S12.E01: Sudden Death

[ShadowSixx]

I don't follow Richard Blais like that either, I like him, I'll sit at the Love Blais table. He doesn't bother me, he's made a career for himself, being on shows, having his own show, so good for him. His personal life is his business, I don't follow that type of stuff, cause all in all on average Blais isn't a bad guy. He's not sounding like a tool during judging just giving his opinion. 

 

Tom for me keeps making faces like the person is stupid, especially last season when people were favoring Nina over the douche that won especially to Emeril. Just because they disagree with you Tom, doesn't mean you have to make faces. Probably doubt Emeril will come back to judge.

Edited October 16, 2014 by ShadowSixx

[Julia]

Second appearance was on Top Chef Masters, as sous chef, where he and Anger Management Dale decided to purposefully be jackasses and difficult to their chefs.  I can only assume it was purposeful, that was never explained, but they were arrogant, challenging and (I'm not kidding) attempted to provoke Michael Chiaerello into a fistfight.  That was Dale, but Blais was right there with him.   So that was the incarnation that made me wonder who the hell the guy really is and made me suspect a lot of pretense.

 

Oh, you mean when he was telling Rick Bayless how to cook mexican food? Yeah, that was pretty impressive.

[elzin]

I liked Blais a lot right up until the finale of his season.  I soured on him a little then, but I still was rooting for him over Lisa (ugh).  But each subsequent appearance of his makes me dislike him more and more, whereas Dale (the one who was just on Duels, not the other Dale) has grown on me as he's matured and mellowed out. He's so arrogant and so full of sour grapes they could squeeze him and make him a quickfire challenge.  Maybe you lost your season because you were not the Top Chef. Maybe some of your dishes were better than Stephanie's, but clearly she was more consistent and that is a huge component of being a top chef, which you should know. It's not Top Molecular Gastronomist/Risk-Taker.

 

I didn't know he was going to be a part of this season, so seeing him was a huge disappointment. And he didn't do anything to alleviate that.  I like the idea of a former winner/contestant being there every week, but I don't want to see HIM every week. 

 

I'm glad they got rid of the closed circuit stew room thing they had going on last year. That was terrible, but I don't like the "we'll all be in the same room" thing either. Some of the funnier bits were from stew rooms.  Granted, my least favorite parts of the show are the drama-infused ones, but if you're going to do it, do it well.

 

I hate the dudebro. I thought his name was Aaron. Hate.

 

As far as Padma spitting out the pork, I have to agree with her. There's a bit of properly-cooked fat, and there's a big old wad of chewy grossness, which is what it looks like she got. I mean, she had to spit it out or swallow it whole, so why not spit it out.  And hello, Chef Dudebro, always save something really nice for the judges.  Have you never watched the show before?

Edited October 16, 2014 by elzin

[cooksdelight]

His personal life is his business

He makes it everyone's business when he drags his wife and kids on TV. Or talks about them. I know very little, next to nothing, about Padma or Tom's families.

This episode felt rushed, to me. And they're doing another sudden death elimination. I don't care much for that, but I also miss the season when there weren't so many people you don't know who's who.

[JTMacc99]

I thought this was a pretty good episode. I loved the possible sudden death challenge. And I love that the big dummy selected his opponent based on revenge. (He actually said "revenge"!)

 

Because if he won, the other guy who couldn't go home suffers what? Mild disappointment? Sigh. The least he could have done was to figure out what the producers wanted him to do and single out somebody he thought wasn't a good cook and say it out loud.

 

And I also enjoyed the elimination challenge, which had "I didn't come to Top Chef to toss salads" going for it.  It also pretty clearly helped me to identify a few people who either get it or don't get it.  Which I'm not really sure I could ask for more from episode one.

 

And lastly, I didn't get the feeling that there are a core group of awful people who are going to ruin it for me, but I guess there is still time.

Edited October 16, 2014 by JTMacc99

[bosawks]

My biggest issue with Richard is not just the sore loser aspect but how he misrepresents what actually happened.  How he was this huge front runner and Stephanie was a mere after thought because of all of his victories. 
 
