S04.E06: Knot Today, Anchors

[biakbiak]

29 minutes ago, dleighg said:

It's always summer in the mediterranean. Did you see how they were dressed? My point stands.

It was probably mid 60s to low 70s hardly sweltering and cauliflower bisque is not that heavy. As noted the guests liked simple things and loved it so it wouldn’t surprise me if a lot of these things were on the preference sheet.

I am actually most impressed with her breakfast spreads where she manages to put out a lot of different things without complaint a rarity for this show. And the eggs Benedict last week look divine. 

Edited July 9, 2019 by biakbiak

[Diane Mars]

24 minutes ago, dleighg said:

It's always summer in the mediterranean. Did you see how they were dressed? My point stands.

Where are you living to assert that ?!? Because October, in Cannes'area, is not that hot at all ! 65°F - 70°F is not "Summer". And I'm not even talking about the evenings/nights !

[LotusFlower]

1 hour ago, Special K said:

Captain Sandy participating (lamely, I might add, like a wannabe wallflower) in the crew dance was everything I needed to know about her as a leader. 

How can her instincts be so off?

Anything for camera time.  

[biakbiak]

I get it’s tradition, formality, respect, etc. but this show highlighted why I find it so stupid that they have to change into their epaulets for a five minute goodbye and than immediately change back to their actual work clothes. 

[dosodog]

42 minutes ago, Diane Mars said:

Where are you living to assert that ?!? Because October, in Cannes'area, is not that hot at all ! 65°F - 70°F is not "Summer". And I'm not even talking about the evenings/nights !

In the Pacific Northwest, we call 65-70 a heatwave.  It's 60 degrees right now and I'm excited to wear shorts and a tshirt.  I'm also running the fan because I feel a little warm.

I love my part of the world.  I just wish we had Carribean temperatures. 

13 hours ago, PaperTree said:

Jwow and Collie are on WWHL @ 11 EST.

Did you watch?  I'm asking because Hannah is furious with Joao, but not Colin.  If you did watch, would you be willing to hit the media thread with what you saw and heard.  Because I was tired and a tad foggy on details that I remember hearing.

[BluBrd47]

Regardless of season I cannot get behind the idea of a cauliflower bisque. I am such a bisque person and it seems like an awful food pairing. Lobster, potato squash yes please!

[heatherchandler]

14 hours ago, movingtargetgal said:

The next charter's primary guest,  Jackie Siegel, is a heinous human being.  She was a subject of the documentary Queen of Versailles.   She and her husband were on Celebrity Wife Swap and Flipping Out.  She is the epitome of vain and shallow.  Her 18 year old daughter died a few years ago.  She hired a photographer and posed for photographs at the FUNERAL.  

 I feel so sorry for the crew.  They have no idea of what they are in for.

She really is heinous.  I remember her taking SELFIES with the casket.  I figure she must be on drugs - there is no other explanation.

To anyone who hasn't yet seen the documentary - I highly recommend it!  She is a complete whack job.

[Marvin]

Anastasia is not a chef - she is just a cook. She doesn't cook anything special or fancy, she just presents basic food well. So far she has done, gnocci, risotto, burgers, steak and mash, cauliflower soup and a cake most people can make easily. Hardly fine dining and i think most people could cook those things at home to such a standard !

She also needs help in the galley and is very arrogant about her skills. She was not responsible for 50% of that tip ! 

Then next week we saw a clip where she doesn't know how to make mint jelly ! I am not sure if she even knew what it was. As was mentioned on a previous season, a yacht chef needs to be good at everything and needs to be able to cook on the fly. She seems to rely too much on recipes (you often see her consulting her phone) or her mum ! 

[Mindthinkr]

14 hours ago, MVFrostsMyPie said:

With Hannah's philosophy on learning, she never would have lasted at my alma mater, whose motto is literally "Learn by Doing". 

Medical School = See it.  Do it.  Teach it. 

