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S15.E01: It'll Take More Than Pot Luck


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Glad to have Top Chef back.

 

A little innuendo doesn't bother me, but that wasn't a little. It bludgeoned us over the head and is incredibly awkward given the current news stories. Surely the editors could have added some more stock footage of Colorado to pad that out. Or, heaven forbid, show more of the food or commentary.  It's also unfortunate that the innuendo came from mustache Joe, because I really want to like him because of that mustache. At least he seems like he can cook well.

 

Everyone seems fairly nice, though Tyler is the only one grating on my nerves. At least he can back up his bravado with good food, so that gives him lots of leeway. There's confidence in your abilities, and then there's cockiness and obnoxiousness. He's currently right on the borderline between the two.

 

Tu was too nice, so I'm glad he had immunity and wasn't sent packing. I hope he looks out for himself when he doesn't have immunity. However, the overall friendliness among all the chefs was nice to see. I hope it stays that way, but it doesn't look like it's going to last. Of course, it looks like the niceness is because half the chefs and judges known the other half from elsewhere prior to the show. Not sure I like that, especially when it comes to the judges.

 

I loved that the opening Quickfire had the judges vote on who they liked or disliked the most. Glad it was at least handled with secret ballots and not an open call out.

 

23 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

I don't like saying this, but Tom doesn't look good.  He's kind of grey around the edges and "sunken" looking, and much thinner than he was last year.  Am I imagining this?

You're not imagining anything as I saw it too. There was shot of at the beginning of the Judges Table where Tom looked like death warmed over. He looked like an ill Lurch from the Addams Family with a vacant death stare while Padme talked. I literally went back to watch again and paused to see if I could figure out what was going on. He looks fine at other times, but a little worn or exhausted. I also noticed that they didn't show him much while others were talking, so the editors may have noticed it as well.

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3 hours ago, Thumper said:

I thought Mustache Joe's comment was awful, especially since it was after-the-fact in a TH.  Did not notice the blushing.  And Padma should knock it off, too.

The double entendres on this show have always been annoying to me, including the infamous "little prick in the mouth" comment, which a table full of women guest judges kept going on and on with.

3 hours ago, susannot said:

Agree.  It is cringe-inducing.  This is a show about cooking.  Padma is 45 or so and should stop acting like a sex bomb.  Her behavior enables the guys in the show, like Mustache Joe, to make gross comments as well.  I don't want to hear allusions to dicks.  At all.

Definitely agree. It's  bad enough that we periodically get the "orgasm in your mouth" food allusion.

7 hours ago, jcbrown said:

II thought the THs the Mexican woman from San Diego did were definitely trending mean girl.

 For sure. She's the one who was bitching about having roommates. Hey, it's the price you pay for being on Top Chef. It's not a permanent living arrangement.

She was one of several chefs who were of Mexican heritage, or who cooked with Mexican ingredients. Fine with me, as it's one of my favorite cuisines, and I enjoy seeing creative twists on traditional Mexican flavors.

The "Amish Soul Food" thing initially sounded like purely a gimmick, but the chef seems to be serious about it. His dishes were the ones I'd have most wanted to try.

Edited by bluepiano
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18 hours ago, spacefly said:

I have also dined at Tyler's restaurant and it was a great meal. My sister lives close to Simsbury CT.

I live in an adjoining town and have dined there many times.  I love Tyler's food and he is a really decent guy.   My close friend's daughter's boyfriend is his bar manager and I also know the former head waiter (now events manager) and his girlfriend, who waits tables there.  I keep meaning to get over to his new barbecue restaurant in W. Hartford, but haven't yet.  This is the first time I've known anyone on Top Chef and I've watched since season 1.  I am impressed with the lineup of chefs this season and like the direction in which the show is headed despite the needless innuendo and Graham's ridiculous eyeglasses, which seem even more ridiculous than his previous eyeglasses.  It was very refreshing to see chefs supporting and helping each other.  Go Tyler!

