S15.E08: Restaurant Wars

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

The chefs must create two new restaurant concepts from design to dishes in a matter of days; culinary icons Bruce and Eric Bromberg join the judges to evaluate each restaurant's successes and failures.

[Ellee]

Was anyone surprised at the eliminated chef?

Can’t wait to read what all of you have to say. 

A current thought is the editor mustn’t like Claudette too much.  Between the cheftestants looks/reactions shown and Tom’s reaction when Claudette walked out without saying good-bye. 

I guess ... that’s one way to influence  friends and potential business contacts.  Not sure it’s my way ....

So was it Top Chef Vanilla or Vanilla Top Chef???

Again can’t wait to read all your thoughts.  You make me think. :D

[timeywimey]

If I didn't see the judges reactions to the food, I still would have known Common Place was on the bottom with all of Joe's assertions that both teams were doing great!

Also? Good riddance Claudette.

Did anyone watch LCK? Please tell me she lost again.

[MerBearStare]

I had so many opinions after the episode last night and then the forums were offline and it was like my own version of the bad place.

It was easy to guess that Claudette was going to be eliminated because she was extra angry and bitter in her talking heads. In particular she seemed to have it out for the other female chefs. She is just so damn unpleasant. And the chances you win this show are only 1 in 14 (or however many cheftestants they started with), so you might as well make the most of your time on the show by being charming and someone people want to support by visiting their restaurants.

At one point Claudette was like, "In restaurant wars you usually go home for front of the house or for back of the house." You don't say? I mean, those are the only two options. I'm sure she meant executive chef rather than back of the house, but still, made me smirk.

I love how outraged all the other cheftestants got again when Claudette started her usual blame bullshit.

On a positive note, I'm glad Chicago Joe won. He did a really good job at front of house. I don't know why Tom was so surprised Joe was FOH. I could see that reaction if it was Bruce, but it's not like Joe is slovenly or anything like that. It felt slightly sexist, like he expected one of the women on the team to do it.

[BusyOctober]

Before I even saw what the end results would look like, I had a feeling Common Place would be the loser.  What a muddied mess.  None of it made sense.  Eleventy billion ferns does not ambiance make.  OK, maybe it did... in 1977.  Their menu was confusing and disconnected, even if individual dishes had some merit.  And Claudette can pack her knives and go immediately.  And take her stank attitude, unflattering glasses and corpse lipstick with you.  So much self awareness lacking in that one.

[chiaros]

Yay! That claudette person is gone!!!

Furthermore, her THs were unpleasant and delusional. Throwing Chris under the bus? Par for the course for her. Another cheftestant, another throwing. Well, she...

Spoiler

...won't be doing that anymore, because she is also gone, gone, GONE from LCK.

Edited January 26, 2018 by chiaros

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, MerBearStare said:

a positive note, I'm glad Chicago Joe won. He did a really good job at front of house. I don't know why Tom was so surprised Joe was FOH. I could see that reaction if it was Bruce, but it's not like Joe is slovenly or anything like that. It felt slightly sexist, like he expected one of the women on the team to do it.

I think it was specific to his personality, he didn't react when Carrie and Adrienne weren't but specifically to Joe, I think he probably assumed it would be Bruce. Several men have rocked front of house Fabio and Travis to name two. 

I thought the name Common Place was dumb. Joe Sasso so clearly knew they were failing and his talk was so about convincing himself. I am so happy Claudette is gone. 

I have to wonder about these customers that want to stay after they have finished their food and drinks even when they can see there is a long wait, that's rude in a normal restaurant but doubly so in RWs where you know there is a specific number of people that are going to be served and want to have this one night only experience. I would think producer manipulation but it never seems to be an issue for both teams so maybe people are just assholes.

I am curious if the chefs had more input then was shown into the design of the logo and menus because from what we saw they had very limited input but then they talked a fair bit about both.

Not to armchair analyze Chris but I wonder if his need to take on the blame even when he wasn't responsible is rooted in his recovery and how important accountability is to the process.

Edited January 26, 2018 by biakbiak

[FormerMod-a1]

So...  In Common Place, all the apps were underseasoned, and of the 3 main courses one was on a too hot plate and Chris' was overseasoned/oversalted even according to Tom.  At least the donuts were good, even if not very beety.

