Top Chef in the Media

[mlp]

9 hours ago, tv echo said:

Top Chef Fan Favorite final round voting has started (voting ends June 19) - final two are Dan and Michelle:

I'd like to see Dan win the show and Michelle win Fan Favorite.  I think she really was while she was active.  I have no idea if her being gone for weeks affects people's opinions.

 

[MerBearHou]

I'm now actually fine with any of this final 3 winning -- I like all 3 and neither one totally outshines the other so it's a toss-up for me.  Michelle is FOR SURE my Fan Favorite so fingers crossed there.

[kirklandia]

We have had a few Top Chef All-Stars seasons, perhaps it's time for an All-Time Favorite Fan Favorite contest?

(Voting for Shota😍)

 

[tv echo]

Top Chef Recap: Buddha Lo Recognizes Those Reactions from the Judges: 'Not Good'
By Buddha Lo   June 13, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-13-buddha-lo-recognizes-those-reactions-from-judges-8662717 

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The chefs overall cooked some interesting dishes with what they were given. If I were doing this challenge, I would have cooked my fish and served it with a sauce made from the whey of the gouda cheese. Dan came out on top for the final Quickfire — his first Quickfire win of the season!
*  *  *
As the winner of the previous Elimination Challenge, Savannah got to choose her two fish first — raw salmon and fried striped bass. Savannah had been cooking great ever since the indigenous challenge (episode 9) but the choices she made in this episode almost felt like those made by a completely different chef. What made me more confused is that Savannah works in a restaurant based on tempura so ultimately this challenge should have been in her wheelhouse. Instead, her raw course was a sake-cured salmon futomaki roll, salmon tartare, twice-fried plantain with a creamy ginger dressing, while her fried course was striped bass, pepper kosho and aji Amarillo aioli. 
*  *  *
Overall, the judges were puzzled by the level of food the chefs served in this challenge. I have seen these reactions and facial expressions before and it's not good. This is when the chefs need to show the world why they deserve to be the next Top Chef. Unfortunately, there were a lot of mistakes and uninspired plates.

[Rammchick]

https://www.salon.com/2024/06/11/top-chef-frontrunner-dan-jacobs-on-cooking-with-kennedys-disease--both-on-and-off-the-show/

 

[ZettaK]

13 minutes ago, tv echo said:

Top Chef Recap: Buddha Lo Recognizes Those Reactions from the Judges: 'Not Good'
By Buddha Lo   June 13, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-recap-episode-13-buddha-lo-recognizes-those-reactions-from-judges-8662717 

It's extremely disappointing. At this level of the competition the contestants should present perfect dishes like in the past. Those four didn't- everybody had issues.

[tv echo]

Tom Colicchio, Kristen Kish and all 3 finalists were at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, which took place this weekend (June 14-16)... 

Top Chef Finalists Reveal Their ‘Surprising’ Behind-the-Scenes Moments Before Season 21 Finale (Exclusive)
Chefs Danny Garcia, Dan Jacobs and Savannah Miller spoke to PEOPLE during the 2024 ‘Food & Wine’ Classic in Aspen
By Sabrina Weiss   June 15, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-finalists-bts-food-wine-classic-aspen-8664039 

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For Miller, receiving "tough" feedback on her cooking was one she learned to appreciate. "They were just brutally honest with us and, looking back, I think it was great. It was all constructive, and made me better," she says. "It was really good to confirm that it's as real as it looks on TV."

Jacobs adds: "When we got negative feedback, we then had to flip that around very quickly and put ourselves in a positive place where we tried to have fun, be able to compete at a high level and not let that linger with you. The most surprising to me was how mentally challenging the whole thing was."

Knowing the competition would be fierce, the finalists say they each prepared for their season in their own ways. Garcia recalls doing practice Quickfire challenges in his New York City restaurant, Jacobs searched for the perfect knife bag ("Seriously, I went out shopping for a while," he says) and Miller memorized exactly how many grams went into her "greatest hits" recipes.
*  *  *
"I remember we were told, 'You're leaving in three weeks.' It felt so soon and I was thinking, 'Oh, I need to get my ducks in a row,'" says Garcia, who is along with Jacobs and Miller, cooked for guests at the Food & Wine Classic's opening night party on June 13.
*  *  *
Miller reveals all the contestants keep in touch through a group chat aptly named “21, Can Ya Do Something For Me?" after the Drake and 21 Savage lyric in “Rich Flex.” Garcia says the chat is “very, very, very, very active” and Jacobs says it's “supportive too.”

Much of the group's bonding came while the cameras weren't rolling, while the cast was hanging out on set between challenges or evenings at their Milwaukee residence. They watched all the Saw movies — “We always kept a light on because there is always someone saying, ‘I don’t like scary movies’,” says Garcia — or played Monopoly and practiced magic tricks.

“There were times that we couldn’t talk. But you can only write notes to yourself for so long before you’re like, ‘Okay, here’s a game of hangman,’” Garcia says.

Other Top Chef talent at this Food & Wine Classic included:  Stephanie Izard, Gregory Gourdet, Shota Nakajima, Kwame Onwuachi and Claudette Zapeda.

According to the Food & Wine Classic's schedule: 

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FRIDAY, JUNE 14
*  *  *
... 10:00 am - 11:00 am Fruit Flex: Two Top Chefs Unlock the Savory Magic of Fruit   Shota Nakajima & Stephanie Izard ...
*  *  *
... 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Summer Sizzle: Upgrade Your Grill Game With Spice Rubs, Marinades, and Glazes   Gregory Gourdet ...
*  *  *
... 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Cooking Competition Confessional: Behind The Scenes   Stephanie Izard, Shota Nakajima, Claudette Zepeda  Moderated by Maneet Chauhan ...
*  *  *
SATURDAY, JUNE 15

... 10:00 am - 11:00 am Second Act Snacks: How One Top Chef Reinvents Retro Comfort Foods   Kristen Kish ...
*  *  *
SUNDAY, JUNE 16

... 10:00 am - 11:00 am In The Kitchen with Bravo’s Top Chef   Bravo’s Top Chef Season 21 Cheftestants   Hosted by Kristen Kish ...

Edited June 16 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Tom Colicchio Reveals What The Bear Gets Right (and Wrong!) About Working in a Restaurant (Exclusive)
By Sabrina Weiss  June 15, 2024 
https://people.com/tom-colicchio-the-bear-top-chef-food-wine-classic-aspen-8663987 

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“What they really get right is the tension — especially during service — and they show you how things can go wrong,” says Colicchio, who spoke to PEOPLE on June 14 at the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen.
*  *  *
“The tension that you feel in the kitchen, the nerves, that's all real,” says the Top Chef judge, referring to a volatile scene in season 2 when ticket orders stream into the kitchen faster than the team can handle. "That happens.”
*  *  *
However, the chef says there are a few aspects of the scripted series that “bug” him.

