S13.E09: Restaurant Wars, Part 1

[biakbiak]

I recall Jeremy briefly mentioning making a cold dish and that he could do a crudo. This was at the beginning while they were planning the menu.

He did but it seemed they went with a cold salad instead because the crudo came up when they were discussing lunch and he ended up doing a salad. He could still do it but he is definitely making a risotto, he was premaking it which he will probably get dinged for and the other team is making a crudo because they show Carl selecting a plate for it.

[emmy plath]

I actually participated as a guest diner for this episode, so it was exciting to finally watch the episode. For those who were wondering, I was invited after seeing Padma's tweet about the show needing diners. I filled out an application and got very lucky. Based on conversations I had with several other people there (and there was a lot of waiting around that day, so I got to meet a bunch of diners), many of them were fans just like me. So for at least this episode, I doubt there were many (if any) actors or "plants."

 

Anyway, I was seated at District LA, and service was indeed slow, and it's nice to understand why now that the episode has aired. Also, at least at my table, a lengthy bit of time passed between us finishing our entrees and the comment cards arriving at the table. That might explain why some tables lingered--since those of us who have watched previous Restaurant Wars know that the diners usually fill out comment cards, some tables probably didn't simply leave because they knew they still needed to fill those cards out. It's a whole process, too. When you get the cards, someone from productions comes over to let you know that the cameras will come by after you're done with the cards. Then you have to discuss with the table your overall thoughts while they film it all. So while it's definitely possible that some people lingered just to stay on set, some tables really did have to wait a while to have their plates cleared and provide their feedback.

 

Also, I'm glad the judges seemed to agree with my table that the entrees weren't all that impressive. Although we didn't get to taste Palate's food, the general consensus was that the food was underwhelming. Two people even sent back their salmon dishes.

[LilyoftheValley]

Was there anything specifically about the dishes that you did not like?  Or do you think that your expectations were just really high? 

[candall]

WOW, one of us actually got to taste the Top Chef food!!!!!  I'm so excited!  Did you eat with your eyes first?!

 

I'd love to hear, if it's not too much of a nuisance, some dish by dish details.  What was wrong with the salmon?

 

Now I'm happy I still have the episode on my DVR.  I'm going back and pay close attention to "our" District LA menu. 

[bravofan27]

I have heard the LA accent, but it's hard to hear unless you are 1) not from CA, and 2) talking to people in which one is from CA. When you are in an area, like the midwest, and in a room with a bunch of people, one of whom grew up in LA, you definitely hear an accent from that person. More an inflection of certain syllables that kind of sounds... I won't say.

 

Issac is one of those guys that is white but has this "jive" or something type of speech that is sort of between hipster, hip-hop, and old school jazz. His wife seemed a little dumb to only care about how he would talk when he came back and . Her voice sounded like a 2 pack a day smoker. She may be the hard core partier type that wants to stay cool, edgy, and--- the wedding pictures pegged her as emo/goth. He loves her, that's all that matters.

 

For a GM, Marjorie dressed like shit. What is wrong with her? She has totally given up on her appearance regardless the context? She looked really unprofessional serving and hosting front of house with her dirty hair, blue jeans, and sleeve tats. It was a little confusing. You would think Marjorie would know that, and I was surprised that one one else on her team said anything. Especially surprising, because in DC GMs are dressed to the nines. 

 

I noticed both Phillip and Kwame pout when they don't get their way. Amar and Jeremy seem more mature, or in-control of their emotions. I think the youth thing is coming through on Philip and Kwame, and suspect that they will be the next to go. 

 

When Tom sat down, the first thing he said was there should not be Taraine (SP yes) on the menu. It seems that if Marjorie and Karen were so good, they would have known that right away too. Instead the were vetoing Isaacs ideas, and letting Carl's shitty ones go by. I think Marjorie and Karen have some growing up to do as well. 