[hendersonrocks]

That's one way to go out, I guess. I actually thought for the first third of the episode the show was maybe trying to show us that Claudette was actually going to succeed, and have us question our judgment of her. Then I was like, ha! NOPE. Same story, different day. Tanya should send the woman a fruit basket for taking any remaining questions out of how she chose to go out.

Conifer looked and felt like a great concept. Kudos to that team for doing Restaurant Wars right. I looooooved that the judges saw right through the Common Place "concept" (at least as it related to this challenge - I think it's a neat idea as an actual concept; they just used it in RW to try and justify not being able to agree on anything coherent).

Edited January 26, 2018 by hendersonrocks

[cooksdelight]

Fatima should not have been front of house. Joe would have been a better choice, as he seems much more charismatic than she. And I didn’t see her touching every table, I saw her standing around with a deer-in-the-headlights look most of the time. I love her to death, but she was out of her element.

Both Bruce and Claudette own/run restaurants. Bruce showed he knows HOW to run a restaurant. 

Carrie did a great job picking her team. Going first meant she could stick Claudette with the other team.

When the judges were talking to the losing team, Claudette rolled her eyes more than once. And she said nothing to anyone when she left. No one will ever let her set foot on a TV sound stage again, nor want to do business with her.

[Wings]

Good episode!  I didn't need the editing to tell me the winner; it was clear just looking at the teams.  Even the names of the restaurants told the story. 

@biakbiak. I agee that could be the answer to Chris' feeling he had to fall on his sword.  I wanted to slap him silly.  I was glad Carrie set him straight.

Claudette's exit was fabulous!  

The judges said any of them could go home and i saw that. Joe had 3 bad dishes and Chris only had one, his donut, but his chocolate sauce was bad.  So who did they send packing?  The one with the bad attitude,  of course.  Tom has said,  in the past, that it takes more than being a good cook to succeed.  You have to be able to run a restaurant. 

Loved the look on everyone's face when she walked out. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wings

[biakbiak]

13 minutes ago, cooksdelight said:

Fatima should not have been front of house. Joe would have been a better choice, as he seems much more charismatic than she. And I didn’t see her touching every table, I saw her standing around with a deer-in-the-headlights look most of the time. I love her to death, but she was out of her element

Who knows what she actually did but the reason we saw that is the editors wanted to reinforce the judges thoughts, if you notice when she is standing around nearly all the tables around her were empty so it clearly wasnt at the height of service. There were also other moments like when she noticed tgat the server had put out the wrong utensils that illustrated she was clearly involved with the guests experience.

Edited January 26, 2018 by biakbiak

[LeighLeigh]

Claudette brings drama with her. I wonder if she will indeed be invited onto a show for that fact (maybe Cutthroat Kitchen).

[Wings]

9 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Who knows what she actually did but the reason we saw that is the editors wanted to reinforce the judges thoughts.

True, I think she probably touched each table before the judges were seated.  Things began to fall apart when diners refused to leave.  She became overwhelmed and hyper focused on the judges table. She hung in the shadows watching them. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wings

[pally]

I don't think I've ever seen a Restaurant Wars episode where the losing team was more delusional as to the outcome.  They were absolutely oblivious.  From the mish mash menu, to the uneven cooking, to the clueless FOH, and Claudette totally abdicating the actual job of executive chef they messed up in all aspects.  But to hear them talk they thought they were perfect.  You knew Claudette was toast when they showed Bruce meticulously checking every plate and continually taste testing throughout service verses Claudette saying if the plate was bad it was on the chef.  If that is how she runs her kitchen I don't want to visit her restaurant.  I'd far rather have simple food cooked well than so-called more creative food cooked poorly.  

Edited January 26, 2018 by pally

[Lovecat]

10 minutes ago, pally said:

I don't think I've ever seen a Restaurant Wars episode where the losing team was more delusional as to the outcome.  They were absolutely oblivious.  

Right??  When they were in the kitchen between the second and third courses, talking about how well it was going and patting themselves on the back, I was yelling at the teevee, "THEY HAVE HATED EVERYTHING YOU'VE PUT OUT!!"
 