“There's a couple of things that I look at and go, ‘That would never happen,’” says Colicchio, who will reunite with his fellow Gramercy Tavern alumni at a pop-up dinner event at the Food & Wine Classic to celebrate the restaurant's 30th anniversary.

“If you're a chef and you're opening up a restaurant, there is no way you're letting your sous chef write the menu. It's not going to happen! That's the only thing I kind of shake my head at," he says.
*  *  *
“I don't watch any cooking shows, really. I don't watch reality cooking, I don't watch anything on the Food Network,” he says.

When asked whether he watches his own series, he was adamant in his answer. “I certainly don't want to watch myself,” says the chef, who will appear on the season finale of Top Chef on Wednesday, June 19.. “And my kids have no desire to watch it at all.”

Edited June 17 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Top Chef won the Critics Choice Real TV Award for Best Culinary Show...

Critics Choice Real TV Awards 2024: See the Full List of Winners
By Nicholas Rice   June 16, 2024
https://people.com/critics-choice-real-tv-awards-2024-winners-8663479 

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Best Culinary Show
Be My Guest With Ina Garten (Food Network)
The Great British Baking Show (Netflix)
MasterChef Junior (Fox)
Next Level Chef (Fox)
Selena + Restaurant (Food Network)
Top Chef (Bravo) -- WINNER

[BoffoDaWonderSheep]

ML89 above shared a youtube link to Kévin D'Andrea‘s Breaking Baguettes show. It’s fun and worth watching. All five episodes are now also on Peacock. It’s him interviewing current and former Olympians (and they also interview him), then cooking with them. NBC is producing it as part of their Paris Olympics coverage.  Kévin is very affable and has a good rapport with the athletes. I hope he’ll have more hosting duties in the future. 

[pally]

11 hours ago, tv echo said:

Tom Colicchio, Kristen Kish and all 3 finalists were at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, which took place this weekend (June 14-16)... 

Top Chef Finalists Reveal Their ‘Surprising’ Behind-the-Scenes Moments Before Season 21 Finale (Exclusive)
Chefs Danny Garcia, Dan Jacobs and Savannah Miller spoke to PEOPLE during the 2024 ‘Food & Wine’ Classic in Aspen
By Sabrina Weiss   June 15, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-finalists-bts-food-wine-classic-aspen-8664039 

Other Top Chef talent at this Food & Wine Classic included:  Stephanie Izard, Gregory Gourdet, Shota Nakajima, Kwame Onwuachi and Claudette Zapeda.

According to the Food & Wine Classic's schedule: 

I wonder how Danny is doing today.  The chef he has listed in his bio as his mentor, James Kent, died unexpectedly yesterday.  He was only 45 

[caitmcg]

1 hour ago, pally said:

I wonder how Danny is doing today.  The chef he has listed in his bio as his mentor, James Kent, died unexpectedly yesterday.  He was only 45 

Here's a NY Times article/obituary about James Kent (that's a gift link).

[Yeah No]

4 hours ago, caitmcg said:

Here's a NY Times article/obituary about James Kent (that's a gift link).

I hate hearing news like this. 😢 One thing, though - he described his upbringing as "poor", although I find it hard to believe that anyone growing up in Greenwich Village in the '90s who lived in the same building with David Bouley could be anywhere near "poor".

[tv echo]

Tom Colicchio Shares His Thoughts on the Top Chef Lionfish Quickfire, Exclusive Interview
By Cristine Struble | Jun 16, 2024
https://foodsided.com/posts/tom-colicchio-top-chef-lionfish-quickfire-exclusive-interview-01j0gyarx35w 

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... After the Top Chef Season 21 lionfish Quickfire in Curacao, Colicchio spoke exclusively to FoodSided and shared his thoughts on both the chefs’ approach to the challenge and the importance of highlighting that particular invasive fish.
*  *  *
While Tom Colicchio is never afraid to speak the truth about a dish, he said that all four chefs did a good job. As he explained, given the limited 30-minute time frame, raw dishes made sense.  
*  *  *
When asked what he would have made, Colicchio revealed, “I have no idea what I would do. When I first thought of it, I thought about a crispy cheese. Quite frankly, I would have turned the frico into a taco shell for a fish taco.”

While that taco might have been one approach, Colicchio was quite frank in his approach to his feedback and thought process. He said, “who knows what you would do when you are in the moment. That is why I don’t like playing that game.”

Colicchio said, “when I talk to the chefs and give them feedback, it is not about what I would have done. No one cares about what I would have done. That is irrelevant. We are judging what they did not what I would have done.”

Edited June 17 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Kristen Kish Says Padma Lakshmi 'Formed the Pathway' For Her to Be Top Chef Host (Exclusive)
By Sabrina Weiss   June 16, 2024
https://people.com/kristen-kish-padma-lakshmi-top-chef-food-wine-classic-aspen-8664055 

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“I don't know if I would've been the person to step into that role if she hadn't held it for 19 seasons, and I don't take that lightly,” Kish, 40, tells PEOPLE exclusively during the 2024 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. “She formed the pathway and the road, and then it was my job to be me and drive down that road. You have to obviously give credit where credit is due.”
*  *  *
Kish says she knew there would be specific challenges stepping into the hosting job. “The hardest part was people's expectation of missing Padma and this idea that I needed to fill a role," she says. "But once I realized that I don't have to fill a role and I didn't have to be her and I have full permission to be me, that's where I kind of settled into it a little bit more."

Despite her struggles with social anxiety and feeling “a lot of pressure on my shoulders put there by me” while shooting season 21, she loved her time hosting.

“As soon as we got done, I was like, ‘Is it next year yet? Go again,’” she says. “Really, it's just a phenomenal experience, not just professionally but personally.”
*  *  *
“Tom, Gail, and I were friends before, but I think it is different now in a really good way. We have fun on-camera and off-camera,” she says, adding that the “seasoned pros” would travel home during their days off from shooting but she stayed in town.

“Being my first season, I just needed to stay mentally in it. Perhaps next season I'll find a little bit more space, but I actually really like living in one place for two months. I got to be familiar with a lot of different things and create a little mini-home for some time,” she says.
*  *  *
When the season wrapped filming and she returned home to her wife Bianca Dusic in Connecticut, Kish says there was one thing she needed to do. 

“Honestly, I ate broccoli for like three days,” she says with a laugh, explaining that her shooting days were full of decadent meals prepared by the contestants and frozen custards from local Wisconsin spots. “I did not have a raw, untouched vegetable in a long time in Milwaukee.”

Edited June 17 by tv echo

[Ancaster]

 https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/about-top-chef-competitor-dan-jacobs

DanDan - "modern Chinese-American concept infused with Midwestern sensibility"

Because when I'm looking for a place to eat this is what I google.

[tessabq]

15 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I hate hearing news like this. 😢 One thing, though - he described his upbringing as "poor", although I find it hard to believe that anyone growing up in Greenwich Village in the '90s who lived in the same building with David Bouley could be anywhere near "poor".

It's possible, maybe not probable, but possible. It depends on How long his family lived in the building and what part of the Village.