My anchor take: When they are bringing up the anchor someone needs to watch that it winds correctly on the spool. It also has to be slowed at times so it can go from top to bottom. Then vice versa. Seems to me it was being hauled up too fast for the spool to thread it correctly, so it began to spill onto the deck. I’m sure during which time Jack was hiding in some corner having a smoke. He should have been watching either below deck or up on the deck. He is a waste of skin. I felt for Collie and didn’t care for the way Captain Sandy teased him that if it happened again, that he would get his ticket home. He is a honest worker who genuinely tries to always do the correct thing and put in the time necessary to get his (and half of Jacks) job done. 

[spunky]

5 hours ago, langford peel said:

What you may be overlooking is the fact that the guests loved the food because it was what they enjoyed and were familiar with so there were no surprises. Many chefs want to introduce exotic and strange dishes to stroke their ego instead of food that the guests would enjoy. Remember the guy who had to put a sea monster on the table and decided to serve veal to spite the principal? Or the other chef who insisted on putting onions in the food even though the principal specifically and vehemently said no onions? They were all ego and forcing the guests to eat what they wanted them to eat. Anastasia seems to be focusing on good food well prepared on time and tasty. That’s sounds pretty cool to me.

These guests were easy to please. What would she do when she gets those guests who are just extra, and are demanding something they “can’t get at home”, like miss chicken is for poor people. In regards to Adrian and Adam, they were both divas.

[dleighg]

7 minutes ago, spunky said:

These guests were easy to please.

Yes. I'm in no way high-maintenance, but I do like to be served "food I can't cook myself" especially on a "luxury yacht." I'd be unhappy being served spaghetti, hamburgers, etc. even though I'm happy as a clam having that kind of food at a pub for lunch, or at a summer bbq. 

[spunky]

2 minutes ago, dleighg said:

Yes. I'm in no way high-maintenance, but I do like to be served "food I can't cook myself" especially on a "luxury yacht." I'd be unhappy being served spaghetti, hamburgers, etc. even though I'm happy as a clam having that kind of food at a pub for lunch, or at a summer bbq. 

I hear you. If I’m paying how many thousands of dollars for a luxury yacht , please surprise me with something I can’t make myself. 

[biakbiak]

She seems to have been adhering closely to the preference sheets so if she gets people who want different things we will see what she can do.

So far she has done as well as several of the chefs we have seen on this show with going the extra mile of making fries not using frozen, making corn tortillas and they have downplayed a lot of what she made the cake had three flavors and had layers straight enough that would probably get praise on TGBBO.

Next week will be interesting because Jackie is high maintenance but with plebeian tastes who tries to have delusions of grandeur.

Not knowing how to make mint jelly or even what it’s used for is not something that would be unusual for a lot of actual trained young American chefs because it’s considered dated even restaurants that serve it most aren’t making their own.

Edited July 9, 2019 by biakbiak

[langford peel]

Of course taste differs. I would not have served spaghetti and meatballs but she picked it up with the filet and mash. 

Personally I would hate exotic dishes like sea sponges or sweet breads or puffer fish.

I guess I would be an easy guest. Was is that a bad thing.

Easy guest and the biggest tipper? What more do you want?

[scenicbyway]

Did Sandy really try some of Mila's food before hiring her?  I found it odd that she said she'd normally have a chef make her a meal before hiring them.  She couldn't possibly have tried Mila's food.  She was a total producer plant.  Anastasia has some nice skills but it was bizarre how her new ego took over once she got the job where the options were, cook or go back to clean toilets?  I can't figure out why she gets an assistant either, other chefs don't have a deckhand cooking for the crew.  It also sounded like he didn't get a choice in the matter.

The season was going too well with competent stewardess' so they had to throw a wrench in it somewhere.

[dleighg]

4 minutes ago, scenicbyway said:

Anastasia has some nice skills but it was bizarre how her new ego took over once she got the job where the options were, cook or go back to clean toilets?  I can't figure out why she gets an assistant either, other chefs don't have a deckhand cooking for the crew.  It also sounded like he didn't get a choice in the matter.