[BlackberryJam]

That was a truly entertaining episode. I hate judging front of the house because it's so based on personality and I prefer a competition based on food. However, when presenting at Judges' Table, Fatima was terrible. Padma had to repeatedly ask her who made each dish. She was flummoxed and out of her league. On the other hand, Joe was bro-ing it up with a wink and some charm. He looked like he was having fun which made the whole dining experience fun. Fatima looked so anxious and I can imagine it made everyone else feel anxious.

I am not a Bruce fan, but I totally respected when he asked Adrienne to replate. She was a little taken aback, but she didn't give him any pushback. Food was getting out even with Bruce's perfectionism and that's how it's supposed to work. Bruce was a bit of a dick to the servers, but by having them do tickets in the exact same way, he was able to expedite properly. Also, those meatballs looked amazing. Overall, Conifer's food just looked so much better. 

I don't know how you were supposed to have a dining experience at Common Place. None of the dishes 'went' with or complemented each other. It was like a buffet of random food.

Claudette had been so thrilled with being Executive Chef until she found out her team was on the bottom. Then she tried to shirk her responsibility and say she was only expediting. That's tacky.

[Blonde Gator]

Ding Dong, the witch is dead!

Had to laugh, as Claudette got the ultimate payback for her nasty behavior, and of course was left standing there looking wretched when she was picked last.  What a losing loser she is.  She once again tried to throw someone else under the bus for her failures.  Thankfully, Tom was aware of exactly what was going on in the kitchen, and saw firsthand her play.  I couldn't believe she was so ugly in her remarks once she got eliminated....and walking out without saying goodbye like that shows me she's got nothing.  A favorite old saying..."I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class".  Claudette should have a t-shirt made with that on it.  Que'lle bitch.  She reminds me exactly of my adult step-daughter, thinks she's the queen of the world, is a miserable person, can't keep a job because "everybody hates me", and blames everyone for each and every one of the things about which she's unhappy.   A totally miserable person to be around, I'm a happy person, but she depresses me.  THAT is Claudette.

I knew Conifer was going to win, from the moment the team was picked, because they were such a happy bunch of warriors.  They were supportive.  They had a great concept, doing prep-heavy dishes that were (relatively) easy to get plated up.  Joe Flamm was totally impressive as FOH.  They got some superlative compliments from the judges on how well conceived and well run their concept was....because they worked collaboratively (and constructively) together in all of their decision making, and kept great lines of communication open the whole challenge.  Well done, Conifer.

[needschocolate]

For a second, I thought we were going to have to change Chris's name to Christen and he would be sent packing ...and then win LCK anc come back and win the finale - it gave me flashbacks of Kristen and Josie.  Perhaps, if Claudette would have kept her mouth shut, the judges would have let Chris take the fall.  But Claudette just could stop herself from being herself.  I am so glad she is gone.

I remember other teams doing well in Restaurant Wars in the past, but I don't ever remember a team doing so well that the judges said it didn't seem like it was the first day they were open.  

3 hours ago, Ellee said:

I guess ... that’s one way to influence  friends and potential business contacts.  Not sure it’s my way ....

True, but it begs the question - What was she trying to influence them to do? 

[Blonde Gator]

1 hour ago, cooksdelight said:

Fatima should not have been front of house. Joe would have been a better choice, as he seems much more charismatic than she. And I didn’t see her touching every table, I saw her standing around with a deer-in-the-headlights look most of the time. I love her to death, but she was out of her element.

Both Bruce and Claudette own/run restaurants. Bruce showed he knows HOW to run a restaurant. 

Carrie did a great job picking her team. Going first meant she could stick Claudette with the other team.

When the judges were talking to the losing team, Claudette rolled her eyes more than once. And she said nothing to anyone when she left. No one will ever let her set foot on a TV sound stage again, nor want to do business with her.

You touched on another excellent point.  Claudette wanted the glory of being EC, but without the responsibility.  Remember when Bruce looked at a dish (I think Adrienne's fish) and gave it back to her, saying "the skin is separating...be careful how you're plating this, please do it again"?  And The Wicked Witch commented about how she wasn't going to babysit her chefs as EC?  Stupid cow.  I knew she was toast at that moment.  I remember that episode when Tom was the Expediter, he gave every dish the once over before it went out of HIS kitchen.  Bruce did the same.  That is the role.  Claudette also made a fatal error when she said she didn't taste all of the dishes.  Stupid!

