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'Top Chef: Chicago' finally cuts some fat
Oh frabjous day! The Top Chef: Chicago judges have FINALLY slain one of my own personal Jaberwocks this season, and it's about damn time! But before we get to that happy news, we've got meat manipulation, a taste-free challenge, dubious choices, brazen backtalk, and peanut-butter mashed potatoes. No, really.
These spoilers must be Frenched.
Our final five cheftestants are given ginormous rib racks and are told to whittle them down to individual tomahawk steaks. Stephanie struggles -- the rib segment looks like it's almost as big as she is -- while Spike blazes through.
Back in the kitchen, superchef Rick Tramonto tells the chefs to cook him a perfect medium-rare steak. When the chefs are done, Tramonto inspects the results -- but he doesn't taste them. See, this challenge isn't about how good the food tastes, it's about how good it looks. Stephanie fails -- she's a lousy butcher -- and Richard is spanked for undercooking his steak (and seriously, isn't charring a steak with a torch cheating?). Lisa and Antonia are both praised, but it's Spike who takes the challenge.
Spike gets an advantage at the elimination challenge -- and what a challenge it is. Tramonto is turning over his steakhouse to the chefs for the night. "It's very very popular," Tramonto says. "Don't screw it up."
The chefs have to create an appetizer and an entrée for the restaurant based on what they find in the kitchen, and Spike gets first crack at ingredients. He chooses the tomahawk steak for his entrée, and scallops for his appetizer -- despite the fact that scallops are frozen. The rest of the cheftestants are just as confused by that as I am.
We finally get to see the chefs working on their own again -- each has his or her own station, and each is responsible for his or her own dishes. No more passing the buck! Plus, Tom Colicchio is in the kitchen as the expediter, so he can take a good look at everything the chefs do. Richard gives Tom a near coronary by being slow to produce his dishes. Richard claims he'd rather be slow and great than quick and half-assed, but you can see Tom thinking he expects quick and great, thank you very much.
Nothing is inedible this week, so the judges get to focus on nuances. Lisa's chilled shrimp is praised for its nice acidity, but otherwise it's meh. Spikes scallops underwhelm -- because dude, frozen! Antonia's mushroom salad features a perfect poached egg, but the rest of the dish is just sort of there.
The two appetizers with sweetbreads get raves. Tramonto says he'd put Richard's hamachi with sweetbreads on his menu in a heartbeat, and Stephanie's sweetbreads prompt drooling and plate-cleaning.
As for the entrees: Stephanie again gets raves for her tenderloin, and Antonia's side -- a warm shallot gratin -- is completely addictive. Her steak measures up to the side. Lisa made something that should have been awful -- peanut-butter mashed potatoes -- but ended up winning over Rick. Too bad her New York Strip Steak wasn't as good.
Spike's and Richard's entrees are pronounced most disappointing: Richard did a deconstruction of a classic Italian dish, but this is not a table that goes for deconstructed anything. Everything taste good together, so put it all together! Spike's tomahawk steak could have been deconstructed, however -- everything else on the plate was tasteless and/or icky.
At judging, Stephanie wins again. Yay! The judges tell Richard he had the best appetizer, and Antonia she had the best entrée. The three of them are going to Puerto Rico. That leaves Spike and Lisa. The judges tell Lisa that her technique is shabby, but the food was ok. Spike gets spanked for choosing frozen ingredients -- and what do you know, Spike finds a way to attempt to blame someone else! Hey, Tramonto, they were in your freezer... Oy. In the end, Spike goes home. FINALLY!
Highlights, thoughts and odds and ends:
- Spike says that his father and grandfather were butchers. "There seems to be a little strain of butchery in me." I'd swap out the "u" for an "i".
- Stephanie, talking about her appetizer: "Sweetbreads are the thymus gland of veal, which sounds really unappetizing. But when you eat them, it's like a Chicken McNugget if it's done right." I don't know what amuses me more -- the fact that Stephanie compared an ingredient from hoity-toity French cooking to a fast-food staple, or the fact that I'm now even more leery about Chicken McNuggets.
- I love the look on Tom's face when Lisa tells him about her peanut-butter mashed potatoes. "Interesting..." he says. "It's never a good sign when you say that..." says Lisa.
- Previous Top Chef winners Harold, Ilan and Hung eat with the judges this week. They also have advice for the current cheftestants. Hung: Cook to your strengths. Harold: Cook to win, not to be fan favorite. Ilan: "Don't shave anyone's head tonight..." That last bit may be the most important.
- Harold, on Richard's deconstructed dish: "It's not a relaxed dining experience -- it's a project."