David and Karen Watluck, of Chanterelle, lived on the third floor of a brownstone just off Washington Square. 

Their apartment was beautifully appointed and expensive. I lived in the basement apartment with no natural light and tiles falling off the shower walls.  It was cheap, even by 1990 standards. 

Edited June 17 by tessabq

[Yeah No]

9 hours ago, tessabq said:

It's possible, maybe not probable, but possible. It depends on How long his family lived in the building and what part of the Village.

David and Karen Watluck, of Chanterelle, lived on the third floor of a brownstone just off Washington Square. 

Their apartment was beautifully appointed and expensive. I lived in the basement apartment with no natural light and tiles falling off the shower walls.  It was cheap, even by 1990 standards. 

I had a friend who had a genuine rent controlled apartment in the East '60s from the '80s onward.  She never let go of it until last year (who would?) when she finally got married and moved to Florida.  It somehow never had to convert to rent stabilized like most did so her rent was really cheap.  I also knew a woman that lived in a "teacher's co-op" in lower Manhattan that had cheap rent because she was a government employee.  So I guess anything is possible.  Too bad I never had that kind of luck.  I was born in Manhattan but lived the first half of my life in the Bronx.

[barshi50]

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/food/story/learn-make-chef-frances-tarigas-filipino-okey-recipe-110995605

Chef Frances from Top Chef 13 California was on Good Morning America 3 making Filipino burgers. She has a Filipino restaurant in New York. Glad to see she is doing well.

[tv echo]

Gail Simmons believes Top Chef Cheftestants benefit from this type of challenge, interview
By Cristine Struble | Jun 18, 2024
https://foodsided.com/posts/gail-simmons-believes-top-chef-cheftestants-benefit-from-this-type-of-challenge-interview-01j0p46cq381 

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Since our interview was conducted during the finale episodes tapings, I asked Simmons about the pressure that the cheftestants face and whether that gravity of the moment impacts their dishes.

Simmons said, “there are always moments of high pressure that lead to unfocused dishes and mistakes. It happens throughout the season. It might not always happen in the second to last episode of the season, but it does happen.”
*  *  *
Looking at the Top Chef experience, Simmons believes that structure benefits the cheftestants. Simmons shared, “when we don't give them that much structure, when we say cook whatever you want, that is when they usually trip up.”

Speaking directly about the final four Elimination Challenge, we told them “take great ingredients, cook it this specific way and make it delicious.” She continued to explain that the cheftestants could incorporate specific flavors, seasonings, garnishes, sauces. But, they had to cook it according to a particular method. That directional aspect helps to rein in all the ideas in their head and hopefully makes for a more focused dish.

Looking at that particular challenge, two of the chefs, Dan and Danny, presented dishes that were similar to a previous offering. When asked about when cheftestants repeat ideas, Simmons shared two important aspects. First, guest judges have no frame of reference for previous dish. It is one of the reasons why there are rotating guest judges at Judges Table.

Second, and more importantly, Simmons said, “we are not judging them based on what they made several episodes ago.” That factor is key to her judging approach. While she was well aware that Danny made an impeccable mousse earlier in the season, she was judging based only on the dish plated in that penultimate episode.
*  *  *
While Gail, Tom, and Kristen Kish, have tasted all the Elimination Challenge dishes, Simmons mentioned that the opinions from the guest judges do matter. Specifically, she always asks a simple question that is often very telling, “what did you enjoy.”
*  *  *
As Simmons explained why guest judges are important to the critiques, she said, “they don’t have that insider perspective. They are coming in blind, with no opinions about the chefs or bias. They don’t know what happened yesterday or what is going to happen tomorrow. They have no horse in the game. They are there to eat and judge only what is in front of them.”

Edited June 19 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Apparently Danny left the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen early (before Sunday's panel) due to Kent's death...

Aspen welcomes three “Top Chef” finalists during Food & Wine Classic as show finale looms near
Aspen Public Radio | By Halle Zander   June 18, 2024
https://www.aspenpublicradio.org/arts-culture/2024-06-18/aspen-welcomes-three-top-chef-finalists-during-food-wine-classic-as-show-finale-looms-near 

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Winning a featured spot at the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen is a right typically reserved for the sole winner of the global reality cooking show “Top Chef.”

However, this year, “Top Chef” executives invited all three final contestants, Savannah Miller, Dan Jacobs, and Danny Garcia, since the finale is set to air on June 19, a few days after the Food & Wine Classic ended, and they have to keep the winner a secret until then.

Once the quickfire at the St. Regis began, the finalists were cooking while they answered questions from the crowd, which didn’t phase Chef Jacobs.

“I’m not shy,” Jacobs said. “I'm pretty outgoing and I like being in front of a crowd.”

Jacobs answered almost every question and started to fall behind while the clock was running low, and audience members had to tell him to ignore their questions.

Miller wasn’t paying as much attention as she focused on cooking.

At 27 years old, she said it took her a while to get comfortable in the competition.

“I kind of came in having those underdog feelings, and then realizing kind of halfway through that if I wanted to make it as far as I can, then I needed to start cooking like I wasn't afraid,” Miller said.

Missing from the kitchen Sunday was the third contestant, Danny Garcia, who got news over the weekend that his longtime friend and cooking mentor Jamal James Kent, died unexpectedly in New York.
*  *  *
“I'm close with Danny,” Jacobs said. “And it was so sudden, and I just feel for him, his family, the whole team. … And I know what Danny is going through, because he's basically James' number two. So he's going to have to go home and he's going to have to be that rock for everybody.”
*  *  *
When the timer ran out at the St. Regis, a member of the audience was pulled from the crowd to judge Miller’s and Jacobs’ dishes, along with previous “Top Chef” contestant Shota Nakajima, and she selected Miller’s red snapper as the winner.
*  *  *
“The big barrier to entry in being a chef or owning a restaurant is funding,” Colicchio said. “It's always been really, really difficult to get funding if you're a minority, if you're a woman. … And when you're on ‘Top Chef’, [and] you go pretty far along, it's easier to get funding.”

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“Top Chef” Host Kristen Kish (right) talks to a crowd of hundreds during a cooking competition at the St. Regis in Aspen on June 16, 2024. The show’s three finalists attended the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen ahead of the finale on June 19.