I totally agree. I did not like the ego that reared its ugly head here. If she's going to be a chef, and not an "acting chef" then do it the way other chefs do-- without a deckhand as sous.

[langford peel]

Did she ask for a sous chef or did Sandy volunteer it? If she said you can be chef but you have to do it on your own she might have said no.

This is obviously producer manipulation.

Edited July 9, 2019 by langford peel

[biakbiak]

I don’t actually think it was her ego but that it was a challenge that was more interesting than being third stew.

1 minute ago, langford peel said:

Did she ask for a sous chef or did Sandy volunteer it? If she said you can be chef but you have to do it on your own she might have said no.

This is obviously producer manipulation.

It appeared Sandy just decided. Also, we have seen other chefs get help from crew members for at least dinner service and prep. I mean Bruno almost usurped Matt. Even Ben has had a found extra hands useful.

[dleighg]

23 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

I don’t actually think it was her ego but that it was a challenge that was more interesting than being third stew.

I didn't mean ego in taking the job-- I meant in claiming 50% credit for the tip, saying now she will do what chefs do (get drunk on nights off), etc. She went from 0 to 60 awfully quickly.

[langford peel]

I don’t know. She is just a kid so I would cut her some slack.

I do think that Colin and Anastasia should go off and eat on their own. Or leave after dinner and leave the alcoholic losers to their own devices. 

[Diane Mars]

3 hours ago, Marvin said:

Anastasia is not a chef - she is just a cook. She doesn't cook anything special or fancy, she just presents basic food well. So far she has done, gnocci, risotto, burgers, steak and mash, cauliflower soup and a cake most people can make easily. Hardly fine dining and i think most people could cook those things at home to such a standard !

She also needs help in the galley and is very arrogant about her skills. She was not responsible for 50% of that tip ! 

Then next week we saw a clip where she doesn't know how to make mint jelly ! I am not sure if she even knew what it was. As was mentioned on a previous season, a yacht chef needs to be good at everything and needs to be able to cook on the fly. She seems to rely too much on recipes (you often see her consulting her phone) or her mum ! 

French -born and trained- Chef's and restaurant owner wife here :
Just to let you know that having the humility of checking for a receipe and following it is ESSENTIAL in this job, and it's absolutely not considered as something "weak", or a lack of knowledge or professionalism at all. Asking her mother for a pragmatic solution to "down-sweetened" her Chantilly for the icing and ending by doing a buttercream instead, by adding butter to the cream, like she did as her mother told her, neither...

I'm NOT a chef, but I'm quite good at cooking 😉  I thaught Hubby some receipes, and when he's not sure about something, he asks me... We also create some plates together, sometimes. We've also some friends -and clients- who are "starred" in the Michelin's and/or Gault and Millault guides, so I have the pretention to think that I've got a little bit of knowledge regarding how it works in real world, and what she does is exactly how she should doing it. Until now at least, but she's got the right attitude, the right humility regarding her position (even the "fake it 'till you make it", because she's putting what it needs to learn and grow.)

ETA : I hope this post doesn't sound cocky or like if I'm lecturing you, because it's not my intent at all. My goal is only to explain/clarify, as I have a good knowledge of this working environnment, requirements, service, etc... 😉 

ETA#2 : and "basic food", when well made with good products is AMAH-ZING ! It's my forte and I "helped" Hubby to "tone down" some of his plates, for the better. Let the product speak ! "Let the carrot be a carrot and taste like a carrot" ! I have to admit that we're really lucky here in Switzerland, because we've got quite good products, with taste, no antibiotics, etc... It's expensive, but our basic products are good, tasteful and healthy.

Edited July 9, 2019 by Diane Mars

[biakbiak]

1 hour ago, dleighg said:

I didn't mean ego in taking the job-- I meant in claiming 50% credit for the tip, saying now she will do what chefs do (get drunk on nights off), etc. She went from 0 to 60 awfully quickly.

Nearly every crew member on both versions of the show, including all the captains, have stated that the quality of the food is most responsible for the tip for good and bad. Most have put it at more than 50%. These particular charter guests also singled her out by name. Its mostly because the food is the most direct thing for the guests where a lot of the work of the rest of the crew isn’t as noticeable and doesn’t have the same impact.