[Bastet]

While many in Los Angeles would claim our accent is a lack of an accent, obviously that's a myopic misrepresentation.  If you go to accent guru Amy Walker's montage, you'll hear her take on Los Angeles at about 1:40.  It's a decent typical L.A. accent, especially for those of us over 40; we certainly do not all, or even most, uptalk, vocal fry, Valley Girl, etc. our way through a sentence.

 

With that said, Isaac's wife didn't bother me with her comment.  It was dumb, but harmless, and the accents of people from her neck of the woods have been subject to much greater derision so I'm not going to get fired up about it. 

[RCharter]

I'm from California and have been told, multiple times that the LA accent is the lack of an accent, and I agree.  There are still a few hold out valley girls, but I think thats a rarity.  I think Issac is a good 'ol cajun boy so there was probably some afro-french in his background (if I'm saying that in an offensive way, I'm sorry). I'm sure his wife mostly knows LA by watching TV, so whatever.

 

emmy -- so the producers didn't specifically ask you to wait around, or do you think they held the comment cards so that there would be a backup?  How was that soup?? 

[Brookside]

Star of tonight's episode: Padma's breasts.

Other star of tonight's episode: Kwame's crotch.

[rho]

I'm team "everyone has an accent." The reason people misconstrue a California accent as "no accent" is because it's ground zero for entertainment and when actors come to LA trying to lose their accent, that's what they aim for. Most of what you'll hear on television will be a California accent. But just because it's become the norm, doesn't mean it isn't a unique speech pattern.

 

I have no idea what Isaac's wife was referring to though. Maybe ike a surfer dude thing? I don't know, but I would love to hear her do an impression of it. 

Edited February 6, 2016 by rho

[emmy plath]

LilyoftheValley, I will first admit that my expectations may have been high from watching past Restaurant War teams do very well. But specifically, my table repeatedly complained that their dishes were too bland and could've used more salt or some acidic element. The words "pedestrian" and "airplane food" were thrown around a lot. If it gives you any additional insight, there were 6 people at the table, including myself: 2 professional chefs (both of whom had appeared on Top Chef/Top Chef Masters previously); 1 editor of some food blog I can't recall; and 3 fans. 

 

candall, the episode was filmed early June, so my memory is fuzzy at this point. Also, each person was only allowed to order 1 app and 1 main, so I remember the items I personally ordered better than the ones I didn't. I ordered the asparagus with crispy egg, which was fine. The egg was cooked well, though I know that can be subjective. I would have preferred an acidic element, even just a squeeze of lemon juice. Those who ordered the soup thought the flavor was fine. Some of my fellow diners swapped apps so they could taste a little of both. Soup was better received overall. In comparison to the salad, it was better seasoned and more interesting conceptually. For my main course, I ordered the salmon. My portion was cooked fine (while others sent theirs back for being overcooked). The skin was crispy, the yogurt sauce provided a nice tang, and the ratatouille was ok. The diners who ordered the chicken thought the dish was more visually appealing than the salmon, tasted fine, but was too simple and safe.

 

RCharter, the only time anyone on production talked to us during lunch service was to instruct us to get ready to discuss our feedback for the cameras. That's it. The actual dining space wasn't too large, and because of where I sat, I could see most of the room. To my knowledge, I didn't see any interactions between the guests and production except for when the crew needed to film comments. But who knows what happened after my group left the restaurant. All I can say is that nobody instructed my table to linger and that I didn't overhear anyone else being asked to hang around either. There was no indication that production was purposely holding back comment cards. Like I said, our plates sat around a while after everyone finished eating, and it seemed like the comment cards weren't supposed to be distributed until after tables were cleared. I assume that the servers were just poorly trained. I mean, utensils weren't replaced. Drinks weren't delivered unless you asked multiple times. When we asked questions about the menu, our particular server seemed very hesitant with her answers. As for the soup, I didn't order it. However, the people at my table who did thought it was fine. It wasn't crap but wasn't outstanding either.