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Soo excited this series is back!

Haven't read the comments yet, but I look forward to it! Just making notes as I watch...

Hm. No female chefs in the top 3 Quick Fire challenge, but all female bottom 2. :/

Re: Chef Chris Scott. Amish Soulfood doesn't exactly make my mouth water. What is Amish food about anyway? All fusion ain't good fusion....

Chef Carrie finished in the bottom 2 in the QF with a wilted, muddled bruschetta & Then! Lawdhavemercy! She was steady slicing on that mandolin, knuckles down & not watching her fingers!!! while she talked to the judges. Folks, please don't ever do that. Hold the veg with a flat palm & watch carefully the whole time, lest you slice your hand open! Soo dangerous!

I think Chef Bruce is probably a fantastic chef--- most of the judges knew him. I also think he's a little bit spoiled & used to having sous chefs. He needs to get it together; that's not how TC works. Chef Tu seems like a good guy, but I agree with Chef Claudette.

3 females chefs in the bottom 3 Elimination Challenge. Ugh! & the Le Bernardin chef? Double ugh! (❤Éric Ripert) I want to go back & examine all the foods more carefully upon re-watch. That's the hallmark of a great show. 

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To Melissa and every other reality show competitor who's eliminated first and laments not getting the chance to show what they could do:  Yes, you did. You had a chance and you sporked it. In Melissa's case, she had two.

Spoiler

 Three if you count LCK.

Was it Snidely who remarked that it was nice to see such an oldie like Tanya from Brown Sugar still on her game? Rude.

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5 hours ago, Midnight Sun said:

Hi, fellow Alaskan! Don't forget, we also acquired Texas Roadhouse and Panda Express (another recent opening in Eagle River).  Ha! I hope Alaska Girl represents us well and doesn't turn out to be a total ass (fingers crossed).

Eagle River is where I lived until I kind of became a snowbird. Lived there 20 years, met my husband there and The Walgreens in eagle River shocked me last summer and where is the Panda Express? I wasn't in Alaska due to illness this past summer.

I also hp[e the Alaska girl succeeds though I didn't get a good feel for her from the episode.

Edited by spacefly
Need to add some
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5 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I keep meaning to get over to his new barbecue restaurant in W. Hartford, but haven't yet. 

Tyler seemed like he was a pretty good guy it would be nice to see him succeed after winning the first challenge.

My sister lives in WH, what is his restuarant? I love eating in WH, so many good restaurants, Bartaco is a favorite.

Edited by spacefly
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2 hours ago, RealityCheck said:

Tyler Anderson appeared on Chopped once

Yes, and he won.  He also appeared on "Beat Bobby Flay" in 2014, which he lost.

2 hours ago, spacefly said:

Tyler seemed like he was a pretty good guy it would be nice to see him succeed after winning the first challenge.

My sister lives in WH, what is his restuarant? I love eating in WH, so many good restaurants, Bartaco is a favorite.

His Simsbury restaurant is "Millwright's" and his West Hartford BBQ restaurant is called "The Cook and the Bear", which is very close to Bartaco in Blueback Square.

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40 minutes ago, susannot said:

I looked up Millwright's.  Now I want to make a special trip to Connecticut just to eat there.

It's definitely "destination eating".  If you can go when he does his annual Julia Child tribute dinner in mid August around her birthday it's even better because you'll get to meet him.  He didn't do it for a couple of years and when I told him I was sorry he stopped doing it he told me he regretted not having the time and made a point to do it again this year.  Of course, it just happened to conflict with a long-planned vacation and I couldn't make it!  We were very disappointed and hope he does it again next year because we will definitely be there.

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58 minutes ago, susannot said:

I looked up Millwright's.  Now I want to make a special trip to Connecticut just to eat there.

I live in the burbs of NYC and my daughter lives in the Boston area, so we drive by Hartford semi-regularly. I agree the menu looks lovely. Maybe we'll find an excuse sometime!