Edited July 9, 2019 by biakbiak

[Lady of nod]

17 hours ago, sharongogo said:

I thought Anastasia did a great job in a pinch, but fuck me if you think Ben would have made spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. I think the food probably tastes good, but gnocchi AND risotto for dinner? In the Med? In what universe? 

My thoughts exactly. While I would be happy with her menu, being vegetarian myself, this is just not gonna cut it with the high end guests chartering this yacht. She hasn't prepared any fish that I remember, and hamburgers and steak on the same day? And enchiladas and spaghetti? Even I wouldn't be thrilled with that. She should have gone back to third stew, and then pursued culinary trading at end of season, as she definitely has a flair for cooking. Just another example of what a lousy leader Sandy is.

and speaking of Sandy, is she blind to what's going on with the deck crew? She calls out Colin, who's the only one working with Jaoa, since Travis now has to be in the kitchen and Jack is the ultimate slacker. They're exhausted. For all her micromanaging and constant need for camera time one would think she'd notice this. 

I'm not familiar with next weeks guests but from what I've read here the woman is a reality show fame whore and this can't be good for Anastasia.

Poor Hannah - just when she thought she had the dream team of stewardesses.. Any guesses who they're bringing in? 

[Neurochick]

I think Anastasia is getting a bit full of herself.  She's not a chef.  Even she said she has to fake it until she makes it.  I don't think a real chef would need to fake anything.  She just hasn't been tested yet.  I hate to say it but Joao was right.

[biakbiak]

3 minutes ago, Neurochick said:

I think Anastasia is getting a bit full of herself.  She's not a chef.  Even she said she has to fake it until she makes it.  I don't think a real chef would need to fake anything.  She just hasn't been tested yet.  I hate to say it but Joao was right.

What Joao said was nonsense he said she that she couldn’t feel pressure to say yes, he can’t tell her what she can feel and Sandy did in fact tell her that it would be the best thing for her to say yes so shut it Joao.

[JennyMominFL]

10 hours ago, Diane Mars said:

Where are you living to assert that ?!? Because October, in Cannes'area, is not that hot at all ! 65°F - 70°F is not "Summer". And I'm not even talking about the evenings/nights !

And i've had a few bisques in the Med in October myself

Edited July 10, 2019 by JennyMominFL

[scrb]

23 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

What Joao said was nonsense he said she that she couldn’t feel pressure to say yes, he can’t tell her what she can feel and Sandy did in fact tell her that it would be the best thing for her to say yes so shut it Joao.

What does being a chef mean anyways?

Sure she doesn't have the experience so she doesn't have the repertoire of dishes that more experienced cooks or chefs or whatever you want to call them have.

Anastasia didn't pat herself on the back that much.  She's happy her food was well-received by the clients and she said she still needed to learn a lot, specifically knife skills.

Is she not a chef because she had Travis helping her?  Got news for you guys, most top chefs have plenty of helpers doing all the drudgery like cleaning and cutting ingredients.

Is she not a chef because she can't crank out the volume of meals that a chef on a yacht must produce?  Maybe.  I can see it could be pretty physically-demanding work, requiring cooking all day, standing all the time, etc.

Anyways, why should she turn down an opportunity because she doesn't have experience?  People do get jobs all the time which on paper they don't have the skills or the requisite experience for.  But many succeed because they learn to do what it takes.

Was she suppose to reject the offer and just go back to cleaning toilets?

Anyways, this is a TV show, not a real life job.  I'm sure her promotion and then the subsequent reactions to the promotion have a lot to do with that fact.

[dosodog]

I think this article breaks down chef vs. cook (without putting either down).

https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/difference-cook-chef/

[njbchlover]

1 hour ago, dosodog said:

I think this article breaks down chef vs. cook (without putting either down).

https://www.reluctantgourmet.com/difference-cook-chef/

Well, we could always ask Bethenny Frankel to explain it, too....or, maybe Kelly Bensimon would be able to explain it better!  

