S13.E03: Spines And Vines

[Tara Ariano]

The chefs visit Santa Barbara, where they pick up fresh sea urchin for use in a challenge. Later, a surf-and-turf war erupts.

[Lassus]

Is it too early to write that this is one of those times I find Padma really irritating as a judge?

 

[SFoster21]

I gotta say, Kwame's dish looked really boring!

You hadda BE there, I guess.

[jaybird2]

lassus, totally agree.  but i must say i always find her irritating!

[FormerMod-a1]

Well, that's a BS elimination, imo.

[cooksdelight]

Karen with the pink hair irritates me for some reason. And she reminds me of someone but I can't figure out who it is, someone on TV or someone I know personally. Congrats to Kwame for winning his own wine label, that's a pretty cool reward.

I was surprised it was Frances and not Angelina. I can't taste the food, but it looked like she threw too much on her plate. Why couldn't it have been Manbun?

[DHDancer]

Damn!  Tom was determined to make Frances pay for those canned chickpeas!!

[buttersister]

And my least favorite moment on Top Chef is when there's a tie and Padma says it's up to our head judge and Tom's face makes me nauseous. Regardless of his vote, it's the ego monster eating the screen.

Edited December 11, 2015 by buttersister

[Lassus]

I laughed when Padma got no fish. 

 

HA HA SOURPUSS I HOPE YOUR STINKFACE TASTES GOOD.

[Calamity Jane]

Damn!  Tom was determined to make Frances pay for those canned chickpeas!!

I will never, ever understand why she opened her mouth about that. 

[DHDancer]

I laughed when Padma got no fish. 

 

HA HA SOURPUSS I HOPE YOUR STINKFACE TASTES GOOD.

 

Oh the sweet thing was when all the other diners RAVED about the dish and she had no grounds for comeback.  THAT was the moment for me :)

[Lassus]

"Not the best way to finish...."

 

"And.." STINKFACE "Karen.  AND I DIDN'T GET ANY FUCKING FISH, SIT DOWN."

 

I hate to beat a dead horse, but jesus, Padma, WTF is your problem today?

[awaken]

Carrot again! Season Of the Carrot.

Angelina just seems miserable and near tears most of the time.

I knew Wes would be in the bottom as soon as the tenderloin went in the sous vide. So strange how he kept harping on being at Richards old restaurant.

Surprised it was Frances. They have featured her so much I assumed she'd be around for a while.

Kwame really seemed to appreciate the win! Good for him.

Love how Phillip had to introduce himself to the sea urchin catcher.

Edited December 11, 2015 by awaken

[Lassus]

Well, that was fucking bullshit.

[DHDancer]

Yeah, what's with the Season of the Carrot??   I like carrots well enough but jeez, is there some growers lobby going on this season?

[Bastet]

I wonder if Karen* would have won had she not omitted the fish from one serving (or cut one fish in half to give two people smaller portions but given everyone a complete meal), because she seemed a heavy favorite.

 

*I'll take y'alls word on her name; without photos and names in the opening credits, it is a slow process for me to learn everyone.

 

Angelina was dead to me as soon as she referred to ... aw crap, curly-haired chef who was up for elimination after the QF - as a bitch ("this bitch beat me again"), so I'd have preferred she go home.  But it seems like there was a good case for any of the three.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Bastet

[awaken]

Oh yeah, and what was with the word "lacquered" being said multiple times tonight?

[Misslindsey]

I really enjoy Kwame, so I am glad that he had a good showing tonight. I do not mind most of the cheftestants though, but I do like Kwame's demeanor.

 

So no Grayson complaining throughout the episode, but i still want her gone, especially since I have no idea why she is here in the first place.

 

I really liked Frances. I do not think she would win the whole thing, but I liked her personality. I really thought that they were going to get rid of Angelina. She spent a lot of time in the bottom in this episode.

 

So did the curly hair cheftestant that was in the bottom during the QF just not see the eggs? The other guy (was it Carl?) had some. Did he take them all?

 

I really wish they would go back to the old opening credits so I could learn their names better.

Edited December 11, 2015 by Misslindsey

[Quilt Fairy]

So did the curly hair cheftestant that was in the bottom during the QF just not see the eggs? The other guy (was it Carl?) had some. Did he take them all?

No, there appeared to be a cooler full of them and he only took one carton. No idea why she (Giselle?) couldn't find them.