Edited June 19 by tv echo

[tv echo]

'Top Chef' judges dish on the Midwest, Chicago restaurants and much more
Tom, Kristen and Gail spill the tea on their Wisconsin adventures this season.
Written by Jeffy Mai   June 18 2024
https://www.timeout.com/chicago/news/top-chef-judges-dish-on-the-midwest-chicago-restaurants-and-much-more-061924 

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On the fervor of Wisconsin fans this season:
TC: “People have been respectful and they’re excited. Even if I’m going to the airport, they see you, ‘Oh, thanks for coming. I really appreciate it.’ So there was enthusiasm; it’s great because it’s much easier—we shot in London last year and it was no enthusiasm. And it was so hard to do everything.”
*  *  *
On how Kish’s experience as a contestant helped her as a host:
KK: “I think I can come at it with a real sense of empathy. But then again, every person that comes to compete on Top Chef has a different experience. Not one person has the same experience as the chef competing against them. So as much as I can understand what they’re going through, I will never understand what they are going through.” 
*  *  *
On what still surprises after 20+ seasons:
GS: “You never see the same thing twice because not only are they different people who cook differently and come to the show with their own experiences, talents, beliefs and passions, but they are informed by the challenge we give them, which is so unique in itself. So every day we eat something totally new and try things we’ve never tried. Flavor combinations, ideas, ingredients—some work, some don't. But it's always new and I'm always learning. And yeah, they surprise me with their talents, their positivity, their ambition.”

Edited June 19 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Michelle won Top Chef Fan Favorite! ...

https://www.bravotv.com/top-chef/fan-favorite 

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Congratulations to this year’s winner, Michelle Wallace!

Michelle will receive $10K furnished by Finish® Dishwashing Detergent & Additives. Thanks for voting!

Edited June 20 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Top Chef Season 21 finalists preferred these types of challenges, interview
By Cristine Struble | Jun 19, 2024
https://foodsided.com/posts/top-chef-season-21-finalists-preferred-challenges-interview-01j0s3bpt54f 

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... They all agreed, structured challenges were their preference.

Dan said, “I think that my brain would have melted if I heard Tom tell me in Last Chance Kitchen, cook me a great plate of food. I think that it would have been tough. Just having that little bit of structure gives you a leg up and gets our brain started in the right direction.”

Savannah concurred saying, “by saying exactly what the structure is and the parameters, I can then figure out how to make it my own and make it unique. If you were to tell me cook a really good plate of food, I think that it gets hard because where do you begin?”

Danny thought about the various forms of the challenges and his overall approach. He said, “when you don’t have structure, it open the floodgates and it is a little harder to narrow down the decision. When there is structure, you are able to see the parameter and stick with it.”
*   *   *
During the penultimate episode, the judges had concern about cheftestants repeating a dish or serving a dish similar to one that they prepared earlier in the season. When asked about that concept, Danny was candid with his thoughts.

Danny said, “it is about cooking the best food in the moment and getting into the next challenge. It is not a cumulative based competition. Obviously, you are not going to make the same dish every single time, but you can use similar techniques or the same techniques with a twist. That was something that I was ok doing.”
*  *  *
As Dan described, “I think that we all had struggled cooking in the galley. It was like working in a food truck while it’s driving. It is not easy at all.” From using just induction cooking to dealing with rough seas, the environment was another hurdle to overcome.

'Top Chef: Wisconsin' Finalists Dan Jacobs, Danny Garcia, and Savannah Miller Recap Their Highs and Lows
MIKE BLOOM   JUNE 19, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/top-chef-21-wisconsin-finalists-dan-jacobs-danny-garcia-savannah-miller-interview 

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Dan, you've said that you applied to Top Chef a number of times before getting on. What was the process that led you onto this season?
Dan Jacobs: It's funny, because I tried really hard on my own for a bit. And then I stopped. And then every year, I felt, somebody would reach out and be like, "Hey, do you want to try and do this again?" And be like, "Sure, sure, sure." I've gotten pretty far a couple of times in the in the journey leading up to getting on the show. And this was kind of like the last one. Me and my wife Kate had talked about it. This is going to be the last big try. And if it didn't go through, it didn't go through. We're just going to leave it up to fade a little bit. But everything seemed to work out. And then I remember, right before they told me for sure that I was going to be on the show, they announced it was going to be in Wisconsin. And I remember feeling like, "Oh, man, maybe this is just kismet. Mmaybe this is the moment here. It just felt right." I feel like I've been on their radar for a long time, and it's just finally kind of worked out.

Danny and Savannah, what are your application stories for Top Chef?
Danny Garcia: This was my first time applying. Being a chef in a restaurant, kind of taking time to step out and for long periods of time is typically challenging and hard for chefs to do. And just with kind of being in between of of opening the new restaurant, the timing just worked out perfectly for us.

Savannah Miller: I was reached ou via social media. And I think at first it was just very much like, "Ah, what a terrible joke this person is playing on me!" [Laughs.] Because this would be so cool. And I quickly realized that it wasn't. But it was very casual. And, I mean, the process obviously was the same for everybody. But I think for me, I had a lot of feelings of, like, "Man, I wish I could just have a little bit more time before I go and do something like this, because I feel like I could benefit from it." But you just never know if opportunity is going to knock at your door like that again. And so I decided there's no better time than the present.
*  *  *
I want to talk about some relationships you all had on the season. Savannah, Michelle said at one point that you were each other's closest people on the show. Talk to me about that.
Savannah: I think Michelle and I, we kind of bonded early on. I think there was just a moment when there was still a large group of us, and everyone was chatting and buzzing with energy. And I was just having a day where I was like, "I don't really want to talk to anybody right now." We'd been on camera all day, and I was being more quiet. And so was sh. And we immediately locked eyes. And it was like, "I feel like we have a lot in common." And then from there, we spent a lot of time talking about our families. We're both really close to our dads, and so we just had a lot of stuff that felt in common. And then, through the course of the competition, she was just such a strong person to lean on. She is so positive. Even in the bad moments, she's someone who's like, "Look at what we're doing right now. This is so cool." And so, for me, being around positive people was really helpful. I definitely was like, "She's a magnet. I just wanted to be around her."

Danny, you and Rasika formed the "Top Chef 21 Run Club." Talk me through how your relationship grew from morning runs to running through the competition in that Frank Lloyd Wright challenge.
Danny: Yeah, I mean, Rasika was a homie. We were just able to connect on a lot of different bases. Her and I got along really well. She's Indian; my wife is Punjabi. And so there was a lot of things that she would talk about that I was able to connect with  from my family. And so we were able to have that connection, as well as just being able to run. It was just something that she found comfort in doing, and it's something that I love doing. So we were able to kind of put the two together and just go, chop it up and go for some fun runs.

Dan, we saw the tight and unique relationship you built with Amanda. What's your perspective on your dynamic?
Dan: I mean, me and Amanda, it just clicked. But it wasn't just Amanda. I mean, I feel like we all got along really, really well. Especially Savannah and Danny. I mean, these are people I'm gonna be friends with forever. The three of us never will hear the words, "Pack your knives and go." We were together throughout this whole thing. And I think the three of us grew real close. I love Danny like a brother. I love Savannah like a sister. And not just that. We have a very active group chat, and I think we all really get along. It was really a beautiful experience. I came out of this with 13, 14 of the closest people I'm gonna have my while life, the people that I'll share major life events with. And I think that's really, really cool.

