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S21.E12: Goodbye, Wisconsin


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Airdate: Wednesday, June 5, 2024

Synopsis:

The chefs are tasked with identifying as many ingredients as they can in a blind taste test. They must create a dish that exemplifies their culinary growth throughout their time in Wisconsin. Returning guest judge Paul Bartolotta.

 

Please refrain from posting in this thread until after the episode has finished airing. The Live Chat thread, which is pinned to the top of the main forum page, is open for commenting while the episode is running.

Thanks. 😊

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19 minutes ago, Bastet said:

Is Manny’s performance the best anyone has ever done in the blind tasting?

Answering my own question -- Kristen confirmed on The Dish With Kish that he indeed did better than anyone in the show's history.

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If I were a betting person on who's gonna win Top Chef, I'd put my money on Savannah. She's coming on very strong at the right time and has really improved her game since she started. Tom and Kristen even mentioned that when they were on Watch What Happens with Andy Cohen a few weeks ago.

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(edited)

Savannah is my favorite and I would love it if she won the whole thing.  I was especially heartened to read that wonderful Michelle whom I enjoyed and respected so much called Savannah her girl.  

Nice job on the taste test, Manny — well done.

Edited by MerBearHou
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I wonder that nobody caught on to the alphabetical list of ingredients. I mean, they were told that there were 26 ingredients and then the first 3 are anchovies, bacon, and cheddar (or even cheese). If somebody had caught on, it might have helped them with some of the other ingredients, like knowing that it was salmon, not  tuna. But it seems that nobody did.

We are always saying..no gimmicks, just let them cook. But the chefs actually seem to prefer being given parameters. I belong to a writer's workshop, and every other month it’s writer’s choice. I always panic, preferring to be given a topic, so I know how the chefs felt. Three out of the five did poorly for one reason or another. 
 

I am impressed by Dan’s resilience in the face of all his challenges. It’s amazing that he has made it to the finals. I hope that being on a ship won’t cause him any mobility problems. 

 

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(edited)
On 6/5/2024 at 8:09 PM, Jodithgrace said:

I wonder that nobody caught on to the alphabetical list of ingredients.

I think it makes sense nobody noticed a pattern.  They had five minutes, but I'm sure it feels shorter, especially when you can't see a clock - or anything else - and, more importantly, depending on what ingredients they said "pass" to or got wrong, it could easily not be a situation where oh, I said an A word, then a B, then a C, etc.  I think Manny, with his crazy impressive number of correct responses, would have been the only one who might have cottoned to that -- except they're not told right or wrong when they give their guesses.  So if he'd said an A ingredient, been ruled correct, said a B ingredient, been ruled correct, etc. I can see him maybe catching on at some point, but that's not how it went.

Edited by Bastet
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When it was revealed that there were 26 taste test ingredients and they were from A to Z, it made me think that the challenge was designed by the people who make Taskmaster.

It feels like Savannah came out of nowhere, but also I don't remember her ever being in trouble or near elimination all season. Is that correct? In the beginning I think I conflated her with the other young brunette Alisha. She certainly has a thoughtful approach to the show.

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23 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

It feels like Savannah came out of nowhere, but also I don't remember her ever being in trouble or near elimination all season. Is that correct? In the beginning I think I conflated her with the other young brunette Alisha. She certainly has a thoughtful approach to the show.

Savannah was on the losing team during Sausagefest and on the bottom for the fish boil. I'd say if you had to suck during any of this season's challenges, those were some of the better choices. 

Man, Dan was lucky the double elim wasn't still in play; he had to have felt the breeze when the axe swung. Especially since I doubt Danny was in serious jeopardy. But raw is raw, plus Manny was about to Adrienne his way into the finale, so I'm fine with him going and curious to see how Dan does without his home court advantage in Curaçao.

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(edited)

What the hell was that with showing Manny scraping his disgusting fully extended tongue with some weird device?  What's next?  Seeing someone wiping their butt after taking a cr&p?

Just what we want to see before eating something he prepared.

Edited by Ancaster
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Dan had some bright spots earlier in the season but he's not sustaining. I wonder how much the competition is wearing on him.

Savannah, on the other hand, is actually peaking at the right time. She also studied for this season. Very smart move.

Didn't think much of Laura at first, but she has grown on me and she's talented. 

I'd love for Savannah or Laura to take it.

It was Manny's time to go. He squeaked by one too many times. 

 

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(edited)
1 hour ago, jackjill89 said:

Dan had some bright spots earlier in the season but he's not sustaining.

