S12.E02: Boston's Bravest And Finest

[Wings]

Asshat's name is Aaron.  That should be easy to remember.  :>)

[tobeannounced]

I know it's only episode two, but there was a chick who popped up that I swear I had never seen at all.  Rebecca?  Was she in the last episode?  Also, the other female Asian chef isn't getting much love from the editors.

 

ETA:  Just saw AriAu's post.  Guess I'm not the only one.

Edited October 23, 2014 by tobeannounced

[stillshimpy]

I've been reclaiming the word "bitch" for decades, because, really, what is a bitch?

 

Well and I can understand that as a stance, but  even then it is aimed at women critically for asserting themselves. I personally try not to use the term.  I'm usually successful.  

 

I think Aaron is an equal opportunity jackass, but that said, he did got to the Bitch-calling place pretty damned easily, with someone he barely knows. Everyone will have different feelings about that term, but it is a gendered insult, regardless of which gender it is being aimed at.  If a guy is called a bitch it still has its origin as a pejorative based in gender (comparing someone to a female dog and by extension, the characteristics of an assertive woman to that of a dog is not flattering in my eyes).   It's not a good part of our world that an assertive woman is still called any names specifically for that trait, other than "boss", basically.  But that's a matter of personal opinion and even if Aaron had whipped out an extensive thesaurus of insults that really showed flair and creativity I still would have disliked him, because I suspect his entire personality would make me want to stick him in the walk-in for the duration of any cooking experience with him in the kitchen.  I don't like the dude. He's a schmuck.    

 

As for Mei Lin, she was pretty classless when the teams were revealed and she all but wrung her hands in dismay.  Seriously, she was putting her palm to her forehead in the international sign for "I am sooooooo screwed" and that had to suck as a feeling for her teammates. At least try not to broadcast it to the back-rows there, it actually sucked for them to be in the bottom too, no need to grind it in with visual cues.  Mei Lin really didn't miss her calling as an ambassador, that's for sure.  I'm all for assertive women and I particularly like that Mei Lin doesn't apologize for it on any level.  No "as a woman in professional kitchens I have found that I have to...." she's just an overly direct, assertive and commanding chef.

 

I'm glad that she admitted she was wrong and whether or not she said that she worried for no reason to his face, she said it to millions of people and that counts for just as much, in my eyes.  Yes, she's pounding the Volt drum too much. I also think her confidence might tip the scales to arrogance, but she also just seems like a natural leader and someone who doesn't waste time, milling around, waiting to see if anyone else wants to be in charge.  The other two chefs seemed fine with her taking the lead and honestly, whereas I doubt I'd have said anything or put on that much of a display about it, she had reason to be a bit concerned about both of them.  

 

Katsuji freaked out and threw in a laundry list of strange ingredients in the first elimination challenge.  I like the guy and he clearly can cook, but I don't think Mei Lin was wrong to believe he needed firm direction to keep him on point.  Hopefully his opening challenge jitters are done and he can now shine.

 

As for Joy, she's case-in-point for what happens when a chef doesn't assret themselves on things they do know and now she's out of the competition for that make-nice-keep-the-peace approach.    

I hope the guy with the birthmark is next to go.  Vanilla in savory dishes is something I have a huge grudge against because it was such a thing about 12 or 13 years ago -- for about a year actually -- and whereas some spices can transition back and forth easily (basil or cinnamon for instance) it just didn't work for vanilla.  So his insistence on a trend that was rejected almost in the last century just tells me he's in over his head. 

 

The previews seem to suggest that we are stuck with the delights of Keriann (oh joy, she's a weeper....gah) and Aaron for quite a while.  

 

As for Mei Lin's swearing, I'll tell you honestly that I just  didn't even notice it.   If I had, it wouldn't have bothered me.  In fact, that's likely the reason I didn't notice it.  Unless it is juvenile bickering and name calling, swear with abandon, as far as I'm concerned.  I do sometimes and god knows the kitchen is the most likely room in the house to bring it out in me. 

 

Edited October 23, 2014 by stillshimpy

[picklesprite]

Be glad you're not watching with me, because I'll be sighing in a put-upon fashion until they thin the herd. I'm not crazy about the early, frenetic crowd scenes.

 

Two hours to prepare corn salad? Ditto for that jam lump? Have they never watched this show? They're both so lucky there was raw veal.

 

I did really love The Revenge of the Perfectly-Cooked Chicken. That was one of the most satisfying moments I've seen on this show. And many, many kudos to that mature and classy chef for keeping her cool while her teammates were playing Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. I'm rooting for Classy Chicken Chef for now; I hope she stays around long enough for me to learn her name.

