S15.E08: Restaurant Wars

[Thumper]

17 minutes ago, Wings said:

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.  

The original version is the one I have heard, also.  Never heard this "new" version.

[fivestone]

1 hour ago, LeighLeigh said:

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.

I read that she did Top Chef Mexico and Top Chef 15 back to back... I can understand how being out of her element socially and doing two reality shows back to back could be stressful and maybe bring the worst out in her... either way, it's a shame that some of her worst moments were caught on tape like that (after all , we all have bad moments), but she probably just bit off more than she could chew. I would be interested to see her a few years down the road after she has had some time to mellow out and grow a bit more mature in certain ways.

[Eulipian 5k]

17 minutes ago, Wings said:

The original saying is--  "I cried because I had no shoes until I met a man who had no feet." 

This is true; I thought the "class" spin was intentional because the chalk/cheese comparison emphasized the absurdity/humor.

"You're messed up, but at least you still have class, looks,winning personality, good cheese, anything". Non-us Sequitur-us.

[Blonde Gator]

42 minutes ago, Wings said:

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.  

 

No idea.....but it was in the early 80's, and it's FABULOUS.  Sorry you felt the need to nitpick it.   I love it just the way it is.  It matters NOT what one is bemoaning, without class (i.e. kindness and consideration for others)...........well, you may fill in the blanks.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Blonde Gator

[Eulipian 5k]

27 minutes ago, fivestone said:

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.

(The quote is from LeighLeigh, ewwps)

Actually Tanya's words, "Not everybody takes/sees things the same way," is the way to see any empathy for Claudette Kramden. She said in her earliest TH how much she had to persevere for herself and her kid as a teenager; she would have not made it if she turned on herself. But that doesn't excuse all the bus-driving-over she did.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Eulipian 5k
Exactitude!

[Blonde Gator]

15 minutes ago, fivestone said:

I read that she did Top Chef Mexico and Top Chef 15 back to back... I can understand how being out of her element socially and doing two reality shows back to back could be stressful and maybe bring the worst out in her... either way, it's a shame that some of her worst moments were caught on tape like that (after all , we all have bad moments), but she probably just bit off more than she could chew. I would be interested to see her a few years down the road after she has had some time to mellow out and grow a bit more mature in certain ways.

Maybe a Tiffany Faison transformation? 

I've never been a Faison fan, but I do admire her for looking hard "in the mirror" at herself after her first season, and changing her mean girl ways.

[Fiero425]

9 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Maybe a Tiffany Faison transformation? 

I've never been a Faison fan, but I do admire her for looking hard "in the mirror" at herself after her first season, and changing her mean girl ways.

Tiffany redeemed herself in the All-Star season, I think it was TC8! She was happy, found a nice GF and turned her imagine around! My namesake Jamie did the exact opposite, throwing people "under the bus" that same season! ;-)

[bencr]

It seemed odd to me that the last chef chosen for either team would be made executive chef for the team ... not to mention that she had already been eliminated once and was demonstrably NOT a good team player. I would have thought that any other team member would have been a better choice for executive chef.

Edited January 26, 2018 by bencr

[bravofan27]

1 hour 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 do love Chris, and I am biased toward him, and he does has his faults, but I don't think he really gets how much people hate Claudette and why. I also think Chris is the type of person that tries to look at the positive in everyone, not the negative, and he looked for the positive in Claudette. He also probably thought that she would be better "in charge" based on her propensity to be bossy and he didn't want his team getting pissed off and fighting. On that, Chris did a good job. No one fought and everyone was happy. Claudette wanted to keep the peace so she didn't pay any attention to what anyone was doing but herself. SHe was happy because she didn't have to help anyone, and no one had to help her. She basically used her position as EC to happily frolic alone and then blamed Chris because they other's food was bad. I'm seriously not sure how smart she is that she thought she could blame Chris and get away with it. Plus, she was pissed he appointed her EC and felt that he was escaping responsibility. Projection?

[imjagain]

7 hours ago, BusyOctober said:

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.

Ferns always make me think of Three's Company.  So yeah , 1977.

[GreyBunny]

6 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).

Cutthroat Kitchen wants people who are fun, good sports, and are in on the joke. They wouldn't touch clueless, poor sport sourpuss Claudette with a ten-foot tasting spoon.

