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S01.E09: Kevin Gillespie vs. Art Smith


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Kevin Gillespie (Top Chef Las Vegas fan favorite) vs. Art Smith (Top Chef Masters Season 1)

 

Kevin Gillespie challenges Art Smith to butcher a pig and prepare a pork dish, while Art throws down the gauntlet with a critter fry; the cast of ``Grey's Anatomy'' sits down for dinner.

 

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I am really looking forward to this one.

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Yeccch. Is there any way they can both lose? Art Smith makes me physically ill and I never bought Gillespie's "aw shucks" act. Plus, I'm shallow enough not to want my food touched by someone who looks like a hairy hobbit. I never thought his food looked or sounded good anyway. Kevin Gillespie is basically the opposite of all things The Solution is.

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Macthekat, what was Kevin's gunshow?

 

On  Top Chef, one of the Voltaggio brothers commented that Kevin's potato salad was the best he'd ever tasted, so I wrote to Kevin and asked for the recipe.  He was nice enough to send it.  So, naturally, I'm rooting for Kevin to win.  I like Art, but when he was on Top Chef Masters, he did everything he could to keep the camera on himself.  I didn't really care for that, especially because most of it was pretty silly.  Kevin all the way!

 

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Lura, yes, it is Kevin's restaurant Gunshow, we tried to experience. Alas, it will wait for another time.

 

 

I like Art, but when he was on Top Chef Masters, he did everything he could to keep the camera on himself.  I didn't really care for that, especially because most of it was pretty silly.  Kevin all the way!

That's exactly why I hope Kevin beats him.

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Thanks for the explanation and the link, cooksdelight and Macthekat. 

 

I think that Art is something of a home cook, not that he isn't talented.  But I think Art would have to pull a rabbit out of a hat to create dishes that impress those judges.  Kevin, on the other hand, has a lot of experience creating more elaborate dishes.

 

It seems like the judges always make sure that each chef wins one of the rounds.  I missed the first couple of shows while I was on vacation.  Has anyone yet won all three challenges?

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It seems like the judges always make sure that each chef wins one of the rounds.  I missed the first couple of shows while I was on vacation.  Has anyone yet won all three challenges?

 

C.J. beat Stefan 3-0 and Takashi also swept David Burke.

 

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Ahh, thank you, Rambler.  I missed the CJ-Stephan show, and I forgot about Burke and Takashi.  Well, that pretty much blows my theory about wins being fixed on the show.  Good news!

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I'm glad I'm not the only one here who likes Art Smith.  I was sort of afraid to admit it.  :)  I think he'd be great fun to "do lunch" with and just gossip over drinks.

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Ugh Art is such a pain.  He talks like he's owed a win and Kevin stole the first win from him.  Did like Gail's statement about loving Kevin's "hoe".

 

Now that the show is over, Art wasn't quite so bad.  But I guess he'll never be a bride.  I'm glad Kevin won.  His food sounded so good.

 

ETA: After listening to the rerun after Andy's show, Art's talking about himself was worse than I realized the first time.  All that self-pity and I deserve the win and poor little ole me!  Kevin is years younger and much more grown-up.

Edited by Lamb18
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While waiting for Lura, I googled "Kevin Gillespie's potato salad" and the Southern Revival potato salad recipe looks good--the intro talks about serving it to chefs. Very happy for Kevin's win.

 

Interesting that Art pulled out Oprah's favorite fried chicken--I think that entire dish is on his restaurant's menu and is a big deal. Not big enough next to porkopolis, though.

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Kevin is my favorite Top Chef contestant, and I was very happy to see him win. Art obviously makes very tasty food, so it was a well deserved victory.

The actors were a good group, and Hugh added some good stuff. All in all, it was a decent episode for me.

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I think that Art is something of a home cook, not that he isn't talented.

 

 

I agree - Top Chef keeps insisting Art Smith is a "master," when in fact he is a cut above a very good home cook. Sure, everyone loves comfort food, but nothing about his food looked special or interesting. As a just-ok home cook, I've made cakes that look more professional than what he plated as a dessert. I'm sure his was delicious, but it's cake covered in ganache - of course it will be tasty. Kevin just brings a lot more interesting stuff to the table, and I thought it was really clear he was headed for a win.

