S16.E01: The Fastest 2 Minutes in Cooking

[FormerMod-a1]

Quote

In Kentucky, 15 chefs are off to the races at Churchill Downs for the the ride of their lives; the chefs must make a dish that will appeal to a crowd of 200 at a Kentucky Derby party; Churchill Downs' own chef David Danielson serves as guest judge.

Air date: December 6, 2018

[Bastet]

I’m so glad this show is back!  (I could very much have done without the repeat of the All Stars finale preceding it, so I had to see the end of the Battle of the Asshats as I tuned in, but so be it.)  It seems like a strong group.

Their house is crazy; it looks like a governor’s mansion.

I can’t ever keep names straight in this early stage, but I either was neutral on or liked all the introductions other than “I don’t want to be portrayed as the cocky guy.”  And he continued to piss me off with every word after that; he is a total asshole and I want him gone, even after one episode.  He’s horrible!  (On the other hand, I LOL at the guy whose body is composed of bourbon, pot, and fried food; he was funny throughout.  And I like that the two “feisty southern” women know and like each other.)

The mise en place relay is always my favorite QF; I hope this sort-of mise en place team QF doesn’t replace it.

It’s interesting the judges found all the QF dishes so good, because none of them looked bad but I didn’t drool over any of them, either.  I lost my jar of ranch dressing the other night, only to find I’d put it away in the spice cabinet with the pepper, so I was all in with sympathy for the red team chef who lost her herb salad.  I’m glad she was able to do it again and her teammates just laughed.  Theirs would probably have been my pick.  But I was happy the green team’s last-minute veggie and poached egg dish wound up working, and good for them winning.

In the EC, among the winners, I don’t like deviled eggs (I hate yolks) or pimiento cheese (I hate cream cheese), but I like that the red chef won her round with such a dish, even if she didn’t make it into the top tier.  For the white group, the scallop dish sounded better to me than the one that won, but that’s just because I hate potatoes.  Among the blue group, I wanted anyone but The Asshole so badly I could hardly concentrate on the dishes; I seriously hate this dude.  With the yellows, none of them excited me, but, even though I hate potatoes, I can see the gnocchi turned soup dish winning just based on the overall of what was presented.  With the green group, I dislike coconut but sometimes like coconut shrimp, and hate grits, yet somehow that dish looked good to me, so I was not at all surprised to see it come in second despite my personal distaste.  The first was a "yeah, okay" from this side of my TV screen.

Among the losing cheftestants, I’d eliminate the beets, arugala, and cheese dish on boring principle, even though it worked, but biscuits – which aren’t my thing to begin with – done wrong, when the third potential elimination was salvaging Plan B into something not great but worked, mean I agreed with the decision.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink some more Maker's Mark and fix my own dinner.

[Straycat80]

I’m so happy this show is back. So far I like all the chefs. I felt bad for the lady who got sent home because she seemed sweet,  but the tomato biscuit dish didn’t sound or look good. I like Adrienne, I can relate to her because I always have trouble getting caps off bottles like she does, so glad she made the cut. 

The house they are staying in is insane! Since this is in Kentucky this season I foresee a lot of Bourbon related dishes. 

[cooksdelight]

Since I’ve moved, I have my local cable and they don’t have Bravo. Anywhere I can watch for free???

[Kaiju Ballet]

Hooray, Top Chef is back! I’m thrilled that it’s based in Kentucky, and continuing with its trend of being part travelogue/culinary adventure.

I’m also not a fan of The Cocky Guy, and thought perhaps his chatter during Fettucine Chef’s struggle to make her EC dish might have been a contributing factor to her being placed on bottom.

Did I hear right and there are two chefs that will be featuring Vietnamese cuisine or at least influences?

I liked the chef quickly amending his goal to being the second best chef to come out of Elizabeth, NJ when he heard that Tom C. was from there!

I do call BS on saving the chef who played it safe (and was on the bottom for the Quickfire too) over someone who did try to “swing for the fences” but ended up with a soggy biscuit.

[Mambo Queen]

32 minutes ago, Bastet said:

I’m so glad this show is back!  (I could very much have done without the repeat of the All Stars finale preceding it, so I had to see the end of the Battle of the Asshats as I tuned in, but so be it.)  It seems like a strong group.

Their house is crazy; it looks like a governor’s mansion.

