Author |
Message |
Meggieprice
Member
07-09-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:00 am
I so agree about Tiffany sealing her fate. She has this way of blaming the customer (the kids) or the event (the wedding) for her failures. If she tasted some of the high ticket catrerers we sample on a regular basisis in our work at weddings she would know that was a stupid thing to say. Michael (my DH) was wincing when Harold chose the fresh salmon, so I have to disagree about it not being his fault. Salmon freezes really well because of the high fat content and if you can get wild you should always pick that over the fish farm blander salmon. Much much more flavor. In any case they were not impressed with salad underneath. As a former baker at a great bakery it was me wincing over the cake mix!
|
Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:41 am
meggie, i winced at first, but truly understood what tiffani said. they had no experience in that realm, and better to have a cake that would stand up that they could flavor, rather than the chance that they would make a cake that couldn't stand up to being stacked and falling and running into time problems and taste problems. none of those chefs have anything more than the basics that their regular chef programs give them which isn't very much at all.
|
Kappy
Member
06-29-2002
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:14 am
Yep ~ hoping to see Dave, LeeAnn and Harold in final three and assuming that LeeAnn and Harold will fight it out in the end. But then maybe Dave will surprise us all, happily, and win the whole thing? Either way, I think Dave will easily find a great job after all this. Which reminds me, and forgive me if it has already been discussed, but thinking back to the gentleman who owned restaurants (China Grill) and was taking Dave to Cannes ~ is he the same guy who tried to work with Rocco at one point on his reality show and Rocco was a real a$$$ to him?
|
Foolscap
Member
09-04-2004
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:25 am
I agree with what most of you are saying in regards to Stephan's cluelessness and he certainly didn't seem to be very interested in proving himself as a chef. He in no way should or could have won this competition. But I've got to say I'm sorry to see him go, as I was hugely entertained by him. His walk, the expressions on his face, his pompousness and the ridiculous things he said. I could have watched him endlessly.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:41 am
Yes, Kappy, same guy.
|
Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 11:42 am
Yes Kappy...I recognised him too!
|
Meggieprice
Member
07-09-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 2:17 pm
I do understand why they did it Landi- though I am somewhat surprised they have so little pastry experience! I think they overcompensated with filling to try to hide the mix and that didn't work.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:27 pm
they should have googled "cake mix recipes", they would have come up with all sorts of ways to dress up the box mixes! LOL that's my trick and I always get compliments!
|
Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:43 pm
LOL Texannie..you beat me by 2 minutes!!
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 3:50 pm
great minds! LOL
|
Meggieprice
Member
07-09-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 5:09 pm
And btw I can tell many many bakeries use a mix (albeit an industrial size one) because I taste wedding cake every week. At least they tend to have a handle on what works for a wedding... and some really good bakeries obviously bake from scratch.
|
Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Thursday, April 27, 2006 - 10:19 pm
Are there any particular "give aways" that indicate when a bakery uses a mix vs. when they make it from scratch? I know my SIL makes the "butter" recipe on the cake mix, and it makes a huge difference in the texture -- but it's still a mix. I don't think I've eaten enough to distinguish the two, but I'd be very interested in knowing HOW to tell the difference should the opportunity for comparison every arise. 
|
Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 4:21 am
The difference between box and scratch cakes is the texture, moisture and flavor. I can't believe that they were afraid to make that cake from scratch when I actually saw the cake. That was nothing spectacular. When they were talking about the cake falling I thought they were going to have a much larger base. And for * sake, it wasn't a chocolate cake or anything, which is much harder to get right! I worked at a bakery for about 3-4 months between the time I graduated from college and the time I got my "real" job, and even my small town local bake shop did not use mixes! I totally disagree about Stephen because I would love to eat in a restaurant that he runs. Not every day, but as a special occaison I would. At the end of the day, you pay the big prices you should have a big experience. The fact that he got the waiters to sweep the room would have made a HUGE impression at that wedding and he got no credit for that except from the wedding planner who seemed to realize how special that is. I eat out alot and live in a large metropolitan area (Washington, DC) and there are a lot of so-so chefs. If someone wants to raise the bar, I say go for it. It gets very old to go out, pay a lot of money, wait a long time for the food and then get something that is not that different from what you can make at home. Or is good but not really very special. I don't really drink because I am a diabetic, but if I am going to sip something I want it to be worth it and really compliment the food. Stephen's attitude does not intimidate me at all. If he wants to be the best then prove it because at the end of the day you can say what you want but you still have to PERFORM. At least he has high ideals. With Tiffani I get the feeling that she would look at me, think, "Oh she is not a food critic, what will it matter," and serve crap. Harold makes silly choices, like the salmon. Dave melts down and Lee Ann doesn't really step up. If I were making the choices I would take my chances with Stephen. I would rather see someone set the bar high and fail than to never even try.