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I'm going to loathe Mustache Joe until he's eliminated, I think. 

I too thought the innuendo was lame and gross, and also did anyone else catch the seriously back-handed compliment he gave Tonya (who I'm already rooting for)? When he was mentioning he loved her restaurant, and how great it was to see someone older doing their thing. Rude. And it would've been rude directed at a male chef, but given the extra shit women have to put up with in the industry (and most other industries), extra rude. 

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22 minutes ago, annewithaneee said:

how great it was to see someone older doing their thing.

I mean, I haven't looked her up, but what is she 40 or so? I mean he acted like she should be ready for the old-folks home.

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15 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

I live in an adjoining town and have dined there many times.  I love Tyler's food and he is a really decent guy.   My close friend's daughter's boyfriend is his bar manager and I also know the former head waiter (now events manager) and his girlfriend, who waits tables there.  I keep meaning to get over to his new barbecue restaurant in W. Hartford, but haven't yet.  This is the first time I've known anyone on Top Chef and I've watched since season 1.  I am impressed with the lineup of chefs this season and like the direction in which the show is headed despite the needless innuendo and Graham's ridiculous eyeglasses, which seem even more ridiculous than his previous eyeglasses.  It was very refreshing to see chefs supporting and helping each other.  Go Tyler!

10 hours ago, spacefly said:

Tyler seemed like he was a pretty good guy it would be nice to see him succeed after winning the first challenge.

My sister lives in WH, what is his restuarant? I love eating in WH, so many good restaurants, Bartaco is a favorite.

4 hours ago, susannot said:

I looked up Millwright's.  Now I want to make a special trip to Connecticut just to eat there.

3 hours ago, dleighg said:

I live in the burbs of NYC and my daughter lives in the Boston area, so we drive by Hartford semi-regularly. I agree the menu looks lovely. Maybe we'll find an excuse sometime!

 

I am really excited that a Connecticut chef is on Top Chef.  Tyler seems like a good guy, too, and has that reputation in Connecticut.  Glad we don't have this season's cocky asshole (TM)* representing the state.  I also live near Millwright's and The Cook and the Bear, but haven't been to either yet.  Anyone want to meet up at either restaurant to discuss how we can persuade Top Chef to film a season in Connecticut?  I have so many Connecticut/New England-themed QF challenges in mind, e.g.:

1.  Connecticut lobster roll vs. the far inferior Maine lobster roll;

2.  Incorporate Connecticut shade tobacco into a dish;

3.  Invasive species sushi at Miya's Sushi;

4.  Settle the Pepe's vs. Sally's debate once and for all;

5.  Farm to table at The Golden Lamb Buttery; and

6.  Create a new grinder at Subway HQ in Milford.

That's just off the top of my head.  I've got plenty more.

On to the episode.  It doesn't bother me that there are 2 Joes because 1. I've watched RHONJ, and 2. Mustashioed Joe is named Snidley in my mind, so I just translate.  It's like being bilingual. 

I liked how they did the first QF where the chefs got to eat each others' food and then talk about what they liked and didn't like.  I hope they keep that as the first QF in upcoming seasons because it was a good way to introduce the chefs and their styles to the audience.  As for what they can get rid of, I nominate QF eliminations.  Bob Dole doesn't need that.

IDK how I feel about the first Elimination Challenge because I feel like TC has a tendency to do a lot of "Working as a single team, make a low-fat, high-protein 16-course progressive tasting menu for the entire population of the earth with a total budget of one shiny nickle.  You have 30 seconds and your time starts NOW!" type challenges.  Then Tom goes full-on Disappointed Dad when the chefs fail.  "Why didn't you make granola with protein powder?  Oats are not expensive.  You could have saved children."  **smugly crosses arms.** 

Fatima's samosa looked and sounded fantastic.  She was smart to use a different protein and then cook it well to stand out.  I hope she goes far.  I remember her from Chopped, but I never knew there were people who didn't like her.  Why?  What's not to like?