- Lisa, before the judging, raises a glass to everyone and comments that "We've all rocked these challenges." Who's this "we" you're talking about, Lisa? Because you haven't rocked much at all.
- Tom praises Stephanie for keeping her cool during cooking: "At no time do you ever show that you're under pressure." Gail: "Except right now." Stephanie, who looking like she's contemplating her own mortality: "You guys are freaking me out!"
- Spike... Spike, you idiot. Tramonto chastises him for going with inferior scallops. "Well, with all due respect," Spike says, "they were in your walk-in, and they shouldn't have made it in the walk-in if it's not high quality." Tom looks like he's going to swallow his tongue. Is Spike physically incapable of keeping his mouth shut? But Tramonto responds well: "I'll take the shot, bro. I had frozen scallops in my cooler. But you better take the shot that you used them."
- I love that Stephanie did a double take after Tramonto announced she won. She's still my favorite.
- When Stephanie won, Tramonto announces that her prize is... his new book! I was incensed -- that's IT? -- until Padma followed up with a complete suite of kitchen equipment. That's more like it.
- Tom announced that Lisa and Spike shouldn't be surprised that they were in the bottom two -- after all, Lisa had been in the bottom five times, while Spike had been there seven times. Why didn't they remember that last week, when they sent home Dale?
FINALLY... Spike is gone! He (and Lisa) shoud've been gone long ago. I thought Spike was one of the weakest fromt he beginning - he just seemed to luck out (and it was just that in several cases, luck not talent) on several quick fires.
(And a quote correction - Hung said the line about not worrying about being a fan fave. Which makes sense since he was the least likable chef on that season. And pretty much any season. Other than Lisa.)
CT | May 28, 2008 10:21:21 PM | #Whilst Spike should have known better, it is still quite surprising that "superchef Rick Tramonto" had frozen scallops in his kitchen. Hardly the best advertisement for his restaurant.
Lee Richards | May 29, 2008 1:41:44 AM | #Hmmm ... I wonder if the frozen scallops were there on purpose to see who might use them.
I'm glad you mention Stephanies comment about sweat breads being like Chicken McNuggets. She is the one who failed in the budget challenge because her mom always made fine dining food. So the comparison was I thought kind of ironic. But that is so Stephaine which is why she is one of my favorites. How can you not love that girl, poised and humble at the same time.
The one poster was correct, Hung made the comment about not worrying about being fan favorite. Also, I thought it was Ilan who said that Richard's dish was a project, but I could be wrong.
Finally, so glad Spike went home, especially after he one the quickfire and I was thinking here we go again. Lisa may be a better chef then she is being given credit for because a lot of her losses were when she was saddled with other people she just was not able to work with but at the same time she did not do well on her own either. Justice would have been to send both her and Spike home.
sac | May 29, 2008 4:40:53 AM | #I'm glad Spike went home too. However, equally not pleased Lisa is still there. She better be the first to get the boot on the finale - she has been sub par all season and not so sure how she has slipped through. Not to mention how she likes to place the blame and seems really immature....
CM | May 29, 2008 6:08:24 AM | #Has Lisa won ANY challenges yet? It seems like she has been bad to mediocre the entire season yet she keeps skating by. I was no fan of Spike but at least actually won a few quickfires and received some praise here and there. Lisa is just a whiny, mean person with a bad attitude, which is forgiveable if you're an awesome chef, but she is FAR from being even a good chef IMHO.
Mac | May 29, 2008 7:31:20 AM | #SO p.o.'d that Lisa is still there. I'd take Spike over her in a minute. Her defensive posture (literally and figuratively) at judges' table was ridiculous. Yes, Mac, she did win one challenge, the one where Ming Tsai was the guest judge and he was impressed with her bacon and it irritated Dale to no end. But that was it. Even Tom pointed out how often she and Spike have been in the bottom. To think that she could actually win this ... well, no, I can't even bear to consider it.
sac, you are correct, it was Ilan who made the comment about Richard's entree being a project. Harold actually liked the dish.
Beth | May 29, 2008 8:13:20 AM | #My exact thoughts! Great recap!
While watching Spike grab the scallops...and everyone acknowledging that they were frozen...I said out loud...umm...what does this say about Rick Tramonto restaurant? Because, I've never worked in a restaurant that used frozen scallops...and for a "super" restaurant, with high marks...shouldn't use them either...period. Remind me not to order scallops when I'm in Chicago. lol!
Another thing to point out...was the poll...Dale picked up 50+% of the votes of the chefs that were cut too early. lol!