Edited October 23, 2014 by picklesprite

[leighdear]

 

I don't think Mei Lin was wrong to believe he needed firm direction to keep him on point.

Low-Volt just ASSUMED that needed to come from her.  In the 2nd challenge of the show, it seemed way too heavy handed and presumptuous.  And Katsuji didn't appear to be "fine" with her further assumption that only she could do the sauce.  He calmly and confidently went about making it.  

 

I'm REALLY hoping that at some point Swayze-Tat guy breaks out the line "Be nice.. until it's time..to not be nice".  :)

[Primetimer]

Top Chef: Boston plays the Marathon card, the 9/11 card and...the Swayze card?

Read the story

[Wouldofshouldof]

Note to Tom: You don't get to give the chefs a basket with filet and scallops and then sneer about how predictable it is to do surf and turf, mmkay?

[JTMacc99]

Last week I felt like there wasn't anybody I really didn't like.

 

So much for that.

 

On the bright side, at least the bickersons both made terrible food, which could be a good sign that we won't have still have one or both still around for the long haul.  Maybe hat boy will go out on one of those instant elimination challenges. That would work for me.

Edited October 23, 2014 by JTMacc99

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I hope the guy with the birthmark is next to go.  Vanilla in savory dishes is something I have a huge grudge against because it was such a thing about 12 or 13 years ago -- for about a year actually -- and whereas some spices can transition back and forth easily (basil or cinnamon for instance) it just didn't work for vanilla.  So his insistence on a trend that was rejected almost in the last century just tells me he's in over his head. 

 

 

I felt bad for Joy because she knew that the chops should have been cut down - but I also thought she should have stood her ground.  That being said, I think I still would have knifed her teammate for the vanilla thing because I still feel like an underdone chop is not as bad as vanilla with meat.

[stillshimpy]

And Katsuji didn't appear to be "fine" with her further assumption that only she could do the sauce. He calmly and confidently went about making it.

I like the guy and I think he actually has the goods. I do think he had an epic attack of nerves in that first elimination challenge and wasn't being good about editing his dish. I do maintain that he seemed fine with it all when Mei Lin -- with assertion that crossed over into unnecessarily commanding language, I think -- decided that she was team leader because she drew the knife.

Mei Lin said she wanted to taste the sauce, what I saw was Katsuji calmly offering her a spoonful and then pressing for input when she didn't say anything one way or the other. I don't think that's about his ability. I think he's a good enough chef to accept that he went overboard the first time out, might have something to prove and had the self-confidence to just put the cards down on the table and prove it with the evidence of his own mastery. I think a less secure person and personality would have been posturing and complaining. What I saw was Katsuji just taking her measure and being absolutely fine with her judging the sauce, because he was fully confident in his ability to produce one that would pass muster.

And he was right and Mei Lin conceded that, both to him and then with an admission that she was wrong int he Talking Head (which she has to know those things will be broadcast or stand a good chance of being broadcast and she literally said it turned out she had nothing to worry about).

But I get why she would have be specifically concerned about the sauce. The ingredient list from last week's challenge was dizzying to hear. The guy clearly can cook with the absolute best of them and Mei Lin -- who was perfectly poised and more than willing to find fault -- thought he aced it.

I said earlier that her confidence crosses over into arrogance, which often shields self-doubt. Katsuji's confidence is just that, with no shades of self-protecting arrogance. He knows he screwed up the last challenge, he knows it was a fluke and he did not seem to have any problem, to my eyes, with proving her wrong without the need to get defensive about it.

I really found that a fully admirable trait in him and I think he's someone to watch for good stuff to come.

[cooksdelight]

Note to Tom: You don't get to give the chefs a basket with filet and scallops and then sneer about how predictable it is to do surf and turf, mmkay?

Yes, a thousand times to this. What did he expect them to do, swap ingredients with someone else?

[phoenix780]

I thought it was a little bizarre at this early stage to funnel all the main cooking down into so few dishes.

 

I didn't have a problem with anything Mei Lin did, though I did notice the swearing.  She needs new words. 

 

The guy with the baseball cap...I hope it's clean, because he seems to adjust it a lot.  And did he take it off to cook then put it on (backwards, at first) to present to the judges?  Just...weird.  But I appreciate his use of the backwards/sideways cap to basically warn the rest of us that he's a jackass.  On a related note- molecular gastronomists need to get better representation on television.  I don't remember seeing someone play in that style and not be a little douche-y.  

 

Joy nailed it when she said she should have opened her mouth more.  A bit more drama, she'd still be around, imho.

 

The only other thing I wondered throughout this episode: where are the paramedics?  Cops are finest, firefighters are bravest.  Aren't paramedics usually right there too, though?  It's interesting that they seem to get left out when there are celebrations of first responders.  Do they even have a special name (like "bravest")?  