He had a disastrous week but I don't think he's necessarily fading in terms of execution.  The last time he won was week 8 but he was in the Top 3 in week 9, 10 and 11.  In the elimination challenge, he has had more top 3 appearances than any other contestant while Savannah has had the most elimination challenge wins of any other contestant.

I can't find good data on the QuickFire challenges except I know Savannah has done well there and I remember Dan, at least earlier in the season, saying he wasn't strongest there.  And I think the QF is when we've seen him struggle the most with his mobility considering the chaos.

Dan might have been lucky this week but the right four are moving onto the finals. 

I'd be so mad about a cruise.  I get so sea sick. 

Edited by Irlandesa
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13 hours ago, Bastet said:

I love Tom’s answer to how he’d meet this EC:  Make my best dish and make up a story. 

I have advocated this for a long time and it's good to see Tom confirm it. Chefs sometimes get too caught up in cooking to whatever convoluted, vague challenge they're given instead of just making good food.

I don't think we've ever seen someone eliminated for making a good dish that didn't really adhere to the stated challenge. But we've seen plenty where they said, "It didn't really follow the challenge, but it tasted great, so no elimination."

Make good food. Then make up a story to go with it. The judges won't mind even if they know that's what you're doing.

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(edited)
2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

I'd be so mad about a cruise.  I get so sea sick. 

Really.  I get seasick just getting on a docked boat - doesn't matter how big it is.  And isn't this an added disadvantage to Dan (Danny?) that really shouldn't factor into a challenge, especially this far into the race?

Edited by Ancaster
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7 hours ago, Ancaster said:

What the hell was that with showing Manny scraping his disgusting fully extended tongue with some weird device? 

And then we had to see it a SECOND time when he said that's why he tastes so well. Yuk.

At that restaurant they were hosted at, the second course (pile-o-meat) looked really unappetizing to me. Just a pile of meat.

Manny had been circling the drain for awhile, so I was glad to see him go (and there really was no suspense, raw fish, plus his QF dish was on the bottom as well). I kind of snickered when he said he could do this dish in his sleep, and then he totally failed. And while I get the sentiment that "just make a great dish and make up a story" Manny needed to come up with a better story than "cook what you know", even if he'd executed it properly.

Were those raw, thinly sliced mushrooms on top of Danny's dish? Personally I think raw mushrooms have zero flavor.

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1 hour ago, dleighg said:

At that restaurant they were hosted at, the second course (pile-o-meat) looked really unappetizing to me. Just a pile of meat.

Ugh, a pile of pale meat.  Yes, thoroughly unappetizing.

Edited by Bastet
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(edited)
On 6/6/2024 at 7:02 AM, tljgator said:

They showed it because Danny said after the taste-testing that Manny swears his palate is better because he scrapes his tongue (a lot of dentists recommend this, as it cleans off extra bacteria, etc., the textured backside -- i.e. opposite the bristles -- of many toothbrushes is designed to do the same thing in a more low-key way).

 

Preparation H helps with my hemorrhoids; I don't need to see it up close and personal on my TV.

Edited by Ancaster
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12 hours ago, PhoneCop said:

Savannah was on the losing team during Sausagefest and on the bottom for the fish boil. I'd say if you had to suck during any of this season's challenges, those were some of the better choices. 

Man, Dan was lucky the double elim wasn't still in play; he had to have felt the breeze when the axe swung. Especially since I doubt Danny was in serious jeopardy. But raw is raw, plus Manny was about to Adrienne his way into the finale, so I'm fine with him going and curious to see how Dan does without his home court advantage in Curaçao.

Yeah, I hate how Dan plays up his Wisconsinism so much. Sometimes he hails a guest chef who then gives Dan a look like, Dude, you are not my bestie. Plus, he made the decision to go into this competition knowing about his physical limitations (and also his age), so I don't feel any special sympathy for him in that way. And stop whining so much! You weren't drafted. I've grown to almost dislike him.

 

6 hours ago, tljgator said:

Her weird joyful, shocked, worried expression as she clutched her little black notebook when Kristen confirmed it was the taste test made me a fan, lol. I suspect she may be a student of the game, like Buddha was, but in a more endearing way, if that makes sense (feels less cut throat, with her notes on her mirror, etc. -- I think that was her?).

loved that. I think she's smart in a not overbearing look-at-me way that a lot of other top chefs in the past (and present) are.

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2 hours ago, dleighg said:

At that restaurant they were hosted at, the second course (pile-o-meat) looked really unappetizing to me. Just a pile of meat.

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Ugh, a pile of pale meat.  Yes, thoroughly unappetizing.

