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"Top Chef" (2006-) Reality Chef-Competition Series on Bravo - Now in Season 16


cheezepowder

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 This week Tom Colicchio tells Marjie she is the best baker who's been on the show, after she makes milk bread.  Great comment and it looked delicious, but what exactly is milk bread?

When she was talking with her team she called them Parker House rolls, but that was the one mention of that...are they one in the same?

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That was a nerve-wrecking episode for Marjorie fans. With two DC chefs in the final six, chances are good at least one (hopefully both) make the final four.

I was at Roofers Union Thursday night while the show aired and got to watch Marjorie as she watched the show.  She looked nervous towards the end, which made us nervous.  When Karen was eliminated, Marjorie was visibly upset.  Obviously she knows how this all  plays out, but its still hard for her to watch.  It's looking better and better for our DC chefs in the final four.  Fingers crossed!

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Spoiler alert!

Don't scroll down if you don't want to know.

Wow!   Even though Kwame gets the boot, the last couple minutes of this week's episode were amazing.  I got goosebumps watching him tell Tom how he started as a waiter(!) a mere 4 years ago (!!) in one of Tom's restaurants.  I got the impression that was the first Tom heard about it.

So classy, so humble, so accomplished, so cool.

I'm hoping for great things on Last Chance Kitchen (which I haven't watched yet)

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I was at Roofers Union Thursday night while the show aired and got to watch Marjorie as she watched the show.  She looked nervous towards the end, which made us nervous.  When Karen was eliminated, Marjorie was visibly upset.  Obviously she knows how this all  plays out, but its still hard for her to watch.  It's looking better and better for our DC chefs in the final four.  Fingers crossed!

Well, she knows the final outcome, but she didn't know the final edits for the show before it aired.  She looked pretty close to a meltdown from what they aired that night.  Maybe she did actually lose her composure during the filming and she was nervous it would be shown in the final cut?

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Well, she knows the final outcome, but she didn't know the final edits for the show before it aired.  She looked pretty close to a meltdown from what they aired that night.  Maybe she did actually lose her composure during the filming and she was nervous it would be shown in the final cut?  

I spoke to her about it and it was more about being genuinely upset to see a friend get eliminated.  I'm disappointed to see Kwame not make it a bit further.  It was clear when he chose the frozen waffles that he was a goner. His words to Tom Colicchio were so classy.  He surely gained the respect of viewers everywhere. Hopefully this will translate to success for his upcoming DC restaurant.  Chances are looking better and better for Marjorie to make it to the win.  I think she has a broader range of talent than the remaining competitors.

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Noooooo.... I knew as soon as he bought those waffles.  But to be so young with so much talent, very proud of the job Kwame did on the show.  I think it was worse watching Last Chance Kitchen and seeing him not make it back.  But I think he did great!  Go Marjorie!!!!

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With two DC chefs in the final six, chances are good at least one (hopefully both) make the final four.

Carl lived in DC for about 5 years  (like, literally 5 times longer than Kwame) working 3 years at Palena then 2 at West End Bistro in a sous-chef capacity with keys to the executive bathroom. And yes, he channels a cheerleader boy scout twirling pompoms but had the shrewd reflex to re-baptize yours truly as the "executive wet blanket" way back when.

It's cuter than a sack of kittens that Kwame has embroidered himself as chef/co-owner since 2015 of a restaurant that hasn't quite opened yet.  I'm not sure how long or what qualifies as a "stint" at Eleven Madison Park, but Carl was there too, albeit for a New York minute; he didn't like it and went to Battersby instead (and Fat Duck, Trio, A16, Craigie on Main before that).   It is unfortunate however that any of them, particularly Marjorie and Carl, feel the need to validate themselves as capable cooks on a tilted mouse-maze cable game-show which serves as a vehicle for Padma's garish wardrobe experiments, creepy lipstick selections and Whole Foods' generic shakedowns.  Top Chef Tom is a good sport though, and his semi-flappable Larry Fine exasperation makes the chewy show more fascinating (after 13 seasons) than palatable.  Rachel Sugar's rollicking round-ups are a particularly terrific soporific digestif.  Here's hoping the cheftestants still get a lifetime supply of Gladâ„¢ plastic chefwrap to keep their dreams from spilling out.

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 It is unfortunate however that any of them, particularly Marjorie and Carl, feel the need to validate themselves as capable cooks on a tilted mouse-maze cable game-show which serves as a vehicle for Padma's garish wardrobe experiments, 

Maybe they're just trying to get a jump on becoming the next Mike Isabella?  I know that to a lot of people around here, he's horrible and that's an awful goal, but we should all be as horrible in our chosen profession.

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Carl lived in DC for about 5 years  (like, literally 5 times longer than Kwame) working 3 years at Palena then 2 at West End Bistro in a sous-chef capacity with keys to the executive bathroom. And yes, he channels a cheerleader boy scout twirling pompoms but had the shrewd reflex to re-baptize yours truly as the "executive wet blanket" way back when.

