S16.E12: Kentucky Farewell

[bravofan27]

To even begin to say how much I loved the auction would be impossible. I LOVE auctions! I used to go to auctions all the time as a kid. Most of our furniture came from "new furniture" auctions. However, you usually get to view the auction items first, so that was a bummer they didn't get to contemplate ahead of time what they wanted, how much to bid. That's the strategy with auctions.

I'm done talking about auctions.

I've met Gavin several times and I don't like him. I was at one of his restaurants and me and my husband wanted to sit at the bar, but there was no room so we went to the patio. Gavin later asked us how we liked everything (he knows my husband) and I said that I had wanted to sit at the bar, and he was like, "Well, there is x seats at the bar, and xx seats on the patio" and was really rude about it. I was pissed and made some equally rude comment, praising him for being able to count. hahaha. 

That said, it's awesome to have representation from Minnesota. YAY! The next time I'm in Minnesota I'm definitely going to try to meet Justin. Can't wait!

[Fukui San]

48 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

To even begin to say how much I loved the auction would be impossible. I LOVE auctions! I used to go to auctions all the time as a kid. Most of our furniture came from "new furniture" auctions. However, you usually get to view the auction items first, so that was a bummer they didn't get to contemplate ahead of time what they wanted, how much to bid. That's the strategy with auctions.

I'm done talking about auctions.

I've met Gavin several times and I don't like him. I was at one of his restaurants and me and my husband wanted to sit at the bar, but there was no room so we went to the patio. Gavin later asked us how we liked everything (he knows my husband) and I said that I had wanted to sit at the bar, and he was like, "Well, there is x seats at the bar, and xx seats on the patio" and was really rude about it. I was pissed and made some equally rude comment, praising him for being able to count. hahaha. 

That said, it's awesome to have representation from Minnesota. YAY! The next time I'm in Minnesota I'm definitely going to try to meet Justin. Can't wait!

Gave you a "like" for having the presence of mind and fortitude to make the sarcastic comment to his face and in the moment.

[bravofan27]

5 minutes ago, Fukui San said:

Gave you a "like" for having the presence of mind and fortitude to make the sarcastic comment to his face and in the moment.

Ha! Thanks! I do him him props for getting a seat at the table (on tonight's episode). 

[bravofan27]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

She used fresh jumbo lump crab (in plastic tubs).  She bought a little can of something, but I don't have the eyesight to have seen what it was.

She put the canned crab in the tubs. It was all canned. 

[biakbiak]

5 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

She put the canned crab in the tubs. It was all canned. 

We never saw canned crab only the tubs she said that she used both fresh and canned at different times. The can they flashed to in her hands was sardines or anchovies. I typically buy that brand but don’t have any so don’t remember which it was.

Edited February 23, 2019 by biakbiak

[Bastet]

9 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

The can they flashed to in her hands was sardines or anchovies. I typically buy that brand but don’t have any so don’t remember which it was.

Thanks; that was more than I could see, and makes sense given the size and shape of the can.

[bravofan27]

17 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

We never saw canned crab only the tubs she said that she used both fresh and canned at different times. The can they flashed to in her hands was sardines.

No, she clearly says, "I'm getting canned jumbo crab instead of picking through a million crabs" after she told her story about growing up crabbing and how long it it took to make gumbo once there was enough crabs. She bought fresh clams though. And fresh andouille. They showed her picking up a can of something else. And when she is preparing the food, she also clearly explains that since she is using canned crab she has to pick through it for shells. Plus, did you see a single crab in the episode when they were preparing? That could be a good indication as well. :) She said wanted to use her time to make the roux since she said it was a very time consuming process. 

Edited February 23, 2019 by bravofan27

[biakbiak]

18 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

I'm getting canned jumbo crab instead of picking through a million crabs

She also clearly says “I’m getting fresh jumbo lump crab meat instead of picking through a million crabs” when she is shopping at WF and talking about the dish and they fllash to her picking up a can of sardines or anchovies. The only thing we see is the tubs that WF atypically packs there fresh crabmeat in at her station when she is picking through it on a bowl. Which is why I said there was confusion because she said both.

No one is suggesting she picked the crab herself just that but the tubs we see are the tubs of fresh jumbo lump crab meat that Wf give. The correct quote about the canned crab is “I would love fresh crab but all I have is this canned crab so I have to pick through it” and that’s when you see the tubs. Hence it’s not very clear.

edited because they didn’t merge.