Edited January 26, 2018 by GreyBunny

[Blonde Gator]

4 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

I do love Chris, and I am biased toward him, and he does has his faults, but I don't think he really gets how much people hate Claudette and why. I also think Chris is the type of person that tries to look at the positive in everyone, not the negative, and he looked for the positive in Claudette. He also probably thought that she would be better "in charge" based on her propensity to be bossy and he didn't want his team getting pissed off and fighting. On that, Chris did a good job. No one fought and everyone was happy. Claudette wanted to keep the peace so she didn't pay any attention to what anyone was doing but herself. SHe was happy because she didn't have to help anyone, and no one had to help her. She basically used her position as EC to happily frolic alone and then blamed Chris because they other's food was bad. I'm seriously not sure how smart she is that she thought she could blame Chris and get away with it. Plus, she was pissed he appointed her EC and felt that he was escaping responsibility. Projection?

Both excellent points.

Winning the knife draw means YOU get to pick the teams.  Does that make you the automatic Team Leader?  I don't think so.  To me, at least, it seems that it's up to the TEAM to make the decisions from there on out.  And from the first moment both teams sat down at the bar, I was convinced the team that eventually became "Conifer" would win.  They worked collaboratively, with no one member being overly pushy, although Bruce did kind of take the lead in the conversation, the way I saw it (I've not rewatched, so I could be wrong).  They first decided on a cohesive theme, and Carrie came up with a name, and all agreed....and from there they all ran with the concept.  The other team seemed to be unable to find a cohesive concept, IMO.  And it was all downhill from there. 

I was surprised when Joe Flamm stepped up to FOH....that's usually the least desirable of the RW roles, about a 50% proposition for PYKAG, particularly on a losing team...odds increase.  But the whole negotiation of who was going to do what seemed to be based on rational thought, rather than feelings.  GREAT decision making, again.  That's what the whole RW boils down to, is decision making.  The only flaw I saw with Conifer was that their pick-up area was on an oven or heating thing...and that Adrienne's fish was getting ruined because the runners were slow.  Perhaps Bruce could have fixed that by slamming some cutting boards down for the plates to sit on.....don't know.  But I was so happy that Joe F. praised Adrienne for her role as a sous chef on his duck.  She IS a slammin' sous.  This may not be her year, but she's a fantastic chef, perhaps a few years from winning it all...bring her back on an All Stars season.  I hope someday we get to see that.   Great chef, great person!

I'm always happy when we get to this point in the season.  All of the weak sisters and nasty game-players are mostly gone by this point.  I have no idea whom I want to win, I like every one of these chefs moving forward.  Even Mustache Joe....he's quirky, he can cook, and he's really not a jerk.   It will be really interesting to see who comes back from LCK, and when they come back.  Now that the Wicked Witch of the South is gone, I think the LCK returnee will be spun up and focused enough to take it all.  Who that is, I have no idea.  But I'm totally agnostic this season about who should be Top Chef (probably for the best, my favorite chef NEVER wins!).

[cooksdelight]

12 minutes ago, imjagain said:

Ferns always make me think of Three's Company.  So yeah , 1977.

That, and Tom saying “It’s a fern bar!”

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, Blonde Gator said:

Winning the knife draw means YOU get to pick the teams.  Does that make you the automatic Team Leader?  I don't think so.

Yeah it actually made me annoyed with Chris when he was taking the blame its like dude your job was done as soon as you finished picking the team.

[Rammchick]

It's just amazing to me that none of these cheftestants appear to have ever watched Top Chef before.  Although Claudette said, "It's either FOH or BOH who gets PYKAG'd in Restaurant Wars" and yeah, we won't get into the DUH of that statement, anyone who is the Executive Chef and doesn't take responsibility for the food is going home.  Period.  That's one of Tom's pet peeves, clearly.  No matter who actually cooks (or creates) the dish, the EC is the one who checks to make sure it's prepared correctly and tastes right.  You can't say, "Yes, I'll be EC," then turn around and blame everyone else for your failure to step up and lead.

Edited January 26, 2018 by Rammchick

[AttackTurtle]

I was really impressed by how Conifer approached the challenge.  I loved that they chose dishes which would require little effort after being prepped the day before.  They just had a really nice vibe.