Bruce reminds me of Pigpen from last season.  Remember that guy who would end up covered in garbage whenever he cooked?  Jim?  After the cooking time was up, it looked like a pressure cooker bomb filled with kitchen waste went off all over him and his his station?  If I recall, he was also an established chef.  Bruce and (probably) Jim look nothing alike, but they give me the same vibe, like someone 1 week away from homelessness. 

I'm probably biased towards Tyler because of the Connecticut Connection (TM local NBC news station).  He's very well respected here and it would be cool to see a decent person and a talented chef in a small market with his own small business do well.  I guess we will see.

 

*Please don't make me regret writing that, Magical Elves' editing team.

Edited by Moncheechee
well, that was a right fuck up.
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1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

She's in her 50s.

Still hardly ancient. And I also thought it was condescending and maybe a bit of gamesmanship. She's a chef, not a pro athlete. I guess there is a physical component to being a chef, but many of the world's greatest are in their 60s and still going strong.

In terms of favoritism from judges towards contestants they know well, Padma as much as admitted that she's pulling for Fatima. Well, better to have it out in the open. (I don't think they previously knew each other, but Fatima said that Padmas' been a long time hero and role model. Which is cool, as long as Padma can remain objective.)

Edited by bluepiano
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On 12/8/2017 at 0:55 AM, HappyDancex2 said:

Hosea looks like he ate some past contestants.  Yeesh 

That would be Leah, no?

I still miss them hanging out in the stew room, getting stewed and wondering who's on the top and who's on the bottom.  I guess they're never going back to that.

Do Graham Elliott's frames have any glass in them or are they 100% for hipster effect?  Has Tom ever gotten to announce the winner before?

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11 hours ago, Snarklepuss said:

Yes, and he won.  He also appeared on "Beat Bobby Flay" in 2014, which he lost.

His Simsbury restaurant is "Millwright's" and his West Hartford BBQ restaurant is called "The Cook and the Bear", which is very close to Bartaco in Blueback Square.

So TYLER is the one who brought the bear paws.  That made me laugh.  "We're old, and have CPAP's, and this guy is about 3 years away from one". 

Really, this seems to be a great bunch of chefs this season, although there are a couple of weak (alas) sisters.

2 hours ago, meowmommy said:

That would be Leah, no?

I still miss them hanging out in the stew room, getting stewed and wondering who's on the top and who's on the bottom.  I guess they're never going back to that.

Do Graham Elliott's frames have any glass in them or are they 100% for hipster effect?  Has Tom ever gotten to announce the winner before?

Did you see her on Iron Chef Showdown?  I knew Stephanie would smoke her....Leah has matured a bit, but her cooking was still kind of meh.

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19 hours ago, spacefly said:

Tyler seemed like he was a pretty good guy it would be nice to see him succeed after winning the first challenge.

My sister lives in WH, what is his restuarant? I love eating in WH, so many good restaurants, Bartaco is a favorite.

As mentioned above, Tyler's West Hartford restaurant is The Cook and The Bear (https://www.thecookandthebear.com/) on the corner of Raymond and Memorial.  It's very close to Bartaco (which I also love) -- 2 blocks east and 3 blocks south from there. 

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Fatima's appearance on Chopped was controversial because she served something raw and still ended up winning.

No, I don't think there is any glass in Graham Elliott's specs.  Poor guy had gastric bypass surgery a few years back and he now looks like his problem is back again.  He's a good guy and I'm sorry it didn't work out for him.

BTW, the opening graphic is actually Aspen, not Denver, but it's Top Chef Colorado, technically, so it still works.

Edited by Rammchick
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10 minutes ago, Rammchick said:

No, I don't think there is any glass in Graham Elliott's specs.

He's been interviewed about it before and they are prescription. He was wearing them before he had the white frames including on TC Masters and before he was even on tv.

