S06.E03: Spicy Showdown in Santa Fe

[cooksdelight]

In Santa Fe, N.M., Tyler Florence challenges the five teams to use peppers to create the ultimate spicy Sante Fe meal. The hot challenge comes with a hot $1,000 prize. Then, the teams must put their planning skills to the test, as they only have one hour to shop for the entire weekend. Selling head-to-head at the farmers' market, some teams discover their best laid plans are their worst enemies.

[Skyfall]

Hey look my second prediction. At happen this episode! :p

[cooksdelight]

Finally... go home to your kids and stop crying. Tyler was right, their downfall was they didn't have a short enough spiel to sell their food. I will get disinterested and walk away if I have to hear someone explain something for several minutes.

I was afraid Postcards would blow that money lead. Especially with the fender thingy.

[Calamity Jane]

I thought that Postcards might get sent home for that - at least where I live, it's considered pretty serious to drive away from an accident without leaving any information. 

 

This is the first episode I've been able to watch - so refreshing to see five trucks whose food I would actually purchase and enjoy!  The past couple of seasons were pretty grim with the amateur operators and some very odd food (in my opinion); this is fun to watch!! 

[Writing Wrongs]

I'm so glad the Spice Girls are gone. They were so condescending about the other trucks' food and their prices were ridiculous.

[upside down]

I also thought the spice girl spokesperson was a very sore loser.

Every week I wish waffle love would come to my town. I would love to try their strawberry waffles.

[Lillybee]

How hard would it be for Postcards to leave a note on the windshield with their phone number?

[Croquetteknits]

How much of a jerk move is it to drive off without leaving contact info, even if the damage is limited?  Makes you a pretty crappy person in my opinion.  This seemed like a pretty easy challenge to end up with a 1000$ reward but I enjoyed seeing how every team put their own spin on it, that waffle looked super tasty.  Lip-liner mom (Carrie?) was quite a sore loser about it, it just solidified my desire to see them and their incessant whining leave the show, even if their food looked good.  I think the Dumpling truck showed that you can explain exotic food simply and vividly, and really, it's not like tikka masala and chili are some super unknown foods.  And on a shallow note, wow, the central part flat ironed hair was a terrible look for Carrie and Nichole, it ages them a lot.  They looked much better with looser hair while working in the truck.  

[cooksdelight]

I'm going to make myself a grilled cheese waffle tomorrow.

Well..... maybe in a little while.....like, maybe in a few minutes.....

[xaxat]

Beat you to it! (Well, it was a grilled cheese sandwich, not a waffle.)

 

Oh, Postcards. . I so wanted to like you, but leaving the scene of an accident, not cool.

 

Not sad Spice It Up is gone. They were throwing shade everywhere this episode. "They're only making waffles/soup/burgers!" Plus, as Food Network Star contestant Arnold Mynt said in this wonderful interview, "on a plate" is a cliche that need to be retired.

 

GD puts Doritos on their burgers?

[Lillybee]

I thought that one of the Waffle boys was almost as whiny as the Spice women.

[Pallida]

I truly hope the Spice It Up lady's talking head about Postcards winning the taste challenge was after their truck was booted off.  Otherwise, she's a vile, hateful bitch and I hope she doesn't pass that down onto her child(ren?).  I hate the whole "those people's best showing is my weakest" shaming crap.  She had tears in her eyes, similar to the talking head at the end, so I'm optimistic that it was just the hurt of being booted off.

 

Also, tikka masala isn't that hard to explain, and Sam's Club is not the bastion of "quality ingredients."  If people are really concerned, offer small samples of the sauce.  Tada! Maybe if you weren't so obsessed with catch phrases, people would want to talk to you and buy your food.  I know, I'm getting petty here...

 

I really am happy they are doing professional trucks again.  The difference is pretty obvious.

[GaT]

So glad the moms are gone, now if the waffle guys would be gone next week, I would be so happy.

[Joe Blow]

I guess it was too hard for the white suburban soccer moms to explain tikka masala to the masses..

[Kromm]

Creepy Waffle Guys still creepy. They're killing it mainly because their product allows them to pump out massive amounts of food, super-quick and probably cheaply to boot.

 

Spice Moms are still Moms apparently. Also the Head Mom really showed herself to be a real whiny asshole. Good riddance, I say.

 

Soul Food Dude justifying a hit and run while cameras were on him?  Idiot. The real him was the one who ignored the accident. The one who didn't was only present in a Talking Head.