I can’t ever keep names straight in this early stage, but I either was neutral on or liked all the introductions other than “I don’t want to be portrayed as the cocky guy.”  And he continued to piss me off with every word after that; he is a total asshole and I want him gone, even after one episode.  He’s horrible!  (On the other hand, I LOL at the guy whose body is composed of bourbon, pot, and fried food; he was funny throughout.  And I like that the two “feisty southern” women know and like each other.)

The mise en place relay is always my favorite QF; I hope this sort-of mise en place team QF doesn’t replace it.

It’s interesting the judges found all the QF dishes so good, because none of them looked bad but I didn’t drool over any of them, either.  I lost my jar of ranch dressing the other night, only to find I’d put it away in the spice cabinet with the pepper, so I was all in with sympathy for the red team chef who lost her herb salad.  I’m glad she was able to do it again and her teammates just laughed.  Theirs would probably have been my pick.  But I was happy the green team’s last-minute veggie and poached egg dish wound up working, and good for them winning.

In the EC, among the winners, I don’t like deviled eggs (I hate yolks) or pimiento cheese (I hate cream cheese), but I like that the red chef won her round with such a dish, even if she didn’t make it into the top tier.  For the white group, the scallop dish sounded better to me than the one that won, but that’s just because I hate potatoes.  Among the blue group, I wanted anyone but The Asshole so badly I could hardly concentrate on the dishes; I seriously hate this dude.  With the yellows, none of them excited me, but, even though I hate potatoes, I can see the gnocchi turned soup dish winning just based on the overall of what was presented.  With the green group, I dislike coconut but sometimes like coconut shrimp, and hate grits, yet somehow that dish looked good to me, so I was not at all surprised to see it come in second despite my personal distaste.  The first was a "yeah, okay" from this side of my TV screen.

Among the losing cheftestants, I’d eliminate the beets, arugala, and cheese dish on boring principle, even though it worked, but biscuits – which aren’t my thing to begin with – done wrong, when the third potential elimination was salvaging Plan B into something not great but worked, mean I agreed with the decision.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go drink some more Maker's Mark and fix my own dinner.

Bastet, I was completely with you...I too hated Asshat, loved pot, bourbon, and fried food guy, and found the feisty southern ladies a delightful surprise, but then I got to the part where you said you didn't like yolks or pimiento cheese and I was like, nevermind, you are a monster. (kidding...a little)

Edited December 7, 2018 by Mambo Queen

[awaken]

The chef from Alabama repeatedly said “oyshters”, and even “shelery”!

[awaken]

So happy to have this show back!  I’ve missed it so much, and waited so long!

the quick fire had just a few too many variables. It bordered on ride a bike, shoot a crossbow, hack your ingredients out of an ice block, cook in 10 mins over an open fire with your hands tied behind your back with no utensils territory. 

[Unraveled]

First episode was too chaotic. Having the first quick fire being a team challenge was a mistake. First quick fire should always be an individual challenge. I also would have avoided having a catering challenge as the first elimination.

It was very surprising to see the "soup guy" turn out one of the top 3 dishes. So did he forget to buy flour or was there not any available in the Top Chef Kitchen? I wasn't paying the best of attention, but at one point I thought he only had a bunch of potatoes and bok choy to work with.

I too hated asshole guy and was pleasantly surprised that Nini won over him in the initial round.

[Bastet]

50 minutes ago, Mambo Queen said:

Bastet, I was completely with you...I too hated Asshat, loved pot, bourbon, and fried food guy, and found the feisty southern ladies a delightful surprise, but then I got to the part where you said you didn't like yolks or pimiento cheese and I was like, nevermind, you are a monster. (kidding...a little)

Ha; taken in the spirit intended - I'm used to it*, and my hatred of potatoes (other than as seriously thin-cut and crispy fries or chips and flavored plus dipped in ranch dressing so all potato flavor is eradicated) usually inspires even more "Seriously?!" reactions.  *I'd never be described as a picky eater, yet some of my "no way, no how" ingredients are pretty basic and thus accepted by the non-foodie masses yet not me.  So, come on over for some bourbon and I'll make a selection of treats we can both enjoy.

[Machiabelly]

I would much rather see purposefully boring and safe go home over pretty much anything edible. 