(Real Housewives of New York fans will understand this - it's a long-running joke!)

[luvthepros]

On 7/9/2019 at 2:51 AM, scrb said:

Why is it any skin off his nose if Anastasia jumped the queue?  Shouldn't affect his job other than Travis having to help Anastasia. 

From what I can figure, that IS a big deal. The deck crew is one person down. Actually, 1.5 persons down if you take into consideration Jack is not pulling his weight. The interior is also one person down. All this can effect tips which will impact all the crew. Yes, it IS a big deal.

[luvthepros]

13 hours ago, spunky said:

These guests were easy to please. What would she do when she gets those guests who are just extra, and are demanding something they “can’t get at home”, like miss chicken is for poor people. In regards to Adrian and Adam, they were both divas.

Speaking of Adrian......we go from awesome, hit it out of the park, take it to the next level type of cuisine. Then we get Mila. OMG, such a contrast. Mila should have been shown the door after her first mishap.

[dsteele]

On 7/9/2019 at 6:55 AM, dleighg said:

And was it supposed to be a "rap" party or "wrap" party? (Closed captioning said "rap" but I'm skeptical)

It's 'wrap'. In the TV/Film industry, when a shoot is finished there is typically a party to celebrate the conclusion. As in, "That's it, we're done! It's a wrap." And then a party follows.

Although in this case, since the young girl was also supposed to be a 'rapper' it was confusing.

[dleighg]

11 minutes ago, dsteele said:

It's 'wrap'. In the TV/Film industry, when a shoot is finished there is typically a party to celebrate the conclusion. As in, "That's it, we're done! It's a wrap." And then a party follows.

LOL I know that. Was referring to the closed captioning.

[Special K]

Anastasia was in a no-win situation.  Anyone who has been asked to do a job in an acting capacity understands the dilemma she was in.  Could you imagine going from the ego-boosting and creative job of cooking, back to cleaning toilets and doing laundry?  She would have resented it and probably resented whoever came to be chef.  OTOH, she is not ready to be chef and I'm sure we'll see her flail with special requests and difficult guests soon.

I kind of feel for her, though the arrogance is a bit much. 

[65mickey]

8 hours ago, njbchlover said:

Well, we could always ask Bethenny Frankel to explain it, too....or, maybe Kelly Bensimon would be able to explain it better!  

(Real Housewives of New York fans will understand this - it's a long-running joke!)

You beat me to it. I was just going to say ask Kelly Bensimon. Ha ha!

[biakbiak]

2 hours ago, Special K said:

OTOH, she is not ready to be chef and I'm sure we'll see her flail with special requests and difficult guests soon.

I agree on a real expensive charter yacht but she appears to be loads better than Matt on BD and he managed to make it through an entire season and no one quibbled about calling him a chef. 

And all the chefs even Adrien and Ben have faltered a time or two with special requests and picky guests.

Edited July 10, 2019 by biakbiak

[scrb]

21 hours ago, dleighg said:

Yes. I'm in no way high-maintenance, but I do like to be served "food I can't cook myself" especially on a "luxury yacht." I'd be unhappy being served spaghetti, hamburgers, etc. even though I'm happy as a clam having that kind of food at a pub for lunch, or at a summer bbq. 

There are people who aren't foodies or make food the focus of their trips.

It's one thing to have a very nice meal a couple of times during a trip but every meal of every day?  It's a big time sink.

Lot of other things I'd rather do than sit at the table for hours every day.

Then again, I don't think the water sports toys would hold my interest for more than a day or two -- good thing these charters are only 2-nights.

[langford peel]

If the food is delicious most people won’t complain. It’s the poseurs and phony’s who will bitch that it is not fancy enough. The “ chicken is for poor people” crowd and you can never satisfy them anyway.

Edited July 10, 2019 by langford peel

[Guest]

On 7/9/2019 at 9:57 PM, scrb said:

What does being a chef mean anyways?