 

A few other random tidbits I remember from my experience:

The beers they served were not as cold as they should have been. Padma is stunning in real life, as is Gail. My fellow diners hated the decor; they thought the chairs were uncomfortable and that the tables were awful because anything that spilled on them couldn't be cleaned off easily. Kwame was very polite, though he gave off a nervous energy as he talked to us. I assumed at the time that drama was going down in the kitchen.

Edited February 6, 2016 by emmy plath

[Grneyedldy]

He did but it seemed they went with a cold salad instead because the crudo came up when they were discussing lunch and he ended up doing a salad. He could still do it but he is definitely making a risotto, he was premaking it which he will probably get dinged for and the other team is making a crudo because they show Carl selecting a plate for it.

Thank you, yes I saw Jeremy prepping the risotto. I thought maybe he did a crudo and risotto. I didn't remember seeing Carl plating a crudo, good catch.

[Wings]

Thanks, emma!  I love that we have an inside peek!  

 

I never thought production was behind asking tables to linger; I saw no point in that.  There is enough to accomplish without that added stress.  It always comes down to the food, in the end.  

 

I wonder if the judges were aware that tardy comment cards were partially at fault for things not moving as swiftly as planned.  They need bus boys.  With the kitchen screaming for pick ups it is no wonder that clearling a table becomes secondary.   So much can go south in the details.  One of my beefs with the challenge is that the food suffers because they often aim to keep it simple for the ease of service. 

 

Unless Marjorie comes through with a spectacular dinner course she will be on the bottom due to her simple salad.  And I get why she did that.  Phillip is under fire for having someone prepare a complicated dish, Marjorie knew she would be too busy to do hers and had to rely on someone else, thus the simple salad..  Damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

 

I like Carl but I think his terrine may be his undoing.   And, of course, the chef with the crudo next week, too.  That could be Carl!   I think these episodes should have been run back to back.  

 

I like this season.  It probably will not stand out as one of the greats but I am forgiving since it is my favorite show.  

 

Ratatouille with salmon, eh?  Since when do tomatoes go with this fish?  Never in my book.  

Edited February 6, 2016 by wings707

[SFoster21]

I agree that Marjorie looked sloppy as FOH. Maybe it's just me, but tattoos are off-putting and no aid to appetite.

Edited February 6, 2016 by SFoster21

[Wings]

Tattoos do confuse the landscape especially if you do not dress for them.   To pull off the look it works better if you dress in an edgy, counter culture way.  A  sleeveless blouse (note I did not say shirt)  does not work well.   Unfortunately for Marjorie the way her weight is distributed must hamper what she is able to wear.   She was not sloppy, she just looked like she was!  

[jette]

Issac is one of those guys that is white but has this "jive" or something type of speech that is sort of between hipster, hip-hop, and old school jazz.

 

Just sounds like home to me, y'all! The New Orleans area has it's own unique accent - not a Southern twang at all. It almost sounds like folks are from New York, only it's softer somehow because we tend to drop letters from words and then substitute others. For example, dat, dese, dem, dose instead of that, these, them, those - there's a whole "yat-speak" that creeps back into my speech pattern every time I'm home. It's hard to shake and even harder to imitate, f'true! Our unique accent is why actors in movies/tv series set in NOLA sound so goofy (see NCIS:New Orleans - I'm lookin' at you Scott Bakula!)

 

Still hoping for an Isaac / Marjorie faceoff at final two with the "unrefined" chef beating out Miss Priss - possibly with a porkchop bone

[Calamity Jane]

I'm a sheeple; I love Restaurant Wars.  But I agree it would have been much better as a double episode.  I felt they were dribbling out the hour to build up to the "RESTAURANT WARS FINALE!"

 

For all the time we spent watching them design the joint--picking silverware ("I dunno, a LOT") and glassware (jelly jars?  really?)--the space looked horrible.  Hello, the diners are sitting in a warehouse and the chefs are cooking in a tent.  You've done better, show.

 

I laughed when all predictions came true and Phillip snagged the more prominent front-of-house meal for himself.  Kind of a shame the servers will be somewhat rehearsed already because I'd love watching Phillip trying to herd cats.

