able to bounce back from 5 less minutes. It was kind of funny when the chefs were like, stop the clock, the gas is out. Don't know why the people in the break room didn't take a nap.

[MerBearHou]

Glad for Sawyer and Bryan V’s wins tonight.  Sure don’t mind saying bye to Elia — glad her smug self is off the show.  Tonight was very hard — after finishing their shop, shock-switching from lumberjack breakfast to 5-star dinner and then shutting off the gas mid-cook.  Looks like the nerves are really, really getting to everyone next week.  

Edited Monday at 02:36 AM by MerBearHou

[Salacious Kitty]

Bye Elia! You won't be missed. 👍

[tv echo]

I'm also happy about Bryan's win and Elia's elimination. Bryan was smart to pick at least one strong chef (Sawyer) for the breakroom in anticipation of some twist.

I have always liked Stephanie, but her sulking after Bryan did not choose her for the breakroom was not a good look. She came across as entitled. I get that she was tired, but so were the rest of the chefs. If she had won the golden knife, I bet that she would have done the same thing (made strategic picks).

Edited Monday at 10:47 AM by tv echo