 

And aside from the food I find Art's schtick insufferable. All that "Mama's Chicken Soup" and "my grandmama always said [insert chicken-fried aphorism]" and "critter fry!" crap really wears on me.

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At least now I know which of the two of these guys I hate more. Looking at you, Art!

 

Actually Kevin's food looked really good this time and he seems like a damn fine man next to Art. I'm glad he won. Kevin scored major points with me when his reaction to "critter fry" was an angry What the fuck is THAT?

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Art & Soul isn't a bad place for dinner. Kevin was obsessed with bacon, right? Yeah, I'll go with Art.

I remember Kevin as being very one note, bacon/pork was all he cooked & tonight didn't change my opinion of him, but I would have attacked both of their desserts.

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susannot and wings, I had to promise Kevin that I would never share his potato salad recipe with anyone, including family and friends.  If it were my recipe, I'd gladly share it, but it isn't.  Having said that, I'll tell you that it's a very basic recipe that has very few ingredients, and to be honest, I've tasted many potato salads that I like better.  My favorite potato salad is Ina Garten's admitted rip-off of Julia Child's recipe.  She's made two potato salads, but the one I love is what she called her "French" potato salad and has a dash of white wine in it.  It's on Google if you're interested.

 

I thought this battle was going to be Art's for a while, and I had my fingers crossed for Kevin to win.  Art's "down home" dishes really appealed to me, but I think that Kevin's were more refined for that crowd.  I was amazed by how handily Kevin dispensed of that side of pork!  I thought that Kevin was smart to say what he did about his poor childhood since Art often gains sympathy with his own tales of trying to make ends meet when he was young.

 

ETA: Funny.  I looked over every potato salad recipe of Kevin's at Google, and none of them are the one he sent me.   They also have many  more ingredients and flavors than the one he sent.  Do I smell a rat?  Should I smell a rat?  Hmmm.

Edited by Lura
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I smell a rat too, Lura!  LOL!  

 

It was clear Kevin would win.  I would love to have had his first course and Art's fried chicken.  Neither dessert appealed to me.  I like chocolate but not a plate of icing, which that basically was.  I would have removed the meringue on that banana pudding, it sounded delicious.  Odd that Kevin didn't know meringue had to be baked and not just torched.  Ice cream or whipped cream would have been better even if he had done this correctly.

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The editing monkeys did us no favors here. It sure sounded like Art was going to win, or maybe that was just his down home talk, which made it sound like he was doing better, even as Kevin was winning.

The guests sure seemed to love Art's food-maybe the judges marked him down since he basically just served food on his menu(s).

What was so special about how Kevin prepared the salmon-couldn't follow the comments about what he did to it.

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What was so special about how Kevin prepared the salmon-couldn't follow the comments about what he did to it.

 

He only cooked it on one side, so that one side was crispy and the rest was just baked by the heat of the pan. I'm not a chef so that's the most accurate way I can describe it.

 

I wasn't familiar with either of these contestants, but as soon as Art said something to the effect of "I cook for billionaires, they have their own butchers" I knew I wanted Kevin to win.

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The editing monkeys did us no favors here. It sure sounded like Art was going to win, or maybe that was just his down home talk, which made it sound like he was doing better, even as Kevin was winning.

The guests sure seemed to love Art's food-maybe the judges marked him down since he basically just served food on his menu(s).

What was so special about how Kevin prepared the salmon-couldn't follow the comments about what he did to it.

 

 

What Kevin did with the salmon is cook it only on one side leaving the top very rare. You can see the color on the top and it is almost raw.  I am surprised that it was not overly done just above the skin on the underside.  

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I wanted to eat all the food from both chefs.  Yum!  Although I am happy that Kevin won, I always liked him.  Yes, he loves pig-meat, but he does also know how to cook other stuff, like the salmon here.

 

Pork is the best most versatile meat on the planet.  I love it and cook it many ways!  

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Art & Soul isn't a bad place for dinner. Kevin was obsessed with bacon, right? Yeah, I'll go with Art.

Kevin wasn't obsessed with bacon.  That was the guy with the stupid mustache a few seasons later who kind of looked like him. That guy thought bacon was a style as opposed to an ingredient  Kevin was a big fan of pork and occasionally incorporated bacon, but did a bunch of great stuff without it.