Dude, you had 4 wins, she had 4 wins, you were in 4 final groups she was in 6!

 

You were much better in the quick fires, I will give you that, but pushing the fallacy that going to the final you were head and shoulders above her is a lie.

 

If you can't lose with grace at least lose in silence.

[Wings]

 

I'm glad they got rid of the closed circuit stew room thing they had going on last year. That was terrible, but I don't like the "we'll all be in the same room" thing either. Some of the funnier bits were from stew rooms.  Granted, my least favorite parts of the show are the drama-infused ones, but if you're going to do it, do it well.

 

 

They still have the stew room.  When the numbers are down the judges often take hours to decide.  I just re watched some past seasons and on the reunion shows they aired clips from the stew room and Gail falling asleep on the judges table.  Cute.  They only brought the entire cast in when the decisions had been made last night.  I doubt they will keep that up. 

 

elzin, I like Dale now, too.  When I re watched his season I saw him in a different light.  The fact that Stephanie chose him to work with on her final challenge told me a lot about who he was underneath the temper.  Never have warmed to Lisa though. What a nasty piece of work she was, even when she returned for all stars.  She was better but not compelling.  

[anonymiss]

I appreciate how Adam swiftly ate his words about Keriann: "Remember how pissed you were when I made you give up the lobster?" paired with his voiceover reversing his discrediting of her: "our beautiful blond thoroughbred carian grabs the knife, clams are flying open."

 

Grateful I don't have to hear about Isabella here, too, anymore.

 

Blais is a refreshing addition to the panel. I trust his comments more than the others at this point. I can't with his shellacked hair, though.

Edited October 16, 2014 by anonymiss

[stillshimpy]

I actually like Anger Management Dale a lot after he went to Anger Management (being literal, he went to Anger Management ) which was after Top Chef Masters. 

 

 

 

but I didn't follow him around the dial like that!

 

Heh.  Yeah, neither did I.  Those are all Top Chef shows.  Top Chef, Top Chef Masters (as a sous chef), Top Chef All Star, Life After Top Chef, Top Chef Duels (in order).  Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel, basically.  Apparently he's done a bunch of other shows too, but I haven't seen those.  

 

I guess that's another thing that I don't really like about him.  He's a genuinely gifted chef -- as far as I can tell he really is a badass chef --but he's also just someone making his living by being on a reality revolving door track.  

 

 

 

His personal life is his business

 

I actually bailed on Life After Top Chef after part (not even all) of one episode, but he did have his wife and children on there, so he's willing to try and make bank from them too.  The showed failed, oddly enough because it seemed to be ridiculously boring, but if it had succeeded, we'd likely have been growing up with the Blais Family 

 

Anyway, as for this season of Top Chef, the actual contestants seem like they are reasonably gifted.  Padma is sort of neither here nor there for me and as far as Blais as a judge? Eh? Well see?  Maybe that's finally his successful niche on TV?  

 

It always takes a few episodes for me to really invest in a Top Chef season.  The guy who left seemed to deserve to leave and I felt for him.  No one wants to be the first guy out.  The Kosher chef hammering away on those clams was alarming and hilarious, but he must have figured it out very rapidly (or knows some secret shucking technique) because he apparently finished the task handily enough. 

Edited October 16, 2014 by stillshimpy

[cooksdelight]

growing up with the Blais Family

Don't give them any ideas.... The Blais Bunch! with some cutesy theme music, featuring dancing cartoon characters of Blais running from TV camera to TV camera, kids dragging behind him, wife rolling her eyes standing at the front door of their home, which we never see him inside.

[wovenloaf]

I hate that skinny guy with the tattoos and the America bandanna on his head. I think his last name was Harvey. He makes way too much noise. He also used "cruising for a bruising" in a regular conversation, and since all the rest of his conversation consisted of other corny crap, I don't think it he was using it to be funny. He was also the "I have a special lobster method that uses no knife," but then fumbled with the lobster. Typical. 

 

That guy was certainly dumb for not saving a good piece of pork belly for the judges, but the way Padma never misses an opportunity to act like people are beneath her grates on me. Her sneery "In addition to getting your act together, get your station together" was so unnecessarily rude. 