I don’t think Chris was trying to set up Claudette.   I was really annoyed by her comments about Carrie & Adrienne  and then about Bruce being too “old school” for taste testing each dish.  The fact that Claudette has no self awareness (I mean she’d already been eliminated once) has  got to grate on the other chefs nerves.  

Bruce has been getting better & better.  

 

I knew that Claudette’s team was finished when they didn’t think they needed to make sure their dishes would compliment each other.

I loved Carrie a little more when she told Chris that he didn’t have to take responsibility for the loss simply because he drew a particular knife.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

No idea.....but it was in the early 80's, and it's FABULOUS.  Sorry you felt the need to nitpick it.   I love it just the way it is.  It matters NOT what one is bemoaning, without class (i.e. kindness and consideration for others)...........well, you may fill in the blanks.

 

 Ohhh, no I was not nit picking at all.   I was just wondering how the change came to be.  Just chatting about it really. 

Edited January 26, 2018 by Wings

[Bastet]

Was having to do nine dishes as crazy as it sounds?  How many have they done in previous Restaurant Wars challenges -- I think they usually had two choices for each course, not three?  I wonder if they required more this year just for the the "bringing back an eliminated chef as a sous" element, which fits in with the twist of bringing back a LCK chef early this season.

Common Place as the team that couldn’t come up with anything in common was kind of an amusing train wreck.  I set out rooting for the team where the two women took the jobs that usually lead to elimination (especially as up against to two bears in those roles), but damn. 

First course: Fatima’s tartare, Mustache Joe’s oysters, and Mustache Joe’s chicken all seemed lacking in significant ways, and mistakes no chef of their caliber should have made.

Second course: Claudette’s bone marrow, Mustache Joe’s dumplings, and Chris’s pork shoulder did as well, in the same “how’d you screw that up?” ways.

Third course: Chris’s donut, Claudette’s sundae, and Claudette’s skyr – same thing.

No points for consistency, either.  Because, again, damn.  Good gods, they couldn’t come up with a concept, and they couldn’t execute their individual dishes in a way that would overcome that.  Then they were in denial about it.  They were awful on every level.  Fatima of the delightful personality even failed as FOH. 

Claudette did her usual thing at JT.  Between trying to claim she was just an expediter and admitting she didn't taste the food, her being the one told to pack her knives was a given.  And her stomping off without saying anything to anyone, and then ranting in her talking head – I was slow to jump on the bandwagon against her (I didn’t watch LCK), but it was a steady, gradual thing, and between the last challenge and this one, I hope to never see her again.

Random note: Mustache Joe apparently has a cat, and now I can’t dislike him as much as I had been.

[Wings]

1 hour ago, bencr said:

It seemed odd to me that the last chef chosen for either team would be made executive chef for the team ... not to mention that she had already been eliminated once and was demonstrably NOT a good team player. I would have thought that any other team member would have been a better choice for executive chef.

Chris just did not want to do it.  So I am guessing his logic was to put the difficult one in that position and maybe her attitude would be valuable in that role.   I can see that.  She would have been trouble no matter what so it was a crap shoot.  

[snarktini]

1 hour ago, bravofan27 said:

He also probably thought that she would be better "in charge" based on her propensity to be bossy and he didn't want his team getting pissed off and fighting. 

29 minutes ago, Wings said:

Chris just did not want to do it.  So I am guessing his logic was to put the difficult one in that position and maybe her attitude would be valuable in that role.   I can see that.  She would have been trouble no matter what so it was a crap shoot.  

That's my take. He might have been trying to be tricky or taking the easy way out, but this is also plausible. She likes to be in charge -- so put her there. Her lack of team-player-ness would have been terrible on the line. This was the only job she could have done well. And who knows, maybe she could have if she wasn't so busy ducking responsibility.

The judges area always critical when the captain doesn't ask to be the EC. They believe everyone should WANT to be the EC. That's what truly being a Top Chef means. But then they are so hard on the EC and FOH, it's no wonder many play it safe and take the line position.

1 hour ago, Blonde Gator said:

The other team seemed to be unable to find a cohesive concept, IMO.  And it was all downhill from there. 

They didn't find a cohesive concept because they didn't even try. Mustache Joe rubbed me wrong almost this entire episode, but he was right here: You need a cuisine or at least a theme. 

