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Archive through June 13, 2007

The TVClubHouse: Other Reality Shows ARCHIVES: Archives for 2008 - 1: Top Chef - Prior Seasons: ARCHIVES: Archive through June 13, 2007 users admin

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Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 12:54 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
Just starting to watch my recording. I really really didn't want to see Tiffani again :-(

Seamonkey
Moderator

09-07-2000

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 12:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Seamonkey a private message Print Post    
But, it is "good" to see most of them :-)

LOL and cooking eggs.. funny how that theme is repeating in two shows this week.

Cdbga
Member

10-04-2004

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 3:24 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Cdbga a private message Print Post    
I found this utterly delightful. Loved that most of the focus was on the cooking. Nice to see that.

Teach, I thought it was Harold who actually shut Marcel up. Sam did tell him to be quiet, but I thought it was Harold who told him that he was being unprofessional and that he needed to just shut up...which was followed by Marcel apologizing, then sitting down and shutting up. I remember thinking during S2 that I thought the S1 people would have handled Marcel better than S2, so I was pleased to see Harold doing just that. Or was I not paying close enough attention.

Ugggghhhh, and Ilan...even more of a jerk this time around...although this time he also seemed to be lacking in competence. He was just totally thrown by duck. Was that just because he was trying not to do Spanish? Loved Gail's comment that the only thing done right in the dish was the Spanish component (the sherry wine reduction).

Marcel was starting to get on my nerves a bit, but I did get a kick out of the beating-Ilan-with-Saffron-foam thing in the Quickfire.

And Stephen, I don't think I cared much for him at all in S1, but he was incredibly funny tonight. I guess after all the dispicable people we were subjected to in S2, his brand of...well, whatever it is...just didn't seem nearly as bad. I think its that...you know, even when he's being completely arrogant, there's still an air of professionalism.

Overall, just a very enjoyable hour.

Lexie_girl
Member

07-30-2004

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 4:13 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Lexie_girl a private message Print Post    
I thought last night's show was great - and it was so good to see Stephen again !!! I always found him fun to watch - he makes great TV.



Kappy
Member

06-29-2002

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 6:58 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Kappy a private message Print Post    
Adding on to what Cdbga said about Stephen . . . When they had their reunion show at the end of Season 1, Stephen came forth and said he had learned alot after watching the show and seeing how arrogant he came across. He even apologized for it. That's when I became a fan. So what I noticed last night was that even though he was still arrogant, there was a smile in his eyes like he was almost doing on it purpose as a joke. Only if you hadn't seen season 1, it would still appear he was being arrogant.

And yes, Max, the look on his face when Tom brought up the wines was priceless. I noticed then later that he brought the wine out and presented as being with his dish or his team's dish as opposed to just having it served in general by the waiters.

I, too, thought it was Harold who finally got Marcel to shut up. And I was disappointed in Dave's need to call someone a "B" so quickly. But I still love the guy. :0)

Costacat
Member

07-15-2000

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 7:51 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Costacat a private message Print Post    
The quickfire challenge was hilarious!! But it really showed more teamwork than they showed during the actual challenge (helping each other by holding pans, opening jars).

I found it interesting that they all immediately fell into the same "roles." Stephen and his wines. Marcel and his foams and gelees. Dave and his layers of flavor. Sam and his rustic food.

I think Ilan didn't know how to cook duck. I don't think it's prevalent on Spanish menus, and being assigned the duck course just threw him off his game. Of course, I still think Sam shoulda won season 2, so whatever.

Watching the two seasons face off, it was really interesting to me... I really do think season 1 just had better chefs. They were more experienced. And much as I didn't like Stephen on his season, the fact that he planned a cohesive (Mediterranean) menu probably helped them to win.

Some snarky side notes... Marcel's hair. If I saw that in the kitchen, I'd leave. What the hell did Elia do to hers? White blonde? Ack! Not a good look on her. And Ilan? I have no clue what was carved into his hair, but it was really distracting.