I believe that was a bollito misto, a very traditional Italian prep. Think mixed grill except, um, "boiled" (actually simmered, but the literal translation is mixed boil).

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I was wondering why we were treated to a closeup of Manny scraping his tongue; it seemed so odd. Turns out there was a reason. I was surprised Savannah and Dan did so poorly, but his cockiness really turned me off. I have been increasingly disappointed with his reactions to his wins (whooping like he won the Indy 500 (sorry, can't come up with a more appropriate simile!), crushed and angry when he loses. TBH I couldn't have cared less if Manny or Dan went home. Manny is past his sell-by date and Dan is too entitled. I was delighted that Savannah was the first finalist, because she's the only one I actually like in this group. I would have died to try her pork chop with two sauces. My breaded pork chops always end up overcooked OR raw, neither of which is appetizing!

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I was surprised they allowed 'beef' as a correct answer for the flank steak for Dan (it certainly doesn't start with F).

It would have been more interesting to see Manny actually do the whole challenge and watch him get those 23 ingredients right.

I was another one wondering why they showed the tongue scraping only to go Oh! that's why, when they explained. But I do wonder if they asked and then filmed that later because I'm not sure that would be something they would film normally?

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11 minutes ago, dgpolo said:

I was surprised they allowed 'beef' as a correct answer for the flank steak for Dan (it certainly doesn't start with F).

true. But honestly, beef is beef, and calling it specifically flank steak (when you only get a small bite) is a bit much.

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Wow!  That elimination challenge was interesting.  While Savannah won and Laura was safe, the three male chefs all made mistakes in their dishes.  I was hoping Manny would be sent packing, just because he has made quite a few mediocre dishes in the past and yet others did worse than him and were sent home. This turned out to be what saved Dan this episode.  I like Dan a lot- I don't get an entitled attitude from him... he just seems to be very authentic, whether excited or down in the dumps.  I admire him for pushing through.  I'm sure his physical challenges are really impacting his QuickFire dishes.  Plus, the fact that he can't seem to master the QF challenge affects his confidence.

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I agree it was time for Manny to go, but I've been craving Pozole every since he made it on the first(?) episode.  I was glad the guest judge made a comment about it after he was eliminated. 

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Rewatching this episode, they showed the chefs trying the food in alphabetical order at first, but too much going on to pay attention to a pattern. Manny is such an analytical thinker-- does not surprise me at all that he went to law school. He definitely struggles with the creative challenges, but I think his methodological approach to cooking and sticking to known formulas has got him as far as he has come, AND he did do well in the food tasting game. In the end, his inability to think outside the box did him in. For example, when Savannah was telling Manny about her journaling and her rationale for a potato focused dish, and how this represented her growth, Manny just said, "It's risky to make a dish that's just potato" totally discounting the story and mental process and reflection that went into that decision. 

Dan is always in a bad mood and whining about something. He's tried out for TC 13 times, so you would think he would seem happier to be there. Danny, Savannah, and Laura all seem to be delighted and enjoying the process and all the activities and games. He started out complaining nonstop about being disadvantaged due to his mobility limitations and shaking. He stopped complaining about that, but it's always something that he is unhappy about that makes him seem kind of entitled and ungrateful. Even shopping, he asked Laura how shopping was going, and she was like, Good, how about you? And he immediately says, "Terrible!" because he can't find lemongrass. 

What was with trying to make the chefs look sexy in the preparation for the elimination challenge? Like they were superheros or something.

Laura's manti looked so freaking amazing. I loved that she made that.

Dan was very smart to use the smoking method, given the emphasis in the indigenous food challenge. I'm glad he used that method, and I think that was a good good move, even if he over smoked. 

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(edited)
1 hour ago, bravofan27 said:

 

Dan is always in a bad mood and whining about something. He's tried out for TC 13 times, so you would think he would seem happier to be there. 

 

Yeah, like Danny said when Dan was complaining about his ingredients in the Quickfire (which was his fault) - he had steak, bacon, and cheese (not to mention olives and parsley).  Not anything I'd choose to cook with, but if he can't do something with them, there's a problem, and saying "none of them really work together" is just wrong.

Edited by Ancaster
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As someone who has an adverse reaction to seeing people brush their teeth and talk with a mouthful of suds, I was caught off guard at the tongue scraping and then the repeat slow mo close up.  Gag to dry heave worthy.  A talking point would have been more than sufficient.  🤮

I enjoyed the edit of the blind tasting  when they layered all of their guesses of one item and then the montage of Dan thinking he nailed it.  That was cute and whimsical.