[SailorGirl]

Maybe its because last season (not All Stars - the Joe Flamm, Fatima, et al season) was so ego free and made up completely of chefs who respected and genuinely liked each other, and was a GREAT season, my first impression of this season's cheftestants isn't a good one -- already seeing assholes and egos and the potential for some bullshit game playing rather than honoring the spirit of the competition and supporting each other despite competing against each other. Maybe its a snap judgement but I don't see any of this group being willing to share ingredients because they want to fairly win based solely on quality food prepared with everything that was intended to be in the dish. I can see them saying, tough shit, you forgot an ingredient or didn't have enough, guess you're going to lose. I want cheftestants who want to win based on sheer talent, not game playing. 

I hope I'm wrong. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by SailorGirl

[NowVoyager]

Hmm. This site was down for a bit for over use. Could it be because Top Chef is back?

I'm with Bastet. The first quick fire was cool, but I still hope to see a traditional head-to-head mise en place. There's something very primal about knife skills & butchering that I just adore.

I did a double take when the one team said they needed to cut their steak. It was fascinating to see a talented team of chefs all miss the one basic rule. It was exciting that they made it work, like the pulled pork team.

Cocky Guy was on my nerves immediately. Ehh... at least he kind of owns it?? At first, I thought his chatter with Fresh Pasta Lady was gamesmanship, but he was right! & her pasta dough wasn't good, no matter the shape. Are stuffed pastas really more impressive than long pastas?

In contrast, the Frowny Face Bouffant Guy politely bit his tongue & watched the rabbit(?) being over cooked. Who would you rather be on a team with for $200,000?

Still, I was quite pleased when Cocky Guy placed.

Surprised there was no flour in the Top Chef Kitchen. I mean, I'm sure they're provided with a list of available pantry items. So, it's still Umami Soup Guy's fault.

Tomato Cobbler Lady makes biscuits everyday & served soggy biscuits? Girl. I watched Last Chance Kitchen on BravoTV (OnDemand wasn't up yet). Let's call it the Struggle Biscuit Episode. Smh. (Where is Chris from Butterfunk Kitchen when you need him?! Lol, remember when his fellow chefs fell all over his plate of biscuits!)

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, NowVoyager said:

Surprised there was no flour in the Top Chef Kitchen. I mean, I'm sure they're provided with a list of available pantry items. So, it's still Umami Soup Guy's fault.

They probably have flour in the Top Chef Kitchen pantry, but there's probably some rule about incidental use. We usually don't see them buying oil. But I imagine if a cheftestant was trying to poach a protein in a gallon of olive oil, producers would make them buy a gallon of olive oil. Or with flour if you have to thicken or lightly flour something, it's probably fine to use pantry flour. But if you're making pasta or a dough, you have to buy your own. I think it's the only way to keep it remotely fair because otherwise a cheftestant could raid the pantry for every other ingredient and then go to Whole Foods and blow all of their money on super expensive ingredients.

[biakbiak]

Eddie looks like the contestant from a few years ago who had anger issues and arrested on domestic violence issues around the time he was eliminated from the show.

[sATL]

I would admit Kentucky surprised me.... I would have suggested Nashville if the theme was to be in the middle southern states and/or cities that are smaller than the prior 15 seasons.

[bref]

How can Last Chance Kitchen be underway when there is only one eliminated contestant? Isn't it a cook-off?

[Ellee]

I think I read where there are a couple of returning chefs coming back through LCK. 

[JTMacc99]

I genuinely enjoyed this episode. Any time that the judges like the vast majority of the food, and the majority of the chefs seem to be talented and somewhat charming, I enjoy this show. 

Highlight for me was the camera focusing in on Tom as he made faces eating the soup and then him brightly stating that he didn’t know what he’s eating but it’s fantastic. Heh. 

1 hour ago, bref said:

How can Last Chance Kitchen be underway when there is only one eliminated contestant? Isn't it a cook-off?

I think you can get the details in the media thread here. Or you can just go watch it now, which I did immediately after I finished the main episode this morning because I was excited about one of the people brought back. 

[skipnjump]

2 hours ago, sATL said:

I would admit Kentucky surprised me.... I would have suggested Nashville if the theme was to be in the middle southern states and/or cities that are smaller than the prior 15 seasons.

I agree about Nashville or even the Raleigh-Durham area

6 hours ago, NowVoyager said:

Hmm. This site was down for a bit for over use. Could it be because Top Chef is back?