Edited February 23, 2019 by biakbiak

[bravofan27]

15 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

No, she clearly says, "I'm getting canned jumbo crab instead of picking through a million crabs" after she told her story about growing up crabbing and how long it it took to make gumbo once there was enough crabs. She bought fresh clams though. And fresh andouille. They showed her picking up a can of something else. 

Your right that she says that she is going to buy fresh crab meat at the store. However, she later clarifies that her crab is canned, and she clearly says, "All I have is this canned crab." Regardless, the crab was canned. If it came in canned and Whole Foods divided it up into containers, or if they just didn't show smaller cans I don't know. It's fine. No one died (well, except a bunch of crabs). 

Edited February 23, 2019 by bravofan27

[Bastet]

22 minutes ago, bravofan27 said:

No, she clearly says, "I'm getting canned jumbo crab instead of picking through a million crabs"

When she was explaining why she opted not to break down crabs, she said she was getting "fresh jumbo lump crab meat" instead.  And, indeed, we see her picking through the fresh crab from the tubs (which is how such crab meat is sold) for shells. 

The only can we saw her with was that tiny one (sardines or anchovies, as theorized above); if they didn't have fresh crab meat and she'd instead also bought a shit ton of cans of crab (and bizarrely put the meat - which looks better than anything I've ever seen from a can - into plastic tubs), that would have been honed in on in editing to create suspense over whether it was going to be an issue in the dish and/or judging.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Bastet

[biakbiak]

2 minutes ago, Bastet said:

When she was explaining why she opted not to break down crabs, she said she was getting "fresh jumbo lump crab meat" instead.  And, indeed, we see her picking through the fresh crab from the tubs (which is how such crab meat is sold) for shells. 

The only can we saw her with was that tiny one (sardines or anchovies, as theorized above); if she'd bought a shit ton of cans and bizarrely put it into plastic tubs, that would have been honed in on. 

Also, if that was really a canned crab and not WF prepicked tubs I want to know the brand because it looked like fresh jumbo lump and no one criticized the taste just the one shell. And the jumbo lump crab is a lot more expensive than  canned or whole crabs.

Both statements were given on interviews after the fact and she also defended her crab as being on point in thenstew room which I don’t think she would have done if  it was canned and processed crab.

[Yeah No]

5 hours ago, Lovecat said:

No to mention you need a visa to go to China, and that can take some time to obtain.

They still could have been surprised if they had someone getting their visas processed for them.  All they'd have to do is submit some personal information to them and it could be done without their knowledge of the destination, says me who used to process Chinese visas regularly.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, Yeah No said:

They still could have been surprised if they had someone getting their visas processed for them.  All they'd have to do is submit some personal information to them and it could be done without their knowledge of the destination, says me who used to process Chinese visas regularly.

Also they aren’t going to Mainland China. Production was in Hong Kong, I don’t know if the contestants went, but if they just go to HK and Macau US citizens don’t need a visa.

[Yeah No]

Obviously even though they sort-of bitched about Sara's pre-made waffle mix and Kelsey used canned crab neither of them went home over it.  Neither was that much of an offense in my opinion.  It depends on what it is.  Fresh lump crab meat is often not available and today's canned crab is much better than it used to be, so it may not be looked down upon that much.  I suppose that next to the faux pas of doing anything two ways the canned crab didn't affect the outcome as negatively despite the pieces of shell.  I actually thought Adrienne might be the one going home this week so I was surprised at the outcome.  I wonder if Justin suffered any from Tom not loving his dish last week too.

I find it interesting that Sara is so disliked on this board when she regularly makes the fan favorite list.  I don't really dislike anyone this season although I'm not in love with anyone either.

Also I feel that criticizing appearance is fair game on this board as long as it isn't mean and cruel, although it is a personal opinion as to whether it is or not.  I have seen a lot of criticism of Graham for his eyewear choice and weight issues that weren't objected to, and I don't really see the difference between talking about makeup and that.  I actually wonder if Sara doesn't have sensitive skin and that's one reason she avoids makeup.  Something about her skin's appearance makes me wonder about that.  I have sensitive skin and it takes a lot for me to find products I can wear.  She's a busy chef and doesn't have time for that stuff, so I get it.  And besides, she's not here to win a beauty contest, lol.