[SFoster21]

Be glad you're not watching with me, because I'll be sighing in a put-upon fashion until they thin the herd. I'm not crazy about the early, frenetic crowd scenes.

Two hours to prepare corn salad? Ditto for that jam lump? Have they never watched this show? They're both so lucky there was raw veal.

I did really love The Revenge of the Perfectly-Cooked Chicken. That was one of the most satisfying moments I've seen on this show. And many, many kudos to that mature and classy chef for keeping her cool while her teammates were playing Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. I'm rooting for Classy Chicken Chef for now; I hope she stays around long enough for me to learn her name.

Her name is Stacy.

[bioprof]

Joy had two hours to grill those chops...the bone should be left in for both flavor and presentation. As someone upthread said, she could have pounded them to both increase tenderness and also make them easier to cook. All that being said, I really liked her and wanted to see more of her cooking. THE HAT needs to go....NOW!

[TexasTiffany]

I totally agree about Aaron coming out of the gate and winning the a-hole contest so far. I LOVED how Tom threw his jam back in his face verbally with "tricks aren't going to win this competition." Aaron had 2 hours to make that sauce/jam, reduce it, and show cooking skill or at least some technique. Instead of technique, he served up his huge arrogance and stupidity with a side of a-hole. What was Aaron doing for the other hour and 45 minutes? Was he entertaining himself by antagonizing his teammates?

 

Apparently after Tom's smackdown, Aaron still didn't understand what happened. He goes after Reese Witherspoon (thanks for that one!) for failing on her corn salad. Note to Aaron, you need to back up your own cooking skills by not effing up the simple JAM before you criticize a corn salad. Aaron is proof that you don't have to be female to get called a bitch.

 

Joy. Joy. Joy. I know that undercooked/raw meat gets you sent home from this show, but I still wanted Aaron to be eliminated before Joy. She seems more genuine, likeable, and interesting. I would rather have seen Joy for more episodes. I'm trying to cut her some slack, but finding it hard to do so when she didn't cook her meat. In her talking head, she said she should have voiced her opinion more and seemed to blame her team more for the vanilla idea. Joy, you forgot. YOU got sent home not for the vanilla but for undercooked meat.

 

I'm liking the revamp of this show this season... like the other chefs standing on the side to hear the judges praises and criticisms. They can learn more from hearing what the judges are thinking, rather than getting drunk in the stew room and making saran wrap animals.

 

ITA about Todd English looking a bit haggard. I remember him being handsome a few years ago, but I almost didn't recognize him until Padma introduced him. At first I thought why did they have a dirty old homeless man on the show?

 

Also, I found it interesting that this challenge was picking a box/basket. I immediately thought of Chopped. The chefs had different boxes, yes, but I still was thinking Chopped. This makes me hopeful that they've revamped other challenges this season, too, which will definitely keep me watching.

Edited October 23, 2014 by TexasTiffany

[Lura]

Mai Lin burst my bubble tonight by elevating herself far above the rest.  I cannot stand people who boast about themselves, and she has overdone it in a big way.  I really don't care all that much about your past accomplishments; show me what you can do now!  Aaron is a thorn in the side.  He has no formal training, so he tells everyone else how to cook.  Talk about advertising what a buffoon you are!
are!

 

I love Gregory.  He seems serious, fun and modest. 

 

I'm disappointed that the judging panel chose Joy to send home.  I wished they'd have punished Aaron or his female nemesis.

 

In the past few years, the show has been somewhat boring.  For me, it was because they had cut out showing where the contestants stayed, some of their interactions, and more scenes from the stew room.  I was happy to see that in tonight's episode, they spent a little time in those human interest areas.

 

When will Gail stop being terrified of leaving lipstick on her fork?

Edited October 23, 2014 by Lura

[Wings]

 

I'm liking the revamp of this show this season... like the other chefs standing on the side to hear the judges praises and criticisms. They can learn more from hearing what the judges are thinking, rather than getting drunk in the stew room and making saran wrap animals.

 

 

They still spend plenty of time in the stew room.  They only come in after the judges have taken hours to reach their decisions.   

[Uncle Benzene]

When will Gail stop being terrified of leaving lipstick on her fork?

 

I'd be happy to point out about ten better places where she can feel free to leave her lipstick anytime.

[stillshimpy]

I did really love The Revenge of the Perfectly-Cooked Chicken. That was one of the most satisfying moments I've seen on this show. And many, many kudos to that mature and classy chef for keeping her cool while her teammates were playing Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. I'm rooting for Classy Chicken Chef for now; I hope she stays around long enough for me to learn her name.

Her name is Stacy.