 

I don't hate him, though.  He seems guileless, like a puppy who's annoying because he's always been petted and never trained.

I likened Phillip to a bumptious but basically well-meaning puppy a few weeks ago.  He does have sharp puppy teeth once in a while, but overall I think he is just overpraised and overconfident, but I don't see him doing anything deliberately to sabotage someone else.  I don't think it would occur to him.  His personality grates on me, for sure.  Still think he's mostly innocuous.

[toolazy]

Just sounds like home to me, y'all! The New Orleans area has it's own unique accent - not a Southern twang at all. It almost sounds like folks are from New York, only it's softer somehow because we tend to drop letters from words and then substitute others. For example, dat, dese, dem, dose instead of that, these, them, those - there's a whole "yat-speak" that creeps back into my speech pattern every time I'm home. It's hard to shake and even harder to imitate, f'true! Our unique accent is why actors in movies/tv series set in NOLA sound so goofy (see NCIS:New Orleans - I'm lookin' at you Scott Bakula!)

 

Still hoping for an Isaac / Marjorie faceoff at final two with the "unrefined" chef beating out Miss Priss - possibly with a porkchop bone

 

I, too, love to hear Isaac speak because I grew up in NOLA, too.  When I was 18 and going to UNO I stupidly set out to lose my New Orleans accent, which I regret but yes, it does tend to pop up occasionally. Anyway, I'm totally Team Isaac.  I'll take down home cajun/creole over fancy pants food any day.

 

I guess I was wrong about the producers screwing with the restaurant guests - it's pretty great to get a first hand account of how it really worked.

Edited February 6, 2016 by toolazy

[FormerMod-a1]

The conversation here should be about the episode only.  Any tangents should be moved to the appropriate thread.  

 

While an accent was mentioned in the episode many posts here were about accents in general and not about the show.  Those have been moved to the Small Talk thread.  Feel free to keep discussing that there.

[meep.meep]

FWIW I don't know what is meant by a "douchey LA accent." There are certainly accents that sound very douchey but LA wouldn't even make my top 20. ;)

Just listen for someone who insists on putting "the" in front of freeway numbers: you take the 5 to the 405 to the 55.

In Northern California, we don't do that: you take 237 to 880 to 238 to 580 to 680.

I think Isaac's wife wants him to come back with the same accent he left home with.

[SFoster21]

Tattoos do confuse the landscape especially if you do not dress for them. To pull off the look it works better if you dress in an edgy, counter culture way. A sleeveless blouse (note I did not say shirt) does not work well. Unfortunately for Marjorie the way her weight is distributed must hamper what she is able to wear. She was not sloppy, she just looked like she was!

A loose skimming blazer would do nicely. Bare arms are for warm outdoor areas and ballgowns. Not for restaurant hostesses.

[carrps]

Just listen for someone who insists on putting "the" in front of freeway numbers: you take the 5 to the 405 to the 55.

In Northern California, we don't do that: you take 237 to 880 to 238 to 580 to 680.

I think Isaac's wife wants him to come back with the same accent he left home with.

That's not an accent. Will take to Small Talk if I want to elaborate.

 

Re-watched and saw that when Marjorie mentioned bread, Isaac piped up with "cornbread." Cornbread? I've been making scratch cornbread since I was 10 or 11 years old. And it doesn't really go with a lot of foods. Maybe if they were doing a Southern themed or Cajun themed restaurant it would have fit. 

[Julia]

In fairness to Isaac, unless Marjorie was volunteering to take over the bread, a batter bread would be mjuch more likely to be successful than a yeast-risen bread proofed and kneaded and baked by three people who don't get baking. However silly that might be.

[7-Zark-7]

Marjorie owned that GM thing. She ran the front of the house, she kept the tickets firing, the tables moving, and she still did the small talk. The judges didn't seem to realize how good a job she was doing because; she wasn't at the stand when they arrived, and she had a simple dish. The judges have some nerve faulting a front of house chef on Restaurant Wars for making a simple dish. How many times have they been screwed over by the other chefs not following their instructions on how to prepare it?  