 

PhoDumps doing okay for a change was a surprise, I admit.

I guess it was too hard for the white suburban soccer moms to explain tikka masala to the masses..

I'm no Mom, but I can do it in 5 seconds flat.

 

"It's spicy Indian grilled Chicken in a tomato cream sauce! I promise it's good!"

Edited September 7, 2015 by Kromm

[In Pog Form]

But you don't understand!

Chicken Tikka Masala was handed down by ancient aliens in recipes written in unknown tongues, hidden in the pyramids. It's almost impossible for mere humans to comprehend.

[sockii]

How hard would it be for Postcards to leave a note on the windshield with their phone number?

 

They could have left a postcard...

 

Here they had been my favorite up until that move. Seriously not cool.

[spiderpig]

I knew I could log on here & find like-minded individuals who were glad to see the Spice Girls get kicked to the curb.  Dang, did they ever annoy with their snotty comments & overpriced food.  Now if they'll just dump the waffle boys with the thousand-yard stares I will be a happy camper.

[cooksdelight]

Now that I know that Waffle Guy spokesman (I'm bad with these people's names) has something wrong with his eye, and it's why he holds his head back and appears to be shooting death stares at people, he doesn't bug me as much. And the grilled cheese waffle....is a major hit! I think their concept is the most adaptable to any city, any situation. Need to serve breakfast? No problem! Lunch... slap some meat on there! Same with snacks or dinnertime, you basically use it as bread for some kind of sandwich. And when I heard him holler to someone to come get their Nutella strawberry waffle... well.... you can guess what I'm going to have today with the leftover waffles.

[califred]

I kept saying to my husband chicken tikka masala is not some completely obscure food.

The talking head Mom was holding back tears at the judging too, their whole attitude was just crappy.

[cooksdelight]

Which one of the Postcard people had the bright idea to park at a grocery store? 

 

Why do people go to a grocery store? To buy food to take home. To cook for themselves. I've never, ever seen a food truck parked at a grocery store.

[seacliffsal]

The hit and run scene really made me sad as I had really liked Postcards up to this point. And his insistance that they just left some black paint on the bumper and that there wasn't any damage was such a misdirection and deception. What I saw on my t.v. included clear scratches. The whole bumper will probably have to be replaced (cause after watching Judge Judy and the People's Court I have learned that they replace the whole thing and it's super expensive....). So, they just 'run off' after hitting the car. I'm really glad that their producers followed through on that (of course, cities would probably start banning the show if the trucks cause damage and just leave). I thought they should have lost more money as the lesson learned is that they came out ahead even after a hit and run. However, I am also glad that they stayed in as I really never like the mom team. I actually thought their food looked good throughout the competition, but $15 for a small bowl? No. I think they really thought too highly of their 'sacrifices' to be on the show. Glad they're gone.

I thought the waffle chile dish looked really good (and a corn batter waffle with that would be delish!). I think the older brother feels a lot of responsibility as it seems he just brought his brothers to give him the required number of people on his team. All the other teams seem to have at least 2 people who consistently work together.

[GeorgiaRai]

I will enjoy the rest of this season so much more, now that Diso's and the Spice Moms are gone.  I know I should only be judging on the food, but I just prefer to see likeable people do well and get rewarded for it. 

 

I don't find the Waffle boys creepy; I really like them. Maybe it has something to do with being an Osmond fan since the mid-70's. 

[Crucial]

I am so happy that the Spice It Up team is gone.  I was so tired of seeing them cry every episode.  Ugh enough.  Even seeing the tears on the one who is always crying when they lost the challenge.  Glad there will no teams left that are constantly crying  It gets so old seeing that on the competition shows. 

 

I'd love to try the soup that Postcard team made.  That looked really good.  And I love Waffle Love.  I'd eat one of their waffles in a second.  I don't find them creepy at all either.  Any of the teams that win, will be great.  I like all the styles of food they made and I wish I could try them all.  One of the things I loved working at my last job was the variety of food truck food.  Amazing,

[Totale]

Fer Chrissake, Postcards no more blithely went off without notice after the bumper hit than Burgers drove around and around looking for a spot.  They had a truckload of film crew and production assistants trailing along.  Somebody worked out a settlement.  For all we know it was a production car and it was arranged right then and there that that would be a $500 fine.  If not, some intern was left behind to deal with the owner at whatever price while production rolled on.  They're burning daylight. Postcards signed a NDA allowing them to be portrayed however production chooses and that was their assigned story this week.