'Top Chef: Wisconsin's Laura Ozyilmaz Reveals She Wanted to Go Home After Her First Elimination
The standout chef also clarifies the money situation that led to drama with her fellow "cheftestants."
MIKE BLOOM   JUNE 19, 2024
https://parade.com/tv/top-chef-wisconsin-21-laura-ozyilmaz-interview 

Quote

We got some comments from fans throughout this season about how you were someone who was both hyper-competitive and in their own world while cooking. Do you think there is any truth to that?
I am definitely a hard-working woman, but I wouldn’t say I am hyper-competitive. I was drawn to the show because food is my passion. I love everything about it, from selecting ingredients to developing new dishes with my team to connecting with guests at my restaurant. That dedication has also given me opportunities to support others who are passionate about this work, and that has been one of the best parts of being a restaurant owner and a chef.

As far as being in my own world, as chefs, we are always trying to find balance between being attuned to our environment and letting distractions fade into the background. As I’m sure you can imagine, that becomes even more challenging in the context of a competition show–I can’t say I’ve ever had multiple cameras following me while cooking in my own restaurant!

Let's talk about the Supper Club challenge, as there were some disagreements within the team on how the money was spent and Danny wasn’t able to get all his ingredients, causing him to walk out in frustration. Talk me through how everything happened there. Would you have done anything differently in hindsight?
We all know how intense it is in the kitchen during a challenge, but even grocery shopping is high pressure on Top Chef. You’re running around a store that isn’t familiar to you, trying to grab everything that you and your team need, and you’ve got a bunch of numbers flying around in your head–both the countdown and the budget. Manny, Charlie, and Amanda checked out first because they had to buy the proteins. I went fourth and Danny went last. Things were happening so fast, and when I looked up and realized that there was so little money left, I started removing ingredients in hopes that the budget would become more balanced. Of course, I never had the intention of spending too much money.
*  *  *
It seemed you had issues undercooking your grouper dish, and Tom even said you had "baked" your fish more than roasted it. Did that surprise you at all?
Yes, I was a little surprised because I thought my fish was overcooked. The kitchen space was extremely limited, and I worked with the resources that I had available at the time. In an ideal scenario, I would have definitely cooked my fish differently.

Edited June 20 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Top Chef Winner Speaks Out After Nail-Biter Finale: 'There Were Mistakes but... I Was Able to Pivot' (Exclusive)
By Sabrina Weiss  June 19, 2024 
https://people.com/top-chef-season-21-winner-speaks-out-food-and-wine-classic-aspen-exclusive-8665636 

Quote

Garcia took inspiration from his Dominican and Puerto Rican family when serving a scallop and habanero leche de tigre, smoked mussels with plantains and cabbage, spiny lobster with salsa matcha and squash and his version of a “piragua con leche” with melon sorbet and avocado yogurt for dessert.

His dishes were praised, but not without some hiccups. “I was proud of the food that I put up and I was happy with the way things were turning out,” Garcia told PEOPLE during the 2024 Food & Wine Classic in Aspen. He admitted that he didn’t think he had “hit a home run. There were mistakes, but I think I was able to pivot.”
*  *  *
Simplicity was one of Garcia’s biggest takeaways from the show, he said. “The way I was able to cook food on the show is you put five ingredients on the plate and take off two and be okay with that plate being good with three ingredients or even less. I want to cook food where I just can showcase the fish and you don't need to put all of the frilly bullshit on top of it to make it delicious because it's delicious as it is.”
*  *  *
“For me, it's not just like, ‘Okay, cool. I want to jump into Season 22 of Top Chef or I want to go on Beat Bobby Flay,’” he said. “But I'm not going to be the chef that nestles into my restaurant and you don't see and hear from me. I think working with other chefs and the community is important.”

‘Top Chef’ Season 21 Winner Reveals How They’ll Spend $303,000 Prize, Behind-the-Scenes Secrets (Exclusive)
By Justin Ravitz    June 19, 2024
https://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/top-chef-season-21-winner-reveals-how-they-will-spend-303000-prize/ 

Quote

As the New Yorker did throughout the season, Garcia impressed judges Tom Colicchio, Gail Simmons and brand-new host Kristen Kish with an elegant, inventive quartet of dishes that included a sublime breadfruit tuile, smoked mussels, lobster and more “significant food memories” as he put it. Garcia won the show’s grand prize of $250,000 plus an additional $53,000 scored in weekly challenges — the most any Top Chef contestant has won in the history of the show.
*  *  *
Us: Congratulations! Have you spent your prize money yet? If not, what’ll you do with it?

Danny Garcia: I definitely haven’t spent it. I don’t spend my money until I get my money [laughs]. But my wife and I are looking to find our first home, plant our roots more than we already have here in New York, and start the next journey of our lives. We’re gonna stay in Brooklyn, that’s home for us.
*  *  *
Us: You noted that you are the first Puerto Rican-Dominican Muslim Top Chef winner. Tell me more about what that means to you.

Garcia: There’s a lot of people that look like me in this industry, that are just as good as me, if not better, and cook amazing food. And they don’t get the recognition, you know? It’s just about representation and being able to be someone that people can look at and think, ‘Wow I can see myself in that guy,’ or ‘If that guy can do it, then I can do it.’ And it’s about being a light for someone else, and to let the next generation, the young kid who’s aspiring to be something — let them know that the sky’s the limit.

Us: You said in the finale that you have a restaurant opening soon. What’s the update on that? 

Garcia: Time and Time is the name of the restaurant. We’re opening in the fall. It’s going to be seafood-focused. The idea is I don’t wanna take myself too seriously with food. We’re looking at it through a lens of what does a steakhouse look like as a seafood restaurant? There’s gonna be a lot of large format things and fun embellishments on the sides, if you will. When you’re at the beach, it’s all seafood. It’s all shellfish.

It’s really about the preparations being simple, pairing the food back, letting the seafood be the star of the show, breaking it down properly, cooking it properly, not putting so much s–t  on a plate. A lot of chefs get lost in the idea of ‘my vegetables have to be from the farmer’s market and this and that.’ And then they buy farm-raised fish that are nasty.  You don’t have enough chefs that give that same honor and homage to proteins as they do as their vegetables. I want my fish to be sustainably caught.
*  *  *
Us: What would surprise Top Chef  fans about what we don’t see on camera? 

Garcia: People watch the show and have their interpretation of what a chef is and what a chef does. They live and breathe food, which they do. But on the show, when we weren’t cooking, we wanted nothing to do with food! In the sense of, we wanted cheeseburgers and french fries, and we wanted to play Monopoly Go and shoot the s–t and learn about each other’s families and learn about, like, the likes and dislikes of each other. When we were off, we were off. I wanted to relax. I wanted to keep my feet up and shoot the breeze with Dan and Savannah and everyone around and have as much downtime as we could.

Us: Who do you still keep in touch with from the show?