It's cuter than a sack of kittens that Kwame has embroidered himself as chef/co-owner since 2015 of a restaurant that hasn't quite opened yet.  I'm not sure how long or what qualifies as a "stint" at Eleven Madison Park, but Carl was there too, albeit for a New York minute; he didn't like it and went to Battersby instead (and Fat Duck, Trio, A16, Craigie on Main before that).   It is unfortunate however that any of them, particularly Marjorie and Carl, feel the need to validate themselves as capable cooks on a tilted mouse-maze cable game-show which serves as a vehicle for Padma's garish wardrobe experiments, creepy lipstick selections and Whole Foods' generic shakedowns.  Top Chef Tom is a good sport though, and his semi-flappable Larry Fine exasperation makes the chewy show more fascinating (after 13 seasons) than palatable.  Rachel Sugar's rollicking round-ups are a particularly terrific soporific digestif.  Here's hoping the cheftestants still get a lifetime supply of Gladâ„¢ plastic chefwrap to keep their dreams from spilling out.

There is a certain Ice-T song that this whole quote makes me think of...

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I almost always pick the wrong reality show contestant to root for (I think my exceptions were Richard Blais on All-Stars and The Beekman Boys on Amazing Race) but I just looked at a map to see if we could drive to New Orleans for spring break to eat at Isaac's restaurant.

(For the record, not practical.)

Mr. BLB whimpered when he realized Kwame was gone. He was also not pleased that I kept saying Carl was gone.

I like Marjorie on the show but the menu at Ripple always looks underwhelming to me.

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I think Marjorie made a smart choice last night -- a simple, classic dish that showcased the ingredients.  And I was very puzzled by Carl's choice to do the torchon -- a 3 day dish -- in 3 hours.  I guess that's part of the conceit of a young chef.  I watched Last Chance Kitchen and they didn't show the winner between Carl and Amar, but my gut is telling me it's Amar b/c Tom C said it was down to a few grains of salt missing in the seasoning, and the camera showed Amar seasoning his fish.

My gut is often wrong on this sort of thing, though.

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Whaddya know, my gut was right about Amar.

Interesting semi-finals set-up, with a 2-tiered competition.  All 4 competed and the winner went thru to the final round, while the other 3 competed again.  Marjorie's reluctance to take risks ultimately, I think, was the reason for her elimination.  All her food looked and sounded very tasty, but it never came across as exciting or blazing new ground.  But it was a strong showing for her and great publicity for her going forward in her new restaurant.  I hope she does well in her new endeavors.

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Whaddya know, my gut was right about Amar.

Interesting semi-finals set-up, with a 2-tiered competition.  All 4 competed and the winner went thru to the final round, while the other 3 competed again.  Marjorie's reluctance to take risks ultimately, I think, was the reason for her elimination.  All her food looked and sounded very tasty, but it never came across as exciting or blazing new ground.  But it was a strong showing for her and great publicity for her going forward in her new restaurant.  I hope she does well in her new endeavors.

Somebody beat Marjorie?

Well, I guess that goes to show that this isn't a lifelike situation (although, of course I can't speak towards the other contestants' talent since I don't know them). What I *can* say, however, is that she's a kick-ass restaurant chef from a diner's point of view.

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The two I was cheering for most -- Marjorie and Isaac -- are the ones who went home empty handed. I like Amar and Jeremy fine, but it was cool to have a chef who has a restaurant a 5 minute walk from me (Roofer's Union) go so far. We have a reservation at Toup's Meatery in NOLA in a few weeks and looking forward to it. Had heard good things about it before even Top Chef.

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I'll join the chorus of those who were sorry to see Marjorie go.  And that last challenge was one I would have been interested to see at an earlier stage of the competition, but it seems a shame to have a "can you do something magic with lots of showmanship for David Copperfield" challenge be the one that knocks people out of the final.  She went with liquid nitrogen and burned her tongue trying to create magical effects.

It did seem like Marjorie might have played it a little too safe in the first and much more straightforward part of the challenge, where she had access to the entire pantry (which the others didn't) and cooked seared salmon with a shaved vegetable salad and Meyer lemon puree - it sounded delicious but not all that creative.  Something more exciting might have gotten her to the final then.  (Not that Jeremy's winning butter-poached chicken with pickled grapes looked terribly exciting either.)

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18 hours ago, weezy said:

Actually sounds kind of cool for a small restaurant, and if you have dietary restrictions they will know what is in a dish and what they can or cannot do. They should be able to explain the food and help you decide better what you want.

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I was driving through Arlington (near Wilson and Washington) and think I saw a sign that some a "top chef" chef was opening a restaurant there soon. The font was really odd (and I was driving) so I didn't see it. It's the space next to (the 4 star) Asiatique at about this address:  3225 Washington Blvd, Arlington. I will try to read the funky sign next time I drive by but thought some DR detective might be able to figure it out.