[dleighg]

7 hours ago, Kaiju Ballet said:

Good thing it turned out so delicious, otherwise she would have been dinged for wasting the meat

I was very happy that at least she put a thin slice of the actual ham on each dish so that it could be appreciated in its usual state.

[Chit Chat]

6 hours ago, Yeah No said:

I suppose that next to the faux pas of doing anything two ways the canned crab didn't affect the outcome as negatively despite the pieces of shell.

If it hadn't been for that piece of shell, she might've won the challenge.  Tom commented on how he could taste the layers in her dish and that it showcased her level of skill.  As I've said before, I believe that they're all excellent chefs, but sometimes it's just one element gone wrong that gets you sent home.  The judges have to be super picky at this stage of the game.   

[TipseyGirl]

On 2/21/2019 at 11:11 PM, avecsans said:

How in the world is a plate of food “feminine?” Does it have ovaries?  

OMG. Ha!

[jackjill89]

Wasn't the challenge somehow supposed to be an homage to their mentors? Some of them did that, some of them didn't. 

[Totale]

9 hours ago, bravofan27 said:

However, she later clarifies that her crab is canned, and she clearly says, "All I have is this canned crab."

My guess was that (like ATK) she considers both the actual "tin" cans and the processed refrigerated crab meat in the little tubs found in many supermarkets to be "canned". 

[TipseyGirl]

On 2/22/2019 at 9:35 AM, Princess Sparkle said:

I gotta say, I felt bad for Adrienne that every other mentor, even when they weren't over the moon about the food they were served, tried to say good things about it. Hers just sneered with "I wish you would've wiped the plate", like damn dude. She was so effusive about him, and he just seemed like he was there to fuel his own ego.

I know!

Adrienne: "We have been best friends forever...I'll probably cry when I see him."

Chris: "Meh."

[GeorgiaRai]

UO:  I was hoping Eddie would win LCK.  I like him best, followed by Sarah. WTF is wrong with me?!?  

[Bucket]

9 minutes ago, GeorgiaRai said:

UO:  I was hoping Eddie would win LCK.  I like him best, followed by Sarah. WTF is wrong with me?!?  

I don't know.  Breathe through your nose and drink water, I am on my way.

[cameron]

2 hours ago, Totale said:

My guess was that (like ATK) she considers both the actual "tin" cans and the processed refrigerated crab meat in the little tubs found in many supermarkets to be "canned". 

Think there is a major difference in taste and cost between can crab meat and pasteurized crab meat that's usually sold in the seafood section.

[Kenz]

18 hours ago, LennieBriscoe said:

Headbands are unisex items; j/s they're good for everyone.

  But! I said it at the git-go and I'm here to reiterate it: These Lincolnesque beards have got to go! Stop the madness (especially in the kitchen)!

I agree with you, Lenniebriscoe. Eric and Justin are two good looking guys. I don't get why they want to have such long beards, and why don't they put a net on them when they cook? I kept expecting one of their dishes to have little beard hairs in them.

[dleighg]

27 minutes ago, cameron said:

Think there is a major difference in taste and cost between can crab meat and pasteurized crab meat that's usually sold in the seafood section.

Yeah, the best crab I can get around me is the plastic tubs. Fresh? Not to be found. I think it's pretty fine.

[kicksave]

On 2/21/2019 at 9:52 PM, ChitChat said:

Sometimes I find Padma to be a little bit rude.  I thought the judges wanted their stories about their mentor.  Hell, last week they wanted a damn soliloquy about their food as it related to Ali (all due respect to him!)   Anyway, yay to Kelsey for making a great dish and for moving on in the competition.

Padma rude??? No way! LOL!!!!!!

[kicksave]

23 hours ago, chabelisaywow said:

Didn't all of his restaurants go bankrupt?

Wouldn't surprise me...I have friends that live near his Volt restaurant in Maryland and said the food was not very good and way too expensive. It did well right after his season on TC but from what my friends said it was the kind of place you tried once and didn't return to.

[kicksave]

3 hours ago, GeorgiaRai said:

UO:  I was hoping Eddie would win LCK.  I like him best, followed by Sarah. WTF is wrong with me?!?  

I like Eddie too and especially like that he is embracing his African roots in these competitions. It's refreshing and exciting to see him doing something different and introducing new flavors and dishes to the competition. I initially did not like Sara but she has grown on me...I think her palate is very sharp and and she cooks earthy, wholesome food that is refined but true to her rural background. She knows her vegetables and how to get the most flavor out of them... the use of the ham in her dish was subtle but powerful at the same time. Both of these chefs are fun to watch.