 

That dude who went home first (Adam?) was being so stupid -- as in, I'm not convinced that guy understands basic concepts. He was saying, "my team screwed me over blah blah blah," while apparently missing the fact that he was the slowest one on the team. Like, if the other people were being so dang slow, why couldn't you manage to be slightly faster than any one of them, buddy? 

[Bella]

The best restaurant he's ever been associated with is Zaytinya, and that's because it was a José Andrés property. None of Isabella's restaurants made the cut in Tom Sietsema's Fall Dining Guide.

 

That's true, though Graffiato and Kapnos have had very good reviews from Sietsema despite not making his favorites list. Still, the competition is quite stiff just within Penn Quarter, and while I'll continue to defend Isabella's cooking chops, you're right in that he's not yet up there with the best.

 

I do wonder how much of a distraction it is to be a "reality TV personality" on top of being a chef. I've always assumed it was huge and had potential to detract from the real work of running a good restaurant.

 

Which brings me back to Richard Blais. The man can cook, there's no doubt. He's inventive and skilled. If he prefers to be in front of the camera this much, that's his choice, but it seems like lost potential.

[SFoster21]

He makes it everyone's business when he drags his wife and kids on TV. Or talks about them. I know very little, next to nothing, about Padma or Tom's families.

This episode felt rushed, to me. And they're doing another sudden death elimination. I don't care much for that, but I also miss the season when there weren't so many people you don't know who's who.

They have always started with sixteen, AFAIC.

[MangoFed]

I can't really speak for anyone else, but here's what bugs me about Richard Blais: He has a different personality in each TV appearance I see him in  I actually talked about this on Duels just a while back but here's the gig: First time he's on Top Chef in his season, he's nerdy sci-chef, molecular gastronomy and a little plump.  I liked that guy.  I didn't like him so much after he lost to Stephanie and didn't (in all the ensuing years) ever simply give her credit for beating him fair and square, but instead insisted he should have won, but "[he] choked" making him the sorest of losers and least gracious of winners when he finally won All Stars.  

 

Second appearance was on Top Chef Masters, as sous chef, where he and Anger Management Dale decided to purposefully be jackasses and difficult to their chefs.  I can only assume it was purposeful, that was never explained, but they were arrogant, challenging and (I'm not kidding) attempted to provoke Michael Chiaerello into a fistfight.  That was Dale, but Blais was right there with him.   So that was the incarnation that made me wonder who the hell the guy really is and made me suspect a lot of pretense.  

 

Then came All Stars, where he feigned crippling self-esteem and neurosis issues as gamesmanship.  He'd stand around belittling himself, until someone "there-there"'d him.  Gail actually said in an interview afterward (and he won the damned season) that she liked him, but thought he needed professional help.  The reason I know he was feigning it was Carla Hall told him not to start with that at one point, and it instantly vanished.  As competition tool it was pathetic.  

 

Then the failed Life After Top Chef and he's just a henpecked husband, trying to endlessly please his wife while desperately trying to steal time to eke out a career.  (think of the reality show setting for this and bathe in the irony).  

 

Duels he exhibited so many facial ticks that my husband wondered if he had a cocaine addiction, and then the expression on his face when Kevin advanced over Blais showed that the guy still can't lose with anything resembling grace. 

 

So his appearance  in this series thus far has done nothing to convince me that I'm wrong about him being the least genuine person.  His personality is beyond malleable at this juncture and well into studied pretense.  I mean, he's even donned glasses as props.  

 

I know the guy is just trying to make hay while the sun shines, to secure some financial security and it isn't that I begrudge him that.  I'm also aware that TV contestants and judges have a persona that they are choosing, rather than reflecting their authentic self, but Blais has changed that persona so often that in the end result, I find him sort unctuous and untrustworthy.  

 

That said, I don't dislike him to the extent that I won't watch, I just wish that he wasn't part of the franchise on such a regular basis with such an irregular personality.  

99% of his 'change in personality' can be explained by editing. Seriously, I don't understand how people don't get this. Also, he has given Stephanie props for winning, numerous times, stating that he didn't mean his claims to imply she was an undeserving winner, so that kinda throws out that argument.