My very favorite thing about Stacy's calm competence was that it was flying in the face of Aaron and Keriann playing Chicken Little and Henny Penny respectively clucking about how she was going down in flames and in the weeds and every other "The sky is falling!" loss of dignity they could dramatically conjure (while producing vile food themselves) and desperate bleating about how she clearly needed their help.

She not only cooked the chicken perfectly, she did so while ignoring flappings and flutterings worthy of Victorians about to call for their smelling salts. Jeez, Aaron and Keriann must be a delight to have on the line on a busy evening. Sheesh.

Also Keriann might really want to rein that "ZOMG!! In the weeds!" trait in as soon as possible, because she keeps talking about her kids and anyone with kids knows this: They will bring the true emergencies and make the distinction for you, so it's best to shore up your calm while the shoring is good.

Edited October 23, 2014 by stillshimpy

[Wings]

One thing that has been consistent is poorly cooked protein goes home.  There have probably been exceptions but the mistake has to be severe to trump that. 

 

I just watched Mei talking to Katsuji.  She said fuck once and she backed down; there was no huge confrontation and she never mentioned MV to him either.  She did in her diary talk, that was it.  Only once.  

 

And Tom said the surf and turf was very simple, he didn't knock the idea of surf and turf, he knew what they got in the basket. 

Edited October 23, 2014 by wings707

[Pepper Mostly]

Neither them covered themselves in glory, but Aaron pulled one of my least favorite argument styles, usually favored by children, which was to take a point to absurdity to try to win. Here, she said she didn't want to do anything molecular, and he aggressively responded with something like "well, what about gelatin? That's [some chemical compound]. Are you saying you don't know how to use gelatin?" Shut up, you dummy. And shut your dumb hat up too.

 

Agreed. It seems that his "strategy" going in is to needle and annoy people. Its not as if he can back up his arrogance with kickass cooking, so I wonder how he came to think so highly of himself, and so little of others.

 

 

I am giving Kerriann a pass, too.  Aaron in your face cannot be a comfortable situation and he was out to get her.  He is the one who had a messy station and bad food last week.  As for her corn, she was given starchy corn in the basket, she did not choose it.  Granted, some other preparation would have probably worked better.   

 

 

She needs to stop rising to his bait. He knows he can get a response from her so he keeps doing it. Take the high road, Kerriann. Walk away. And oh my stars and garters, I would have been hard pressed to do the same, admittedly. He does that Chris Christie thing--he gets all wide eyed and talks in a patronizing, "reasonable" tone and says "I'm just saying! No need to raise your voice! Look at me being reasonable here, while you're all red faced and shouty!" with that repellent smirk on his face. Just thinking of it is making me all tense and headachy. I cannot stand that.

I hope the guy with the birthmark is next to go.  Vanilla in savory dishes is something I have a huge grudge against because it was such a thing about 12 or 13 years ago -- for about a year actually -- and whereas some spices can transition back and forth easily (basil or cinnamon for instance) it just didn't work for vanilla.  So his insistence on a trend that was rejected almost in the last century just tells me he's in over his head. 

 

I actually yelled "NOOOO!" when he suggested it. Out loud. I KNEW that would be a fail. I had visions of the horror on Anne Burrell's face on that show she did on FN--Worst Cook in America? Some woman kept insisting on adding vanilla to chicken dishes, and Anne said "did you ever think there there might be a reason why this never caught on?"

 

Echoing the Stacy love. Boston, represent!

 

 

Edited October 23, 2014 by Pepper Mostly

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Mei Lin said she wanted to taste the sauce, what I saw was Katsuji calmly offering her a spoonful and then pressing for input when she didn't say anything one way or the other. I don't think that's about his ability. I think he's a good enough chef to accept that he went overboard the first time out, might have something to prove and had the self-confidence to just put the cards down on the table and prove it with the evidence of his own mastery. I think a less secure person and personality would have been posturing and complaining. What I saw was Katsuji just taking her measure and being absolutely fine with her judging the sauce, because he was fully confident in his ability to produce one that would pass muster.

And he was right and Mei Lin conceded that, both to him and then with an admission that she was wrong int he Talking Head (which she has to know those things will be broadcast or stand a good chance of being broadcast and she literally said it turned out she had nothing to worry about).

 

 

stillshimpy, my problem with Mei was that she was acting as if she was the team leader - as if she is the one that Katsuji and Katie (?) had to impress - not the judges.  Now, I do think Katsuji actually handled it pretty well.  It is still a competition and both of Mei's teammates had the right to assert that they were going to cook things that they felt confident in and would put them in the best light.  So all's well that ends well. But Mei has won exactly one challenge, and she was acting like she was, all of a sudden, the clear frontrunner. And I mean, good for her for feeling so confident but one dish does not make her suddenly the person to beat. At some point, she's going to put out a bad dish - because every cheftestant does - and it will be interesting to see if her attitude differs.