Garcia: Everybody! We have a pretty active group chat that doesn’t stop all day. And then there’s a couple of subgroup chats. Dan, Manny, Kevin and I are alway going back and forth on some ridiculous nonsense. Everyone has a really good rapport. Everyone is always communicating and talking. A couple weeks ago, my cousin gave birth in Austin. And Michelle made them food, made them a gift basket, brought it over to them, and she ended up hanging out with them for two hours and shooting the breeze. She’s never met them ever in her life, but it’s like an extended family we’ve created.
*  *  *
Us: Your fellow finalist Dan was incredibly honest and open about his struggle with Kennedy’s Disease, a rare, degenerative neuromuscular disorder. How is he doing?

Garcia: Dan’s doing great. He’s strong. People look at him and have pity on him. But  he’s the strongest motherf—er out there. He doesn’t let it debilitate him. Sure, he struggles and it very much affects his life. But he perseveres, he pushes through it. He doesn’t let that dictate and control his life, which I have an incredible amount of respect for. He’s the biggest advocate for his disease. He and I are doing a dinner together in August, a collab dinner. He’s been doing a ton of collab dinners; homie’s keeping busy! He’s not slowing down.

‘Top Chef’ Season 21 Winner on Looking ‘Ridiculous’ and Their Plans for the Prize Money
By Alison Herman   June 19, 2024
https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/top-chef-winner-danny-garcia-season-21-1236041853/ 

Quote

Back home, Garcia works with Saga Hospitality Group, which currently operates two restaurants and a bar inside the skyscraper at 70 Pine Street in Manhattan’s Financial District. Sadly, news broke over the weekend that Saga’s founding partner, chef Jamal “James” Kent, had died of a heart attack at age 45. Garcia remains committed to opening Saga’s next restaurant this fall as executive chef. “We’re going to continue his legacy,” he says.
*  *  *
Does watching give you new perspective?

No, it’s just giving me cringe moments of listening to the ridiculous shit that I say on TV. Everyone gets a good laugh at the ridiculousness of me constantly running around and goofing on each other. But it’s fun.
*  *  *
I know you’re currently in the process of opening a restaurant. What phase of that are you in currently?

We are opening a new restaurant, Time and Tide, later this fall. With the passing of Jamal, we are taking a brief pause to collect ourselves and grieve properly, and just be here for each other. But we are going to continue his legacy. We’re going to continue building what we were building. We’re going to take Saga Hospitality to all the places that he wanted to take it, and beyond. The expectation is that we open in the fall. The expectation was that this restaurant was going to be this amazing seafood restaurant. And that’s the goal, to keep pushing towards that. Just keep doing all the things that we had planned, bigger and better.

Do you have any specific plans for how you want to use the prize money? 

$250,000, I guess $300,000 if you add everything in — it’s a lot of cash. My wife and I are looking to buy our first home. This is something I consistently said on the season, and that we’re still looking at doing: setting ourselves up for our future and finding our first home and establishing this next part of our journey.

Edited June 20 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Top Chef: Wisconsin Finale Recap: Yes, Chef
By Roxana Hadadi  June 19, 2024
https://www.vulture.com/article/top-chef-wisconsin-recap-episode-14-cruising-to-a-win.html 

Quote

Going into “Cruising to a Win,” it felt like any of the three Top Chef: Wisconsin finalists had an equal chance at pulling away. This season has been up and down in a lot of ways (Kristen’s effectiveness as a host, the vagueness of certain challenges, the seeming conspiracy to get Soo from Last Chance Kitchen onto Top Chef proper), but Danny, Dan, and Savannah have each had little paths of glory. Danny was the clear and early favorite thanks to his creativity and fine-dining experience. Dan had the overcoming-obstacles narrative as the chef who tried out for the series 11 times, and was one of the judges’ favorites often enough that he proved his Kennedy’s disease diagnosis wouldn’t hold him back. Savannah went on a late-season tear, winning challenge after challenge and taking risks that revealed her growing confidence. Each seemed potentially worthy… until Danny pulled out the shell-shaped cookie mold, started punching little flowers out of his produce, and served one of his sauces in a conch. Those are Buddha Lo moves, and they are catnip for Top Chef judges.

[tv echo]

‘Top Chef’ Host Kristen Kish Breaks Down Her First Season Finale
Matt Wilstein Senior Editor   Jun. 19, 2024 
https://www.thedailybeast.com/top-chef-host-kristen-kish-breaks-down-her-first-season-finale 

Quote

With that in mind, for the most part it seems pretty close between these three chefs in the end. Can you give us a little bit of insight into what the final deliberation was like? Because I remember talking to Gail Simmons about discussions that went all night and into the next morning.

Obviously, this is my first time sitting on that side of the table being part of it, but I didn’t find it to be long or drawn out. We were all unanimously in agreement on our winner. I don’t remember having any major points of contention, or disagreements, or different points of views of who we thought was better or not. Ultimately, at the end of the day, Danny just out-cooked his competitors, and he did so in such a way that told a story and technique and balance and a true progression of a beautiful, beautiful meal. That’s not to say there aren’t high points and low points, we’re very honest. You know, Savannah’s pasta dish was technically flawed.
*  *  *
One moment that felt very you was when you joked about unbuttoning your pants before sitting down for the finale meal.

Listen, if it were up to me I would have been in stretchy sweatpants for that finale meal. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be in some stretchy pants eating that much food?
*  *  *
At the very end of the episode of the finale, we get one more sort of emotional moment from you, thanking everybody and just expressing how much this is meant to you. How are you feeling now that this first season is officially behind you?

First of all, I didn’t know that little thing that I was saying was being taped. I should always know, cameras are always rolling. I wanted to say something, it was my first season. That was a moment that I felt an immense amount of gratitude for the kindness and the open embrace. A lot of those chefs started signing on and applying for that season thinking that it was as it has always been. Naturally, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself, like, “God, I hope I don’t disappoint them.” I was just overwhelmed with the amount of support and gratitude, and like I said on the show, to have my first season with those chefs is the only first time that I will have, and that is really special.

Edited June 20 by tv echo

[eelpout]

any more insight into what happened with chef David Murphy and Last Chance Kitchen now that the season is over?

[tv echo]

Outraged over who won 'Top Chef: Wisconsin'? Judge Tom Colicchio gets it, blames editing
Rachel Bernhard   June 20, 2024
https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/dining/2024/06/20/think-wrong-chef-who-won-top-chef-wisconsin-judge-tom-colicchio-blames-bad-editing/74160925007/ 

Quote

The consensus — and not just in Wisconsin — was that the show’s edit made it look as though Milwaukee chef Dan Jacobs was the clear winner.
*  *  *
Garcia ended the season with the most overall wins, the most prize money of any “Top Chef” contestant over 21 seasons ($303,000), and having regularly served dishes that pushed the boundaries of creativity and technicality. While we would’ve loved to see Jacobs bring the title home to Milwaukee, Garcia is a worthy “Top Chef” champion — and Colicchio isn’t losing any sleep over the judges’ decision.

[tv echo]

Rest of this interview is also interesting....