 

I knew Spice Moms were out as soon as she said they'd just turned away $30 of biz.  That was the lesson this week's story had to tell.  Somebody in production didn't like ditzy Mom at all, at least they treated the one who actually knows how to cook and shop well.  What's wrong with "it's an English dish that's sort of like Indian food for kids, creamy and baby-spiced so your five year old won't be scared to eat it." for CTM, or "like chili, only with a more exotic taste" for their chili dish?

 

Serious markup the waffle boys got going.  $150 batch of batter plus at most a couple hundred in strawberries and cheese gets them $2500 in the till.  In the show as it's structured I don't see how they don't win, unless they have to catch a greased pig or something for the final and lack of peripheral vision costs them time for the Postcards guy to beat them in the final unicycle race.

[Totale]

Also, "no powders" in Spice Mom's blend?  I don't believe that for a minute.  No paste I believe. You can toast almost everything from seeds and grind it up but we never saw them putting that time in.

[potatoradio]

I expect to see Postcards in the next Liberty insurance ad. "So you're parking a food truck on teevee and you TAP a bumper and leave a little smear. No big deal, except that now you have $500 taken out of your till. Hello, Tyler? Nobody's perfect."

 

Spice Girls can seriously f*ck off. It's too hard to explain chili? Freakin' chili? It's easy, losers. White, red or green? Beans or no beans? Meat or vegetarian? How hot? What toppings? And, yeah, get over this $15 for a bowl of chili. You're not using edible gold or caviar or lobster, so please get a reality check.

 

Oh, and presumably they didn't use tomato PASTE in their precious chili. Gah.

 

Show should be much more pleasant to watch without blubbering lip job sobbing in every talking head.

Edited September 7, 2015 by potatoradio

[mlp]

I was coming here to make the same points as Totale.  Clearly there was a camera crew and whoever else from the show available when Postcards hit the car.  It's not like they just snuck off.  They left someone else to deal with it, most likely with a go ahead from the producer of the moment.  The guy (Greg?) sounds intelligent and has very nice eyes and I just don't see him as a jerk.  (I would, however, like him better if he'd trim that awful beard and take off the hideous knit cap.)

 

I still don't see what people object to about the waffle boys.  They're cute; they're nice.  They have good food and their work areas look spotless even when they're cooking.  Their high mark up is good business in my book, not a negative.

 

So glad the nasty, whiny, self-important spice women are gone.  I had the impression at the end that even Tyler and the rest of the competitors didn't like them.  Tyler didn't even ask for their keys and he had to ask for some very perfunctory applause.  No one seemed sorry to see them go.  I don't dislike anyone else.

[cooksdelight]

Since I don't have a Belgian waffle maker (just the old-fashioned kind) I put two waffles together to make my grilled cheese sandwich. Sharp cheddar and pepperjack cheeses, put it back into the waffle iron until I heard the cheese start to sizzle. Pretty darn good!!

[Grandma Saracen]

Unfortunately, between this episode & the previews, I feel like Greg might not be the best at keeping a cool head when things get hairy. I'm still rooting for them to do well, glad they won with their soup & cornbread, Grae is still adorable, but I'm choosing the purple truck as my #1 underdog faves.

 

I don't *hate* the waffle guys, I just don't enjoy watching them. They do have a good niche, seemingly reasonable price point, and eye-catching truck. They still bug me, though. Too wholesome? Also, I'm Team French Toast. (But grilled cheese waffle was pretty brill.)

 

The spice girls were ridiculous all throughout the episode, and I wasn't sorry to see them go. 

 

The burger "bros" annoy me, too. SO much. I'm sure I'm not the intended audience for their bro-ness, and they're just off-putting to me. *shrugs*

[Texasmom1970]

As soon as the soccer Mom made the bitchy remark about how hard is it to make soup and cornbread I knew it was past time for them to go. It might have been soup and cornbread but they still kicked yall's asses, bitter much! Don't let the food truck door hit yall in the ass on the way out!

[meep.meep]

 

I still don't see what people object to about the waffle boys.  They're cute; they're nice.  They have good food and their work areas look spotless even when they're cooking.  Their high mark up is good business in my book, not a negative.

 

I don't object to them. I started seeing them as Oompah Loompahs during this episode.