 

On another note, Stacy Cogswell breaks down episode two in Boston Magazine.  I am sort of getting the feeling that she doesn't particularly like Keri Ann because she says that she thought someone on their team should have gone home, but also says - earlier in the interview - that she thinks Aaron is actually a nice guy.

[bailey]

Whoever called the hipster NY chef (can't remember his name) Santino and Shia LeBeaouf were spot on. That's all I could think about when they showed him talking - this is what an unholy union of Santino and Shia would look like. He also turned out to be not as douchetastic as I was worried about. He seems like a wannabe Spike more than anything.

 

That's Adam Harvey. I was very interested in how he would come across on this show as he is a friend of a friend. 

[Wings]

 

my problem with Mei was that she was acting as if she was the team leader

 

 

I just watched again.  I did not get this.  She looked like a skilled chef who wanted to stay in the comp and was doing everything she could to insure this.  Since he was in the bottom, I think he understood but did not back down to her.  She backed off without a fight. 

[eleanorofaquitaine]

Well, okay, eye of the beholder and all that. Her implied notion that she had somehow had final say on the sauce led me to a different conclusion.

[Wings]

Well, okay, eye of the beholder and all that. Her implied notion that she had somehow had final say on the sauce led me to a different conclusion.

 

 

I think she got some coaching from MV about making sure you taste every dish, especially in team challenges.  Tom stresses that, too.  He got down on the yellow team because they didn't do this.   And yes my eye beheld this! :>)

[AriAu]

The guy with the baseball cap...I hope it's clean, because he seems to adjust it a lot.  And did he take it off to cook then put it on (backwards, at first) to present to the judges?  Just...weird.  But I appreciate his use of the backwards/sideways cap to basically warn the rest of us that he's a jackass.

 

Very funny line!! It did look like the hat was sorta flying around from forward to backwards to sideways. Couldn't tell if that was bad editing or him just being a jerk.

[eleanorofaquitaine]

I think she got some coaching from MV about making sure you taste every dish, especially in team challenges.  Tom stresses that, too.  He got down on the yellow team because they didn't do this.   And yes my eye beheld this! :>)

 

 

wings707, right, but she didn't insist that they all taste each other's components or that they taste the composed dish. My eyes beheld this and they came to a different conclusion than yours. :)

Edited October 23, 2014 by eleanorofaquitaine

[Tarasme]

""How can you base a food challenge on the midnight ride of Paul Revere?" you might ask. Well, firstly, think about how some producers took the game Battleship and turned it into a whole movie also called Battleship. And there's your answer."

Thank you, Jeff Drake, for bringing sunshine to my ready-to-poke-my-eye-out-with-an-unsanitary-screwdriver Thursday. It is much appreciated.

[Wings]

wings707, right, but she didn't insist that they all taste each other's components or that they taste the composed dish. My eyes beheld this and they came to a different conclusion than yours. :)

 

Behold our different eyes!  

""How can you base a food challenge on the midnight ride of Paul Revere?" you might ask. Well, firstly, think about how some producers took the game Battleship and turned it into a whole movie also called Battleship. And there's your answer."

Thank you, Jeff Drake, for bringing sunshine to my ready-to-poke-my-eye-out-with-an-unsanitary-screwdriver Thursday. It is much appreciated.

 

 

Ok, this is hysterical.  

Edited October 23, 2014 by wings707

[Muffyn]

What got me was how little each person actually did in two hours of cooking.  2 hours for corn salad, poor quality bacon jam some kind of terrible vanilla sauce, etc.  I know some of the items would take the time to reduce or marinate or have the flavors meld, but compared to most challenges this seemed to allow a lot of waiting/watching time.

 

So yesterday I'm in our coffee hallway at work, carrying a hot, too full cup of tea, when someone starts to turn around, not realizing I am behind him.  In true Top Chef fashion, I say "Hot behind".  Then I see the look of shock on the VP of IT's face.  The other day I called him "Dude", not recognizing him yet again.  Next time I see him, I think I'll say "I'm cooking chicken!" to see if I can really throw him off.  Of course, next time I see him might be in HR explaining that "hot behind" was not sexual harassment.  

[elzin]

Well, it was at least satisfying to a certain degree to see my initial judgment of Aaron was spot on.

 

Look, I through out "bitch" all the time. I don't think it's always wrong when a man says it to a woman. In this case, though, I was not amused.  He not necessarily held back by a lack of imagination or a poor vocabulary but is just a pig through and through.