51 minutes ago, AttackTurtle said:

I knew that Claudette’s team was finished when they didn’t think they needed to make sure their dishes would compliment each other.

I wasn't sure, but I was hoping!

[spiderpig]

What made the team think Common Place was a good idea for a restaurant name?  To me it conveys mediocrity.

Well, on second thought, it turned out to be prophetic.

Awful concept. I wasn't remotely tempted by their menu selection. Their designer did them no favors at all with a ho-hum logo and weird decor.  BTW, 1977 called, and they want their reputation back.

However I can go into this weekend with a smile on my face and a spring in my step.  Buhbye NastyFace!  Keeping in character right to the end.

On the other hand, Conifer did everything right and the ambiance was lovely.  They made food I'd want to eat.  That's why I go to a restaurant.

[HunterHunted]

3 hours ago, Wings said:

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.  

Or apples to spaceships as another semi-famous Bravo-elebrity has posited.

[dewelar]

18 minutes ago, spiderpig said:

What made the team think Common Place was a good idea for a restaurant name?  To me it conveys mediocrity.

Actually, I thought it was a good idea, if they actually used it as their concept. Sitting and watching it, the first thing that popped into my head when they were talking about having a whole bunch of unique dishes was that they should use the tag line "Uncommon Food in one Common Place". Then all the dishes in each course could have had one small piece that was included in each one to tie them together. Obviously, though, I was putting more thought into it than they were -- and, honestly, putting more effort into it than any of them did, or even wanted to, with the possible exception of Mustache Joe.

Anyway, predictable result was predictable. Claudette's exit was as classy as she was, and she will not be missed. Bruce rocked pretty much everything this week and is now officially my favorite, but I would not be disappointed in any of the remaining seven winning the whole thing.

[AttackTurtle]

I actually would like to eat Claudette’s food, despite her crappy attitude.

 This season has really been cool to watch.  You see a lot of chefs really complimenting each other and having fun.  And then there was this little dark cloud (with black lipstick no less) and it put such a damper on a otherwise good season thus far.  

I love this show.  I love that it still attracts real talent and that world reknown chefs want to be guests.  While I don’t have a Sheldon in this bunch to root for, I’m okay with any of the remaining chefs winning.  Mustache Joe is a little goofy, but I like how innovative he is.  

I’m still dying to get the recipe for Chris’s biscuits and I just think it would be amazing if he won at the end.

Edited January 26, 2018 by AttackTurtle

[chiaros]

7 hours ago, Charlesman said:

 

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. 

The RW episode where nobody was eliminated was in Season 3, when both teams did badly enough (not "so well") that the judges decreed a do-over. Then in "RW the Repeat" - Tre was sent home, Sara M was the winner.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Chef_(season_3)#Episodes (episodes 10 & 11)

"Bodega" (TC Season 8, All Stars) - the one with Fabio as FOH - was indeed uniformly loved by the judges, but other RWs have also garnered great praise albeit with a few flaws in some dishes. (Before "Bodega", in Season 6, "REvolt" (the Voltaggio brothers, Eli, Robin) was declared to be The Best RW Ever by Tom C; while RW in Seasons 11 and 12 also spring to mind)

As for FOH performances, Adam (season 12) and Travis (Season 11) were very good and very well regarded by the judges.

Nick Elmi gave possibly the best EC/expediting performance (also Season 11) I can recall – smooth, efficient, drama-free; while the opposing team (with Justin Devillier as EC) was a hot mess with utter breakdown in the ticketing system/expediting/EC-ing.

[chiaros]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

Was having to do nine dishes as crazy as it sounds?  How many have they done in previous Restaurant Wars challenges -- I think they usually had two choices for each course, not three?  I wonder if they required more this year just for the the "bringing back an eliminated chef as a sous" element, which fits in with the twist of bringing back a LCK chef early this season.

They have had 2-3 dishes for each course before, but not 3 for every course.

A not-exactly-the-same comparison, but still semi-valid, I think, is RW in Season 13 when they had a two-part RW where the two teams had to serve lunch followed by dinner - so they had to prep, cook and serve lunch; then without pause immediately commence on prep, cooking and serving dinner. (It really showed when one of the teams could not finish off the lunch service - while the other team did so and had started already on prep for dinner - and that "late" team got squeezed badly in their ability to prep properly) Counting both lunch & dinner dishes, team "District LA" put out 12 dishes, plus a ridiculous apéritif; team "Palate" put out 11 dishes.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Top_Chef_(season_13)#Episodes (episodes 9 & 10).