[Lillybee]

Being a resident of inland California, uni is definitely on my bucket list. I would be happy to try any of those dishes that were prepared tonight.

[Lillybee]

How can a top chef find a tough rib-eye?  I love me a rib eye and never found a tough one even though I can not afford the quality that these chefs had.

[Ivana Tinkle]

First of all, there was.zero suspense in that Quickfire given we saw Giselle in the season previews being paired with Karen.

Second, what the hell did I just watch? How was Angelina, whose dish was universally panned, spared over Frances, who merely lost by a tie breaker?

Similarly, how was Grayson, who appeared to win unanimously, not even in the top three? It seems Karen would have won if Princess Padma had gotten her fish. And it's weird that Kwame won the prize with a dish that barely edged out Chad. That said, his pep talk to Wesley was sweet, and he's one of my faves.

And even though he really didn't do anything wrong in this episode, shut up Blais. He knows why.

[biakbiak]

Similarly, how was Grayson, who appeared to win unanimously, not even in the top three?

Because she was up against two weak dishes. Suzanne even said it was a shame that Jeremy and Man-Bun were up against each other because both could have handily beaten the first three dishes.

I didn't have a problem with Padma and the fish issue at all. She even praised the components of the dish she ate but it was missing the main component, she shouldn't be up for the win and that decision was not just Padma' s to make.

Edited December 11, 2015 by biakbiak

[GaT]

I'm not finding these chefs or their food very interesting.

[EmZeeGee]

It seems to me that Angelina is a little too green for the competition. Something about her is uncomposed in a way that denotes not having quite found herself in her food rather than simply muddled like Frances. I thought for sure she was a goner given the edit.

[RCharter]

I laughed when Padma got no fish. 

 

HA HA SOURPUSS I HOPE YOUR STINKFACE TASTES GOOD.

Padma can hold a grudge.  Karen with the pink hair also reminds me of someone and now its going to annoy me until I figure it out...

First of all, there was.zero suspense in that Quickfire given we saw Giselle in the season previews being paired with Karen.

Second, what the hell did I just watch? How was Angelina, whose dish was universally panned, spared over Frances, who merely lost by a tie breaker?

Similarly, how was Grayson, who appeared to win unanimously, not even in the top three? It seems Karen would have won if Princess Padma had gotten her fish. And it's weird that Kwame won the prize with a dish that barely edged out Chad. That said, his pep talk to Wesley was sweet, and he's one of my faves.

And even though he really didn't do anything wrong in this episode, shut up Blais. He knows why.

I think with Francis, the dish was gross, and I think they were a little upset that she sort of got to cook her cuisine and it still stank.  I think the other guy got pity votes, but I think both of the dishes in that head to head were bad.  However, I think Angelina must know someone, because she is way past her sell by date.  She should have done a little research before trying out for this show.

I still don't like Grayson.  I guess the first impression stuck, now she makes me roll my eyes.  When is she going home.  

[tenativelyyours]

I think Kwame won simply because for the judges at the judging table, it was the best dish.  The dining panel decided the winner and loser bracket.  Not who had the best dish, correct?  So I'd have to go back and see, but I'm guessing our three out of the four judges for win and elimination liked Kwame's best.  Plus for all we know, the lamb dish he edged out was the judges second favorite dish over all the winners.

 

There is a part of me that doesn't like head to head challenges since it could mean theoretically the second best dish ends up the best of the worst so to speak.  I would rather have only dishes that were true losers in the losing column. 

 

I do like Kwame so was glad about his win.  And while on one hand I hate the whole cooking with love aspect since I do think it is based more on a sort of postive pat on the back -- my food is good because I am a good person and I'm a good person so my food will be good.  History has shown huge douchenozzles having huge success in the kitchen sooooo...

 

But watching Kwame and Jeremy tonight as I watch the latest season of Masterchef UK: the Professionals and I do get a sense that there is maybe a sort of zen approach to cooking.  You might want to win but that is because your food was the best.  Not because you want to 'beat' that other person.  I'm not sure how to word it clearly but with a lot of chefs on Masterchef and a few every season of Top Chef there is a belief in self and an acceptance of not being perfect  that does not need someone else to put down.  I love a good competition.  But Kwame and Jeremy both seem gave me a pleasant feeling watching them go against someone who was their teammate moments ago. 