[jackjill89]

17 minutes ago, kicksave said:

I like Eddie too and especially like that he is embracing his African roots in these competitions. It's refreshing and exciting to see him doing something different and introducing new flavors and dishes to the competition. I initially did not like Sara but she has grown on me...I think her palate is very sharp and and she cooks earthy, wholesome food that is refined but true to her rural background. She knows her vegetables and how to get the most flavor out of them... the use of the ham in her dish was subtle but powerful at the same time. Both of these chefs are fun to watch.

Eddie embraced his African roots? Did I miss something? 

[snarktini]

On 2/21/2019 at 6:56 PM, hendersonrocks said:

Second superficial note: as a similarly buxom lady, I feel like the producers did Sara and her bosoms wrong in that nightgown footage.

15 hours ago, little black cloud said:

Along with “Never make anything two ways,” “Know one killer dessert,” and “Ix-nay on the isotto-ray,” I feel like every chef who’s ever watched this show should know these words of wisdom: “Always wear a sleep bra because one day they’ll barge into your bedroom.”

Yeah, the Sara footage was unnecessary. Kelsey did the logical thing, raise/cross her arms to cover. But Sara didn't, so maybe she doesn't/didn't care? (FWIW, if I were staying in a house with a group and on camera "always wear a sleep bra" is exactly what I'd have done!) 

The minute Justin said two ways my mind went <sad trombone>. 

I thought they usually only took 3-4 people to the finale. 5 seems like a lot. Since I didn't see anyone else comment on that, I'll assume I'm misremembering.

Edited February 23, 2019 by snarktini

[cameron]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

Yeah, the best crab I can get around me is the plastic tubs. Fresh? Not to be found. I think it's pretty fine.

Actually think that the crab in the plastic tubs is fresh crab that has been pasteurized so that it doesn't spoil.

[carrps]

I haven't seen it mentioned, but what was with Kelsey saying she ran to the bathroom to call her mom and get her gumbo recipe? Is that kosher? I thought they weren't allowed access to recipes. Did I misunderstand what she was saying? Did she run into the bathroom some other time to call her mom and get the recipe? Confusing...

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, carrps said:

I haven't seen it mentioned, but what was with Kelsey saying she ran to the bathroom to call her mom and get her gumbo recipe? Is that kosher? I thought they weren't allowed access to recipes. Did I misunderstand what she was saying? Did she run into the bathroom some other time to call her mom and get the recipe? Confusing...

She did that when she was working for Kasen at Cafe Boulud and in charge of making family meal not for this show. 

[carrps]

Just now, biakbiak said:

She did that when she was working for Kasen at Cafe Boulud and in charge of making family meal not for this show. 

Thank you! I knew I must have missed something. 😀

[Token]

Okay, is it just me or was that the most pointless auction on a competition reality show ever?  No one really seemed interested in the ingredients, except Sara and the ham.  And they could get whatever they wanted from WF.  There really wasn't any incentive/punishment for buying or not.  The vegetables were a complete waste of money.

Re. the Lincoln beards on Justin and Eric.  I can handle the beards.  But the skinny pants..... oy!!!!  I can't stand the skinny pant trend, especially on men, and I am still waiting for this trend to be over!

[Bastet]

27 minutes ago, Token said:

Okay, is it just me or was that the most pointless auction

It would have been dramatic if several items were wanted by two or more chefs bidding against each other, or if these were the type of people who would bid on an item they didn't want, just to jack up the price for the one who did, leaving that person less money to spend on the rest of their meal.  But it turned out that pretty much everyone wanted something different, and no one was interested (or even thought of) a strategy to mess with someone else's budget in the hopes of putting them at a disadvantage, so all that happened is that people got gloriously underpriced meats - and some went on to over-spend on specialty vegetables.  The auctioneer and Padma looked disappointed that this was so uneventful, which made me laugh, but I'm glad people just got what they wanted and proceeded to the next step of making a great dish.

Edited February 23, 2019 by Bastet

[dleighg]

2 hours ago, kicksave said:

I have friends that live near his Volt restaurant in Maryland and said the food was not very good and way too expensive. It did well right after his season on TC but from what my friends said it was the kind of place you tried once and didn't return to.