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9 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

He's been interviewed about it before and they are prescription. He was wearing them before he had the white frames including on TC Masters and before he was even on tv.

Huh.  Thanks for the correction.  I'm mixing him up with someone who does only wear the frames, I guess.

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11 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Really, this seems to be a great bunch of chefs this season, although there are a couple of weak (alas) sisters.

I saw Gail Simmons speak on her book tour, with Tiffani Faison, which was awesome, and one of the things she said was about how their gender breakdown really doesn't represent the top echelons of the restaurant world, because of sexism in the field, but I wonder if that makes it hard to find the number of top women to compete. Because I'm sure there are enough women who could do it, and it bums me out when the weakest competitors are all women. 

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On 12/9/2017 at 7:13 AM, 2727 said:

To Melissa and every other reality show competitor who's eliminated first and laments not getting the chance to show what they could do:  Yes, you did. You had a chance and you sporked it. In Melissa's case, she had two.

Totally agree.  For both the QF and the EC, they were told to make what they wanted with very few constraints.  If you can't make your "own food" with those stipulations (or lack thereof), then I don't know how you can.

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I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

I find this show kind of confusing, because food is kind of subjective.  What one person thinks is great, another person will think is terrible.  I look at the judges and think, why should I trust your judgement, your opinions might be different from mine.

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22 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

I find this show kind of confusing, because food is kind of subjective.  What one person thinks is great, another person will think is terrible.  I look at the judges and think, why should I trust your judgement, your opinions might be different from mine.

I feel the same. Some of these judges want a dish salted to death, which I would not eat. I wish it could be a group of every day people, different group each challenge, eating and voting for their favorite dish. That would, of course, ruin the show in Tom’s eyes as he usually has his favorites that he wants to promote and do well.

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On December 9, 2017 at 4:01 AM, RealityCheck said:

Some of the faces looked familiar and this is why:

Fatima Ali appeared on Chopped 3 times
Tyler Anderson appeared on Chopped once
Bruce Kalman appeared on Chopped once
Joe Sastro appeared on Chopped once

Only if you actually watch Chopped.....

Mustache Joe may have mentioned Tanya Holland's age, but he also said he'd be willing to wait an hour to eat at Brown Sugar Kichen.

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2 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

I don't see any evidence of that. This show has had multiple female winners, as well as black and Asian winners and several Hispanic chefs who have gone deep into the competition.

Edited by bluepiano
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11 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

I don't see any evidence of that. This show has had multiple female winners, as well as black and Asian winners and several Hispanic chefs who have gone deep into the competition.

I'm talking about this season.  Let's see if they continue to focus on diversity.

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Quote

That glop on the waffle iron didn't look too appetizing.

I thought so too, but then realized that he was making potato pancakes. Potato pancake batter always looks disgusting because the potatoes turn grey shortly after they are shredded, but they do turn brown and crispy when fried. I want to try mine in a waffle iron. 

I was so excited when my DVR caught the first episode, since I hadn't known the show was returning. I love the way tv works now..when a series ends, something new always seems to pop up. Outlander is ending, but the Crown is playing on netflix. Dancing With the Stars is over, but here is Top Chef! 

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5 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

Yeah, I agree. It left a bad taste in my mouth, too, to hear that after the Quickfire where the top three were all men, and the bottom two women -- voted by the chefs themselves. We'll see how much they truly embrace diversity.

I think the show is in an interesting and unenviable predicament in how they present things that were probably more palatable at the time of filming than they feel now. Now, what the world needs least is another smug white dude. Hell, this season has (had?) John Besh in an episode before it became clear he's a serial predator and harasser (Google isn't telling me anything more recent about whether or not they plan to air that as-is or what). I don't know if I can phrase this in a way that'll make sense...but I just feel like that reiterated tagline is trying to put a positive spin on everything after the fact, and might not have been shaped by the contestants and storylines themselves. 

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5 hours ago, susannot said:

Didn't we hear that John Besh appeared on this season?  I really hope they erase him from the show, but I do not have my hopes up. 