I wish he went home.  I know it was considered good tv by Bravo standards, all that drama and hate, but I think it makes the show tacky and almost unwatchable. 

[ChelseaNH]

What I saw was Katsuji just taking her measure and being absolutely fine with her judging the sauce

 

I'm pretty sure chefs have had to prove themselves to new colleagues more than once in their careers.  I suspect they've also encountered a few control freaks along the way.

 

Keriann keeps trying to quash Asshat and that's just not the way to handle him.  It would be much more entertaining to see him run up against someone who patronized him.

[RealityGal]

 

I felt bad for Joy because she knew that the chops should have been cut down - but I also thought she should have stood her ground.  That being said, I think I still would have knifed her teammate for the vanilla thing because I still feel like an underdone chop is not as bad as vanilla with meat.

 

And thats why I don't have such a problem with Mei.  Women in general, and especially women of color (IMO) are taught that if they speak up, they are a bitch.  Even if its in a reasonable tone and they are just insisting on doing something to make the dish right, but if you speak up you're argumentative, not a team player, difficult to work with....on and on and on.  I think that was what Joy was afraid of, and I think it was what Carla had been afraid of.  I'm glad to see that Mai wasn't afraid of that.  Having said that though, she did go overboard on the eye rolling and what not.

 

She not only cooked the chicken perfectly, she did so while ignoring flappings and flutterings worthy of Victorians about to call for their smelling salts. Jeez, Aaron and Keriann must be a delight to have on the line on a busy evening. Sheesh.

 

 

The two of them having their Victorian moments (I love that visual BTW so thank you) was even more annoying considering that both of them should have used their time to improve their own shitty creations.

That's Adam Harvey. I was very interested in how he would come across on this show as he is a friend of a friend. 

I really liked him in this episode.  His and Stacy's respect for first responders was very endearing to me.

[some1105]

To clarify my earlier comment, I certainly didn't mean that Mei Lin doesn't have a strong resume or that she hasn't worked for some good chefs--though as others have pointed out, at certain points in training, numerosity of employers of a comparable prestige level pretty much defines the stage system. 

 

Further, my comparison of Voltaggio(M) to other name chefs who have demonstrated far greater longevity in the upper echelons of food was meant to highlight that even those chefs have had protegees who have been eliminated on this show.  Mei Lin has every reason to be confident, but there's a difference between staying alert to possible weaknesses of team members and arrogantly assuming Katsuji is not breathing her same rarefied air (shortly after he was killing it in the quickfire).

 

On a side note (because he was mentioned as one of Mei's previous employers), I beg all of you not to waste your money in Marcus Samuelsson's restaurants.  He is a great chef (in my opinion, since back when he was actually on the line at Aquavit).  His restaurants (where he doesn't cook) are not good restaurants.  If I have to have this fight with my Marcus-loving mother one more time when she visits NYC, I may scream.

 

ETA: phoenix780--I can't answer your question specifically about what superlative applies to paramedics, but cops are usually referred to as "Finest" and firefighters usually get "Bravest", at least where I've lived on the East Coast.

Edited October 23, 2014 by some1105

[beaker73]

"KeriAnn and I's sides..."  The Hat deserved to be PYKAG'd just for that.

[carrps]

I absolutely agree that Joy didn't need to take the bone off those chops. I've NEVER had a veal chop off the bone, and if I was served one that way I'd think it extremely odd. As others have said, she needed to pound them, then grill them. Did she volunteer for the chops or was she stuck with them? It looked like she didn't know how to cook them. However, I'm sad she was eliminated so soon. 

 

Haven't the slightest number of fucks to care about Mei's language. I'd have been worried to be stuck with Mr. 20 ingredients and Ms. Brussell Sprouts salad.

 

Not a Swayze fan so I thought it was really odd to get a tatoo with his face. Maybe because I only know women who are Swayze fans because they saw "Dirty Dancing" at an impressionable age. Heh.

 

Blech, Aaron looks like an equal opportunity jerk. Previews show him being an ass to Katsuji next week.

[Wings]

Joy just waited too long to put her chops on.  It was a timing issue not size.  

[susannot]

Lookslike Douchebag Aaron gets into it with Katsuji next week.  My money is totally on Katsuji.  Like him even more after this episode.  "What were you trying to make with those ingredients?" "Taco."  I lol'd just like all the cheftestants.

 

The Fenway Park challenge should be fun.  They did a ballpark challenge before, IIRC.  Was it in the season with Fabio, Stefan, and Carla?  Sad that I can't go look it up on TWOP.

 

I was moved by Adam's story of his mother's escape with her life on 9/11.

 

My take on the Aaron/KeriAnn bitchfest is that Aaron suffers from a severe case of Short Man Syndrome and the only way he can deal with an attractive blonde is to belittle her.