 

Phillip?  Manbun.  Damn he is annoying.  He really shoves to the front of the pack and tries to be the first and loudest.  I noticed not only the introduction to the sea urchin diver but also how he tried to be the 'voice' of the group.  Maybe he is the type to give you his shirt off his back but he seems squicky and tries too hard.

 

Wesley I really find off putting as well. 

 

This season felt forever to get here.  I think in big part because the Boston season pretty much lost me halfway through and I might have had it on in the background but the last event I remember happening was either the head to head with teams or the Pilgrim dinner.  i cannot remember which came last I was so uncaring about that season toward the end.  I do remember liking Doug.  I do remember they went to Mexico.  I don't remember anything else.  But anyway it just seemed like we missed a season of the show for me.  And so I had conveniently forgotten about Richard Blaise.  Ick.  I just watched the disturbing finale (in more than one way) of London Spy so maybe that put me in a perverse mood. But first watchign Phillip and then watching Blais and all I could think is put the two of them together in a room alone with Colicchio and see which one bumps his septum against Colicchio's prostate first. 

 

Is Dana Cowan still with Food and Wine.  I thought she had left for some reason.  She does nothing for me and I have seen enough of her at food festivals to simply make me distrust her take in general.  She seems to food like Kelly Osborne is to fashion for some reason.  I will say that the staff at Carbone in Las Vegas as they wind down at night did some killer impressions of her the one time I ate there and i guess she had been in town for some event.  Spot on and hilarious.  I never thought I was say that in a sentence that includes Dana Cowan and an impression of her. 

 

I hate vocal fry.  So that is just another aspect of Grayson I dislike.  She also sounds smug and whiny at the same time.  Add in my bigger peeve of constanty?  making every sentence?  Like a question?  Even when it isn't?  I'm buying a ticket for 'the when the heck can she go home already' express. 

[cooksdelight]

I hate vocal fry. So that is just another aspect of Grayson I dislike. She also sounds smug and whiny at the same time. Add in my bigger peeve of constanty? making every sentence? Like a question? Even when it isn't? I'm buying a ticket for 'the when the heck can she go home already' express.

She's an Uptalker. :) Which, combined with vocal fry, will indeed drive you crazy.

[Wings]

I am so happy this show is back.  It is my favorite. 

 

I like Padma, Tom and all the judges.  I have even warmed to Blaise.

 

Karen not being eligible for the win had nothing to do with Padma.  You cannot win if there is an incomplete plate.  I noticed she said timing was why one piece of fish was missing but we saw in the kitchen that it was just missing.  She probably did not count correctly.  I think she would have won; they all loved her dish. 

 

As far as Frances vs Angelina go, too many things on the plate sealed her fate.  Angelina took her muscles out of the shell but apparently her dish was well balanced and tasted better.  

 

Philip is cocky but I thought him shaking hands with the fisherman, who supplied the urchin, was a nice gesture. 

 

Link to contestants. 

 

http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/12/top-chef-2015-contestants-season-13-cast-winners-new-spoilers-who-eliminations-are-california-chefs-2016/18/

Edited December 11, 2015 by wings707

[Constantinople]

Editor's Clue #592 @ who'll be in the bottom of the challenge, if not lose
I cook / work with X all of the time

 

As soon as Giselle said it about sea urchins, I figured she'd be in the bottom of the QF.  And not only was she in the bottom, she was at the very bottom.

 

Lucky for her this QF had it's own version of Last Chance Kitchen.

[Tarasme]

Love how Phillip had to introduce himself to the sea urchin catcher.

I have sympathy for tries-so-hard Philip. But. I could hear the un-filmed end of that conversation... "[i'm Philip]... You may know me from several shows on the "Food Network" cable television channel. No? You haven't seen my shows? Oh, perhaps you've seen my greater-than-life size placards along Ventura Boulevard?..." 

Edited December 11, 2015 by Tarasme

[Wings]

As I was looking through the contestants to remember who was who, it is obvious who the next are to go based on face time.  Angelina, clearly.  But much easier to see who will stay due to the lack of face time.  But we really do not have to stretch ourselves since the editing does all the work for us. 

 

 

 

Editor's Clue #592 @ who'll be in the bottom of the challenge, if not lose
I cook / work with X all of the time

Edited December 11, 2015 by wings707

[PepperMonkey]

Grayson is the most annoying person I have seen recently on Top Chef and I'm including Richard Blaise. Who, by the way, isn't bothering me as much this go round as he did last. I was so sorry she did well, because I was hoping this would be the week she'd go. It's looking as if she may be around for a while.