I'm very curious myself.  Everything I've read leads me to believe they are going to address it in some way, but  neither Bravo nor the show has put out any info since October when the scandal hit.

https://www.eater.com/2017/12/7/16743444/top-chef-colorado-preview

from the Eater article:

Quote

Top Chef may have a John Besh problem.

The New Orleans celebrity chef has been a regular guest judge on Top Chef over the years. In October, a New Orleans Times-Picayune investigative report levied major sexual harassment allegations against Besh from 25 current or former employees of his restaurant group. He has resigned from the company, but Top Chef: Colorado might still include one cooking challenge featuring the disgraced restaurateur. Shortly after the Times-Picayune’s report was published, Bravo said it was “evaluating” the episode in question. There has been no public comment on the subject since.

On Twitter, Colicchio expressed support for the idea of scrapping the episode and replacing it with a roundtable discussion on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. He has also addressed the topic in “an open letter to (male) chefs,” saying “we need to do more than pay lip service to fixing this.”

Edited by ratgirlagogo
spelling
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On 12/9/2017 at 7:13 AM, 2727 said:

To Melissa and every other reality show competitor who's eliminated first and laments not getting the chance to show what they could do:  Yes, you did. You had a chance and you sporked it. In Melissa's case, she had two.

  Reveal hidden contents

 Three if you count LCK.

 

I found it especially to be the case this time because the first challenge was a potluck that was supposed to be "you on a plate". This has been done over and over again on this show, so if you don't come to the show with some idea of what you would like to present, and don't execute it well (especially something as simple as potatoes), then you deserve to go home.

I am so happy this show is back! The chefs seem like a good group. The Alaskan woman was annoying, but I think that will go away once we get beyond the "I'm from Alaska, which is so different from the Lower 48" schtick and actually get to see more of her cooking. She was not much of a presence in the actual cooking portions, which is not surprising, given the number of contestants.

I am one of the few who has never found Padma to be all that attractive, but she looked fantastic in this episode.

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13 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

I suppose it's possible that by "diverse," they mean diversity of the chefs' cuisines rather than of their heritage.

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7 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

I'm very curious myself.  Everything I've read leads me to believe they are going to address it in some way, but  neither Bravo nor the show has put out any info since October when the scandal hit.

https://www.eater.com/2017/12/7/16743444/top-chef-colorado-preview

from the Eater article:

 

7 hours ago, ratgirlagogo said:

Top Chef may have a John Besh problem.

The New Orleans celebrity chef has been a regular guest judge on Top Chef over the years. In October, a New Orleans Times-Picayune investigative report levied major sexual harassment allegations against Besh from 25 current or former employees of his restaurant group. He has resigned from the company, but Top Chef: Colorado might still include one cooking challenge featuring the disgraced restaurateur. Shortly after the Times-Picayune’s report was published, Bravo said it was “evaluating” the episode in question. There has been no public comment on the subject since.

On Twitter, Colicchio expressed support for the idea of scrapping the episode and replacing it with a roundtable discussion on sexual harassment in the restaurant industry. He has also addressed the topic in “an open letter to (male) chefs,” saying “we need to do more than pay lip service to fixing this.”

I guess they could scrap the episode, but someone was (most likely) eliminated and I want to see what happened. Surely they could reedit the episode to minimize Besh's presence, edit out sexual innuendo and put in a disclaimer about the timing of when the episode was filmed and when the allegations came out.

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This whole discussion cracks me up.  This is a cooking COMPETITION show, yet some of you viewers want some kind of “fixing” being done to ensure that everything is cookie cutter PC perfect.  Let the contestants rise or fall based on their merits alone.  That’s the only reason  I watch this show.  I don’t care if the winners or losers are green or pigeons—whoever COOKS THE BEST FOOD wins.