Sure she doesn't have the experience so she doesn't have the repertoire of dishes that more experienced cooks or chefs or whatever you want to call them have.

Anastasia didn't pat herself on the back that much.  She's happy her food was well-received by the clients and she said she still needed to learn a lot, specifically knife skills.

Is she not a chef because she had Travis helping her?  Got news for you guys, most top chefs have plenty of helpers doing all the drudgery like cleaning and cutting ingredients.

Is she not a chef because she can't crank out the volume of meals that a chef on a yacht must produce?  Maybe.  I can see it could be pretty physically-demanding work, requiring cooking all day, standing all the time, etc.

Anyways, why should she turn down an opportunity because she doesn't have experience?  People do get jobs all the time which on paper they don't have the skills or the requisite experience for.  But many succeed because they learn to do what it takes.

Was she suppose to reject the offer and just go back to cleaning toilets?

I'm fine with Anastasia being the chef.  My problem is with Sandy.

Anastasia is a Chef without the experience for the job she is being asked to do.  It going to take her longer to do everything because she doesn't have a bunch of meal plans she's used before.  She's going to have to do those on the fly and work to find an efficient way to provision.  Shes reworking some dishes until they come out to her liking and calling for consultation.  And there is nothing wrong with that, she has to gain experience somehow.

But Sandy recognized this enough to give her more help in the galley and doing that, the deck crew is probably going to buckle under the pressure. That is on Sandy.  At the same time, they'd probably be pissed if Sandy hired another deck hand because that is one more person to split the tip with that they wouldn't have to do if the Chef had more experience,

Anastasia was put in a no win situation.

[spunky]

17 hours ago, luvthepros said:

Speaking of Adrian......we go from awesome, hit it out of the park, take it to the next level type of cuisine. Then we get Mila. OMG, such a contrast. Mila should have been shown the door after her first mishap.

Agreed. I’ve had better Nachos at Taco Bell.

[smores]

On 7/9/2019 at 7:40 AM, terrymct said:

Jack isn't just lazy, he's planned lazy.  He decided specifically to do as little as possible, as opposed to being just bad at his job or ignorant of the rules and culture of the boat.  You are exactly right about Jwow.  He's freaking timid on the boat and thinks leadership/supervision is only working with people who want to do their jobs well.   I think he's suppressing his usual self to maintain this "high status" position on the boat, but doesn't know what supervision is really about.  The real Jwow is the as#$hole we see in the bar when his barriers are down.  He's just an entitled d$%k.

Sandy should NOT have to come down off the bridge so much and the reason she's doing so is that Jwow isn't managing his staff properly.  Whether she puts two and two together and realizes her golden boy is part of the problem is another question entirely.

Joao is falling into a classic trap of managing people where he's relying heavily on his good people and ignoring his problems.  He knows that Collin is reliable, so he tends to put a lot on Collin, because it will get done.  It seems like that's the reasonable thing to do, but it's not fair to Collin and it lets Jack off the hook (as well as Travis, to an extent).  Then Collin is put in the position of making a mistake that isn't really his fault, he was trying to do something by himself that required two people.  Instead of Sandy being pissy that he was left alone to do it by himself, she comments about him making the mistake.  

Joao needs to be more up Jack's ass about doing an equal share of the work.  He also needs to bring Sandy into the loop with the issues with him.

On 7/9/2019 at 12:47 PM, heatherchandler said:

She really is heinous.  I remember her taking SELFIES with the casket.  I figure she must be on drugs - there is no other explanation.

To anyone who hasn't yet seen the documentary - I highly recommend it!  She is a complete whack job.

I have had the displeasure of being at an event with some members of this family.  It was . . . not enjoyable.  Well, the event itself was, but they were not.  They stood out and not in a good way.  Jackie wasn't there, but the whole family is just crazy and entitled, I really feel for the crew for having to deal with them.

[100Proof]

What's the chain of who's paying who for what services on a show like this?