 

Tomato Cobbler Lady makes biscuits everyday & served soggy biscuits? Girl. I watched Last Chance Kitchen on BravoTV (OnDemand wasn't up yet). Let's call it the Struggle Biscuit Episode. Smh. (Where is Chris from Butterfunk Kitchen when you need him?! Lol, remember when his fellow chefs fell all over his plate of biscuits!)

It seems to me that on any competitive cooking show when a contestant says they make an item every day or they can make it in their sleep, they always have issues with it.

[sATL]

11 hours ago, Straycat80 said:

I’m so happy this show is back. So far I like all the chefs. I felt bad for the lady who got sent home because she seemed sweet,  but the tomato biscuit dish didn’t sound or look good. I like Adrienne, I can relate to her because I always have trouble getting caps off bottles like she does, so glad she made the cut. 

The house they are staying in is insane! Since this is in Kentucky this season I foresee a lot of Bourbon related dishes. 

Isn't whiskey also manufactured popularly in KY ?

One good think I hope with TC being in KY is no more strange ingredients that are so regional that the avg person has never heard or nor can buy.

with the tomato dish - it might would have helped if she sold it better (and cook down the tomatoes). say something like " tomato-pot pie"  - like a a play on chicken pot pie. chicken pot pie can be made with Pillsbury biscuits on top, and yes, they do get soggy on the bottom.

Edited December 7, 2018 by sATL

[cooksdelight]

57 minutes ago, sATL said:

Isn't whiskey also manufactured popularly in KY ?

Yes, it is. One year, one of the distilleries had a fire or something and all of their whiskey wound up in the river. The fish were happy, I guess.

https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/15-distilleries-to-visit-in-kentucky/ 

[AnnA]

It's too early for me to have an opinion on the chefs but not too soon for me to snark on the judges and optics.    I did not like the two judges on the ends of the judges' table.   The one on the right (next to TC) was incredibly annoying.   I could not pay attention to anything he said because  of the ridiculous white framed glasses he wore.   I couldn't stop staring at them and kept thinking "Why?

Bravo gets a giant fail for staging their event guests.   Obviously they were trying to imitate Kentucky Derby attendees but they sure weren't dressed for it.    I couldn't see their clothes up close but they looked meh.  However, we were able to see the hats and they didn't even come close to Kentucky Derby standards.   They were tacky and cheap.  Maybe they blew their budget on the house for the chefs.    That was impressive!

Edited December 7, 2018 by AnnA

[snarktini]

I'd have preferred to see the first quickfire NOT be team and the first challenge NOT be catering. Let them settle in!

Seemed like the tomato dish was just not right for this challenge. Tom said the tomatoes weren't cooked down enough. Cherry tomatoes seem like an odd pick for that reason -- by the time you do cook them down into a nice cobbler-y filling, they are all skin. He also mentioned her ricotta wasn't as good as beet guy's, where was that in her dish? And while biscuits are quick and easy, they lose their texture fast -- even overnight they lose quality -- so I wonder about that choice, too. Then the biscuits got soggy sitting around, seems like she put them on top way too early. Sounds tasty but not a great fit for a catering challenge. I make a great tomato tart, so this does get my wheels turning. :)

I am super impressed the pork team salvaged their no-knife situation. Deep frying then pulling? Honestly I'm impressed that worked. Would not have thought you could pull pork cooked that way, so quickly.

Cocky Guy is one of those people who needs to learn to say things differently. All of his pasta commentary was so patronizing! Even his congratulations. He wasn't wrong and I think he may actually have been trying to be helpful, but he just sounded like a jerk.

[sATL]

I thought the dress code for all derby events at the minimum was business casual - meaning shirts with collars for guys; no denim, athletic shoes or "inappropriate" clothing. And the formal events you know about them prior to wear black tie. I missed anyone who was not abiding by the dress code.

Agree - on the fool  chef and those damn white classes. I wonder does he see himself on camera/mirror and realize that are are not a good choice. And do they have lenses in them? With so many frames on the market (in-store and internet) why those??He is giving glasses wearers a bad rap. Is Gail coming ? After watching the all-stars marathon, I will truely miss Anthony Bourdain . 

Speaking of judges/visiting chefs - let me say this before it happens again this season. I do not like it when there are 3 judges, each who know who cooked which plate, and then they vote, out-loud to camera, one by one. I would prefer if the judge #3 didn't know how/who judge #1 & #2 voted.