 

I hit wikipedia and found a few listings for what he made the times he won challenges. Fortunately, Kevin won a lot of challenges in that Voltagio/Jennifer/Isabella year, so we have a pretty good sample size:

 

WINNER: Kevin ("Procrastination": Arctic Char with Turnip Salsa Verde)

WINNER: Kevin (Escargot Fricassee with Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts and Candied Bacon Jam)

WINNER: Kevin (Chicken Mole Negro: Chicken Croquette, Mexican Fig Coffee Jam, and Pumpkin Seed Romesco)

WINNER: Kevin (Stressed, Hot and Spicy, Asian: Char-Grilled Pork with Vietnamese Herb Salad); Chose the $15,000 prize

Not a winner, but dish was listed for the team challenge: Jennifer and Kevin: Douglas's market bag. (BBQ Kobe Beef with Cardamom, Tomato and Ginger Broth)

WINNER: Kevin (Pork Leg Pâté with Mushroom Salad and Pickled Cherries; paired with 2006 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot noir)

Restaurant wars, not a winner: 3rd Course: Lamb with Carrot Jam (Laurine) or Pork Three Ways (Kevin)

WINNER: Kevin (Duo of Mushrooms, Smoked Kale, Candied Garlic and Turnip Puree)

WINNER: Kevin (Poached Lamb Loin, Sherry-glazed Golden Beets and Asparagus in Sunchoke Cream)

Final Episode: Kevin:

    First Course: Southern Fried Chicken Skin with Squash Casserole and Tomato

    Second Course: Pacific Rockfish, Roasted Squash, Crab Broth and Roasted Matsutake Mushroom

    Third Course: Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Caramelized Ham Jus

    Fourth Course: Roasted Banana, Toasted Peanut with Chocolate Bacon Mousse and Bacon Brittle

 

So bacon and pork are here and there throughout the food he made, but obsessed is probably not the right word.  Thirteen dishes, two mentions of bacon (although that last one is bacon overload), four with pork, seven pig free.

Edited by JTMacc99
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All this going on about Art's Oprah-approved godhead fried chicken made me look it up, and everything I saw was built around his two day marinade - once in salt water, once in buttermilk.  Was there supposed to be something ultra-special about this version he could do in an hour or two?  I thought he should have picked chicken either for the appetizer or the entree, using it for both came off like lazy thinking and might have tipped the balance in Kevin's direction.

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Ha!

"Son, whole books of the Bible are devoted to why that "bandwagon" is a mad, bad, dangerous place to be. It's called trichinosis and it's kiiiiind of not a matter of expanded horizons."

Sarah! This was a ray of sunshine in my otherwise crappy day! Thank you!

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By the way....the last time Art was on in TCMasters they made a big (and gross) deal about how much weight he lost-they even showed him in a bathing suit. looks like it is all back.

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Ha!

"Son, whole books of the Bible are devoted to why that "bandwagon" is a mad, bad, dangerous place to be. It's called trichinosis and it's kiiiiind of not a matter of expanded horizons."

Sarah! This was a ray of sunshine in my otherwise crappy day! Thank you!

 

Trichinosis was wiped out years ago.   I have no clue what the rest of that quote means! 

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I always loved Kevin, so I'm thrilled he won. I remember on his original season wanting to eat every single thing he made, and that continued here. Mmmm... nanner puddin'. I'd bathe in it, thankyouverymuch. I thought Art's cake looked really sloppy, and something you'd have to convince me to try because it was so ugly.

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Kevin wasn't obsessed with bacon.  That was the guy with the stupid mustache a few seasons later who kind of looked like him. That guy thought bacon was a style as opposed to an ingredient 

That's exactly it, for me, anyway. I went into this expecting to dislike him because after watching the promos (not closely enough, I guess) I thought someone convinced Josh Valentine the bacon king to trim a few inches and a handful of wax from his mustache. It took a few minutes of Kevin not being a preening self-mythologizing jerk for me to figure it out.

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JOSH! That was his name. He was a bit of a weenie. I think by the end I didn't mind him that much, but that probably had to do with me realizing Sheldon, Brooke and Kristen were all acceptable winners and that none of them were likely to lose to Josh when it got to that point. 