 

I was expecting Philip to rankle me, but I'm feeling strangely sympathetic towards him as well. I HATED him when he appeared on Cutthroat Kitchen, but obviously, that was mostly an act. He seems very earnest and wants to be liked and I think he's way more gracious than some of the other cheftestants. I don't like the manbun, but it's just hair and he has a right to wear that way if he wishes, I guess. It's about the douchiest thing about him, though, in my opinion.

 

LOVE Kwame. He's my pick for the win which means he won't. Sorry I jinxed you, Kwame. I know you'll still have a stellar career. I'm in agreement with tentatively on Kwame, Jeremy and the whole zen thing. I'm devouring MCUK The Professionals and I finally caught up yesterday. American chefs could learn a lot from those guys on how you don't have to be an asshole to finish first.

[beaker73]

Is it too early to write that this is one of those times I find Padma really irritating as a judge?

It's never too early to write that. 

 

Yeah, what's with the Season of the Carrot??   I like carrots well enough but jeez, is there some growers lobby going on this season?

"This is Top Chef not Top Carrot!" 

 

I love Kwame too. And Marjorie.  But I'm in DC, so I'm a bit biased.  I actually don't mind Grayson, but she's does seem extra pissy this go around.  I'd love to know how/why she got brought back.  It was pretty obvious by her TH at the beginning of the episode about having to step up her game that she'd have a good week.  They're so obvious.

[Seelouis]

I need for them to weed out some of these folks -- obviously Angelina and Wesley (I hope) will not last much longer.  I think I have the women down pretty well, but I am lost on most of the men.  Carl? Jason? Jeremy? Chad?  I have no idea who is who.

[Primetimer]

The cheftestants head to Santa Barbara to cook uni at a winery, and then compete head-to-head while making either surf or turf.

Read the story

[jette]

awaken: Love how Phillip had to introduce himself to the sea urchin catcher.

wings707: Philip is cocky but I thought him shaking hands with the fisherman, who supplied the urchin, was a nice gesture.

 

See, I just figured Philip was introducing himself to the diver so in future he could tell everyone who will listen that he knows the West Coast sea urchin supplier!

 

ETA: Bogus that Karen got away with telling the judges that one piece of fish didn't make it to the plate when the camera had clearly panned to a piece of raw fish sitting near her station. She forgot to cook all the fish - liar, liar, etc

Edited December 11, 2015 by jette

[RCharter]

I need for them to weed out some of these folks -- obviously Angelina and Wesley (I hope) will not last much longer.  I think I have the women down pretty well, but I am lost on most of the men.  Carl? Jason? Jeremy? Chad?  I have no idea who is who.

I don't know maybe one of them is going for a dark horse moment.  I think Wesley has made some good food, but Padma holds a grudge and I can't see him going the distance.  

 

I just know one guy as "hipster beard" and New Orleans guy as "funky beard"  and who is Jason?  

 

I have no idea what the deal is with keeping Angelina, is she Eric Ripert's lover?

[Auntie Anxiety]

Wes needs to watch Chopped, because even I know from that show that if you have a tough piece of meat, it's best to slice it thin (against the grain?), maybe marinate it a little bit and hope that it will become more tender.  

 

I really can't stand hipster beards and the thought of someone cooking my food with beard hairs falling into it makes me sick.  In fact, they should ALL be wearing hairnets or kerchiefs or something to protect the food from stray hairs.

 

Grayson was probably invited back because the producers realized that they needed some more nastiness for dramatic purposes after the other chefs came on board.  I would also venture to guess that they told her to ramp it up and that they'd assure her a certain number of weeks of safety if she agreed.  Hey, I watched unReal (as well as being an ardent tv reality consumer) so I have figured out how it works.

[Pepper Mostly]

"This is Top Chef not Top Carrot!" 

 

I actually said that out loud while watching. Jesus. I thought kale was over and it was cauliflower now. Or chard. Guess its the humble carrot, who knew?

 

Padma's bitch face was firmly in place, hmmm? Honey, take a tweezer and remove that hair from across your ass.

 

Still pulling for my homie Carl! I'm hoping he's a dark horse. He seems very well prepared for Top Chef and I like his grace under pressure. I mean, he was up against rib eye, pork belly, lobster, crab, rack of lamb--and killed with chicken. that's not easy.