IOW, there's the owner(s) of the yacht... be it a single person or some kinda consortium.... which the production company must be paying them for. Unless, of course, the production company itself has a stake in yachts ownership.  For this here, I'm gonna assume not and that the producers hire the yacht.

Outside of the 'cast', the yacht requires some form of actual serious crew having to take care of the engines for example. They most likely get paid by the owners.

So who is paying for the cast members..... Sandy and the rest. They're apparently performing some sort of actual service, lol.  Is it the yacht owners or the production company? They get 'TV' actor money plus tips?

And what would the normal salary be IRL, for stews, deck hands and chef.... like some other hospitality service type jobs....a minimum wage and dependent mostly on tips?

I can see the stews and perhaps deckhands as well getting this kind of deal, whereas a chef might command more of a proper decent wage

Edited July 11, 2019 by 100Proof

[Special K]

@100Proof I would bet the production company or Bravo pays for pretty much everything, offset by advertising, of course -- the rental of the boat (though it might be discounted due to promotion of the yacht), the salaries of the engineers, and, of course the salaries of Sandi and the crew.

It was odd in the last episode that they said "the owners of the yacht are giving us a day off."  IMO, either that meant the boat was needed for non-production matters and they wanted them/filming off of it, or there was a down day charter-wise, and the production (but probably not the owners) wanted to film them in another setting.

Edited July 11, 2019 by Special K

[yourmomiseasy]

On 7/8/2019 at 6:52 PM, AnnA said:

I really dislike Hannah.

So do I, but for me she hasn't done anything too odious yet this season.

On 7/9/2019 at 4:34 AM, dleighg said:

"Do you have iced tea?" and she didn't ask "Sweet or Unsweet?" ???????

In Europe, or on yachts, is there an assumption one way or the other? (I'm a northerner who spends a fair bit of time in the south with family and this is IMPORTANT to me LOL.)

What exactly happened with the anchor and chain?

I live in California.  When I order iced tea I expect to get iced tea, not sweet tea.  In fact, it never crosses my mind that I will get sweet tea except in the South.  I'm more likely to specify the type of tea I'd like (green, black, infusion, hibiscus, etc.).  But I won't drink bottled or canned tea because that shit is gross, so maybe that's a case where you need to specify?  I have seen canned Lipton in Paris, but if I'm having tea in France is Mariage Freres, and mainly in France I'm drinking wine and water, unless I'm at a tea house or I specifically see a tea I want on the menu.  I don't think I've ever had tea in the Med, but I recall seeing tea bags available at breakfast, I can't recall if I've seen iced tea on menus there or not.

On 7/9/2019 at 6:22 AM, Lizzing said:

Yeah, the CC said "rap" but last week I paused to read the preference sheet and it said "wrap" party for the video shoot.  Given the errors in CC, I'm going with the preference sheet spelling.

Amongst the chefs that have been on Below Deck, I don't think Anastasia is any worse than all of them, except Ben.  He's kind of the gold standard.  Leo could only cook beef cheeks, Matt made 3 million chicken salads, thought spaghetti (or some other easy pasta dish) paired well with tequila & couldn't plan a menu for shit, and Adam either made mediocre to bad food (his first season) or did good food while forgetting to feed the crew (his second season).  Mila was an unmitigated disaster on all fronts.  In the real world, I wouldn't have any of them (except, again, Ben) on my hypothetical million dollar yacht.  But, judging on the Below Deck curve, so far I'd put Anastasia behind only Ben and tied with 2nd season Adam.  Of course, that ranking is subject to change as we get through the season.  The other pluses she has in her favor are that she's not a relentless drunkard, super awkward flirt, old box saver, and/or love triangle participant.

You forgot the blond creeper from Tahiti.  He was really good.

I still stand firm on Travis and Jack both being creeps.  Hearing them talk about Hannah further cemented it for me.  I also don't like Travis' firm stance on backing up Jack no matter what even though he knows he's a lazy ass.  I would hope none of the girls get with them, but Travis is fairly attractive and we've already seen that hard up Hannah is going to be all over it.  Jack acts like he's being funny but him bringing the ladies a drink in his underwear creeped me out.  It was probably innocuous, but he just makes my skin crawl.