It seems like season 1 learned more from how they were portrayed on their show than season 2 did. Marcel didn't do anything different, whereas you could definitely tell Stephen toned things down.

But...

So how many of you TOTALLY CRACKED UP at the pairings? Stephen vs Marcel? Harold vs Ilan? HAHAHAHA! I dunno if that was on purpose or accidental, but totally a crackup. And I think the two season 1 winners in those smackdowns truly deserved to win.

The only thing I didn't like about this show as that it just seemed to be a blatant advert for season 3. Sorta like "hmmm, what can we do to get people excited for Top Chef? oh, I know, let's do a top four smackdown and have the judges be the new season's chefs." Bleah.

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 1:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
The pairings were perfect! Loved the banter between Marcel and Stephen. And did anyone notice but did Sam look hotter than usual?

And I actually like Elia's hair. She's young, she can get away with it. And goodness knows it'll change again.

Biginjapan
Member

07-23-2005

Friday, June 08, 2007 - 11:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Biginjapan a private message Print Post    
ok that was fun....and Stephen and Marcel are the most fun...no doubt

Alisons
Member

01-10-2003

Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 4:38 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Alisons a private message Print Post    
I really enjoyed this, especially my fave Stephen! I thought he got hosed in Season 1, but I believe that this show really portrayed him in his best light. And no one has mentioned that Tiffany seems to have learned alot too - or maybe it is being in a non-competitive situation - but she kept the focus on the food and it really worked for her. Sam is a good cook, but Tiffany really spanked him!

Gemma120in2002
Member

07-05-2003

Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 6:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Gemma120in2002 a private message Print Post    
I recorded it and I'm going to watch it in a few minutes. If Ilan didn't know what to do with duck then he deserved to lose. He's been to two culinary schools! He's supposed to be formally educated. One of the first things they throw at you after you master sauces, soups, salads, vegetables, and knife skills is duck. You learn how to cut it, score it, season it, render it out to make the skin crispy and just absolutely amazing! Duck isn't a stranger to spanish cuisine. Duck legs with prunes and olives is a dish we served at The Winds several times a year. It's rendered so the fat in the skin is minimized, then it's braised in leeks, onions, tomatoes and red wine to make it succulent.

LOL! I'd probably cut someone else a break, but I don't care much for Ilan.

Tntitanfan
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 6:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tntitanfan a private message Print Post    
Being the foodie that I am I LOVE this show and New Food Network Star! Hell's Kitchen is 95% hell and only 5% kitchen - I watch it, of course, but for the drama, not the food!

Yankee_in_ca
Member

08-01-2000

Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 8:57 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Yankee_in_ca a private message Print Post    
Watched the iTunes version last night (that's the only way I get it "on time" up here in Canada). I loved it and really agree with much of what you guys have already said. It's a smart way to start a season, I think.

For me, in summary:

* Season 1 chefs are so far superior to the Season 2 folks it's embarrassing

* Tiffani didn't grate this time around.

* Marcel was WORSE. His comments in the apartment (before Harold told him to stop) were pretty ridiculous and served no purpose other than to either be 1) ***hole-ish, or 2) on camera as much as possible. No purpose. And the stupid rap, too....

* Ilan was just as annoying, but as said earlier, strangely shaky and incompetent. Dude, you were the winner. Buck up.

* As far as presentation and ideas go during the main meal, Stephen's dish was the most appealing to me.

* As I did last season, I wonder how Padma got that scar on her arm. It's a doozy.

Tntitanfan
Member

08-03-2001

Saturday, June 09, 2007 - 9:01 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tntitanfan a private message Print Post    
I have read somewhere - probably here at TVCH - that the scar is from a childhood auto accident.