[ShadowSixx]

That guy was certainly dumb for not saving a good piece of pork belly for the judges, but the way Padma never misses an opportunity to act like people are beneath her grates on me. Her sneery "In addition to getting your act together, get your station together" was so unnecessarily rude. 

 

That dude who went home first (Adam?) was being so stupid -- as in, I'm not convinced that guy understands basic concepts. He was saying, "my team screwed me over blah blah blah," while apparently missing the fact that he was the slowest one on the team. Like, if the other people were being so dang slow, why couldn't you manage to be slightly faster than any one of them, buddy? 

 

Padma does have a tendency to act like a drama queen at times. I remember how Padma reacted when she spit out Arianne's lemon meringue martini. While the guest judge didn't spit it out she was just like wow, you have to get over the sugar shock. Padma acted like she ate vomit. IMO when eating something really sweet it'll make your brain process WTF is with all the sugar not spit it out. IMO when she spit out that sweet dish she barely put it in her mouth. It made me think she was going for an Emmy or something.

 

While the douche's station was messy, she was talking to him like she was his mother. She could have simply advised him that he needs to clean his station.

 

The man that did go home only has himself to blame for being eliminated. He was slow, nobody on his team caused him to be the slowest and he got out cooked by Greg's trio which did look good and I don't even eat oysters. It's all on him for his elimination and nobody else's. 

Another thing that kills me is how they're so excited for restaurant wars yet they mostly don't do that good of a job. I think maybe last season was a season where there was a good restaurant in a long time with that guy Travis did an excellent job at front of the house. I really can't remember that many successful restaurants in restaurant wars.

[MangoFed]

My biggest issue with Richard is not just the sore loser aspect but how he misrepresents what actually happened.  How he was this huge front runner and Stephanie was a mere after thought because of all of his victories. 

 

Dude, you had 4 wins, she had 4 wins, you were in 4 final groups she was in 6!

 

You were much better in the quick fires, I will give you that, but pushing the fallacy that going to the final you were head and shoulders above her is a lie.

 

If you can't lose with grace at least lose in silence.

I'm don't wanna get a reputation for defending Blais here, and it was very close between him and Steph, but he destroyed her at QFs and was also in the bottom a lot less.

 

More importantly, I don't think Blais has ever said that he 'dominated' that season or was 'head and shoulders' above her. He's said that he was a favourite/ the favourite, which sounds arrogant, but is undeniably true. Tom, Ted Allen, and Gail have said as much as well. 

[roomtorome]

No no no no no - Blais is a horror - he is so manic and once he starts talking he can't seem to stop and he really doesn't know how to self-edit - that motorcycle analogy?  Ouch - stupid though he must have thought it was very clever.  So disappointed to see him there -

 

Padma's involvement has always been a mystery to me and I find her irrelevant and annoying.  I wonder if they knew they would be such a long lasting series if they would make the same decision to hire her; she's deadly with that voice and, well, nothingness.

 

I can live with Tom - at least he actually knows food/cooking as opposed to Padma and I do like Gail - But, not sure I can watch a season with blais - The same producers must be behind his new show and they are using this one as a way to kick it off?  I don't get it.  

 

I will say I do like the immediate reactions from the judges vs waiting - that's a good change.  I wonder if they will keep that up.

[Julia]

99% of his 'change in personality' can be explained by editing. Seriously, I don't understand how people don't get this. Also, he has given Stephanie props for winning, numerous times, stating that he didn't mean his claims to imply she was an undeserving winner, so that kinda throws out that argument.

 

If he'd stated that nearly as often as he's implied the opposite, it would be more effective in convincing people who aren't predisposed to believe him. 