[Constantinople]

I think I have the women down pretty well, but I am lost on most of the men.  Carl?

Carl reminds me of the kid from Love, Actually, for some reason, but actually there's not that much resemblance.

But if it helps.

 

Jason?

Glasses with short crewcut hair. Possible trace of peach fuzz under his nose.

 

Jeremy?

Bald with mustache and beard. The beard doesn't seem to reach all the way up to his ears. Twice in the first three episodes he's mentioned he has a daughter

 

Chad?

I think of him as the Civil War re-enactor due to his big, bushy beard, which is the largest of any of the cheftestants. Others, hearkening back to Kevin Gillespie from Top Chef Vegas may think of Chad as Yukon Cornelius II

[Wings]

See, I just figured Philip was introducing himself to the diver so in future he could tell everyone who will listen that he knows the West Coast sea urchin supplier!

 

ETA: Bogus that Karen got away with telling the judges that one piece of fish didn't make it to the plate when the camera had clearly panned to a piece of raw fish sitting near her station. She forgot to cook all the fish - liar, liar, etc

 

Thanks.  I must have looked away, I knew it was not about time. 

 

Carl is my current favorite, Pepper Mostly.  

 

I also like Issac (bald with goatee), Jason (glasses) and Marjorie.  

 

Here is a link with the contestants. 

http://heavy.com/entertainment/2015/12/top-chef-2015-contestants-season-13-cast-winners-new-spoilers-who-eliminations-are-california-chefs-2016/16/

Edited December 11, 2015 by wings707

[NaughtyKitty]

Pink hair Karen reminds me of latina Claudia from last season Masterchef.  I am not sure why, because they don't really look alike, but something reminds me of her.

 

I am surprised that they were all so gaga about the sea urchin.  I keep trying to like it but find it to be one of the most vile things ever.  It is salty and fishy and melts in your mouth like a giant loogie.  So nasty.

Edited December 11, 2015 by NaughtyKitty

[cooksdelight]

It is salty and fishy and melts in your mouth like a giant loogie. So nasty.

Best description of that stuff. Ever. If someone could make it taste "buttery" as Dana oohed a few times, my hats off to them.

[Baxter26]

Maybe it's been mentioned and I just haven't seen it but I can't get over these guys with the giant beards (Chad!) that don't wear beard nets while they are cooking. All the long haired women (and even Phillip) put their hair up or tie it back. You can't tell me that the facial hair doesn't end up in the food sometimes so why is it never mentioned? That would be the grossest thing to find in your food, same coarseness as a pube, blech! I used to work in a food production plant and beard nets were mandatory for those who had them, why aren't they implemented on this show the same way they keep their head hair back? And if your profession is a chef, why would you even sport a beard like that and even take a chance on that falling in your food? All it would take is one person posting a review saying they found a pube in their food and that restaurant is toast!

[Wings]

If I found a hair in my food it would not bother me.  I would just remove it and keep eating.  Hair is everywhere, we shed about 100 a day.  Not a big deal to me.  Since it does bother so many it makes sense to wear beard and head covers.  Because it is TV they want everyone to look good. 

 

I didn't mind the carrots.  I found it refreshing change from  brussles sprouts and kale every damn dish.  

Edited December 11, 2015 by wings707

[goofygirl]

Pretty much a snoozefest last night. Or maybe I was just sleepy! Anyhoo, I can't stand stankface Grayson. Not exactly sure WHY she hd to come back on my teevee.

Ugh. Wish she'd just go home already!

[susannot]

Since I love me some crab salad I'm glad Kwame won.  He also seems like a sweetheart in the way that he bonded with his partner, one of the beard bros.  (Chad?)  Also a very nice pep talk to poor Wesley who had to fail in front of Richard Blais.  

 

I still can't stand Blais and I bitched out Padma every time she said in that cold, haughty voice "you may go now", as if dismissing her peasant slave.

[meep.meep]

Yeah, what's with the Season of the Carrot??   I like carrots well enough but jeez, is there some growers lobby going on this season?

It was what was fresh when it was filmed.  It's better than the Season of the Rutebaga during the Chicago season.

 

The elimination made no sense, but her voice was so odd that I'm kinda glad she's gone.

[The Mighty Peanut]

Which was the season of the scallop? Jamie was in it, that much I remember. They should have a rap battle with the season of the carrot.