[dleighg]

13 hours ago, Bastet said:

iked all the introductions other than “I don’t want to be portrayed as the cocky guy.”  And he continued to piss me off with every word after that; he is a total asshole and I want him gone, even after one episode.

and if anyone isn't aware, the town that he's a private chef in is Atherton, CA, which in the already rarefied housing market of the Bay Area, is where the *really* rich people live. 

[Madding crowd]

The chef with the white glasses is Graham Elliot formerly of Masterchef. I have a soft spot for him because I had the best meal of my life at his restaurant in Chicago which has since closed.

I liked this episode and outside of ‘must take charge’ chef, liked everyone else. So far anyway. Also liked Padma’s Shorter hair.

[AnnA]

I didn't mean to imply any of the guests were violating a "dress code."     I thought their attire was blah.   

[SuburbanHangSuite]

So I guess I wasn't paying close atention but it looked like a lot of the chefs made dishes that wouldn't warm up well in those pans the next day--they really should've taken that into consideration while they planned.  

Ima need Minnesota chef to wear a beard net.  I was just picturing all kinds of beard hair landing in his grits.  Ewww.

I'm pulling for Natalie!  So quiet and unassuming but she rocked the first challenge.  And she's from Philly...go NAT!

I am crushing on Eric from Ghana.  That is one fine man.

[Empress1]

13 hours ago, NowVoyager said:

Tomato Cobbler Lady makes biscuits everyday & served soggy biscuits? Girl.

Pretty much verbatim what I was thinking! If you are going to do biscuits in the south you have GOT to come correct. I'm sure she knew that and was mortified that they were soggy.

6 hours ago, JTMacc99 said:

Highlight for me was the camera focusing in on Tom as he made faces eating the soup and then him brightly stating that he didn’t know what he’s eating but it’s fantastic. Heh. 

That was a really well-done shot because I was thinking, yikes, he's confused and that's usually not good! And then he kept eating as he said it! Also he was very cute in his little hat.

So far I'm rooting for the two Philly* chefs (hometown pride - I've eaten everywhere they've both worked), the Ghanaian chef, and the other brother with the beard - I think his name is Justin?

*When Natalie won and said her ex was a big fan of the show and she went on after not having worked for a year and then won the first challenge so that meant she won the breakup, that was very Philly. Hee hee!

My favorite moment was when one of them (I can't remember any names right now but he was the one who said he also apprentices in a butcher shop - he's white with brown hair and glasses and kind of a dry demeanor) said "I almost threw up!"

[cameron]

3 hours ago, AnnA said:

It's too early for me to have an opinion on the chefs but not too soon for me to snark on the judges and optics.    I did not like the two judges on the ends of the judges' table.   The one on the right (next to TC) was incredibly annoying.   I could not pay attention to anything he said because  of the ridiculous white framed glasses he wore.   I couldn't stop staring at them and kept thinking "Why?

Bravo gets a giant fail for staging their event guests.   Obviously they were trying to imitate Kentucky Derby attendees but they sure weren't dressed for it.    I couldn't see their clothes up close but they looked meh.  However, we were able to see the hats and they didn't even come close to Kentucky Derby standards.   They were tacky and cheap.  Maybe they blew their budget on the house for the chefs.    That was impressive!

Thought the same thing.  This was one kind of really rock bottom in appearance kind of group.  Bravo could have done much better in staging this event.

[hendersonrocks]

Oh, I'm so glad this show is back. It's a balm on my otherwise reality-TV-weary soul.

Loved the Kentucky/Alabama ladies and their secret friendship, loved my Minnesota chef (HELLOOOOOOO, Justin), loved Pablo. I was really surprised that Natalie pulled out the win, actually, because I thought he was going to take it going off of the judges comments. She seems like a good egg, too. Overall, a lot to like and very little to side eye thus far (Silicon Valley private chef and his apparent need to micromanage fellows chefs is definitely on that list).

The elimination challenge didn't seem particularly well designed. What was the audience there to do, exactly? They didn't get to vote. They didn't get to hear the commentary despite being in the room (it sounded like they were just eating and talking during the rounds of judge tastings & commentary). They didn't get any screen time talking about what dishes they liked or didn't like. They were there to wear hats and taste food, which I guess is cool for the attendees but the entire thing felt underdeveloped for the TV audience.

Edited December 7, 2018 by hendersonrocks

[GoGamecox]

I'm so happy TC is back! 