 

There really wasn't much to this episode, and no reason for a two parter.  The could have condensed it.

 

 

Issac is one of those guys that is white but has this "jive" or something type of speech that is sort of between hipster, hip-hop, and old school jazz.

 

I thought Issac was black, or biracial, or multiracial. Again, like the accent, New Orleans is mix of a lot of people and cultures.

[theatremouse]

I want to see a restaurant wars where they make them do brunch or something. You can tell this whole two-service thing was the show trying to make it not entirely predictable. Except I think it basically still was exactly what always happens during Restaurant Wars, it'll just happen twice.

Edited February 7, 2016 by theatremouse

[holly4755]

another dork here who loves restaurant wars. I  Loved it in  season one and I still love it, it is kind of like cutthroat kitchen only no one manufactures the problems. 

[Wings]

A loose skimming blazer would do nicely. Bare arms are for warm outdoor areas and ballgowns. Not for restaurant hostesses.

 

It just dawned on me.  Restaurants have a dress code which includes nothing sleeveless and closed shoes.  

[SingleMaltBlonde]

I have no idea what Isaac's wife was referring to though. 

 

I think Isaac's wife likes her slightly crazy cajun man and doesn't want him to change.  or maybe she's seen Man Bun another tv show and is using him as a proxy for California Boys.

[Rockfish]

(Accidentally put this in the wrong thread.) I thought Kwame was right to want Phillip to simplify his salad, for both of their sakes (seriously Phillip, you can't trust anyone to meticulously follow that many steps--especially for a salad, especially when he has his own dish to make). Also, every time Phillip talks confidently about how popular a dish is at one of his restaurants, I cringe because it never seems to go the way he predicts. And because I find it so unbelievable when someone completely ignores another teammate, I'm just assuming that the scene of Marjorie's team discussing the menu and ignoring Isaac was heavily edited.

I love Restaurant Wars, but I hate when the contestants have to do the decor--makes me exhausted just thinking about having to do that in addition to everything else.

[Febgirl]

I must've put in the back of my mind how much  I despise the way Tom holds his knife and seemingly picks through the food with disgust, because when I saw him do it on this episode, it was like nails on the proverbial chalkboard. For a long time it would piss me off when Gail would comment that a dish needed acid, this definitely bothers me more.

[Giselle]

I'm probably the only one, but I'm not a fan of Marjorie.  I think she is a talented chef, but I'm just not that into her.  I guess they can't text their lists, but have to relay them over the phone.  I understand her thinking with the list, but maybe she could have discussed a game plan before the split up, but I don't see how telling him you'll call him back is going to help much of anything.  Maybe the better way for her would have been to have taken down however many items he needed...like 10? and then integrated them into her list.  I don't think she had any reason to be irritable with Carl, and I also think she could have worn something a little nicer for front of house.

 

As for Issac having his ideas shot down, he didn't seem to take it personally at all.  I don't even think Marjorie was listening to him and I think that was remarkably rude of her.  Maybe if Angelina...the beast was in the mix, she could have been bothered to pay attention or at least pretend like she was.  

 

You are not the only one.

[AriAu]

I finally saw the whole episode-I fell asleep twice trying to watch it!

Boy, Jeremy was really a dick....and Philip was a passive aggressive dick who will gladly throw Jeremy waaayyyyyyy under the bus as soon as he gets a chance...."well, I would have done it differently (or the right way) but I was just the line cook following my Exec Chef"

I am wondering if the judges will get a sense how things really went when they were not there? Will they realize how well Marjorie handled the front of the house or will they only remember that she was not at the hostess stand at the moment they walked in. Will they even be aware of the fact that a large chunk of the "guests" as District LA got "no soup"!