'Group Chat': Local chefs breakdown what 'Top Chef: Wisconsin' got right and wrong
WUWM 89.7 FM | By Jimmy Gutierrez   June 20, 2024
https://www.wuwm.com/2024-06-20/group-chat-local-chefs-breakdown-what-top-chef-wisconsin-got-right-and-wrong 

Quote

Today’s guests are Greg León, chef and owner of Amilinda; Luke Zahm, chef and owner of The Driftless Cafe; and Francesca Hong, co-founder and chef of the now-closed Morris Ramen and state assembly representative.
*  *  *
Greg León: I do feel like they did go for the low-hanging fruit when they were trying to show what comes from Wisconsin. So it's like cranberries, beer, sausages, cheese curds.
*  *  *
Hong: I was thinking about how one of the biggest winners of this show is actually High Life. Maybe some folks would argue it's Whole Foods and BMW, but I actually noticed that too, that so much of the taping of the chef's — prior to judgment and verdict — was around drinking. I think especially since 2020, there has been way more conversation around wellness in the industry. And to me, it was kind of disappointing that once again we're really perpetuating this notion of, go hard and play hard. And everybody drinks after your shift. I think there's a lot more of us in the industry thinking very differently about how addiction is prevalent.

I haven't watched Top Chef in a while, but there was way more storytelling of individual contestants and I was surprised at how diverse the cast was compared to previous years. But I was also nervous because sometimes when that happens a lot of the stories were actually about people's vulnerabilities and insecurities of wondering, should I really be here? And then you take away from this usual reality show frame like Survivor and there's always a villain and there's always an antagonist, and there's always someone that you kind of want to root for.

León: There was no villain in this one, everyone was actually very nice.

Hong: Then my fear is that, OK we don't have that in the cast, is it gonna be lower viewership and then people are going to go straight to well, this is what happens when you focus on diversity and inclusion.

León: I was part of the Facebook Top Chef Wisconsin [group] and actually got kicked off and banned from the group. Because I would go on there every, you know, after the episode just to see what people were saying, and they were just trashing the show. And they were saying it wasn't as exciting as before, that the people were boring, that there was no drama. And they were talking smack about Wisconsin. And I went then one day and was like, why are you guys talking all this garbage about Wisconsin and the contestants? I'd like to see some of you on there.

That's the only cooking competition show that I watch because I feel like it doesn't have a lot of drama. And it's more about the food. You get to know the contestant and a little bit about their background. Like episode two, when Dan [Jacobs] is telling the rest of the cast that he has Kennedy's disease.

Edited June 21 by tv echo

[tv echo]

Top Chef: Buddha Lo’s Final Recap Reveals Why the Finale Is ‘One of the Easier Challenges’
By Buddha Lo   June 20, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-buddha-lo-final-recap-reveals-why-finale-is-one-of-easier-challenges-exclusive-8666644 

Quote

Ironically, the finale to me is one of the easier challenges of Top Chef. Here’s why: The finale challenge allows the chefs to prepare and organize ahead of time. Here’s some inside scoop on how the finale works. A couple of weeks prior, each chef can choose up to five ingredients (up to $500 worth) and the Top Chef culinary producers will source them from literally any part of the world. This was how Gabri Rodriguez was able to get grasshoppers in Paris last season!
*  *  *
I believe that although the judges said Danny's first dish needed some salt, they also said it was close to perfect, and that is a critique that is hard to beat, so the first course went to Danny. The second course was very close, but I would say that Dan won the second course, with Danny coming in very close. In my opinion, Savannah's pasta course pretty much took her out of the running. Overcooked lobster and undercooked pasta is a dish that you don't want to be serving to the judges when they expect perfection. All you can do is pray that both chefs have a disaster in their other courses, but that wasn’t the case. 

The third course was close, and I would say that Dan and Danny tied on this course. Although Danny’s dish was beautiful and tasted amazing, a few of the judges questioned the cooking on the lobster, whereas Dan went for more of a simple and safe approach, which also earned him some praise. Savannah’s third course took her out of the running to be Top Chef. Tom called her mofongo “mofong-no.” She made it to the finale, which is an amazing feat in itself. 

The fourth course went to Danny all around. The judges loved this dish, and Tom could not stop talking about it. Dan and Savannah produced desserts that the judges enjoyed, but not to the level Danny produced. It ticked all the boxes.

Edited June 21 by tv echo

[caitmcg]

https://www.salon.com/2024/06/21/top-chef-finale-does-a-disservice-to-its-incredibly-talented-and-deserving-winner/

Quote

What a peculiar ending to one of my favorite "Top Chef" seasons in a while (I joked with my brother that the subtitle for the season could've been "a preponderance of aguachile"); I'd argue that the way the judges' feedback was shown and edited in this finale felt like it was building to a Dan win, while the season editing at large seemed to favor Danny initially, and then Savannah in the back half. Not that he didn't deserve it, but the way that the episode was shaped didn't lend itself to a Danny win, quite frankly. As a result, the momentous "you are 'Top Chef'"! moment from host Kristen Kish — her first time delivering the line! — almost rang a bit hollow, unfortunately....

I think after two back-to-back Buddha-led seasons, in which he was ostensibly the clear frontrunner for two years straight, this season may have sort of thrown the editors for a loop. I remember after "Top Chef: Texas," when Colicchio said that eventual winner Paul Qui was so far ahead of everyone else that both production and the judges' kind of had to tamper his amazing showing down in order to make the show feel competitive, but I don't think that was the case here Danny wasn't leagues and leagues ahead of Dan and Savannah, which further complicates and confuses all the more, unfortunately muddying what should be a celebratory, jovial winning moment. 

There's a difference between misdirection and outright misleading edits. It's never appealing to be fooled, if you will. To be honest, it felt like a bit of a bait-and-switch between Dan and Danny, actually. And for me, who rooted more for Savannah than I have for any cheftestant on this show in a very long while, I was doubly disappointed because she had so clearly come in third place. 

 

[marybennet]

The latest episode of The Watch podcast includes an interview with Gail Simmons, who said Danny’s was unquestionably the best meal, that his dessert was the best dish of the night, and that the editing exaggerated their quibbles about his dishes while missing things they didn’t like about Dan’s food. 

[caitmcg]

2 hours ago, marybennet said:

The latest episode of The Watch podcast includes an interview with Gail Simmons, who said Danny’s was unquestionably the best meal, that his dessert was the best dish of the night, and that the editing exaggerated their quibbles about his dishes while missing things they didn’t like about Dan’s food. 

Thanks for the reference, that was definitely an interesting listen. Here's a link to the episode.

I want to note that Gail maybe also offered the last word on the David Murphy LCK situation. She said that the way they conducted the cook-off between the three bottom contestants in the first episode was essentially putting them through a LCK scenario, so David having lost that, they didn't think they needed him to do it again. In other words, it sounds like his Instagram comment that he "wasn't allowed to compete" was perhaps more accurate than Tom's tweet that he opted out, if that's the whole true story.

