Bad Chefs: The worst of Top Chef

[PamelaMaeSnap]

I hate to reply to myself because it's been a while but I can't seem to delete/edit previous comments so ... Mr. Snappy and I have been watching one episode a day during "the hunkering" and are now a few episodes into Season 12 (a "palate cleanser" after all the awful folks on Season 11) ...

And I don't mean to be disrespectful to the recently departed, but I'm amazed that in three pages of seemingly awful, nasty people no one has mentioned Aaron Grissom. I don't remember THAT much from this season (I think my work schedule conflicted with it to some degree ... of course I know that Gregory became my all-time favorite cheftestant, just a tad ahead of Sheldon ... but I only really clearly remembered him, Mei Lin and Melissa). 

[mlp]

4 hours ago, PamelaMaeSnap said:

I'm amazed that in three pages of seemingly awful, nasty people no one has mentioned Aaron Grissom.

There were a LOT of comments about him in the episode threads while the show was on.  I'm guessing there just wasn't much to say about him in this thread after he was eliminated.  After he died, this thread wasn't the nicest place to add a negative comment most likely.

[PamelaMaeSnap]

Hey there ... me again!!! Sorry for the running commentary but, as mentioned, the highlight of our hunkering (now on Day 260) has been our daily ration of one episode of TC (we watched two on Thanksgiving as a special treat) ... 

So, two episodes into S13 (you may remember it for "Snot on a Rock" among other highlights) and I HAVE to ask this because I figure someone here may have SOME insight into this mystery ... 

I was neither a Grayson lover or hater on S9 ... she was pretty and not a bad chef but reasonably forgettable. I don't recall her departure being specifically controversial. This is not an All-Star season or a "some All-Stars" season or anything else that can explain to me the mystery why on earth she is back again. No explanation from TPTB. Is it possible there were either some behind-the-scenes shenanigans, rule-breaking that came out later under the rug, or a cosmic fail on decision-making that brought her back to our TV screen for no apparent reason ... not even taking into account here that she has morphed over four seasons from pleasant and okay to absolutely a horrid inappropriately entitled bitch who has now moved into my "GTF off my screen" league leader. 

Was there ever an explanation of why she of all people was inexplicably brought back (I know she's not going to be around long but I doubt they'll explain it then either)? 

(OTOH, on the opposite end of Bad Chefs/Chefs You Hate, I remembered I liked Isaac a lot but had forgotten just how truly adorkable he is ... also, not a lot of screen time at all for Kwame in the early eps ... of all the Top Chef restaurants I've been to, I had one of my two favorite TC dishes at Kith/Kin -- this amazing shrimp dish -- the other favorite TC dish being Mei Lin's famous shrimp toast at Nightshade. Someday I'm going to get to Portland to dine at Gregory's Kann ... though of course I guess I have to get out of the house first.)

 

[Aalyara]

I have to admit that I've watch all episodes...a lot! I watch the show when I'm designing because I know them all so well but I find the creation inspiring. There are some chefs that do annoy me but as time has moved on I kind of found my choices changed. For example Tiffani Faison, whom I loathed in the beginning. Upon rewatching, yes some of her actions were a bit underhanded, but she was a woman in a predominately male position. She had to be hard, and when she came back to the show in All-Stars, she won me over. I follow her on IG and have gone to her restaurant with my coworkers.

Another person who changed was Dale from Chicago and then All-Stars. His first season, he was a bottle of soda waiting for someone to open and spray! I did love how he worked with Richard Blaise but the attitude he had during both the wedding wars and restaurant war was unnecessary. That said, he came back with a much more calm attitude in All-stars - and he didn't throw Marcel off that building, so good points there.

There are others I just cannot stand. Eli from season 6 who is a total prat, Betty from season 2 who I feel initiated most of the fights or rude comments, of course the 3 mean girls in Texas, Josh in Seattle who seemed to blame his bad cooking on John, Mike Isabella (enough said of why he is on my list), and Claudette. Oh man do I absolutely dislike Claudette!! She insulted my faith, insulted every other chef there, took absolutely no responsibility for her actions or decisions, and was just...a horrible person. They have her in other shows and I avoid them because I have absolutely no respect for that individual.
Okay, those are my picks.

(OTOH: Favorite chefs Carla Hall who I saw in person and she is as spirited and bubbly in person. Issacs Toupes whom I'm going to hopefully meet this year in NOLA. Fabio!! Single-handedly the best front of house in the business. Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson for their poise and talent.)

[jrzy]

On 1/3/2019 at 10:15 AM, Special K said:

Speaking of "how did they get selected," few match the guy who went psycho on Top Chef: Just Desserts.  Remember "the red hots were for my MOMMMEEEEEE!"

Oh I remember that. That poor soul, they should have discreetly walked him off stage and straight to a mental institution.  They never should have allowed him to continue. 

[EllaWycliffe]

4 minutes ago, jrzy said:

Oh I remember that. That poor soul, they should have discreetly walked him off stage and straight to a mental institution.  They never should have allowed him to continue. 

I blame that on them selecting poorly and choosing to highlight his breakdown. It could have been handled a LOT more discreetly and production went for the crass breakdown. 

[TakomaSnark]

On 1/17/2022 at 10:58 AM, Aalyara said:

There are others I just cannot stand. Eli from season 6 who is a total prat, Betty from season 2 who I feel initiated most of the fights or rude comments, of course the 3 mean girls in Texas, Josh in Seattle who seemed to blame his bad cooking on John, Mike Isabella (enough said of why he is on my list), and Claudette. Oh man do I absolutely dislike Claudette!! She insulted my faith, insulted every other chef there, took absolutely no responsibility for her actions or decisions, and was just...a horrible person. They have her in other shows and I avoid them because I have absolutely no respect for that individual.
Okay, those are my picks.

(OTOH: Favorite chefs Carla Hall who I saw in person and she is as spirited and bubbly in person. Issacs Toupes whom I'm going to hopefully meet this year in NOLA. Fabio!! Single-handedly the best front of house in the business. Kristen Kish and Brooke Williamson for their poise and talent.)

Betty was dreadful, a total instigator. Not that I think that group of chefs wouldn't have been toxic without her but I don't think things would have been as toxic. She and Frank (I think?) really stirred the pot on Marcel and even though they were gone by the time of his assault, the level of toxicity and hostility towards him was most definitely not. 

I love Carla, I used to DVR The Chew just for her.

[Lamb18]

I forgot who Claudette is.

[CrazyInAlabama]

On 3/1/2022 at 7:25 AM, Lamb18 said:

I forgot who Claudette is.

She was depicted as the villain in the Colorado season. 

Here's an interview with her after that season, in 2018:

https://robbreport.com/food-drink/dining/el-jardin-claudette-zepeda-wilkins-qa-top-chef-2832325/

She's rather well known for her bitter talking head exit interview when she was booted from TC, and from Last Chance Kitchen,, and all three times she was up for elimination she threw her fellow chefs under the bus. 

She's going to be a guest judge on the Houston season.  

 

Edited March 6, 2022 by CrazyInAlabama

[Shellyh22]

I love Top Chef, yet based on what they show us, I find Ilan season 2 and Hosea season 5 the undeserving winners. How did these happen? 

[Shellyh22]

Though, season 14 Charleston (*half 'all stars' and half new), is the only season that I can't watch again. It's painful to watch, from episode one, since the new people, who haven't done Top Chef before, all leave before the final 5 or 6. That season is torture to me! (*Other than that, I love the show)