 

I think arguments about the prejudicial effects of editing are by their nature hypothetical and opinion-based. I too am often confused that others don't agree with all my opinions, but I'm told it's part of life :)

Edited October 16, 2014 by Julia

[Luciano]

Blais annoys me sometimes, with the weird combination of big ego and self-criticism, but not to the point that it'll affect me watching this show. Watching him compete is anxiety-inducing since he always seems to look like he's one critique away from having a heart attack; since he's a judge here, I'm guessing that's not going to be an issue. I think he made one of the best comments - no matter how much you personally love your dish, you have to remember you're cooking for Top Chef, so something like a broccoli salad or whatever isn't going to get you to the top.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Luciano

[MangoFed]

I think the only time he's said something to that effect is when he says "I should have won", which I always assumed meant "I should have done better than I did", not "Steph is a bad chef and all women suck", which is what a lot of people somehow take away from it. There are obviously varying degrees of interpretation here, and I think that the editors really tried to hit it home in All-Stars with the 'redemption' angle, but I honestly don't think he feels Steph didn't deserve to win. He's not really in control of the way the show portrays him, unless you want him to not respond to any questions in confessionals.

[JTMacc99]

I think he made one of the best comments - no matter how much you personally love your dish, you have to remember you're cooking for Top Chef, so something like a broccoli salad or whatever isn't going to get you to the top.

Hell, even Homer and Bart Simpson know you don't win friends with salad. You don't win Top Chef with salad either.

 

And I think more importantly than the fact she made salad is that she attempted to make a dish that was very close to what the challenge said it was supposed to be.

 

You don't win top chef by making a dish that was actually a version of the first dish you ever made. You win Top Chef by making a dish you know is great and making up a BS story about how it is a version of the first thing you ever made. I think I saw a couple of them make that mistake in this episode.

Edited October 16, 2014 by JTMacc99

[Julia]

You don't win top chef by making a dish that was actually a version of the first dish you ever made. You win Top Chef by making a dish you know is great and making up a BS story about how it is a version of the first thing you ever made. I think I saw a couple of them make that mistake in this episode.

 

Seriously. Even weirdo corn soup guy got that. Unless anyone really believes that soup was something he and his family used to make after their daily stroll in the russian corn fields...

Edited October 16, 2014 by Julia

[biakbiak]

but I honestly don't think he feels Steph didn't deserve to win.

 

And clearly Stephanie doesn't think badly of him. One of my favorite parts of the stupid live finale between Kristen and Brooke was seeing Richard and Stephanie in the background at the TC winners table clearly adoring one another. 

 

That broccoli salad was just sad looking. Had to have congee this morning because it looked so yummy.

[aradia22]

Top Chef starting off with a bang. Mise-en-place for the first quickfire. My favorite quickfire after Hung's season. A fairly good showing at the food festival. 

 

I don't hate the sudden death quickfire because sometimes people are just awful and you have cull the herd quickly. The second cook-off might get a little annoying though.

 

I'm not sure if they'll make all the contestants hang out for judging every week. On the one hand, at least you get to hear some feedback from the judges, even if it's for other people. On the other hand, eh... not as dramatic as they want it to be. 

 

I don't like anyone yet but I feel like I'm going to hate Aaron.

 

I'm not decided on Blais as a judge. I think he's fine so far but he could get into Hughnibrow territory where he's just a little too much. The other judges don't have anything to prove. The new judges always do. I thought his feedback this week was pretty good except for say the motorcycle thing and I worry about him being super articulate on the spot.

[meep.meep]

 

You don't win top chef by making a dish that was actually a version of the first dish you ever made. You win Top Chef by making a dish you know is great and making up a BS story about how it is a version of the first thing you ever made. I think I saw a couple of them make that mistake in this episode.

1000 times yes!

Otherwise there should have been several stations featuring chocolate chip cookies and rice crispie treats!

 

I wish they had introduced everyone.  That seemed odd.

 

When even Tom is rolling his eyes at you, it's time to lay off the elaborate metaphors, Chef Blais.

 

I liked the visual of them stalking around the kitchen during prep all duded up in their chef coats.  "We are men.  Manly men, doing manly things."

 

Do all people from Boston only achieve things for the city?  Can't someone win for themselves?  Or their mother?

[MangoFed]

Part of me kinda likes Aaron's humour, but it was mixed with a little too much arrogance for me. He's definitely going to be the villain, and he's probably going to last a while.

[Luciano]

Do all people from Boston only achieve things for the city? Can't someone win for themselves? Or their mother?

Sometimes they specifically want to do it for their baseball team.