 

As a non-pork eater, it's prevalent enough for me even in the smallest ways. Ham Jus, Bacon Brittle, Bacon Mousse? Ugh.

I like to make cracks like "You ever notice that there is Chicken, Lamb, and Beef dog food, but no pork?  That's because the pig is too delicious to give to the dogs."

 

But even so, I agree with your "Ugh" on Bacon Mousse. Kevin had a bad showing during that Season 6 final, which I think ended up happening during a difficult patch in his personal life.  I don't think going with bacon brittle & bacon mousse for dessert helped him.

 

I did notice he was a lot more traditional with the dessert in this episode.

Edited by JTMacc99
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Kevin wasn't obsessed with bacon.  That was the guy with the stupid mustache a few seasons later who kind of looked like him. That guy thought bacon was a style as opposed to an ingredient  Kevin was a big fan of pork and occasionally incorporated bacon, but did a bunch of great stuff without it.

 

I hit wikipedia and found a few listings for what he made the times he won challenges. Fortunately, Kevin won a lot of challenges in that Voltagio/Jennifer/Isabella year, so we have a pretty good sample size:

 

WINNER: Kevin ("Procrastination": Arctic Char with Turnip Salsa Verde)

WINNER: Kevin (Escargot Fricassee with Mushrooms, Brussels Sprouts and Candied Bacon Jam)

WINNER: Kevin (Chicken Mole Negro: Chicken Croquette, Mexican Fig Coffee Jam, and Pumpkin Seed Romesco)

WINNER: Kevin (Stressed, Hot and Spicy, Asian: Char-Grilled Pork with Vietnamese Herb Salad); Chose the $15,000 prize

Not a winner, but dish was listed for the team challenge: Jennifer and Kevin: Douglas's market bag. (BBQ Kobe Beef with Cardamom, Tomato and Ginger Broth)

WINNER: Kevin (Pork Leg Pâté with Mushroom Salad and Pickled Cherries; paired with 2006 Sokol Blosser Dundee Hills Pinot noir)

Restaurant wars, not a winner: 3rd Course: Lamb with Carrot Jam (Laurine) or Pork Three Ways (Kevin)

WINNER: Kevin (Duo of Mushrooms, Smoked Kale, Candied Garlic and Turnip Puree)

WINNER: Kevin (Poached Lamb Loin, Sherry-glazed Golden Beets and Asparagus in Sunchoke Cream)

Final Episode: Kevin:

    First Course: Southern Fried Chicken Skin with Squash Casserole and Tomato

    Second Course: Pacific Rockfish, Roasted Squash, Crab Broth and Roasted Matsutake Mushroom

    Third Course: Slow Roasted Pork Belly with Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli and Caramelized Ham Jus

    Fourth Course: Roasted Banana, Toasted Peanut with Chocolate Bacon Mousse and Bacon Brittle

 

So bacon and pork are here and there throughout the food he made, but obsessed is probably not the right word.  Thirteen dishes, two mentions of bacon (although that last one is bacon overload), four with pork, seven pig free.

 

 

As a non-pork eater, it's prevalent enough for me even in the smallest ways. Ham Jus, Bacon Brittle, Bacon Mousse? Ugh.

 

5 out of 13 dishes with a pork product hardly seems "obsessed" to me, nor prevalent.  So I'd still say he has showed he could cook more than pig-meat, then and now.

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I am glad Kevin won. I enjoyed some of the G'sA stars and their comments.

 

I hate meringue on banana pudding, so it would've been scooped off. 

 

Art's chocolate cake looked just like the kind my southern grandma made. It wasn't pretty, it was at least six or seven layers, with the most sugary-chocolatety icing ever, and she used toothpicks to keep it from sliding apart. Makes my kidneys hurt to remember eating it, it was sooooo sweet. haha  I hate to see he's gained most, if not all, of his weight back. That's a struggle I'm very familiar with myself.

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I'm going to be really relieved when the craze for preserved meats switches over to pastrami, or non-pork salumi, but bacon and charcuterie are less a personal obsession than a trend, I think (with the possible exception of Josh). Chris Cosentino, the most recent TCM, has a salumeria and a restaurant which caters raw pig fat parties, and it's pretty much the Batali family business. 