The whole set up was preposterous-too much time was wasted on renting chairs and glassware and not enough on cooking or training or  staging. It would have been a nice twist to have Restaurant Wars be ONLY about lunch service-can they come up with an appropriate lunch menu, can they turn the tables quickly enough on that (yes, I am looking at you goofs at District LA) etc.... especially since it is clear that they all show up with an idea of what they are going to do-hell they had time to write a sorta rap song! As suggested above, how about a brunch service or something that they don't expect but should be able to do.

As for Issac having his ideas shot down, he didn't seem to take it personally at all.  I don't even think Marjorie was listening to him and I think that was remarkably rude of her

 

I love the guy, but he deserved to get shot down when he suggested making cornbread for the type of meals they were planning. On the otherhand, he may have figured that it was a good time for him to just survive so why shoot his mouth off and then get blamed by his teammates, although based on what we have seen of Marjorie, I would not be surprised if she tried to throw him under the bus for NOT being more involved.

[snarktini]

After all the crap that Wesley got for putting his tasting spoon back in, I hope everyone saw Jeremy do the same with his wooden risotto spoon in this episode.  He may be eye candy, but it's diminishing every week with the bro-douche behavior.

 

I thought Isaac offered up corn bread because Marjorie suggested a bread basket. For that you'd want a couple of types. I've mostly liked her to this point, but her acting like he didn't exist when they were planning was painful.

[Febgirl]

I wonder why they didn't have one of the judges observe the kitchen area? Didn't Tom do that is past seasons?

 

Febgirl, I always look in the first episode for a weird fork hold by Tom! I use my left hand and don't eat like that so I have no idea why he holds the fork like he does. Plus he scrunches down while eating. 

Ha!  I'm left handed, and I don't eat like that either! it bugs!

[Darth Nigel]

I swear I've seen some restaurant show (maybe Scott Conant's short-lived "24  Hour Restaurant Battle") where the contestants had to open a restaurant in a day.  

 

The chefs figured out the menus and the decor, picking colors from swatches and furniture/cutlery/fittings from a big catalog.  Then they went off to do the cooking, and a small team of painters/dressers/grips came in and made the restaurant space appear.

 

This worked quite well.  The chefs still had the job of defining the decor, planning the menu, cooking, FOH, expediting, service and dealing with any minor disasters that happened before or during service.  They were critiqued a little on the theming and especially on the food/service/comfort. I remember one chef served everything family style round big tables, which wasn't as successful as he had hoped.

 

I'd like to see something like that in Restaurant Wars.  Given how unrealistic the scenario is, let us at least give them some help for the things that are not related to cooking and service.

 

[Julia]

Oh, but then we wouldn't have had Stephen Asprinio trying to use up the entire budget for his restaurant on specialty glassware, or Madonna's brother being brought in to give the teams the benefit of his experience with having the same parents as Madonna. The ridiculous can be mighty around restaurant wars. It kind of makes me happy.

That said, if we're getting two episodes out of this, it would be nice if they squeezed in a little more cooking.

Edited February 10, 2016 by Julia

[Tarasme]

I'm curious how the judges are going to balance the sum of both services in selecting the chef to PYKaG. Maybe it'll be easy and team Gray will ehF up dinner as much as they did lunch.

 

I was startled that Marjorie treated a team member the way that she did Issac. I was equally started that it didn't seem to perturb him at all. I'dve been Up. Set.

 

Since it's RW, and RW has always been winner takes all, I think I'm gonna be frustrated when the losing team loses it's worst. I'd like to see the LCDs on both teams be under scrutiny but alas, that's not the game.

 

The food and concepts, for me, were ho hum. I hope Thursday's dinner delivers better.

[innocuouspuff]

I thought Issac was black, or biracial, or multiracial. Again, like the accent, New Orleans is mix of a lot of people and cultures.

Yeah, he looks multiracial to me. Between that and his accent/general loudness and his Cajun food I get super uncomfortable when Marjorie rolls her eyes at his lack of refinement. Strong stench of classism happening there.

All I know about French food I learned from watching tv, and even I knew Carl didn't have enough time to make a terrine. That plus the decision to ignore most of the dining room for a bit - lots of bad decision-making going around. I think I hated "Palate" worse than "District Los Angeles", tho. It says nothing and means nothing and isn't even a pretty enough word to make up for it.