These are the ones that will get increasingly short-tempered and frustrated as the season goes on.

Edited October 16, 2014 by Luciano

[Bella]

He's definitely going to be the villain, and he's probably going to last a while.

 

Villains usually go deep; otherwise, why bother with editing them that way, even if they are horses' patooties? Only once did the competitor I most loathed leave a competition early, and that was a show with several villains.

[Rambler]

I thought this was a pretty good episode. I loved the possible sudden death challenge. And I love that the big dummy selected his opponent based on revenge. (He actually said "revenge"!)

 

Because if he won, the other guy who couldn't go home suffers what? Mild disappointment? Sigh. The least he could have done was to figure out what the producers wanted him to do and single out somebody he thought wasn't a good cook and say it out loud.

 

I can kind of see where it would make sense to make that choice though. Since he had no idea that there would be a head to head competition afterwards, he was probably mainly watching his own team and not paying much attention to the screw-ups on the other teams. So on his own team, he sees a guy who insisted on doing the mackerel and then turned out to be as slow as molasses. He probably thought the guy was an idiot. It was his bad luck that the guy looks like he is going to be one of the stronger chefs this season.

 

That dude who went home first (Adam?) was being so stupid -- as in, I'm not convinced that guy understands basic concepts. He was saying, "my team screwed me over blah blah blah," while apparently missing the fact that he was the slowest one on the team. Like, if the other people were being so dang slow, why couldn't you manage to be slightly faster than any one of them, buddy? 

 

He thought his team screwed him over because he was "forced" to do the clams instead of the mackerel. I can see where he might be a little bitter about being eliminated in such a fashion before he got a chance to really show what he could do, but thems the breaks.

[Wings]

99% of his 'change in personality' can be explained by editing. Seriously, I don't understand how people don't get this. Also, he has given Stephanie props for winning, numerous times, stating that he didn't mean his claims to imply she was an undeserving winner, so that kinda throws out that argument.

 

I am glad to hear he said this.  I missed this, very important, declaration.  

[Muffyn]

While I know Tom can be a huge douche, I did like him getting on the guy for saying his food wasn't "too bad".  It's a pet peeve of mine.  I had an ex who would always say things "weren't too bad".  This would prompt me to say, "So you're starting with the premise that they were bad.  Just not as bad as they could have been?  Not as bad as you thought they would be?  But definitely bad."  Wait, maybe I'm a douche too.  

[jette]

I dunno, it bothered me that Richard said that the winning quick fire dish exemplified the best use of the mise en place challenge ingredients...and then said the oyster was the best part of Gregory's trio. Huh? No oysters in that round, Dick.

 

Also? Your rolled up maroon chef's coat sleeves bug. You, sir, are gun-less. 

[cooksdelight]

I dunno, it bothered me that Richard said that the winning quick fire dish exemplified the best use of the mise en place challenge ingredients...and then said the oyster was the best part of Gregory's trio. Huh? No oysters in that round, Dick.

Oysters, clams, lobsters and mackeral were the four ingredients the teams had to prep.

As for Richard's sleeves on his red chef's coat, they were short sleeves with a cuff, as far as I could tell.

[Lnmop]

If you can't lose with grace at least lose in silence.

I'm gonna use that line from here on.

[beaker73]

I took a couple seasons off from this show and I remember why. Padma sucks, I cannot tolerate Tom's eye rolls, and I'm tired of being forced to have an opinion on Blais. Gail's awesomeness cannot overcome this.

Think I'll wait until this herd is thinned a bit before jumping back in.

Seriously. I thought Blais would be the problem for me, but Padma is more intolerable than I remembered. Bitching about fat in a piece of pork belly? Please. I loved Gail response to her on that.

[cee]

Happy to see Boston as host city. My fondest childhood food memory was eating freshly caught and steamed lobsters (cost $2.99 each) while at summer camp in Rockport. We ate them with our hands on the rocks along the beach. 

 

I want Katsuji to stay as long as possible. He strikes me as a mad artist and I was fascinated by him on Chopped. Although, I be afraid to order his petroleum dish if it were on a menu. But he wanted to play with non-Kosher ingredients--all of them. 