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6 hours ago, SemiCharmedLife said:

I like Dan a lot- I don't get an entitled attitude from him... he just seems to be very authentic, whether excited or down in the dumps.

I agree.  I'm fine that he's a bit of an Eeyore.  I don't see entitled or dick, though. 

5 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

Even shopping, he asked Laura how shopping was going, and she was like, Good, how about you? And he immediately says, "Terrible!" because he can't find lemongrass.

But lemongrass was a big component of the dish he wanted to make.  Not having it was terrible for him. 

20 hours ago, Ancaster said:

What the hell was that with showing Manny scraping his disgusting fully extended tongue with some weird device?

Yeah.  This is one time I advocate for simply telling without needing to show us. 

17 hours ago, tljgator said:

Although, as some asked above, being on a ship may cause him additional issues (likely depending on if the waters get rough at all), if his balance is impacted by his physical limitations.

I wonder if they're even going to sail or if they're just going to have the ship docked. 

14 hours ago, Ancaster said:

I get seasick just getting on a docked boat - doesn't matter how big it is. 

Ha.  I can get woozy on a dock. 

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7 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

Laura's manti looked so freaking amazing. I loved that she made that.

 

I agree. So tiny, and showing her "fill" each little one ... that took some guts to attempt, even for a small number of diners. 

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6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

But lemongrass was a big component of the dish he wanted to make.  Not having it was terrible for him. 

Being flexible and pivoting is part of cooking challenges. It's a bummer, but you need to get past it and come up with a plan B -- fast.

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Ha, not paying a lot of attention when Manny’s on has paid off! Missed his scraping scene—I lost interest in him weeks ago. Too bad he never duplicated the success of his early pozole.

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25 minutes ago, jackjill89 said:

Being flexible and pivoting is part of cooking challenges. It's a bummer, but you need to get past it and come up with a plan B -- fast.

And he did.  But chefs often complain when they first realize they won't have what they need.  And the 'terrible' was captured at that moment.  I'm guessing because there isn't an obvious sub.

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11 hours ago, HappyDancex2 said:

As someone who has an adverse reaction to seeing people brush their teeth and talk with a mouthful of suds, I was caught off guard at the tongue scraping and then the repeat slow mo close up.  Gag to dry heave worthy.  A talking point would have been more than sufficient.  🤮

And this is funny to me, because it doesn't bother me at all. I can remember people talking about getting the dry heaves at all the teeth-brushing scenes in Better Call Saul. I was totally bewildered by that. Funny what gets to some people and not to others. 🙃

 

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Alas, my eye candy is gone. I know it was Manny's time to go (maybe past his time to go), but I still am sad to see him leave. He's a nice dude and again, eye candy. Danny's pretty cute too, but he looks too much like an ex, so less gratuitous joy for me.

But anyway, Savannah is definitely peaking at the right time, and I hope she hasn't fully peaked. I worry about her stated inability to cook well without challenge perimeters, and I hope she uses the break wisely to plan her dream meal. That said, right now, I'd put my money on Laura, who has really come back strong.

Dan and Danny are interesting chefs and nice guys, but they are distant seconds to my preferred Laura/Savannah showdown. This is kind of a big deal considering it took me like five weeks to learn Savannah's name and to separate her from Alisha. Sorry, gal!

Tom is pretty consistent about wanting good food over fitting it to the challenge. I remember one episode of the dearly departed Top Chef Masters where he noted that those chefs just decided what they wanted to cook and figured out a way to marry it to the challenge perimeters later. While I guess some rules lawyers would see that as a cheat, it's basically about how to market your food, and I guess a top chef needs to know how to do that too. That reminds me of the Boston challenge where the teams had to write their own menus, and winning would be determined by how many diners picked that menu. That's marketing, really. So in that regard, where Manny failed (outside of the fish cookery) was how to market his story better.

...But the fish didn't help either.

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(edited)
1 hour ago, Rai said:

Tom is pretty consistent about wanting good food over fitting it to the challenge. I remember one episode of the dearly departed Top Chef Masters where he noted that those chefs just decided what they wanted to cook and figured out a way to marry it to the challenge perimeters later. While I guess some rules lawyers would see that as a cheat, it's basically about how to market your food, and I guess a top chef needs to know how to do that too.

After one earlier challenge where a lot of them flailed (maybe it was the Frank Lloyd Wright challenge?), Kristen came back to speak to them in the stew room and said as much, telling them that no matter the challenge they need to come at it by just cooking their food.