I was kind of shocked to see Joe Flamm step up to FOH, which can be a death trap on this show.  But he obviously knew what he was doing, and was as good as Fabio was,  without being so handsomely flamboyent!  And he picked two really delicious dishes to prepare, which he knew could be finished by any competent chef in his absence in the kitchen while working out front, which was great decision making, again.  The fact that he gave Adrienne credit for cooking his duck to perfection just made me love him all the more.  He's a really good guy.

BTW, just read on an article on the Bravo site that Joe Flamm & Bruce went to see Fatima, she's been released from the Hospital after her surgery last week.  Da Bears taking care of the Baby Bear.  These guys apparently walk the walk.

[Charlesman]

16 minutes ago, needschocolate said:

For a second, I thought we were going to have to change Chris's name to Christen and he would be sent packing ...and then win LCK anc come back and win the finale - it gave me flashbacks of Kristen and Josie.  Perhaps, if Claudette would have kept her mouth shut, the judges would have let Chris take the fall.  But Claudette just could stop herself from being herself.  I am so glad she is gone.

I remember other teams doing well in Restaurant Wars in the past, but I don't ever remember a team doing so well that the judges said it didn't seem like it was the first day they were open.  

 

 

There have been a few rare times. Wasn't there even one season that both restaurants did so well that no one was eliminated? 

I think the "Bodega" restaurant might have been the one that impressed the judges most. 

[stacyasp]

Vanilla = white ?

[HunterHunted]

Oh Lordt, this episode. I've always thought it was ridiculous that the person who has the misfortune luck to pull out the knife is some how accountable for everything that happens on the team. I wish it could have been highlighted a little better in this episode because Carrie AND Chris both pulled out the knives. Both abdicated the responsibility to be the team leads. It's bullshit that they ever considered Chris to be knifed for doing what Carrie also did...successfully.

Claudette is an asshole. A delusional asshole. Every one of her dishes was unsuccessful on some level and she was crowing about being the executive chef until she realized that they lost. What Claudette has failed to understand is that every week, this show is an advertisement for her and her food. We don't have taste-o-vision. We don't have smell-o-vision. We can only go by what the judges tell us and what they chefs show us. Every week Claudette has shown millions of people that she's a weasely disreputable asshole that makes good Mexican food. And if you have a half decent Mexican place in your city, I can't imagine that you'd want to seek her out. That's at least a solid half million dollars of exposure that she's whiffed if she had paid for it. Her arrogance is colossally stupid.

I'm also glad that the rest of chefs realized what Claudette was up to and stood up for Chris. As bad as Tanya's exit was, Claudette's was worse. Some chefs wanted to wish Tanya goodbye. No one was interested in wishing Claudette anything except for a "Bye bitch! Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya."

Edited January 26, 2018 by HunterHunted

[Charlesman]

Anyway, about this episode, there was one sequence where I damn near wore out my rewind button: Tom asked 'Did you taste the food before it went out?' Claudette said no. Tom is befuddled and throws his hands up in exasperation. Padma asked "why not?" Claudette shrugged and said "It's Chris's team, I was just expediting. As the executive chef, but it's his restaurant." 

 

I burst out laughing. I immediately rewound and watched that exchange like 4 or 5 times before I could continue the episode. It was that good to see Claudette ruin herself out there. 

[Wings]

This episode put a spotlight on the cotenders to win.  I expect to see a member of team Conifer win this.  They are superior in all ways necessary to be successful.  

 Carrie and Adrienne are my personal favorites and have been from the start.  I just added Joe who I had not paid close attention until last night.  Nifty guy! 

Chris fell off that list early on.  

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wings

[hkit]

17 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

I was kind of shocked to see Joe Flamm step up to FOH, which can be a death trap on this show.  But he obviously knew what he was doing, and was as good as Fabio was,  without being so handsomely flamboyent! 

I was very surprised at Joe's hidden charm. It was so nice to see him embrace the role and make the evening special for all the diners, not just the judges. And I know that this may be sacrilege, but I was never a Fabio fan. I found his FOH stint to be obnoxious and off putting. Joe seemed to know just the right level of interaction without making it all about him. 