[bobbobbob199]

It's pretty obvious Chris was trying to just get Claudette sent home. She deserves to.

Also, Carrie needs to go back to the second grade. 2+2+2+1 = 9? Didn't she say 6 x 3 = 27 the other episode too?

[dleighg]

1 hour ago, dewelar said:

Actually, I thought it was a good idea, if they actually used it as their concept. Sitting and watching it, the first thing that popped into my head when they were talking about having a whole bunch of unique dishes was that they should use the tag line "Uncommon Food in one Common Place".

Not a bad thought, but perhaps too deep :)  I also thought that "Common Place" while it makes sense when explained, sounds like "Commonplace" which is certainly NOT what you want your food to be.

So they have 100 diners; do they have to buy enough that each dish has to be available to 100? (Everyone ordered the duck!)

[dleighg]

did anyone catch what Carrie did wrong with her lemon curd? She said she put the lemon juice on in the wrong order and "cured her eggs". 

[Wings]

1 hour ago, AttackTurtle said:

I’m still dying to get the recipe for Chris’s biscuits and I just think it would be amazing if he won at the end.

His recipe is not available but I googed Buttermilk Brown Sugar Biscuits and the recipes that come up are all very similar.  

[Clare]

Claudette had a poor attitude and I not really sorry to see her go but Mustache Joe had three bad dishes.  I still think that Mustache Joe or Fatima should have gone first.  Feels like they were tired of her and wanted her off the show.   

[Wings]

4 minutes ago, Clare said:

Claudette had a poor attitude and I not really sorry to see her go but Mustache Joe had three bad dishes.  I still think that Mustache Joe or Fatima should have gone first.  Feels like they were tired of her and wanted her off the show.   

As EC it was her responsibility to taste each dish to make sure it was executed correctly.  She didn't taste the food!  She said Bruce was old school because he did that.  LOL

[avecsans]

I need a refresher on restaurant terminology.  Is the executive chef always the expediter?  And if they have to keep tasting the food, no wonder so many chefs are on the chubby side.

I was sure that Chris would be eliminated and I was very pleasantly surprised when Claudette was let go.  Show a little class, woman.  I don't remember anyone ever stomping off so ungraciously.  I can't decide if Chris was being Machiavellian by taking neither EC nor FOH for himself, thereby hiding in plain sight, or if he's not a take charge kind of person and recognized that others would be better in those roles?  I also thought Fatima would be better as FOH.  Maybe I'm reading into it, but I wonder if she was starting to lose some energy because of her illness.  

Bruce and Joe once again dominated the discussion while their team was debating their menu and decor.  Adrienne and Carrie were pushed aside.  I guess it's the times we are living in, but the women need to push back against that crap.

I can't remember whose dish was salty, but if it's too salty for Tom Colicchio, that's pretty freaking salty.

[dleighg]

The judges said that Joe S's oysters were flavorless. I could not be surprised as I was shocked when I heard the chef say "shuck the oysters and put them in ice water". I mean, isn't the liquor a big part of the flavor of oysters?

[biakbiak]

33 minutes ago, dleighg said:

did anyone catch what Carrie did wrong with her lemon curd? She said she put the lemon juice on in the wrong order and "cured her eggs". 

I think she meant curdled, if you add the lemon juice directly to the egg yolks without any other ingrediets the acid can cause them to curdle.

10 minutes ago, avecsans said:

a refresher on restaurant terminology.  Is the executive chef always the expediter?  And if they have to keep tasting the food, no wonder so many chefs are on the chubby side.

No they aren't always the same but sometimes they are with such a small crew it's lkely they would be the same. 

Edited January 27, 2018 by biakbiak

[rho]

23 minutes ago, dleighg said:

did anyone catch what Carrie did wrong with her lemon curd? She said she put the lemon juice on in the wrong order and "cured her eggs". 

Adding the lemon so quickly curdled the eggs. The yolk, sugar and butter emulsion needs to be done before adding the lemon. The acid from the lemon created too much heat and the eggs scrambled before the curd set. 