My SIL gave me a great cookbook called "Will It Waffle?" You can cook almost anything in a waffle iron!

Glad to see the Pho truck finally ditch the corn dog banh mi.

[cooksdelight]

I put some Krispy Kreme doughnuts in a waffle iron. It was a masterpiece treat I had that day.

[Gbb]

Ding Dong, the Spice Moms are gone! I hated that "you won with crap I make when I don't care about cooking" BS. Obviously it was better than what you made when you *did* care, so...

I was a little unnerved when Postcards dad just drove away without a note until it became clear he knew it was all on camera and that he wasn't stiffing anyone. He just left it for the producers to figure out so he could go start selling. That said, I'm glad the show fined him in addition to making him cover the deductible. It's important to model the right thing to do. I'm also glad the $500 didn't knock them out of the competition.

I don't object to them. I started seeing them as Oompah Loompahs during this episode.

My SIL gave me a great cookbook called "Will It Waffle?" You can cook almost anything in a waffle iron!

Glad to see the Pho truck finally ditch the corn dog banh mi.

Thank you for sending me down the rabbit hole to this: http://www.seriouseats.com/tags/will%20it%20waffle

[bluepiano]

Clearly there was a camera crew and whoever else from the show available when Postcards hit the car.  It's not like they just snuck off.  They left someone else to deal with it, most likely with a go ahead from the producer of the moment. 

 

So you think some representative of the show said to Postcards, "it's okay, just take off?" Well, on "reality TV" you never know what's real. What confused me was that after clipping the fender they were now parked. So leaving at that point really was intentionally fleeing the scene of an accident. Which I believe is a criminal offense, no matter how minor you think the damage is. (The "oh, they can just buff it out" rationalization was painful to listen to.)

 

If Postcards was told by the producers to take of, that put them in a no win situation. But if they fled of their own volition, that is not cool. (Assuming that the whole thing wasn't staged. I'm actually surprised this is the first accident on this show, especially when they had the non-professional food truck drivers).

 

In other news, I must be the only person who has mixed feelings about Spice It Up getting booted. Yes, they were annoying, but I think that a little snark can be entertaining. Don't know if i can handle a show in which everyone is super nice. (Especially in a creepy Ned Flanders sort of way like Waffle Love).

 

And I did respect that Spice it Up was adventurous with their food, especially compared to some of the other trucks. The culinary formula for success this year is apparently whatever you're serving (burgers, waffles), slice it in half and stick a slab of cheese in the middle.

 

Can't really understand Waffle Love killing it, when anyone can bake a waffle and slather it with strawberries and cream. I guess it's because there are people who are unfamiliar with or have an aversion to certain kinds of food (Asian, curries, soul food) but who in America doesn't eat waffles?

Edited September 7, 2015 by bluepiano

[cooksdelight]

Assuming that the whole thing wasn't staged. I'm actually surprised this is the first accident on this show, especially when they had the non-professional food truck drivers

This is not the first incident, not by a long shot. I remember one truck taking out a city light pole. A decorative one, and expensive.

[Joe Blow]

Maybe because waffles are bland and boring?

[seacliffsal]

I don't have a waffle iron as I don't have the space to store it, so I would really like to try one of the waffles as waffles are a treat to me. I'm also really interested in trying the type of waffle they make as several posters have noted that it is a fabulous waffle. When I'm in the mood, there's nothing better than a good burger. The soul food looks really good and the Vietnamese food sounds enticing. Overall, I'm really interested in the remaining food trucks.

[cooksdelight]

Seacliffsal, in a pinch, use frozen waffles. I can see that being turned into a great grilled cheese sandwich in a frying pan after lightly toasting it. :)

[xaxat]

Fer Chrissake, Postcards no more blithely went off without notice after the bumper hit than Burgers drove around and around looking for a spot.  They had a truckload of film crew and production assistants trailing along.  Somebody worked out a settlement.  For all we know it was a production car and it was arranged right then and there that that would be a $500 fine.  

 

I think this is the best theory so far. It would explain why Postcards was so casual about what happened and why they drove on. 

 

There's no way I would have let the show deal with a situation like that unless I was there for the resolution. Because if they fuck up, it's my ass the police will be looking for and my real life business could be put in jeopardy.

[akr]

Re the spice girls' extra fancy artisanal authentic food that requires explaining to the masses:

And, yeah, get over this $15 for a bowl of chili. You're not using edible gold or caviar or lobster, so please get a reality check.