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Found this job posting on Indeed:

Asian Latin fusion restaurant with food designed by Top Chef star, Katsuji Tanabe. Looking for experienced servers in the heart of Clarendon. Full availability is preferred with experience working in a fast paced, trendy and casual environment.

Job Types: Full-time, Part-time, Temporary

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A new season has started on Top Chef.  They're centered in Louisville KY for this season and we have a local chef to root for, Eric Adejpong, who formerly worked at Kith/Kin but now owns a catering company.  He's made it through the first round.

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12 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I still watch but I can't really remember who won the last few seasons (had to look it up on Wikipedia). 

One of the three bears, Joe Flamm. He is the executive chef at Spiaggia in Chicago. Winner of season 15. I really wanted Chef Chris to win. His current location is in Brooklyn, but he has roots in Philly and visits Lancaster County often. It would have been nice to get a little bit of that Top Chef action here in Amish Country. 

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1 hour ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm surprised Nini got the boot since she won 2 consecutive elimination challenges before RW.  But she was a mess as the front of the house.  

Of the contestants, only David Viana (Philly) seems to be consistently good.

I was shocked to see Nini voted off the island. Damn shame. I was rooting for her, but I have a hunch she  won't be going leaving the Top Chef posse just quite yet. 

in other news, in today's version of 6 degrees of separation, I leaned that my coworker's son works at Laurel on Passyunk Ave, and I plan on making a visit to check out the buzz.

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It shows that you're only as good as your most recent performance. 

I do hate that they put such an emphasis on front of house in RW. Yes, the chefs should have a say on service, but there should be a FOH manager appointed for each team (they used to have to do the design work themselves, but now they have consultants). Also, it seems like at least on this version of RW the servers had very little experience being restaurant servers -- I'm guessing they were either catering servers or extras hired. That's not the kind of person you would hire if you were opening up a restaurant like any of the concepts illustrated on this episode.

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On 1/4/2019 at 12:00 PM, Deac said:

I do hate that they put such an emphasis on front of house in RW. Yes, the chefs should have a say on service, but there should be a FOH manager appointed for each team (they used to have to do the design work themselves, but now they have consultants). Also, it seems like at least on this version of RW the servers had very little experience being restaurant servers -- I'm guessing they were either catering servers or extras hired. That's not the kind of person you would hire if you were opening up a restaurant like any of the concepts illustrated on this episode.

Having to cook a dish and work front of house with inexperienced servers isn't fair, but neither is having to use "flavor shooters, a new savory product by Philadelphia Cream Cheese" (C) Padma.

Top Chef is more of a competition with cooking, rather than a cooking competition. And to their credit, they have consistently judged the contestants based on their most recent performance -- it was 11 years ago that Trey Wilcox and his dry bread pudding fell victim to the Restaurant Wars curse. Nini deserved to go based on what we saw (edited), and most importantly I was entertained.

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On 1/25/2019 at 8:26 AM, Ericandblueboy said:

I intensely dislike Sara (the chef from Kentucky).  She seems to claim expertise at everything but then fails miserably.  She’s lucky there are even more miserable failures.  

Kelsey won the last challenge with raw oysters on the half shell?  What is this contest coming to?

Agreed on Sara.  Her luck won't hold much longer.

As for Kelsey, she was very smart in how she approached the challenge -- something cold and refreshing on a hot day, familiar but with a tasty twist, and she didn't try to oversell it, so her dish stood out.  In a sit-down restaurant with A/C, maybe she wouldn't have won.

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Sara continues her bombastic personality streak.  She first brags about her fried chicken then buys packaged waffle mix.  When called out on it, she gets mad and accuses others of not playing fair.  Somehow she survives for another week.  

Wonder what would've happened if the two chicken and waffle dishes went head to head as originally envisioned.

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Well, she didn't brag about her waffles, just the chicken, and the judges all agreed it was great fried chicken.  But I, too, hope she has to pack her knives and go soon.  Really happy to see our hometown guy, Eric, doing so well.

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Eric wins this week!  Good for him, a $10k reward for his efforts.  And Sara must be getting some really nasty editing because I'm not seeing the other chefs, overall, being lukewarm to her and her 2nd-place finish this week.  They all seemed genuine in their hearty congratulations to her.  

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9 hours ago, weezy said:

Eric wins this week!  Good for him, a $10k reward for his efforts.  And Sara must be getting some really nasty editing because I'm not seeing the other chefs, overall, being lukewarm to her and her 2nd-place finish this week.  They all seemed genuine in their hearty congratulations to her.  

I’m very happy for Eric! 

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Eric continues to impress even though he didn't get the win this past week.  Colicchio noted that he doesn't try to do all kinds of new, weird and crazy things, but focuses on his food and finding new ways to present & prepare it.  It helps, though, that Eric's food is something that's already a different approach and flavor profile to what is routinely served up to the judges.

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