My boyfriend almost fell out of his chair when they kept showing Padma in her white jumpsuit. I was more focused on her face, trying to figure out what looked different. Facelift? Fillers? Whatever it is -- she looks gorgeous! 

As a South Carolina resident, I'm always happy when shows like this spotlight Southern places in a better light than someone like Angela from 90 Day Finance does. I saw Padma interviewed on the Today show and she commented how surprised she was that she really liked Kentucky. 

Edited December 7, 2018 by GoGamecox

[AnnA]

59 minutes ago, cameron said:

Thought the same thing.  This was one kind of really rock bottom in appearance kind of group.  Bravo could have done much better in staging this event.

Yup!     

[hula-la]

4 hours ago, sATL said:

Is Gail coming ? After watching the all-stars marathon, I will truely miss Anthony Bourdain . 

 

Gail is hosting Iron Chef Canada. I don't know if the two shows filmed at the same time, so that could be a reason why she's not around. A poster upthread mentioned, and one of the things that I really like about the American show is that they host in a different city every time. The Canadian version is always in Toronto (conveniently where one of the judges has a grocery store where the chef-testants get their groceries). I learn so much about the culinary traditions of various cities/areas in the US by watching, and wish I had the same opportunity for my own country.

[biakbiak]

5 hours ago, sATL said:

Is Gail coming ?

Probably not or if so just for an episode or two she she had her baby in the middle of filming.

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Probably not or if so just for an episode or two she she had her baby in the middle of filming.

I read an article that (I think) said she will show up only in the last episode in KY (because of the baby).

1 hour ago, GoGamecox said:

My boyfriend almost fell out of his chair when they kept showing Padma in her white jumpsuit.

Ah yeah. We *all* know pretty much what she looks like naked now.

2 hours ago, cameron said:

This was one kind of really rock bottom in appearance kind of group.  Bravo could have done much better in staging this event.

agree. The hats look like they were bought at the dollar store and handed out at the door to the attendees.

[AnnA]

4 minutes ago, dleighg said:

The hats look like they were bought at the dollar store and handed out at the door to the attendees.

LOL  I love your post!   

The outfits the guests were wearing certainly didn't rise to the level of being paired with a hat (even one from the dollar store) unless it was a baseball cap.

[Totale]

15 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

I think it's the only way to keep it remotely fair because otherwise a cheftestant could raid the pantry for every other ingredient and then go to Whole Foods and blow all of their money on super expensive ingredients.

Speaking of Whole Foods I'm not sure they are sponsoring this year.  There are only two in KY, one on the outskirts of Louisville and one somewhere in Lexington.  They will be visiting other places in the state and I'm not sure they can work WF in.  I don't believe they were identified or plugged in the shopping segment last night.  I've been to the Louisville Whole Foods, but not often,  and while I'm fairly sure that was where they shopped I'm not certain.

[AnnA]

Bravo should have done a google search before selecting the guests' wardrobe.

 

 

[Rammchick]

1 hour ago, GoGamecox said:

My boyfriend almost fell out of his chair when they kept showing Padma in her white jumpsuit. I was more focused on her face, trying to figure out what looked different. Facelift? Fillers? Whatever it is -- she looks gorgeous! 

I think it's the hair style.  It's quite severe and straight.  For me, it made her head look too small.  It's going to take some getting used to.

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, Totale said:

Speaking of Whole Foods I'm not sure they are sponsoring this year.  There are only two in KY, one on the outskirts of Louisville and one somewhere in Lexington.  They will be visiting other places in the state and I'm not sure they can work WF in.  I don't believe they were identified or plugged in the shopping segment last night.  I've been to the Louisville Whole Foods, but not often,  and while I'm fairly sure that was where they shopped I'm not certain.

It’s definitely WF, while they didn’t highlight it and used nonbranded bags you can see WF branding throughout the store.  

Edited December 7, 2018 by biakbiak

[AnnA]

5 hours ago, sATL said:

 

Speaking of judges/visiting chefs - let me say this before it happens again this season. I do not like it when there are 3 judges, each who know who cooked which plate, and then they vote, out-loud to camera, one by one. I would prefer if the judge #3 didn't know how/who judge #1 & #2 voted.

Isn't Padma also a judge?