Anastasia's food has all seemed really heavy.  When I'm in the Med at least 50% of my non-breakfast food is seafood.  But I have eaten lasagna in Italy in the summer before because I knew it was going to be amazing and I wanted it (and it was so freaking good), so I get that people want what they want sometimes.  She is doing an excellent job of providing the guests what they want.  I don't know if what she's serving would live up to my expectations, but she'd be a lot closer than Mila.  However, I don't need necessarily need something too fancy to impress.  Something like a salt crusted branzino looks impressive, is amazing with fresh caught fish, and is fairly simple to make.  Any grilled fresh seafood is going to make me happy.  Any of the fresh delicious produce of the region minimally prepared would work.  Actually thinking about it, I could be kept happy with simply prepared items as long as the ingredients were all top notch and super fresh.  Of course if I was jet skiing and playing in the water all day I might be really hungry and want a bunch of heavy food, so maybe she knows what she's doing.

[Bunnyette]

On 7/9/2019 at 7:26 AM, snarts said:

This. Plus who wants a huge hamburger for lunch and filet mignon for dinner just hours later?  It pains me that they're in the Med and we've not seen fresh local fish or other seafood.  

Sandy is terrible leader. Anastasia will likely get her ass handed to her by the next charter guests, Sandy will be out looking for a chef again and the entire team will be bitter & angry.  

Please let that happen...Anastasia cannot meal plan to save her life!

[Red Bridey]

Have we seen Anastacia have any time to actually menu plan yet?  She was dropped into this position on an interim basis and had to do with what she had.  This upcoming charter will give her a chance to show her stuff (or not, if she's subject to the Peter Principle).  I do not think she's conceited or boastful...her comments about now she gets to act like a chef (assholery and alcoholism) were said merely in jest, and I saw a fair amount of sheer terror in her face when Sandy offered her the job.  And I doubt she would call herself a "chef."  I believe she said in one of her first talking heads that she was a cook on a smaller boat before, with a little more practice coming from her boyfriend, a culinary student or a restaurant cook, I think.  I like her, though we shall see how long that lasts.

[Kiss my mutt]

Were the dishes Anastasia made on the guests food preference sheet? If so, she was being accommodating if they’re not really into fancy food. 

[Talented Tenth]

6 hours ago, Kiss my mutt said:

Were the dishes Anastasia made on the guests food preference sheet? If so, she was being accommodating if they’re not really into fancy food. 

That's the million dollar question.  Also, "cook" or "chef", the bottom line is that so far the guests have enjoyed the food and praised her.  What good is "fancy" if the guests didn't request it or it doesn't take good?

[Passing Strange]

On 7/11/2019 at 10:31 AM, 100Proof said:

What's the chain of who's paying who for what services on a show like this?

There was an article about that when the original series debuted. I couldn't find it again, so I'm doing this from memory.

Bravo chartered the boat and sent the real crew on vacation, except for the first officer and engineer, who the captain insisted remain on the job. (They were not seen by viewers.) All of the real crew received whatever salary from the charter that they normally would have gotten. The "crew" we saw were people hired, and paid, by Bravo.

If that situation hasn't changed, then when the captains say "the owners" are rewarding the crew with some activity, that's not true. It's Bravo sending its minions somewhere and hoping for something entertaining to happen. Also, although the captains talk tough about giving someone a ticket home, they fire only with production's approval.

Edited July 12, 2019 by Passing Strange

[Nancybeth]

I think Anastasia will really be tested by a couple scenarios, ones that we've all seen before on BD or BDM:

- Foodie guests, who want a tasting menu or sushi or have otherwise grandiose requests.  

- A large party with many dietary restrictions (i.e., gluten free, dairy free, vegan, etc.)  

If I were Hannah, I would try and take charge -- or at least participate in -- menu planning. Hannah has a better idea of what charter guests might expect. I think she could help course correct some of the things we've seen, like the meal that consisted of risotto and gnocchi.