Edited by caitmcg
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(edited)

This season has fallen a little flat for me and it has nothing to do with Kristen whom I like.  I just haven't got excited about or invested in anyone like I did with, for example, Buddha.  I like Dan a lot but I don't see him winning.  I haven't cared for Danny all along but can't quite put my finger on why.  Laura seems to be very good but I didn't like her failing to attend to a spill, hogging the shopping money, swigging from a bottle and recapping it and so on.  I get the feeling that the other chefs aren't crazy about her either.  That leaves Savannah whom I didn't even notice for half the show.  She has peaked at the right time and I do like her so I hope she wins.  

Edited by mlp
Correct typo
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2 hours ago, marybennet said:

I kinda loved Paul Bartolotta for saying “I’ll always remember that pozole” to Manny as he left. 

I did too.  Really respected Paul for saying that to someone eliminated so late in the competition.  You could tell how very fond of Manny the remaining chefs are.  He seems like a kind teddy bear of a guy and I wish him well.  

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2 hours ago, mlp said:

This season has fallen a little flat for me and it has nothing to do with Kristen whom I like.  I just haven't got excited about or invested in anyone like I did with, for example, Buddha.   

It's boring, isn't it.

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It’s Wisconsin. 

J/k. Sorta. The challenges haven’t been my faves, fish boil, case in point. I’m sure some were tasty, it just sounded zzzzzz. Even with flaming kerosene, which is an anti-food smell. I mean, I watched it. I’m rooting for Savannah, but there’s no one I’d be mad about winning. 

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After all is said and done and even with some underwhelming cooking this season, I really like this final four.

I’m hoping for a good result!

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On 6/6/2024 at 4:28 PM, carrps said:

Yeah, I hate how Dan plays up his Wisconsinism so much. Sometimes he hails a guest chef who then gives Dan a look like, Dude, you are not my bestie. Plus, he made the decision to go into this competition knowing about his physical limitations (and also his age), so I don't feel any special sympathy for him in that way. And stop whining so much! You weren't drafted. I've grown to almost dislike him.

@carrps, exactly. I can't stand him. My husband doesn't like him, either. I wanted Dan to be the second gone after that awful David was booted. Right off the bat, he rubbed me the wrong way with his demeanor vis a vis the name dropping and "I'm from here-ing" about EVERYTHING those first episodes. Yeah, dude, we get it. You're from Wisconsin. Now STFU. And be the third out. And take Danny with you. I'm hoping for a Savannah v Laura finale!

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Yeah, it's interesting how different things hit different people. Dan doesn't bother me or my husband, maybe because  He reminds us of other northern Midwestern friends we've had with his plainness and openness. Unfortunately, as soon as someone is authentic and out there with their feelings and reactions they make themselves a target for criticism.  

As for his disability I have been wondering all season long how he's been keeping up with the other chefs and why maybe he isn't given extra time to complete the challenges. It's done in education with people with other kinds of disabilities like dyslexia so why not here?  I'm sure that won't be a popular opinion, but if they're going to let someone into the competition with a disability that might impact their speed at completing the challenges, isn't it more fair to give them some kind of accommodation for it than to let them struggle through it unaided? I also wonder if some of his complaining and other behavior is coming from that struggle.  I see him as a generally positive person that might be getting to the point of having a harder time as the competition wears on, hence the complaining. I can see him as rejecting the notion of having any extra time and would want to be treated like any other chef.  If that's the case I admire that and understand why he's acting the way he is.  

That said, Dan's not even one of my favorites at this point and I do feel like he's had an advantage in some challenges because he's a local.  I'm rooting for Savannah.  I don't love Laura either but if she won it wouldn't bother me.  As for Danny, I'm not crazy about him either and wouldn't be ecstatic if he won.

Thanks be to God that Manny was FINALLY sent home.  If not I'd be pretty PO-ed by now.   The judges made the right decision.

The cruise ship is going to be interesting.  My husband, who keeps track of such things says he thinks it's a Holland America cruise ship. 

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8 hours ago, buttersister said:

It’s Wisconsin. 

Be careful.

 

11 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

The cruise ship is going to be interesting.  My husband, who keeps track of such things says he thinks it's a Holland America cruise ship. 

I think that might be posted on Reddit.

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(edited)
On 6/6/2024 at 1:29 AM, Quilt Fairy said:

Such a lackluster season.  I like Savannah, but don't find anyone compelling.  

My favorite Rasika was eliminated way too early. I think she made too many judgement mistakes. I have not been all that invested in the competition this year since her elimination.

Edited by Rahul
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