My b-I-l is a former restaurant chef.  He met his wife at a restaurant, where she was also a chef.  As soon as she could she quit. She now works for a supplier, so that she can have kids and be a mom, too.  It is a horrible job.  It takes a special kind of toughness not to be swallowed up by the demands of the schedule, the heat, rude customers, and the lure of substances to help you cope with it all. I would think it’s like a war zone.  There are many less battle-zonish jobs to have and still be in the industry.

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16 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I'm talking about this season.  Let's see if they continue to focus on diversity.

Not to be argumentative, but I didn't really get that idea from watching the first episode. We got to see a lot of Fatima, Christopher (Amish Soul food chef), Tu and Rogelio (he made the qroquettes). I just didn't see this episode focused only on the white males.

Edited by MaggieG
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20 hours ago, Browncoat said:

Totally agree.  For both the QF and the EC, they were told to make what they wanted with very few constraints.  If you can't make your "own food" with those stipulations (or lack thereof), then I don't know how you can.

But you can bitch about hating the ingredient and blame that on your own failure.  WTF, over?  (just to clarify, totally agree w/you, I'm snarking).

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19 hours ago, Neurochick said:

I thought it was interesting that the description of the show is "A diverse group of chefs....." But of course the show will always focus on the white people, especially white men.

I find this show kind of confusing, because food is kind of subjective.  What one person thinks is great, another person will think is terrible.  I look at the judges and think, why should I trust your judgement, your opinions might be different from mine.

I totally disagree.  Fatima's EC dish was a stunner, and something with which many Americans have no experience, as both she and Padma pointed out.  There are always chefs on this series who focus on various global regions, many who are ethnically and culturally diverse, and many have won.  I believe TC does present a diverse group cuisines/chefs, which is one of the reasons why I love watching the show, it gives me a reason to go try new places.  I think of Huang, Kwame, Shirley, Sheldon Simeon, Sylva Simat, Katsuji, Nina Compton, for example, who brought something pretty new and totally different to average viewers.  I'm dying to go to New Orleans to eat at Nina's new restaurant, and at (Issac) Toups Charcuterie.

The core judges (Padma, Tom, Gail) have sophisticated palates, as do MOST of the guest judges (remember Wolfgang Puck teaching that poor girl how to make risoto?).   Part of the fun of this show is seeing the cheftestants present something which SHOCKS the judges with how unusual and different it is.  Like this "Amish Soul Food" guy, Chris.  I'm intrigued, who knew there was such a thing.  I'd imagine Padma is excited to see what's coming next from Fatima.  Sure, this format gives the chefs an idea of what the chefs like/dislike (okra, anyone?), but they all have the same information, so no harm, no foul.

14 hours ago, susannot said:

Didn't we hear that John Besh appeared on this season?  I really hope they erase him from the show, but I do not have my hopes up.  Padma will probably be seen flirting with him and offering gross innuendo.

Don't know about this, but Besh did appear on the inaugural reboot of Iron Chef as a judge.  Just eww!

Edited by Blonde Gator
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On 12/8/2017 at 9:58 PM, susannot said:

Padma is 45 or so and should stop acting like a sex bomb.  Her behavior enables the guys in the show, like Mustache Joe, to make gross comments as well. 

Snidely did not direct his comment to Padma, it was in the TH, "confessional". Padma hasn't entered menopause yet in her dotage at 45 so she can be a sex bomb for as long as Hef was a "playboy". Bullying and frat boy hazing is the only thing that got a cheftestant disqualified so far, (S2, Marcel vs Cliff(?)).

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On 12/9/2017 at 4:22 AM, NowVoyager said:

She was steady slicing on that mandolin, knuckles down & not watching her fingers!!! while she talked to the judges. Folks, please don't ever do that. Hold the veg with a flat palm & watch carefully the whole time, lest you slice your hand open! Soo dangerous!

Get the Kevlar gloves! Every time , no matter how tall the carrot, I go too far and end up slicing fingerprints! Ouch! Get the gloves people!

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