I'll differ here. I went there about 5 years ago, so I guess a few years after his season. It was honestly my favorite restaurant meal ever. It *was* very expensive I'll admit. My husband and I each got a different tasting menu (I got the veggie-- I'm not veggie but just to try more different things). I loved it. 

[WendyM]

1 hour ago, Bastet said:

It would have been dramatic if several items were wanted by two or more chefs bidding against each other, or if these were the type of people who would bid on an item they didn't want, just to jack up the price for the one who did, leaving that person less money to spend on the rest of their meal.  But it turned out that pretty much everyone wanted something different, and no one was interested (or even thought of) a strategy to mess with someone else's budget in the hopes of putting them at a disadvantage, so all that happened is that people got gloriously underpriced meats - and some went on to over-spend on specialty vegetables.  The auctioneer and Padma looked disappointed that this was so uneventful, which made me laugh, but I'm glad people just got what they wanted and proceeded to the next step of making a great dish.

When Padma first said "auction" to the chefs and there were all those empty seats, I pictured a crowd suddenly showing up to bid too, which would have meant there would be more of an auction and more drama and higher stakes. Especially when one or two chefs said they didn't know from an auction. This all seemed pretty anticlimactic. 

[Bucket]

6 hours ago, cameron said:

Think there is a major difference in taste and cost between can crab meat and pasteurized crab meat that's usually sold in the seafood section.

There is the fake crab meat billed as Krab but made out of pollak, canned crab and the fresh crab meat you buy in the fish department that comes in a plastic tub like coleslaw from the deli.  

[HappyDancex2]

22 hours ago, ChitChat said:

From an article in our local news about Kelsey:  https://www.dothaneagle.com/news/local/kbc-s-kelsey-barnard-clark-among-final-five-in-top/article_b077b514-36dd-11e9-ad7a-87f2badcdf23.html

“Even when you win you’re worried you’re going to go home,” she said. “I never left the state of just total nauseating nervousness … because even when you won that’s just one challenge, one day. You could wake up the next day and totally blow it. We had this joke in the house − you don’t always have to be the best one here, you just can’t be the worst one ever.”  Kelsey

Pretty much explains the food we are seeing this year.  Ceiling of mediocrity.

[xaxat]

6 hours ago, Token said:

Okay, is it just me or was that the most pointless auction on a competition reality show ever? 

I think it lacked the urgency of a high stakes auction. In part because they knew they had the fallback of the product at Whole Foods. Had they been told, you bid for what you really want and then you use the Top Chef pantry, it would have been a far more exciting dynamic.

However, this late in the contest, I think that would have been unfair. 

[biakbiak]

4 minutes ago, xaxat said:

Had they been told, you bid for what you really want and then you use the Top Chef pantry, it 

Or even if it was chosen by another contestant you couldn’t use that ingredient even if it was at WF but that wouldn’t have gone with the luxurious ingredients that were offered where it was actually cheaper. As mentioned above I think the challenge should have happened earlier with more people it would have been better. 

[HappyDancex2]

I hope they don’t have to make Asian food in Macau.  I’d rather them try to take local ingredients and fit it into their own style foods.  I’d prefer to not see the dearth of soy sauce, sesame seed oil, five spice, black vinegar etc based dishes that are interpretive in their wheelhouses.  Also I’d also prefer not to see everyone dressed up like they are cast offs from Miss Saigon with tacky satin print dresses and suit jackets and chopsticks wedged in hairpieces.  Please stop.

[JMarie99]

I don’t like Sara’s personality at all, but I have to admit, she knows how to cook!  On the subject of her appearance, I think it goes a lot farther than whether or not she wears makeup. She just looks sloppy to me. In several of her talking heads she was wearing overalls with a tank top. Most of the people I know try to put a little effort into their appearance, whether they are planning to be on television, going to work, or just going to the grocery store. And this isn’t a man vs. woman thing. All of the other cheftestants on the show (notwithstanding the beards which I don’t like either - maybe they should wear beard nets!) make an effort to look neat and appealing. Pretty or not, slim or heavy, they are pleasing to look at. This is TV, after all! Sara just looks like she doesn’t give a sh*t. I don’t have a problem at all with the poster calling her “dumpy.” And I have a feeling that Sara wouldn’t care either!