[djlynch]

I don't think that the Common Place crew was 100% crazy to think that they had a chance of winning at the end of the service since all they had to go on was that neither team imploded and they had the more ambitious menu, but Joe S. sure seemed like he was trying to make sure Claudette was under the bus before she had the chance to throw him under it. He even said something during prep day about how he was going to have her taste everything so that she had to take the blame if it turned out badly.

[RHJunkie]

Life experiences aren't a pass for being a jerk. Being confident and positive in yourself doesn't mean that you have to put down others or be incapable of taking accountability. Claudette exhibits all of the things that make it very hard to be empathetic - she was so competitive that she only saw the others as obstacles and not as people. I really hope it's circumstances that brought out the worst in her and that when she looks back at the show, she feels a bit embarrassed and some regret for how she treated people. Her shit talking was unnecessary and I really hope this it the last time I see her face on the show this season. I'm not ready for her attitude and likely even bigger chip on her shoulder. 

I felt bad for Chris. I do think he genuinely felt responsible for the team but Carrie was absolutely right, drawing the knife made him responsible for choosing the team, it didn't make him the leader. He suggested Claudette for the role but she accepted it and that's on her. I don't see Chris's suggestion to be malicious at all. I think he thought she would be a good fit because she's direct and likes to be in control. 

Confier's had some pretty exceptional work. From the FoH, the individual dishes, service pace and decor/concept, they almost nailed it perfectly. 

Edited January 29, 2018 by RHJunkie

[Blonde Gator]

Just rewatched the episode, confirmed everything I originally saw, and did a couple of back-ups to catch things that you all have pointed out that I missed the first time through, thanks!

The very interesting thing was the rewatch of Judges table.  Once the judges started questioning Common Place, the squirming began!!!  I thought Joe Sasto was going to come out of his stache, he was wriggling so much, particularly when we had the Chris / Claudette back and forth.  And when Claudette started talking about being an expediter, but not responsible for the other dishes, and then NOT tasting everyone's food, the camera panned over to Team Conifer, and Joe Flamm & Carrie looked at each other and really did an eyeroll at each other.  They should have had a drumroll edited in, then I would have LOL'd!  The Guest Judges also noted how Claudette's demeanor changed from being all happy EC in the kitchen to being "oh Hell no, not me" when in front of the judges.  Then in her exit TH, she got all nasty about the judges picking the wrong person.  Sorry sister, you EARNED this PYKAG, all by your lonesome.  Not one member of her team remotely tossed her under the bus, she did that by being her snotty self.

I'll probably jinx him, but I've decided Joe Flamm is my guy this year.  He has a great sailfish tatt on his right arm, I'd be happy to take him sailfishing any time!  He seems so supportive of all of his competitors, he seems to be a really good chef and an all around great guy.

[Thumper]

Most chefs must have big egos -- or maybe it is confidence -- because based on previous seasons, who would want to be FOH or EC???  Those seem to be the positions that are ripe for being sent home.

[Christina]

The following paragraph will NOT end in a spoiler, so no need to avoid. Claudette has been very nasty and hateful about the other chefs and their food, including the first time she spent in LCK. This time, after storming out and giving a talking head were she implied that her food was excellent and everyone else's was boring, I was surprised to see her walk into LCK with a smile on her face and pleasantly joke with the others. She must have resigned herself to the fact she was unlikely to win this season. It was a complete 180 degree personality change.

The only food I remember of hers is the cold-smoked fish, and that is because she didn't know how to do it and blamed her teammate for her failure. I like Mexican food, but nothing she has made me want it, and it's likely because of her attitude.

 

Season 3 of Top Chef Canada did their RW a little differently, in that they made to go meals. It was really enjoyable to watch, probably because it was different.

According to people on Twitter, this is the episode they had to cut Besh out of, but some said it was not. The people who say it is used Padma's hair and clothing as the reason, stating that it was the same as in the clip that was out before they removed him from the show. I don't personally remember it and don't have a copy, so take it with a grain or Tom-size tablespoon of salt.

[Mellowyellow]

Nothing much to add except that I REALLY REALLY like Adrienne and hope she does well! She seems so nice and dependable! I have nothing to base that on but she just seems so pleasant! 