Chris | May 29, 2008 8:28:59 AM | #You're all right -- I mixed up the previous Chef winners. Hung said not to be a fan favorite (as well he should), and Ilan talked about Richard's dish being a project. Dudes -- I had enough trouble keeping Andrew and Spike separate in my mind. Previous chefs? That's too much for my feeble brain. I'm glad you all are better at it than I am...
I'm also going to go with the thought that the frozen scallops were a trap for the unwary, as opposed to something Tramonto serves all the time. And if I clap my hands, Tinkerbell will come back to life!
Sarah | May 29, 2008 8:57:27 AM | #I don't like Spike any more than you do, but I think I like Lisa a whole lot less. She should have been eliminated ages ago, and the fact that she's still around while someone like Dale (who I couldn't stand, but at least appeared to be making good food) was eliminated is really a detriment to the show.
I really do like Stefanie though, and i hope she's the next Top Chef.
Brian | May 29, 2008 9:59:15 AM | #While Spike has coasted a few times I was rooting for him to slap Tramonto for having crappy produce. I did wonder if that's why there were the two shots of Tramonto looking so furtive when he was eating the appetizer -- he KNEW what the initial problem was.
Lisa deserves to go home next, her pouting, whining and abrasive attitude are absolute poison, and that's just watching the show. I can't imagine being in a kitchen with her. However, we have "the magical passage of time" before the next challenge so maybe she'll pick up her game.
Chris C | May 29, 2008 10:03:43 AM | #i've taped the last several weeks and just read the reviews because it became obvious great chefs were going home, while drama was being kept around for show value. (usually i check out because a fave chef gets booted out) lisa and richard should not be in the finals. spike may be a bitch but was he always in the bottom for his dish or his team? dale and andrew were much stronger. antonia or stephanie will probably win but in comparison to previous winners, except for ilan who still should humiliate the show for winning, they can't carry a radish. like hell's kitchen, this season top chef played to the ratings instead of our intellectual culinary palates by getting chefs who could really really create and cook. keep this up and jump the shark will be served sooner than after the restaurant wars.
renee | May 29, 2008 11:19:54 AM | #The scallopps were not from the restaurant. They were brought in from the production staff to round out the food in the pantry.
Chef Rick Tramonto didn't want to make a big fuss about it, but he isn't such a bitch like Spike.
Colicchio made sure to mention is in his blog and interestingly that he would have send Lisa home instead of Dale, hadn't he been away for a charity. Thanks Orphans/Poor People.
Taiko | May 29, 2008 11:29:58 AM | #Speaking of Hell's Kitchen. Man what a difference between the style of Tom Colichio as expediter to Gordon Ramsey. If Tom had a show like that what would it be called - Heaven's Kitchen. The chefs were actually excited to work with him.
renee,
I think that comment is just plain wrong. Many of the chefs this season are actually excellent. They have just been put into too many group challenges where they couldn't showcase their skills as well as they might. Last years winner, Hung, didn't excel at every challenge. In fact he was mediocre on many of them (remember his utter failure with Joey in the Bertolli challenge where he thouht he new what to do but didn't speak up about it). And he was much more controversial then any of the contestants this year, spike include. PLus there was Howie, Joey, Dale, etc. Previoulsy there was Marcel, Stephen, Elia and Ilan and Cliff, the blond lady who yelled a lot whose name I can't remember.
sac | May 29, 2008 11:58:14 AM | #i won't barb it but howie and joey and elia were not great chefs. marcel and dale and stephen were, although stephen now admits he has given it up. i wasn't crazy about hung either because he was an arse, but he could cook. when i watched the cook off the past season chefs that tiffany won over tre (and i think tre should have won) except for stephen the dishes they came up with were amazing, and at least 5 to 8 other chefs could have been invited from those seasons. i'm glad you're enjoying this season sac. this is a show my friends and i look forward to, and if next season doesn't bring us a better caliber of chefs, we're out. we don't watch for the drama, we watch for the food.
and yes there is a difference between tom and gordon, but look at the difference in the end prize.
Uh, Renee, Richard shouldn't be in the finals? I guess you really HAVEN'T been watching. Richard has won three Quickfires, three Elimination challenges, and been in the top another three times. He created a dish that went on the menu at Rick Bayliss's restaurant and last night Rick Tramanto said he would put his appetizer on his menu in a second. As for Spike, as Tom himself pointed out last night, he's been in the bottom three SEVEN TIMES. That's pretty damn close to "always". There's been plenty of good cooking on this season.
Beth | May 29, 2008 12:49:15 PM | #Is anyone else annoyed that so often they are doing blatent product placements that have no other purpose. Does anyone ever gotten a Glad trash bag with a logo on it? Richard certainly held it well while cleaning up.