[susannot]

On 6/21/2024 at 8:16 AM, tv echo said:

Top Chef: Buddha Lo’s Final Recap Reveals Why the Finale Is ‘One of the Easier Challenges’
By Buddha Lo   June 20, 2024
https://people.com/top-chef-buddha-lo-final-recap-reveals-why-finale-is-one-of-easier-challenges-exclusive-8666644 

Buddha's commentary throughout has been stellar.  I really hope People mag keeps bringing him back as a recapper.  In between his other gigs as an award winning chef and restaurant owner and a new Dad of adorable twins.

[ZettaK]

It was obviously misleading editing. I understand the producers wanted to create (non existing) drama, but this was a little too much.

Edited June 23 by ZettaK

[Yeah No]

3 hours ago, ZettaK said:

It was obviously misleading editing. I understand the producers wanted to create (non existing) drama, but this was a little too much.

It was misleading. I think they realized from the feedback that the editing made Buddha's wins obvious so they erred in the opposite direction this time and tried too hard to make Danny's win less obvious by giving someone else (Dan) the "winner's edit". And that was just as dumb. They should know better than that. There has to be a way to edit these things so as not to make it look like one person is the clear frontrunner. We've had seasons like that before so it's not impossible.

[susannot]

I don't think editing made Buddha's wins obvious.  I think he was such a brilliant chef that his win (his wins) was impossible to disguise by any amount of editing.

[Yeah No]

6 hours ago, susannot said:

I don't think editing made Buddha's wins obvious.  I think he was such a brilliant chef that his win (his wins) was impossible to disguise by any amount of editing.

Oh from what I hear it's amazing how they can mislead the audience and up or downplay someone with the editing if they want to, and they have before. The story about Paul Qui is often repeated here - that it was hard for them to disguise him as the frontrunner because he was so clearly on a level above his competition. But somehow they did it as I recall. I don't think most people saw his win as a sure bet, while I know a lot of people posted here (including myself) that it looked like Buddha was the clear winner. The "magical elves" could have downplayed that if they wanted to but they didn't.

Edited June 24 by Yeah No

[tv echo]

The 'Top Chef' effect is a 'game-changer' for local businesses
By Lindsay Christians   June 24, 2024
https://captimes.com/food-drink/the-top-chef-effect-is-a-game-changer-for-local-businesses/article_50839f1a-3006-11ef-9af6-cf5f5f16817b.html 

[AriAu]

Per social media....and a badly acted Insta post, next Stop is Canada.

 

[Irlandesa]

3 minutes ago, AriAu said:

Per social media....and a badly acted Insta post, next Stop is Canada.

 

Did they offer anything more specific?  Because Canada is kind of big.  I imagine the food scene in Montreal is a bit different than Vancouver. 

[CrazyInAlabama]

https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/top-chef-season-22-canada-1236048169/

Just says Canada.  

[AriAu]

Quote

Did they offer anything more specific?  Because Canada is kind of big.  I imagine the food scene in Montreal is a bit different than Vancouver. 

Gail announced it from Toronto, and said her parents were getting the guest rooms ready! However, I am sure that they got more $$$$$ from the Canadian tourism folks than they would have gotten from any particular city or even province.....and after all it is all about the coin.

[The Solution]

6 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

Did they offer anything more specific?  Because Canada is kind of big.  I imagine the food scene in Montreal is a bit different than Vancouver. 

Yeah, Montreal actually has edible food.

 

[hula-la]

I would love if they travelled around the country (giving side eye to Top Chef Canada, who only films in Toronto). There is so much that this country has to offer, culinarily. 

[tv echo]

I can't imagine the Top Chef Canada producers are happy...

Top Chef is going to Canada, which already has Top Chef Canada
Andy Dehnart   Jun. 26, 2024
https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2024/06/top-chef-canada-season-22-announcement/ 

Quote

The Bravo show’s trip up north is slightly awkward because there is already a Top Chef Canada, which aired 10 seasons between 2011 and 2022, and season 11 is on the way.

However, Top Chef Canada has stayed put in Toronto, except for season 10’s finale, which went to the Cayman Islands.
*  *  *
What we don’t know at this point is, well, a lot:

1. if the Bravo show will also be based in Toronto, like Top Chef Canada
2. if it’ll move around Canada, like Top Chef Texas or Top Chef California
3. if it will actually be called Top Chef Canada, or take on a city’s name, e.g. Top Chef Toronto or Top Chef Montreal

Gail says just “season 22: destination Canada,” after revealing she’s in Toronto, which may or may not be clues.

Edited June 27 by tv echo

[tv echo]

The problem with Top Chef’s finale is a major problem with all reality TV
Andy Dehnart   Jun. 24, 2024
https://www.realityblurred.com/realitytv/2024/06/top-chef-wisconsin-editing-reality-tv-problem/ 

Quote

Top Chef Wisconsin’s judges have helped us understand what happened. Gail Simmons—who actually ate the finalists’ dishes, and reminds us that the decision is based on that one meal alone—said on The Ringer’s The Watch podcast that there was no question Danny won.

“Danny’s meal was far more sophisticated, far more nuanced, more finessed,” she said. “I’m not saying he won by a landslide, but he won fair and square. And that took a lot of thought from all four of us, and we feel strongly about it.”
*  *  *
The disconnect between their experience and the edited version presented to viewers was the problem, and Gail gave a detailed explanation:

Quote

There is a lot of editing. And there needs to be, because we have so many hours of television. We have eight cameras over the course of three full days for that one episode. […]

We don’t want to make it obvious, and our post-production team does a really good job of this, because it would be really boring if it was the other way, right?

If it was obvious that it was Danny the whole time. Dan cooked some amazing stuff, and he did cook consistently. But they cut out a lot of our criticisms of Dan, because they don’t want to make it obvious.
And I think what they do sometimes is bump up our criticism of the winner, because they don’t want to make it obvious.

What ends up happening is it sort of swings the other way, so the audience is going with that edit, and they only have us to trust as their taste buds. And what comes out sometimes is that it feels like the other person should have won.

Tom called me at 10 o’clock this morning with that same comment: Maybe they over-edited it. They swung it too far in the other direction in an effort to throw everyone off the scent.

Edited June 27 by tv echo

[seacliffsal]

Wow, they are sure trying to justify the winner and laying blame on editing (with which I agree), but, as executive producers, one would think that they would actually have some say or influence over the 'product' they are, you know, producing.

Don't blame the audience for disagreeing with the outcome when all we can base our opinions on is the show that we are watching. 

 

[caitmcg]

2 minutes ago, seacliffsal said:

Wow, they are sure trying to justify the winner and laying blame on editing (with which I agree), but, as executive producers, one would think that they would actually have some say or influence over the 'product' they are, you know, producing.

Don't blame the audience for disagreeing with the outcome when all we can base our opinions on is the show that we are watching. 

 

I don't think they're that involved in the hands-on production (or post-production editing) side of things. Executive producer credit on TV shows is usually more about money than the actual production, as in, with that credit they're getting more of the profit. I'm sure they sit with the production team to discuss the direction of the season overall, etc., but I doubt they're consulted regarding the edits and what makes to air for each episode.