[Charlesman]

50 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

Right??  When they were in the kitchen between the second and third courses, talking about how well it was going and patting themselves on the back, I was yelling at the teevee, "THEY HAVE HATED EVERYTHING YOU'VE PUT OUT!!"
 

Seriously. Was Fatima so absent that she didn't relay what was going on out front at all? 

 

Meanwhile, literally the only complaint about Conifer was that one plate was too hot. That was it. What a total dominating win. 

[HunterHunted]

7 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

However, when presenting at Judges' Table, Fatima was terrible. Padma had to repeatedly ask her who made each dish. She was flummoxed and out of her league.

After being corrected once, Joe got that he needed to announce who was responsible for each dish. It took Fatima awhile to get that.

Edited January 26, 2018 by HunterHunted

[Thumper]

10 minutes ago, hkit said:

I was very surprised at Joe's hidden charm. It was so nice to see him embrace the role and make the evening special for all the diners, not just the judges. And I know that this may be sacrilege, but I was never a Fabio fan. I found his FOH stint to be obnoxious and off putting. Joe seemed to know just the right level of interaction without making it all about him. 

I agree!  Was not a Fabio fan.

[chiaros]

13 minutes ago, hkit said:

I was very surprised at Joe's hidden charm. It was so nice to see him embrace the role and make the evening special for all the diners, not just the judges. And I know that this may be sacrilege, but I was never a Fabio fan. I found his FOH stint to be obnoxious and off putting. Joe seemed to know just the right level of interaction without making it all about him. 

Joe Flamm was charming and executed FOH very well. Props to him.

 

I thought Fabio was both smarmy and like a used car salesman. And you should have read his "recaps"/"commentaries" on his blog, at the time, on the episodes of his season, ESPECIALLY after he got kicked off for his "Booorrger". Those recaps were nasty and utterly cringe-inducing, and he took pleasure in attacking and sliming people left, right, and center; and especially Angelo Sosa, whom he mocked for all sorts of things, questioning Angelo's "masculinity" in the process, and dwelling on his "camel toes" (yes, he wrote that repeatedly) and his "tight pants".

Edited January 26, 2018 by chiaros

[Reddust]

I’ve  never enjoyed my rewind button more.  It was a pleasure to see Claudette PYKAG.

[Ellee]

26 minutes ago, stacyasp said:

Vanilla = white ?

I’m thinking that’s a ‘no’.  

Again, I know I’m not impartial on this but I really think Claudette thinks she is all that and a bag of chips and without her the show will not be the same.  It will become plain.  Maybe???

Wish I had better posting capabilities.  

[threebluestars]

Claudette and Helen from Project Runway All Stars should hang out in the Miserable Bitch cave together. Two hours of unpleasant people on my TV was a lot to bear lol.

I don't get why Claudette thinks her food is so different and innovative. There are other Mexican cooks in the world, you know, Claudette.

[snarktini]

25 minutes ago, Charlesman said:

 

Meanwhile, literally the only complaint about Conifer was that one plate was too hot. That was it. What a total dominating win. 

Agreed it was total domination, but there was more to their dislike of that plate than it being hot (which cooked her plate sauces, a serious problem) -- they also didn't like the taste and Tom asked why anyone would put that pickled cauliflower on the plate. They pretty much hated that dish from what I saw. When she said she added that pickled cauliflower to make it more "earthy" like the other entrees, I had a guess that would go sideways.

Still! Just one bad plate out of 9. And she did great at her others. Versus a team where most of the food had major criticisms. It was a blowout on food.

However, noticeable this year was neither team had a full-on meltdown in either kitchen or FOH. Some lame food and service, but nothing on fire. I'm not usually prone to schadenfreude but I do kind of look forward to RW meltdowns :)

[hendersonrocks]

Quote

I was kind of shocked to see Joe Flamm step up to FOH, which can be a death trap on this show.  But he obviously knew what he was doing, and was as good as Fabio was,  without being so handsomely flamboyent!

I'll take Joe over Fabio 10 times out of 10. As FOH and anything else.

[Kimmykun]

Good riddance, Claudette! What an absolutely rude, unpleasant human being. 

[cooksdelight]

1 hour ago, Charlesman said:

Seriously. Was Fatima so absent that she didn't relay what was going on out front at all? 