 

As for Richard, I'm fine with him judging. Anyone except Wolfgang Puck is fine by me. 

[cooksdelight]

I want Katsuji to stay as long as possible. He strikes me as a mad artist and I was fascinated by him on Chopped.

Me too. But his restaurant isn't in Beverly Hills. I think the editors took a little license with where it's really at. It's on West Pico Blvd. near Robertson in West Hollywood. I am there often when I go to L.A., I'll have to stop in for lunch next time. And the L.A. Times did an article about him, saying the first meal he ever cooked at age 6 was paella. Maybe if he'd stuck to that....

[whirlingdervish]

The bestest thing about Richard and Padma being paired together was that Gail and Tom were positively a breath of fresh air afterwards.  I don't think I've ever looked forward to seeing Tom in a challenge so much.

[stillshimpy]

99% of his 'change in personality' can be explained by editing. Seriously, I don't understand how people don't get this

 

No, I don't think it can be explained by editing.  He's had different mannerisms in different shows.  That's not editing.  I get the argument, I just disagree with the validity of it in this instance. It's fine that we disagree, but it isn't that I'm failing to get something, it's that I have a different opinion than you do.

 

Also, he has given Stephanie props for winning, numerous times, stating that he didn't mean his claims to imply she was an undeserving winner, so that kinda throws out that argument.

 

So I've seen him a lot and haven't seen him say this at any point.  When was that? Also, again, doesn't "throw out" the argument that he's been a sore loser, because he's also said that he choked and "should have won [his] season but [he] choked", I find him to be ungracious.

He may actually be a good judge for this show, as his worst traits might be on display in competition only. I'm willing to wait and see.

Edited October 16, 2014 by stillshimpy

[beaker73]

That's true, though Graffiato and Kapnos have had very good reviews from Sietsema despite not making his favorites list. Still, the competition is quite stiff just within Penn Quarter, and while I'll continue to defend Isabella's cooking chops, you're right in that he's not yet up there with the best.

I'd eat the pepperoni sauce at Graffiato every day of the week if I could.

[Wings]

I am not sure why some are saying Tom is a douche.  I don't know what that word even means.  I see it as a new word that is a catch all for hate. 

 

I adore Tom and have a crush on him!  Surely I cannot be the only one here who likes all the judges and see their value flaws and all.  Come forward and help me talk about some positive aspects of this, my most favorite show!!   

 

Tom is the heart and soul of this production. It is his creation and baby. I respect him for his stance in contracting with Bravo.  He would only do this show if only the food was judged.  He hates drama and anything behind the scenes as has been evidenced.  If you need a reminder, Marcel made it to the finals and he was a total asshole.  Tom refused to listen to the complaints.

 

  I love how no one can throw him.  He has a come back for every barb hurled his way.  He is an excellent chef and very successful.  I have eaten at Craft several times and it was superior.  My husband is a vegetarian and it had the BEST option of any restaurants we had visited, EVER.  That is a huge statement.  He seeks to have excellent vegetarian options and he did.  On the same vacation we ate at Emerils and his veg option was a plate full of kiss off vegetables with little seasoning and zero effort.  Tom's vegetarian sandwiches at Craftwich are excellent and I, an avid meat eater, prefered them. 

 

Padma is an excellent cook, speaks 5 languages and is fucking lovely.  She was raised a vegetarian and admits to having problems with meat that is too rare and too fatty. 

 

Richard is flawed as we all are, I cut him a break.  I don't particularly like him but respect his knowledge.  Trouble with reality TV is they focus on flaws because it is good footage.  Any of us would be horrified to see ourselves edited for entertainment value.  

[MangoFed]

 

No, I don't think it can be explained by editing.  He's had different mannerisms in different shows.  That's not editing.  I get the argument, I just disagree with the validity of it in this instance. It's fine that we disagree, but it isn't that I'm failing to get something, it's that I have a different opinion than you do.

 

 

So I've seen him a lot and haven't seen him say this at any point.  When was that? Also, again, doesn't "throw out" the argument that he's been a sore loser, because he's also said that he choked and "should have won [his] season but [he] choked", I find him to be ungracious.