Edited October 23, 2014 by susannot

[cooksdelight]

susannot, the season in DC "Hail to the Chef" was when they fixed food for the Washington Nationals. Ed Cotton, Angelo, Kelly, Tiffany, winner Kevin Sbraga, etc. were the ones in that season.

RealityGal, Joy was shut down by the guy with the birthmark on his head and an Asian woman (sorry I don't know names yet), when she voiced her opinion that the chops needed to be sliced in half or thinned out. I don't remember what time she finally got them on, but I remember the other woman saying something to the effect of "Oh well, we have to serve them, like it or not" and offering no ideas on how to fix them. Not that it mattered at that point. I just wish people would remember this is their butt on the line, not the three team members, and do what they know needs to be done, the others be damned.

[Wings]

http://www.bravotv.com/blogs/the-dish/first-look-at-top-chef-season-12

 

Here is a link with cheftants pics with names if you want a reference.  

[Latverian Diplomat]

I just watched again.  I did not get this.  She looked like a skilled chef who wanted to stay in the comp and was doing everything she could to insure this.  Since he was in the bottom, I think he understood but did not back down to her.  She backed off without a fight. 

I agree with most of this, and I understood Mei's  desire to do the sauce which could be the key to the whole dish. But I differ from you in that I think they resolved it by compromising. Mei got to taste the sauce, presumably with an option to do something else if it sucked, and Katsuji got the chance prove himself to her. He did, and she was completely won over and said so. I came away with a good impression of both of them. You might think it was unfair to give Mei a veto, but I think Katsuji saw it as opportunity to defuse the conflict by agreeing to put up or shut up, and then putting up.

 

Also, what a weirdly unsatisfying meal this challenge produced. By giving the first team up first pick of the boxes and so on, they stacked the deck in favor of a strong start and a weak finish. I know any of the teams could have screwed up, and the boxes could have been equivalent, but the cheftestants didn't seem to think they were equally good, and just having a choice makes it easier to agree on a quick plan, with less friction, I think. So the earlier courses were more likely to be better than the latter.

[Muffyn]

I absolutely agree that Joy didn't need to take the bone off those chops. I've NEVER had a veal chop off the bone, and if I was served one that way I'd think it extremely odd. As others have said, she needed to pound them, then grill them. Did she volunteer for the chops or was she stuck with them? It looked like she didn't know how to cook them. However, I'm sad she was eliminated so soon. 

 

She could have put them on the grill earlier or timed them based on thickness.  It looks like they were all underdone.  If she had taken them off the bone, we would have gotten one of Tom's infamous "respect the protein" lectures.  He gets up so high on his horse that you can't see his head for the clouds.  I secretly love it when Tom becomes all preachy.  Oh, daddy Tom, tell me how to treat my meat!

[Wings]

I agree with most of this, and I understood Mei's  desire to do the sauce which could be the key to the whole dish. But I differ from you in that I think they resolved it by compromising. Mei got to taste the sauce, presumably with an option to do something else if it sucked, and Katsuji got the chance prove himself to her. He did, and she was completely won over and said so. I came away with a good impression of both of them. You might think it was unfair to give Mei a veto, but I think Katsuji saw it as opportunity to defuse the conflict by agreeing to put up or shut up, and then putting up.

 

Also, what a weirdly unsatisfying meal this challenge produced. By giving the first team up first pick of the boxes and so on, they stacked the deck in favor of a strong start and a weak finish. I know any of the teams could have screwed up, and the boxes could have been equivalent, but the cheftestants didn't seem to think they were equally good, and just having a choice makes it easier to agree on a quick plan, with less friction, I think. So the earlier courses were more likely to be better than the latter.

 

 

I completely agree with this.  Compromise was a better way to put what happened.  She backed down from the "I want to do the sauce" exchange but agreed Mei could taste it.  I think they all 3 tasted each others food.  They all should do this.  

Edited October 23, 2014 by wings707

[caci]

I may be alone in this, but I do not care for the instant critique at the table.  I honestly can't say why, it just annoys me.  Also, having everyone stand to the side during judging isn't doing it for me either, although I think that is just a weird aversion on my part.  I have trouble standing still for too long and I wonder how they can do it.  Even if they aren't in the room while the judges deliberate, they still have to stand awhile during the critiques.  It makes my back hurt watching them.

 

The episode was interesting enough.  Names, faces, and personalities are coming together.  I think it is a little too early to categorize anyone, even Aaron and KeriAnne (although I thought both were obnoxious).  There's still a long way to go in the competition.  I've changed my mind about contestants before.  I'll give it another episode or two. 