Yes, as I posted earlier, she was totally out of her element in that job. She was hapless and lost. But I love her anyway. :)

[escatefromny]

3 hours ago, LeighLeigh said:

Claudette brings drama with her. I wonder if she will indeed be invited onto a show for that fact (maybe Cutthroat Kitchen).

Before Claudette appeared on this season of Top Chef (US), she had already competed on Top Chef Mexico.  It bothered me all season that wasn’t mentioned.  To me, it seemed an unfair advantage.  I can’t find a reference to how she did on the Mexican version but assume she was not the winner.

[LeighLeigh]

In the Pack Your Knives podcast, Claudette made reference to how on Top Chef Mexico, everybody understood each other, that they all seemed to have similar backgrounds. That group had more in common with her.

She said that the person that she got along with the most was Laura ( who seems really nice), when they were in the "loser's house", after she was out of the competition.

She seems to have a huge chip on her shoulder. I can't imagine what it's like to become a mother at 16.  I am sure that she didn't have it easy. 

Maybe she felt like she had unfinished business after not winning Top Chef Mexico.  Maybe the producers pursued her for this show and convinced her she can go further? Who knows.

I really want to find her humanity and empathize, but it's not easy.

[Eulipian 5k]

2 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

A favorite old saying..."I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class". 

You had me at Ding Dong. (I guess they know the Heart Button and # likes are missing)

It's like Karma (Kadma?) and soo interesting that Chris chose Claudette over Tanya but Jebus stepped in to smite the evil one.

[carrps]

2 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

You had me at Ding Dong. (I guess they know the Heart Button and # likes are missing)

It's like Karma (Kadma?) and soo interesting that Chris chose Claudette over Tanya but Jebus stepped in to smite the evil one.

The heart button's way over on the right side now. But no "like" count.

[Eulipian 5k]

Both Tom & the Guest Judge were as puzzled as I with Fatima's description "... and we think alike", WTH? - Do I have to? I just want the veal.

and, who wants to eat at a "commonplace" restaurant? Isn't that self-shading?

[Quilt Fairy]

I was really surprised at how badly Fatima did as FOH because she's so charming and funny in her THs.  I'm glad she at least had a pretty dress with her for the job.

I would have like Joe as FOH more if he had tucked his damn shirt in under his suit coat.  (I don't care if it may be fashionable it looks sloppy to me. )

Quote

who wants to eat at a "commonplace" restaurant?

Based on their initial discussion, I think the phrase the team wanted was "common ground" not "common place".  And honestly, I think they all knew they were going to lose when they got Claudette.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Quilt Fairy

[Blonde Gator]

23 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

You had me at Ding Dong. (I guess they know the Heart Button and # likes are missing)

It's like Karma (Kadma?) and soo interesting that Chris chose Claudette over Tanya but Jebus stepped in to smite the evil one.

Years ago (dark ages in my 20's), I found that saying, "I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class" as a poster, it had a pack of Emperor Penguins on their long Antarctic march.  I framed it, and had it for years and years.  A dear work friend of mine almost killed himself in a car wreck, so I took it out of its frame, and all of us at work signed it (instead of a card), and put it back into his frame as a get-well card.  He later told me that was one of the things that made him fight really hard to get better....that so many of his colleagues thought so well of him as a man with class.

It's a great motto to live by.  That's a hard lesson, and one which Claudette actually has never learned.  There's something wonderful about being self-confident, but combined with being tone-deaf to others just equals UGLY person.  And Claudette is that in spades.  That's why we were all rooting for Chris, and happy that he didn't get sent home.  He is a man with personal integrity, and it oozes forth from his pores.  It's in his core.  And good for Fatima for standing up for him.  Bottom line, any one of those chefs could have gone home, on "cooking technicalities", but I truly believe Claudette was chosen because of her personal flaws, she just doesn't  have "it" to rise to the top in the world of professional chefs, and she never will....not with that attitude.

As for the little Hearts....they're way over there on the bottom right of each post.------>

It took me a while to figure that out.  The big server upgrade last night has obviously caused some glitches, including no "Heart Count" per post, for now.  But I'm grateful to TPTB for the server upgrade, maintaining a site like this is a gigantic nuisance....they'll get it worked out.

