S13.E01: Stop The Presses

[chiaros]

Ethnic neighborhoods in the Boston/Cambridge area.

 

Ethnic dining in the Boston/Cambridge area.

 

BTW I dislike the term "ethnic", really.  After all, "English cuisine" is the cuisine developed by those of English ethnicity. And so on for any cuisine one might care to name. If one means "cuisines unfamiliar to a typical white anglo-saxon person living in a standard white area in the USA" then it might be an idea to say that.

[Darian]

Anyone from Boston here? I was puzzled when Carl (carrot soup) mentioned the Middle Eastern influence of his Boston neighborhood. Anyone know what that describes? Allston? Central Square?

I was curious, too. Apparently, he actually lives in Watertown:

 

 

Dooley lives in Watertown, home to more than a handful of old-school Middle Eastern stores and restaurants, and he plans to incorporate those flavor profiles into his cuisine, he said.

[Jesse]

Ah -- that's the Armenian community, for anyone who doesn't know greater Boston.

[MotherInLaw]

The show's not on tonight???

[SFoster21]

Thursday.

[archer1267]

Thanks, Darian! I was so fixated on Boston's city neighborhoods that I forgot about Watertown.

[theatremouse]

I am curious about where Kwame actually comes from. In the beginning it says he is from The Bronx. Since we live there now, we said we had to root for him. Then, his wooden sign said he was from Queens. Both are two of the five boroughs that make up NYC, but are still actually different places.

I wonder if it's the difference between "grew up in" vs "currently lives in"?

[biakbiak]

I wonder if it's the difference between "grew up in" vs "currently lives in"?

He currently lives in DC.

[stillshimpy]

Pretty late to the party here, because I had no idea this show was back on.  Luckily one of my DVRs was in charge of remembering for me. 

 

Huh.  So Grayson, one of the few women on Top Chef season 9 to emerge from that with a reputation of being a nice person and someone who would go along with bullying has returned and is taking the Jen Carroll route in terms of public relations: How to sarcastically and belligerently show your ass on TV. 

 

Such is my affection for her though that it survived her sparkles comment as well as her choice to serve a really heavy dish at a food fair.  Hopefully she sufficiently vented her spleen for whatever beef she has with Tom and can move on.  I actually don't blame her for coming back.  Aside from the super talented winner of Season 9, Paul, the rest of that season was a giant, over-heated embarrassment. 

 

I thought the poor young chef who cooked a croquette might be a goner (never serve anything that needs a good deep fryer on this show) and was actually relieved that poor, pretentious Garret bit the dust.  He didn't irk me, for all that he was trying so, so hard to come off as being an intellectually gifted individual.  I thought he meant well and was just a bit too nerdy, but with time might lighten up. 

 

Also, I liked Renee.  So she's chipper and perky.  I've never minded sunny people, I tend to like the trait in real life and don't mind it on TV.  

[Reo]

Just noticed this show was on again and I've caught up.  

 

Have to say that I enjoyed the irony of the pretentious chef who sneered at Isabella for making "bastardized Italian food" went down for a Vietnamese/Italian fusion dish.  (And I really, really don't like Isabella.)

 

Grayson is taking the "I'll give you whatever crap I want to and call it staying true to my own vision.  With added sparkles." approach.  I do not figure she's going to last long.

 

I knew everything I needed to know about Manbun (and that name will follow him around forever) when I read that his first job and mentor was with Stefan.  Yep.  

Edited February 9, 2016 by Reo

[Julia]

I don't know. Stefan may be an answer to that not-so-fresh feeling, but he had impressive, if unfashionable, skills. I'd be surprised to hear he did more for Phillip than take him on as a favor.

Edited February 9, 2016 by Julia