Edited February 11, 2016 by innocuouspuff

[Bastet]

There used to be a restaurant in the Los Angeles area called Palate.  It didn't last long, but it was pretty good, especially for appetizers and wine.

[innocuouspuff]

Ha, well bad names don't have to mean bad food, I guess? Forgot to mention that I do in fact enjoy Restaurant Wars. I also like the group challenges on American Idol or So You Think You Can Dance. Stress, sleep deprivation, and general unnecessary chaos! Bring it on.

[kittykat]

Making a terrine has as good of a track record as making short ribs, just STAY AWAY Cheftestants.

Finally just watched, holy crap did Jeremy drop the ball.There's something very wrong when freaking Philip is the voice of reason on your team.

I'm pulling for Palate for the win but I'm also afraid they're the subject of "it all went downhill at dinner." Isaac and Marjorie did their jobs well at lunch.

Not sure what will happen until tonight but it looks like Jeremy finally gets dinged for yet another crudo (like Amar did for yet another chicken dish). Could he be on course for a top of the pack RW crapout?

Edited February 12, 2016 by kittykat

[RCharter]

Yeah, he looks multiracial to me. Between that and his accent/general loudness and his Cajun food I get super uncomfortable when Marjorie rolls her eyes at his lack of refinement. Strong stench of classism happening there.

 

It can't possibly be classicism with the outfit she wore as FOH.

 

Just kidding, its certainly something, and its nothing that I like.

Edited February 12, 2016 by RCharter

[Jobiska]

Ha, well bad names don't have to mean bad food, I guess?

 

There's a restaurant in Philadelphia I have never tried because it's called Zesty and for some reason the word always brings to mind a tart flavor (my least favorite flavor profile--whenever the judges say something needs more acid, I'm all "I'd probably like it as is then.")

The cheftestants were all so proud of their little, uh, rap?  Song?  chant?  I couldn't follow it all but they seemed so happy.  I like that they mostly get along.  Also really impressed with Isaac for not letting ego get in the way even if he was unheard.   

 

I didn't care too much how Marjorie was dressed because I was so pleased to see her mostly smiling as front of house (is this the first time they've gone more to calling it general manager than FOH?  they kept interchanging the terms and it was sort of confusing to me).  Even if it was a nervous smile, it looked better than her usual neutral expression.  

Really thrilled with the "nobody can hide" twist where everyone has to take one of the thankless roles at one point or another.

I've never noticed how Tom holds his fork, and now I'm scared to because I probably won't be able to un-notice it.

My reaction to Padma's cleavage?  "It's so low she won't be able to save crumbs for later because they'll fall right back out again."

Edited to add:  I've been a vegetarian since 1976 and even I thought the steak salad looked delicious!  The terrine, not so much.  

Edited February 13, 2016 by Jobiska

[RCharter]

Zesty makes me think of ranch dressing :)

[Julia]

I don't think it would be possible to work alongside Mike Isabella, whose persona is the most exaggerated goombah act this side of a Gordon Ramsay show, and have class issues. I think it's more likely that like him, she deals with chefs who threaten her by being a dismissive jackass.

*I would really love it if our stereotype with casting directors was Hey, pick him, he reminds me of 25% of the supreme court. Or, for that matter, Tom Colicchio.

[Special K]

On this show, there is often a hint of disapproval/snobbery around the chefs who seem to make the yummiest, least pretentious food.  I'm thinking Kevin Gillespie, others I can't remember, and now Isaac.  I hope he wins!  Have we ever had a (refined) down-home cook win?!

[Julia]

Which is funny. Because Yukon Cornelius the okie chuckwagon cook in Kristen's season who made top four cooking a slab of pork belly in every challenge because he didn't know nothing about fancy big-city girly food? Was really a pastry chef working in Dallas when he auditioned. So apparently you're allowed to be a bro for marketing purposes, as long as it's a pose.