[dleighg]

16 hours ago, MerBearStare said:

but I really want to try those gummi beets she made.

any idea what exactly she did?

[Charlesman]

11 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

  I thought Joe Sasto was going to come out of his stache, he was wriggling so much, particularly when we had the Chris / Claudette back and forth. 

 

There were a couple of shots of him in the stew room, after hearing from the judges, where he just looked shell shocked. He had his eyes wide open but not focused on anything. The thousand yard stare. 

[MaggieG]

13 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

Just rewatched the episode, confirmed everything I originally saw, and did a couple of back-ups to catch things that you all have pointed out that I missed the first time through, thanks!

The very interesting thing was the rewatch of Judges table.  Once the judges started questioning Common Place, the squirming began!!!  I thought Joe Sasto was going to come out of his stache, he was wriggling so much, particularly when we had the Chris / Claudette back and forth.  And when Claudette started talking about being an expediter, but not responsible for the other dishes, and then NOT tasting everyone's food, the camera panned over to Team Conifer, and Joe Flamm & Carrie looked at each other and really did an eyeroll at each other.  They should have had a drumroll edited in, then I would have LOL'd!  The Guest Judges also noted how Claudette's demeanor changed from being all happy EC in the kitchen to being "oh Hell no, not me" when in front of the judges.  Then in her exit TH, she got all nasty about the judges picking the wrong person.  Sorry sister, you EARNED this PYKAG, all by your lonesome.  Not one member of her team remotely tossed her under the bus, she did that by being her snotty self.

I'll probably jinx him, but I've decided Joe Flamm is my guy this year.  He has a great sailfish tatt on his right arm, I'd be happy to take him sailfishing any time!  He seems so supportive of all of his competitors, he seems to be a really good chef and an all around great guy.

All of this! Especially the look between Carrie and Joe F. You could tell they were thinking "there she goes again." 

[Omega Mu]

I laughed at how pleased Common Place was when the designer called them out as "hipster"

[ratgirlagogo]

On 1/26/2018 at 11:47 AM, Ellee said:

On 1/26/2018 at 11:15 AM, stacyasp said:

Vanilla = white ?

I’m thinking that’s a ‘no’.  

I was thinking more like Top Chef Vanilla as opposed to Top Chef Kink (whips, chains, S&M).   Claudette could do that.  "You're GOING to eat that duck breast till you choke!  You're not finished until I TELL YOU you're finished!"

[Lura]

I hate to sound too hard on Claudette, but after her successful attempt to shift the blame last week and her poor attitude this week, I was not unhappy to see her go.  She seems to know her cooking, but her putting down others in order to shift the blame from herself was becoming a pattern.  I'm always grateful when a losing chef leaves with a cheerful attitude, especially when my heart is broken to see them go.  Claudette had nothing but bitterness and rancor to offer when her time was up.  I fail to see how having a child at a young age had anything to do with her poor outlook.  If anything, it should make her all the more grateful to be succeeding in her chosen profession.  I wish her better luck in the future.

I keep hoping to see Tu return from Last Chance Kitchen and win it all.  It won't happen, but it's fun to think about!  LOL

Edited January 27, 2018 by Lura
typo

[carrps]

16 hours ago, Blonde Gator said:

And when Claudette started talking about being an expediter, but not responsible for the other dishes, and then NOT tasting everyone's food, the camera panned over to Team Conifer, and Joe Flamm & Carrie looked at each other and really did an eyeroll at each other.  They should have had a drumroll edited in, then I would have LOL'd! 

I thought that was Joe and Adrienne. They showed Carrie, too, in a different shot. But I definitely remember the eye roll as between Joe and Adrienne. I even rewound to show it to my sister.

[Blonde Gator]

1 hour ago, carrps said:

I thought that was Joe and Adrienne. They showed Carrie, too, in a different shot. But I definitely remember the eye roll as between Joe and Adrienne. I even rewound to show it to my sister.

Joe (F) and Adrienne did the mutual eyeroll LAST week, LOL....in the Olympics episode, when Claudette was throwing Tonya under they bus, the editors dubbed in what Joe said to Adrienne (because he kind of whispered in her ear) "that's what she did to you with the fish".   IIRC, episode 2, where they had to combine fish & cheese, & Claudette didn't know how to smoke the fish, then blamed Adrienne for her mistakes.