Also, Lisa, who continues to be lauded for her palate drinks her Amber Bock with the label clearly showing... That is a nasty beer, and while I am not surprised that Lisa grabs a beer when everyone else grabs wine, can't she at least have a little beer snobery in her? This is a gastronomic show after all?
The biggest loser last night was Hung. I cannot believe that li'l c*nt won last season and then we had to see him again last night. Let it be the last time.
Samuel | May 29, 2008 4:15:19 PM | #Samuel, what you said about Hung is worse than anything he ever said or did. A perfect example of what I find so ironic about the Hung haters.
Beth | May 29, 2008 4:39:26 PM | #why-o-why couldn't they get rid of both spike AND lisa (sigh and shaking head). she absolutely does not deserve to be a finalist.
did i hear tom say "ferosh" at the judging table?
tc | May 29, 2008 10:05:47 PM | #The Fact that I have to still see that expression on Lisa's face yet AGAIN when she's brought before the judges table that 'I can't believe you people don't get it' drives me insane more than anything Spike ever did.
She should have been gone weeks ago. Really. I feel like she's singlehandedly has altered the way they've judged this show by always going 'But they didn't follow the rules'. It used to be bad food would get you kicked off. She should have been kicked off for both the rules things and her subpar food.
Also Samuel, very uncool. Whatever you feel about Hung, there are a thousand other words that you could have used that would have gotten your point across.
Another episode with Spike would have been fine, Lisa's killing me though. KILLING ME.
Francesca | May 30, 2008 12:07:30 AM | #Before I say anything I want point out that this season of Top Chef is, by far, my least favourite. Not because of the chefs, which were all pretty good, with highs and lows as usual, but because of the editing: too much talk and sometimes we don't even get too see the dishes or the prepping of them. Hope we're not taking the Hell's Kitchen route.
Moving on to this episode, I was actualy happy to see Spike go. I mean, considering they were both pretty awful for all season, they never really had/have a shot at winning, but Lisa is gonna make life very much easier for the actual three constestants to the title of Top Chef: Stephanie, Richard and Antonia. And I actually don't care about who's gonna win at this point. They're all very good and very different from each other. They all deserve to win. But I think Antonia won't make it, 'cause I feel she's the weakest emotionally. She could end up like Casey last year, who was the best, but screwed up in the finale. Hope not anyway, beacuse she's an awesome chef.
I wanna ask all of you a question. I'm Italian, I don't live in the US. What is it about peanuts in every frakkin' dish? What is it about using always scallops? I mean, the american continent is huge... don't you have other ingredients? :D
I can accept the scallops (of course they're delicious), but the peanut butter with a steak? Ugh! Why ruining a juicy peace of meat with that crap?! Is it me or a prime cut of meat comes out best just grilled on a fire with a little salt & pepper and a hint of rosemary?
redman
redman | May 30, 2008 2:08:02 AM | #Okay, so it was a no-brainer that either Spike or Lisa would get the cut since they are not anywhere in the same league as Richard, Stephanie or Antonia (roughly in that order). But two small protests (to blog summary). First, I don't recall anyone describing Spike's main course as "tasteless" or "icky", they were just underwhelmed by it. Second, although Spike was a fool to choose frozen scallops, it seemed legitimate to call out the restaurant owner for having them there in the first place. I don't know how that makes Spike an "idiot." Sure, he could have shown more tact, but... why were they there in the first place??
Anyway, it's too bad Dale let his temper (and poor group skills) get him eliminated last week, because he would have been a worthy fourth finalist. I'm rooting for Richard and Stephanie to make the final two.
Tom Colicchio explained on his blog that Allen Bros., the food purveyor for this challenge, included frozen scallops along with the steaks, etc. to help round out the ingredients that were already in the kitchen. So it was NOT something that Rick Tramonto had in his restaurant. Rick was aware of this when Spike tried to pin the blame on him, but he chose not to make an issue of it and get in a p'ing match with Spike (showing how a true professional behaves, as opposed to Spike's ridiculous finger-pointing).
Beth | May 31, 2008 2:47:02 PM | #I still think its all PR to say that the food company gave frozen scallops...since there was a lot of confusion between Rick and what was announced as being the food company's decision.
http://amuse-biatch.blogspot.com/2008/05/guest-judge-rick-tramonto-denies-frozen.html
As far as I'm concerned, Spike made a bad choice and Rick handled his accusation in a professional manner. Period. Who put them there and why is not an issue for me. Just because they were there is not a good rationale for Spike to have used them. What if there had been rotten produce? Would Spike have used it and said, "Well, hey, it was sitting there"?
Beth | Jun 2, 2008 8:44:59 AM | #
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