Gemma120in2002
Member

07-05-2003

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 6:47 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Gemma120in2002 a private message Print Post    
I just watched the show and it was really good! Stephen did a great job as the captain of the team. He was smart in determining a theme and then everyone discussed each dish. The ability to flow from one dish to another without the whiplash of going from one cuisine to another was eliminated by choosing a mediterranian theme. The second team was free to prepare whatever dish in whatever style he or she wanted. As Chris said about season two chefs during the tasting, "These people hate each other!" He could tell by eating the food.

I was glad that when Marcel was being called on the carpet about his poor knife skills in cutting the mango, that Ilan stepped forward and said that it was his fault because he spilled the mango. It was sad that he needed to say that it wasn't on purpose.

Tntitanfan
Member

08-03-2001

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 1:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tntitanfan a private message Print Post    
I hope one of you great techie types comes in here soon to put up pictures! With three cooking shows running, I am going to be so confused and would surely appreciate pictues so I can tell the players apart@

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 2:24 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
Gemma -- did you think the comment about them "hating each other" was a reaction to the food? For whatever reason, I interpreted that to be from a "fan" who had watched both seasons and knew that season two's group was snarky and downright mean at times. Of course, hating each other probably did affect the cohesiveness of the cuisine, too...but I'm wondering if a contestant would be astute enough to notice it...after which course was the comment made? I can't remember and have deleted it already. :-(

Maris
Member

03-28-2002

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 3:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Maris a private message Print Post    
I had no idea this show started again. How exciting.

Vacanick
Member

07-12-2004

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 6:23 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Vacanick a private message Print Post    
Hi Teach ... I thought the comment about them "hating each other" had to do with all the courses being completely different from each other. Whereas Stephen's team did the same theme. I could be wrong but that's what I thought.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 7:16 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
Gotcha! That makes sense -- they certainly didn't try to make it cohesive. :-) I was thrilled to see season 1 win, and I hope this season has more serious food people and fewer ego people!

I got a rather depressing surprise tonight. While watching The Next Food Network Star, they said, "Top Chef" Season 3 started TONIGHT! I FLIPPED! I went looking, but nope -- it starts Wednesday. Somebody on FN screwed up w/their advertisement. :-(

Tntitanfan
Member

08-03-2001

Sunday, June 10, 2007 - 7:17 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tntitanfan a private message Print Post    
Picking a chef is very different from picking a dinner guest, so my chef choice would still be Marcel - with a previous understanding about foams, of course.

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, June 11, 2007 - 3:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
I'd actually like to try Dave's food -- homey w/flavor is right up my alley. Next would be Harold, then probably Lee Ann or Elia (LOVE authentic Spanish food). No foams, no Marcel, and No Stephen if I had to actually eat the food. :-)

Gemma120in2002
Member

07-05-2003

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 3:48 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Gemma120in2002 a private message Print Post    
Sorry Teach, the lack of cohesiveness is what I meant about how he could tell they hated each other. They couldn't even get together enough to come up with a theme. Thank goodness there wasn't a severe difference such as suddenly having a Japanese sashimi dish smack in the middle of a bunch of southern comfort food! LOL! That would be too funny though!

Csnog
Member

07-18-2002

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 7:36 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Csnog a private message Print Post    
I'm looking for a female winner this season!!!

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 7:47 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
That would have been funny - even better if it were a sashimi dish WITH FOAM in between S.C.F. :-) I was able to catch some of Season 1 on Bravo's marathon this week -- and I still think those were COOKS not ego people. However, I WAS surprised to be annoyed by Gail's voice! LOL I enjoyed her season one, but after hearing Padma for a season, Gail sounded too fake -- weird.

Who's watching tonight? We're watching it now (TIVO w/o commercials), but that black bird thingie on the elminiation challenge was just nasty!

I'm thrilled to have Top Chef back! I love this show! :-)

Hermione69
Member

07-24-2002

Wednesday, June 13, 2007 - 7:50 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Hermione69 a private message Print Post    
I am watching this for the first time ever. Ostrich?!?!?

I feel for Clay, but I don't think he will be around long.

As a new vegetarian, this is kind of hard to watch, LOL!