On the other hand, in a previous season there was a poster who referred to one of the cheftestants as “Shovelface” more than once. I found that extremely offensive. But mods did nothing so I guess anything goes in this forum! In any event, Sara is Sara, appearance and personality wise, and she seems to have her fans as well as her haters. But one thing is for sure, the woman can cook! If she can take a crazy-expensive type of ham and make a broth for fish out of it, with just a sliver of the ham on top, and win a challenge for it where I thought she would get dinged for desecrating the ham - man, that must have been some broth! She obviously has something special. So although I don’t care for her, if she does win, I would have to admit it was deserved. Actually I believe all of the remaining chefs deserve to win. 

[kicksave]

On 2/23/2019 at 3:55 PM, dleighg said:

I'll differ here. I went there about 5 years ago, so I guess a few years after his season. It was honestly my favorite restaurant meal ever. It *was* very expensive I'll admit. My husband and I each got a different tasting menu (I got the veggie-- I'm not veggie but just to try more different things). I loved it. 

We never went there ...our friends who live in Frederick went there so I can't say if it was good or not...just going by their review. 

[FinnishViewer]

Quote

so that was a bummer they didn't get to contemplate ahead of time what they wanted, how much to bid. That's the strategy with auctions.

I think I saw them leafing through a  list where the auction items were listed before the auction started.

[VintageJ]

On 2/22/2019 at 10:32 PM, Kaiju Ballet said:

Lol. This!

Was Sara also the only one that did a dish that was created by the chef who mentored her? It seemed everyone else interpreted the challenge as their own dish that was somehow inspired by the mentor, not invented by.

Good thing it turned out so delicious, otherwise she would have been dinged for wasting the meat, or for hewing too closely to the chef and not letting enough of her own identity as a chef come through.

I'm also still bitter about Adrienne's mentor-chef being so unnecessarily Tool-ish. Maybe other mentors made similar observations of their mentees that weren't shown, but rushed plating is something that's obvious to everyone and needn't have a further spotlight on it.

IIRC, Adrienne’s mentor told the table that Adrienne’s plating was the most beautiful he had ever seen (or something like that) and made it seem like her plating is always exceptional.  I think that may be why he mentioned it or why the editors left that comment in.

Edited February 25, 2019 by VintageJ

[Rai]

I love Iberico ham so much, so Sara's dish winning makes sense, but also, omg, what an extravagant use of that gorgeous chunk of ham. I hope the crew got shove all of the leftovers in their faces. Because otherwise, damn. Anyway, Sara can be tiring, but this wasn't a deep mystery as to how it won.

I don't care how Sara or Kelsey look, they're here to be Top Chef, not Top Models (although the idea of Tyra and Padma being on a panel together is HILARIOUS). I also have been rooting for Eric this whole time, but insinuations that it "has" to be a woman because of Me Too and that a woman is fated to win purely on those grounds and not for her cooking is pretty insulting to the final chefs. Obviously, by the numbers, Eric's odds are pretty unfavorable, but it's not like the women haven't cooked really great food too. If a woman wins, she'll have earned it. If Eric wins, he'll have earned it too. It should be more notable that no matter what, the winner can't be a white dude, and that's pretty special for Top Chef.

[MartyQui]

2 hours ago, VintageJ said:

IIRC, Adrienne’s mentor told the table that Adrienne’s plating was the most beautiful he had ever seen (or something like that) and made it seem like her plating is always exceptional.  I think that may be why he mentioned it or why the editors left that comment in.

Chris Coombs, the mentor, owns four restaurants in Boston.  Deuxave, the one Adrienne ran, is excellent.  He has two steakhouse style restaurants (Boston Chops), and one casual restaurant/bar (D-Bar, which was his first).  He's been on Chopped twice and was a real jerk both times.  I can't imagine working for him.

[Lamb18]

I'm one of the minority that likes Sarah, too. I didn't at first but her vulnerability and passion for her calling has won me over. I feel like she's been viewed as cannon fodder because she seemed to stay in the competition more because someone was worse than because she is so much better, but she's come to master how to do these challenges and is now showing how well she can cook. Also she was the only one to really take her garden seriously and work at it. Adrienne's the one I dislike a little now; I feel she did throw Sarah under the bus during the basketball challenge and I feel it's one thing to tattle on someone if they've actually broken a competition rule, but to tattle just to discredit another competitor seems lame and weak to me.

I am so disappointed Justin was eliminated although I could see it coming based on the judges' reactions to his dish. I like him and he's from my state so I wanted him to win. Oh well. I wonder if he's going to do a viewing party.