He may actually be a good judge for this show, as his worst traits might be on display in competition only. I'm willing to wait and see.

What do you mean by different mannerisms? He said different things? Different facial ticks? Could that not easily be editing?

Also, here's the source on Stephanie (http://live.washingtonpost.com/top-chef-season-eight-winner.html)

 

Relevant portion:

Q.

STEPHANIE WAS A WORTHY TOP CHEF TOO!

Richard, Congrats on the win. I know that you're a good chef, and could have probably won your original season. However, why did you have to go ON, and ON, and ON about how you should have won your season etc.? You acted as if Stephanie would never have been able to win if you didn't "choke," and it became obnoxious to the point of being insulting to her. It's very unbecoming.

– March 31, 2011 10:46 AM Permalink

A.

RICHARD BLAIS :

That's someone's opinion and I've certainly never said that she didn't desrve to win.  She certainly did.  Sometimes you have to read between the lines about what people are saying.  I think expressing disappointment about your performance is ok and that's all it is.  I've never ever said that she didn't deserve to win.

 

I think, to me, anyways, that kinda settles it in the sense of what he meant by his words. 

[Tunia]

I want Katsuji to stay as long as possible. He strikes me as a mad artist and I was fascinated by him on Chopped. Although, I be afraid to order his petroleum dish if it were on a menu.

 

Couldn't really understand Padma's confusion over the squid ink...surely she's had it before.

[Bella]

It's okay to like or dislike Richard Blais (or anyone else).

Yes, he's edited. We do not know the effect of the editing, whether we see him at his best, worst, or somewhere in between.

 

It's okay to disagree with each other here, and it's okay to argue.

 

But it's getting a bit too heated right now, and it would be a good idea to dial it back a notch.

 

Thanks!

[LexiconDevilOne]

There's too many people for me really pick people out, but there seems to be an excess of arrogant assholes this season. 

 

I don't remember him at all, & he really annoyed me tonight. I was hoping he would get eliminated, but I figured it was going to be broccoli salad lady. What a stupid thing for her to make, something you would eat at a potluck picnic.

My Mom said to me, "Next she'll make gnocchi. Has she never seen Top Chef before"...I laughed, because she's right.

[Luciano]

Couldn't really understand Padma's confusion over the squid ink...surely she's had it before.

Probably not in "squid ink fondue" style. Even the name of the dish sounded unappetizing to me.

[DHDancer]

"squid ink"

 

I'm with Padma.  I thought it looked incredibly unappetising!

[Happytobehere]

First elimination was the perfect example of what happens when your sole reason for doing something is to take revenge on someone else, Gregory (?) got to stay and Mr. No One Is Going To Remember Your Name got bounced.

Second elimination, I wonder if that mush-mouthed jibber-jabber double-speak help get you bounced. It was bad, but not too bad, it was salty and fishy but that's how I like it.

Blais is already getting to me with his stink face.

Previews reveal that blonde chick makes to Restaurant Wars.

Edited October 17, 2014 by cooksdelight
Spoiler information hidden

[Latverian Diplomat]

One thing about Blais as a judge, I'd really like him to concentrate on cooking and food comments, and stay away from "how to win Top Chef" comments/advice. Top Chef succeeds or fails by challenging chefs to be creative, the hoop jumping and pressure are means to an end. 

 

So when Blais makes comments about how trios are "risky" because it's three chances to fail. I don't find that a very interesting comment, because it's about trios on Top Chef, and not trios as a template for a dish in general. Likewise, he had a comment a little later about hey, don't relax and start having fun, because next thing you know you're on the bottom. Again, maybe a good piece of coaching advice for how to stay focused on the competition, but it's nothing to do with food.

 

And yes, some stuff like that is inevitable, and I mind less when co-competitors talk shop that way. But as a former contestant now judge, it already seems as though Blais can get dragged into that perspective, and I'd rather have him give more substantive critiques like the rest of the judges do.

Edited October 17, 2014 by Latverian Diplomat

[MangoFed]

The 'petroleum' part of Katsuji's dish was way too accurate to be appetizing.