[Eulipian 5k]

8 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

As for the little Hearts....they're way over there on the bottom right of each post.------>

It took me a while to figure that out.  The big server upgrade last night has obviously caused some glitches, including no "Heart Count" per post, for now.  But I'm grateful to TPTB for the server upgrade, maintaining a site like this is a gigantic nuisance....they'll get it worked out.

There's a list of the known glitches in the "January Update" forum(?). I note also that there's no Heart on your own post; no auto-erotica allowed, lol.

[Blonde Gator]

18 minutes ago, Figster said:

Well I'd think Common Place would know that they'd lose with Claudette as the EC.  Chris is a coward imo; he set his team up for failure.  He had to know she'd be a bad EC with her poor people skills.  Perhaps he made a gamble that she'd be the one to take the fall (when he had to know they'd lose), and apparently he was right.  A real "top chef" wants to be the EC, not shove it off to the worst choice for the position.

LOL have to laugh at that!  Such "integrity" setting his team up to lose.

I don't believe he did that.  I think he really believed Claudette would be better at it than he would have been, and who'd have known dear Fati would be a deer in the headlights as FOH?  I'd have thought she'd be bubbly and very customer oriented.  Besides, Chris pretty much offered up to throw himself on his sword when things didn't go as planned.  That IS integrity.  I saw no game playing from him.  Do you believe Joe Sasto would have been a better EC?  He's the "out there" chef.  I don't believe half of the chefs understand what he's doing half the time.  Maybe Chris should have stepped up, but he didn't, and Claudette was perfectly happy to be EC when she thought she'd get the glory without having to take the responsibility.

10 minutes ago, Eulipian 5k said:

There's a list of the known glitches in the "January Update" forum(?). I note also that there's no Heart on your own post; no auto-erotica allowed, lol.

LOL!  I guess they know who we are!

[Wings]

3 hours ago, pally said:

I don't think I've ever seen a Restaurant Wars episode where the losing team was more delusional as to the outcome.  They were absolutely oblivious.  From the mish mash menu, to the uneven cooking, to the clueless FOH, and Claudette totally abdicating the actual job of executive chef they messed up in all aspects.  But to hear them talk they thought they were perfect.  You knew Claudette was toast when they showed Bruce meticulously checking every plate and continually taste testing throughout service verses Claudette saying if the plate was bad it was on the chef.  If that is how she runs her kitchen I don't want to visit her restaurant.  I'd far rather have simple food cooked well than so-called more creative food cooked poorly.  

In the stew room- I was amused when Joe S said, this is going to be a close call.   But his vibe said, 'I know we got this.'  Common Ground rolled their eyes (figuratively) at Bruce making a meat ball and polenta.  I bet they thought Carrie making a kale salad was dumb, too.  HA!  I love it when this happens.  I do like Joe S but though.  

[Wings]

38 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Years ago (dark ages in my 20's), I found that saying, "I cried because I had no shoes, until I met a man who had no class" as a poster, it had a pack of Emperor Penguins on their long Antarctic march. 

The original saying is--  "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet."   When did the new version come to be?    It would make more sense to say I cried because I had no money until I met a man who had no class.  Shoes and class is like comparing chalk and cheese.  

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wings

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, escatefromny said:

Before Claudette appeared on this season of Top Chef (US), she had already competed on Top Chef Mexico.  It bothered me all season that wasn’t mentioned.  To me, it seemed an unfair advantage.  I can’t find a reference to how she did on the Mexican version but assume she was not the winner.

It was mentioned in her bio on the Bravo site but it is weird they didnt mention it, I assumed it was and I just forgot. It's also weird because she is the one who went on about having to live with so many people and I assume TC:Mexico has a similar set up. The first season of the Mexico version is on my On Demand, I should see if they have English CC since my Spanish is no bueno. 

[MerBearStare]

16 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

I don't believe he did that.  I think he really believed Claudette would be better at it than he would have been, and who'd have known dear Fati would be a deer in the headlights as FOH?

I agree with you. Now, had it been Claudette who asked Chris to be EC, I could see that. But Chris, and I would say the rest of the cheftestants, don't seem that Machiavellian.

 

16 minutes ago, Wings said:

I bet they thought Carrie making a kale salad was dumb, too. 

Claudette did make fun of Carrie for making a kale salad. I'm not really a fan of Carrie or beets, but I really want to try those gummi beets she made.