[HunterHunted]

1 hour ago, Totale said:

Speaking of Whole Foods I'm not sure they are sponsoring this year.  There are only two in KY, one on the outskirts of Louisville and one somewhere in Lexington. They will be visiting other places in the state and I'm not sure they can work WF in. I don't believe they were identified or plugged in the shopping segment last night. I've been to the Louisville Whole Foods, but not often, and while I'm fairly sure that was where they shopped I'm not certain.

1 hour ago, biakbiak said:

It’s definitely WF, while they didn’t highlight it and used nonbranded bags you can see WF branding throughout the store.  

 

I watched it again. It was absolutely a Whole Foods. The show tried its best to obscure the Whole Foods logos throughout the store, but caught a very clear shot of it on the back of the clerk's vest as he was checking people out.

[Pickles]

Nothing says Top Chef like Padma in a form fitting, white jumpsuit with no bra.

[bluepiano]

13 hours ago, skipnjump said:

I agree about Nashville or even the Raleigh-Durham area.

Churchill Downs made a great setting for the season opener. And then there's Kentucky bourbon. Also, though it's one of the few states I haven't visited, I hear parts are really beautiful. And then there's the bourbon. And horses. And bourbon. And Fort Knox. And bourbon.

The only thing I know about Kentucky "cuisine" is the Hot Brown Sandwich, originated in and named for The Brown Hotel in Louisville, one of those iconic old American city hotels that's fortunately still around.

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

Nothing says Top Chef like Padma in a form fitting, white jumpsuit with no bra

.The Kentucky Derby has its traditions. Top Chef has theirs.

Edited December 8, 2018 by bluepiano

[bobbobbob199]

I hate how Western dishes get criticized as basic, yet a very simple dish with some ethnic flavors gets praised as very unique. Like the beet and ricotta dish...also Nini vs. "Cocky Guy"...for actual Vietnamese food Nini's dish looked extremely simple and playing it safe (which Vietnamese can't char some cabbage and make a nuoc cham), while Brandon's dish seemed far more complex and swinging for the fences--the most technically risky dish of the night by appearance. I was puzzled that the comments were the exact opposite. 

"Cocky guy" (Brandon) seems like a douche, but maybe he just doesn't have great EQ. He doesn't seem to have any negative intentions. He also has a pretty strong pedigree despite being a "private chef"...he was Sous Chef at three starred Benu and Eleven Madison, and CdC at Michelin starred Redd, which being so cocky I'm surprised he didn't mention since some of these other "less cocky" chefs mentioned working at some of these places (In one case under Brandon, it seems). Based on the resume and his dish I would have him as my frountrunner, but based on the edit and how the judges reacted I think he's getting kicked off soon.

I like the cast so far this season, including "cocky guy". Other favorites were Justin Sutherland, and the chic from Alabama--she seems to have a great personality. Many of the contestants were more lighthearted, which was good to see. The girl who won the first challenge seems to lack confidence--I think she will get kicked off soon. 

Edited December 8, 2018 by bobbobbob199

[Rammchick]

3 hours ago, HunterHunted said:

I watched it again. It was absolutely a Whole Foods. The show tried its best to obscure the Whole Foods logos throughout the store, but caught a very clear shot of it on the back of the clerk's vest as he was checking people out.

Interestingly, the camera zoomed in on the words, "Forgot something?  I'll get it for you," or something like that on the back of that one guy's vest.  He was shown in context with Umami Soup guy forgetting the flour, making you think, "If only he'd said something!" Nice fake out, Elves.  

[Tawdry Hepburn]

Ack! So hard to watch Chef Caitlin's elimination tonight. The biscuits are her signature dish and they are really truly amaaazzzing. We've dined at her restaurant and my husband and I both think her biscuits are the best biscuits we've ever had. Really a shame.

I'm pulling for Chef Brian even though I don't think he's long for the show; also like Chef Nini, 'Bama chef and Chef Eric.

[Yeah No]

I'm sorry to hear that Gail won't be on much this season.  I just saw her on "The Rachael Ray Show", though.

It looked to me like they were shopping in a Whole Foods, although it was hard to tell.

I sure hope we don't get a season full of big egos and conflict.  I really like this show much better when it's all about the food.  Although I didn't really love last season.  I didn't think it was all that harmonious between the chefs for a while, and at least one contestant seemed to have sour grapes about being eliminated and one seemed to begrudge the "bears".  At least that's how I remember it, although I'm not 100% sure about that.  Plus there was Fatima's subsequent cancer.  I did love Joe Flamm, but the season was a downer for me.