[aradia22]

So after the first episode I was all ready to be, 'God, Aaron is such a jerk!' but Carrie Ann did everything she could to antagonize him. I really didn't think he was being that unreasonable in the conversation they had at the house. But I can imagine them going back and forth like that all day until they were ready to snipe at each other about anything. They were both super lucky another team messed up and their chicken was perfectly cooked.

 

Mei Lin turned me off with her continual foul mouth and perpetual stink-eye.  Plus, assuming that she was in charge because she won the last challenge.  She got to PICK A KNIFE, not rule a small country.  And when Voltaggio is out of town, she may run his kitchen but she does not inhabit his skin.  Get some perspective, girl.  You are not all that yet.

Eh, I'm still on her side. She might just have bitchy resting face. Everyone isn't camera ready. I think it was less about her picking a knife and more about getting stuck with the guy who couldn't taste how bad his fifty component taco tasted and the girl who made a broccoli salad as her first dish. Based on their performance last week, she had the worst team and thinking she would have to carry the team made her try and take a leadership role. Once she tasted the sauce she admitted that she had been worried for nothing. I'm not loving Katsuji as much as the rest of you. I thought he was pretty rude and uncompromising about making the sauce. 

[MortysCleaningLady]

Stacy works for the Regal Beagle -- I didn't realize Three's Company was set in Brookline, Mass; I was so sure it was Santa Monica.

 

And unsurprisingly the team that doesn't work together well doesn't win.  Shocked; shocked I tell you.

Edited October 24, 2014 by MortysCleaningLady

[rozen]

Joy should have stuck to her guns and prepared the veal the way she wanted, better 'weird' and tasty than traditional and underdone. It looks like she pulled them so the she wouldn't burn the smaller ones, which came out all right, but the bigger ones would need to go back on. But she didn't have time to do it. I feel like if teammates push for someone to prepare food (esp protein) in a way they're uncomfortable with, they should at least offer to help manage that dish element. They just sat her out at the edge of the pier and were like 'good luck.' Screwing up the protein is the kiss of death on this show, if she had to string those chops from chandeliers to keep them from being undercooked, she should have done so.

 

My opinion of Mei is not swayed by her reaction of being stuck with Petroleum Shrimp and Broccoli Salad. Neither one of them showed a lot of refinement their first time out, and I don't think it's unreasonable for her to take a more controlling stance until proven otherwise. If they had ended up being just as bad as their first dishes, we would be chastising her for not taking a more active role, "what was she thinking, letting N Dakota do rhubarb? She made broccoli salad, for goodness sakes!"

 

Aaron reminds me of a lot of asshats who demand that people input the correct combination of ego-stroking buttons before behaving like a decent human being. And will then say, "I'm a great guy, once you get to know me."  He had some reasonable points, but insisted in communicating everything in douchebagese, which KeriAnn will never listen to. Instead of sighing "ugh, you went to pastry school, just come up with 1000 ideas on the fly," he could have said, "what is some basic prep work associated with making desserts that we need to be prepared to do to streamline things for you?"  I think she's used to having to completely destroy guys like him to get any respect, but I think he's actually manageable under the right conditions. Their mutual judgment of Sarah was an awesome case of projection. If she'd brought the chicken off as early as they wanted, half of it would have been cold when it went out for service. 

Edited October 24, 2014 by rozen

[cattykit]

 

I may be alone in this, but I do not care for the instant critique at the table.  

You're not alone.  What made me feel squickish was having the other diners listening to the harsh critiques.  I would have felt uncomfortable if I'd been there, hearing someone else get reamed out for a meal I'd just enjoyed and that I knew they'd worked hard to prepare.  The tableside critique also means that the chefs are standing there the whole time, watching people eat.  How weird is that?

 

Also, I found it interesting that this challenge was picking a box/basket. I immediately thought of Chopped. The chefs had different boxes, yes, but I still was thinking Chopped. 

 

Which would be right up Katsuji's alley, seeing as he competed and won on Chopped.  Mystery basket wouldn't faze him at all.

[Lura]

Forgive me, please, if I sound too sentimental and sappy, but I was thrilled to see this show feature the brave firefighters and policemen and women of Boston.  I spent my growing-up years living in a charming little town outside of Boston and spent a lot of time in the city.  Even though I live on the Left Coast now, I think that Boston is one of the very best cities in which to live, and I still miss it.

 

For me, it was so great to hear that Boston accent again!  We're familiar with what horrors those civil servants witnessed and took part in after the Marathon bombings, but to see the actual faces of some of those heroes/heroines was worth the entire show to me.  So many of them have had to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome that it cheered me to see them smiling.  Kudos to Tom or to the decision-maker who took the show to New Orleans and then to Boston, two cities who have seen more than their shares of tragedy.