Exactly. They bought industrial quality ground beef in big plastic tubes, and frozen corn. 

Edited September 7, 2015 by akr

[BW Manilowe]

This is not the first incident, not by a long shot. I remember one truck taking out a city light pole. A decorative one, and expensive.

I also seem to remember that truck, or another truck in the same season, getting into a fender bender with another car... Or they might've hit a sign of some kind. I do remember 1 season had 1 team fined twice--similarly to this season's/this episode's fines--for accidents with their truck, or 2 trucks each fined for accidents involving their trucks. I'm think I remember the light post accident was somewhere in the east coast that has "colonial" ties/significance. For some reason, I wanna say a city like Charleston, SC, or somewhere in Virginia.

Edited September 8, 2015 by BW Manilowe

[Lola16]

Postcards - Not buying that it was production shenanigans. Dad saw the damage, then got in the truck and backed it into the spot himself.  And they then sold from there.  Plenty of time to leave a note with a cell #.  He just didn't think it was a big enough deal to deal with right then and there.  He knew the cameras were filming and they'd get dinged for it later. 

 

Spice - That one must be exhausting to be around.  If you can't figure out how to describe your dishes, as another poster suggested, have samples.

 

Waffle - I like me some waffles.  I'd get some from a food truck as long as it was priced right.

 

I didn't pay much attention to anyone else...

[Lamb18]

So glad the nasty, whiny, self-important spice women are gone.  I had the impression at the end that even Tyler and the rest of the competitors didn't like them.  Tyler didn't even ask for their keys and he had to ask for some very perfunctory applause.  No one seemed sorry to see them go.  I don't dislike anyone else.

I don't think Tyler is asking for keys this season because the contestants are using their own food trucks, with the exception of the dumpling women.

 

I watched a marathon of the season w/the accidents - the Grizzly food truck took out the light pole, but it wasn't out east.  The trucks hadn't gotten that far. Then an episode or two later the New Jersey Grandma's recipes food truck knocked off someone's side mirror.

[cooksdelight]

Thanks for the accident recap. :)

[Jersey Guy 87]

I was thrilled to see the Spice truck go home.  They have consistently been the most annoying truck this season.

 

I like waffles.  I like grilled cheese.  Not so sure I'd like a grilled cheese waffle.

 

Postcards would have been out if they hadn't won the $1,000 bonus money (and not gotten to keep $500 of it).  They finished barely $100 ahead of Spice It Up which includes the $500 they got to keep.

I don't think Tyler would have "fined" Postcards $250 if they hadn't decided to leave the scene.  As I understand it he took $250 from them to cover the deductible and $250 as a fine.  I think they drove off to find another spot assuming production would take care of things (which they did) but without leaving a note on their own.

[In Pog Form]

Why do people go to a grocery store? To buy food to take home. To cook for themselves. I've never, ever seen a food truck parked at a grocery store.

But food shopping makes you super-hungry. And you're already in shopping mode. One of the few times I buy fast food is after a big grocery shop.

[cooksdelight]

But food shopping makes you super-hungry. And you're already in shopping mode. One of the few times I buy fast food is after a big grocery shop.

You must not hit all the food sample tables in the store like I do. :)

[xaxat]

If I had to choose between a food truck, and the prepared food I can get at my local Wegman's? Wegman's wins, by a mile. 

 

I really want one of their tofu burritos now. Eight bucks!

[Mischievious]

Argh! My let disappeared! Let me try to remember what I said.

Thrilled the Spice ladies went home. Too much whining and crying. Can't stand that. I wanted to root for them since they are from Phoenix and I do love Phoenix.

All the remaining trucks seem to have great food. I'm rooting the most for the waffle truck. There used to be a waffle truck in OKC until they closed it to open a brick and mortar location. My favorite is the grilled cheese waffle sandwich. It is amazing. If you are curious, here is their menu: http://media.wix.com/ugd/9aa393_a6be24127a36449d9c238ecc8aac10a6.pdf

Yes, the waffle truck's price points may seem high but I wonder if those are their usual prices because if so, it kind of makes sense. In addition to the cost of food, food truck owners have to pay for permits (usually one for each location), employee wages, gas for the truck, propane for the kitchen stuff, insurance for the truck, wear and tear on the truck, etc. I assume on the show those things are covered but in real life a lot of other things factor into the prices of their food.