 

It's also kind of a smart business decision - pork belly's pretty cheap, and people feel all transgressive and spoiled when you serve it to them. Which kind of sucks for me, because I don't eat pork, but there do seem to be kosher/halal substitutes to all these dishes trailing the trend, so maybe it'll work out for me in the end.

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Well I thought that was an entirely huggable episode.  I've always liked Kevin and by the way, even though I almost always call him Sir Bacon of Pigshire, it actually isn't because I think he's obsessed with Bacon.  He made a bacon jam during his season that Gail just raved about and then a few seasons later, a different Kevin actually won Top Chef (to the consternation of nearly everyone as he'd been a solid middle-of-the-pack contestant and won on a fluke of good luck and not coming down with the flu).  So I always call him Sir Bacon just to keep him separate from Top Chef winner Kevin.  

One other thing, Josh was obsessed with Bacon at the time, but he's actually a pastry chef.  He just had a restaurant that was pig centered, and yes, Bacon is super trendy and has been for a long time.  The local Whole Foods here sells chocolate covered bacon. 

I thought Art was fun to watch, even if he does pour on the down-home-folksy , it just doesn't bug me. Plus, he donated his 10k, which was nice to see, because realistically he's done exceptionally well (as a lot of people sort of elevated by Oprah have).

Looks like Kevin G.  got married again, lost weight and feels pretty happy.  During his season, when he returned home from filming the season and in between filming the finale, his first wife asked for a divorce.  He never brought that up during the finale, but his entire vibe during his season's finale was so off, a lot of people noticed.  So I was so glad to see him win last night.   I always felt bad for the guy, not that he brought it up, because he didn't, but because it was also the season Padma did that insanely jerky "Kevin....(cue poor Kevin looking astounded, because he knew he hadn't done well)....you are NOT Top Chef" thing (way to pour on the vinegar, if they'd done that to Blais he'd have jumped off a roof after murdering the lot of them).  

Anyway, Blais could learn a thing or two from Kevin in the "how to be a gracious loser" department and so that's part of the reason I was thrilled he won here.  

I'm really looking forward to the finale too. Further exposure to freaking C.J. excepted.  

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Yeccch. Is there any way they can both lose? Art Smith makes me physically ill and I never bought Gillespie's "aw shucks" act. Plus, I'm shallow enough not to want my food touched by someone who looks like a hairy hobbit. I never thought his food looked or sounded good anyway. Kevin Gillespie is basically the opposite of all things The Solution is.

Yeah, I'm with you.  All you need is the intro portion to be reminded both of these guys are unpleasant little men.  The attitude flows from both of them.

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Is Kevin the one who won the spot at Bocuse D'or and later deferred? His season was brutal. I remember thinking either Voltaggio brother, Jen, that dude and even Eli could have won that season and they were overcompensating for the Hosea debacle the season before.

Physically this looks like Big Beard and Lil Beard. Except one dude is doing unilateral cooking techniques and the other keeps frying chicken. No disrespect though since Art is riding his comfort home cooking all the way to the bank....he is a very blessed personal chef and Oprah blessed the chicken. And frankly I think the snarky Voltaggio brother had said that Kevin's food is the food he cooks on his days off so I guess in comparison there is always another snarker in the wings!!

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Kevin won the most elimination challenges during his season and really could have easily won Top Chef. He was pretty easy-going and stayed out of most of the drama during that season. It's too bad he was so distracted by personal problems during the finale, because he was just as talented as the Voltaggio brothers. I thought Michael Voltaggio' s comments about the simplicity of Kevin's food were clearly motivated by jealousy. I think he thought he and his brother would dominate the season, and didn't expect the competition to be as tough as it was.

It was nice to see Kevin back on Top Chef, and I'm glad he beat Art. Art obviously has a schtick that can rub people the wrong way, but I think he's talented even if he only sticks to the classics.

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I remember thinking either Voltaggio brother, Jen, that dude and even Eli could have won that season and they were overcompensating for the Hosea debacle the season before.

 

OMG, don't remind me of Hosea and Leah!  Both of them were low lifes.  I wanted to kick the screen when Hosea won!  

Edited by Lura
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