|
Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 4:43 am
To continue my lengthy rant, I want to tell you about one of the few real "dining experiences" I have had in my life. When I was growing up in Lock Haven, PA, there was a restaurant called "The Dutch Inn." The proprietor was a retired Dutch merchant trader, and the restaurant was in a large home with multiple rooms. The rooms were all decorated with various European objects d'art and you could go into the upstairs rooms after dinner and browse other items that were for sale. The proprietor was some kind of relative or family friend of Tasha Tudor the artist and had a lot of her work there. You had to make reservations to eat there and the entree was selected in advance. When you got there and were seated, the waiters would come in and recite a list of appetizers that you could choose from. There were no menus anywhere and no one ever wrote anything down. There was a stylized way that the waiters would list the appetizers with their voice kind of rising at the end of each one, hard to explain. The appetizers were all very interesting, like potatae capicolla, eggs ala russe, orange shrub, etc. After the appetizer there was a soup course in little lidded bowls served with bread that was cut out with cookie cutters and spread with some kind of spread and decorated with herbs. (The herbs were grown in a herb garden outside the restaurant that you could see out the windows, very lovely.) Then there was a salad, then orange sherbet to cleanse the palate, then the entree served with sticky rolls that were out of this world fabulous. Then you were able to select from a list of desserts that the waiters again recited to you. The whole thing was just wonderful and fabulous, the food was perfect, the atmosphere was special and wonderful and the wait staff was highly trained and professional. When you went there you knew it was a unique experience. Of course you paid out the nose but it was worth it. If you mentioned to people in my home town that you were going to the Dutch Inn, people would automatically ask what the occasion was, because that is where everyone went when something special was happening in their life. There are just too few places like that. If Stephen or anyone else can create another one, I am all for it. Not that it would have to be the same as that one, but something that would be equally special. The Dutch Inn closed over 20 years ago, by the way, when the proprietor died. Everyone still talks about it.
|
Hukdonreality
Member
09-29-2003
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 5:01 am
I don't mind dining at MacDonalds, as long as Steven isn't working there.
|
Landi
Member
07-29-2002
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 6:11 am
if stephen was there, you would be talked down to why you chose the coca-cola in the cup that you did!
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 6:30 am
If Stephen's food backed up his attitude it might be worth putting up with, but he didn't seem to win too many of the competitions, did he?
|
Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 6:31 am
Another thing. When they designed those menus they did not know they would only have 16 hours lead time and a supermarket inventory. Tom said, in his blog, that it should have been plenty of time including 5 hours of sleep. Maybe, if they had been working in a familiar kitchen on dishes they had produced for a large crowd previously. He also said Dave could have changed the dish and bought a different kind of fish. That was not stated in the rules. They were to complete LeAnn's menu that had been approved by the Scotts. I would not have thought to change anything and set myself up for elimination for possibly breaking the rules and disappointing the wedding couple who were expecting salmon. Anyway, too bad they did not choose Stephan. It would have been very interesting to see him in charge and unable to schmooze out front. Perhaps he made his menu choices too obscure so he would not be chosen.
|
Supergranny
Member
02-03-2005
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 7:16 am
Alisons...great story!
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 7:39 am
As to Stephen's impressive instructions to 'sweep the room'..here is Tom's comment on that.... Marcy Blum, our guest Judge, was impressed by the waiters 'sweeping the room' (serving in unison) but truthfully – the waiters only 'swept' the head table, which looked good on camera but did little to enhance everyone’s experience. And by jumping in to orchestrate service, Stephen left the hotel's Banquet Captain with nothing to do – a poor use of resources, and evidence that he lacks the confidence to delegate. Stephen truly believes that he will single-handedly "raise the bar" for the rest of us. And indeed he may – to heights of culinary and oenophilic rapture that mere people can't hope to appreciate. And when that happens, there may be diners somewhere who will happily pay to be hectored, lectured, and reminded of their inferior knowledge. But if those guests are out there, in twenty-five years on the job, I haven't met them. http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/Episodes/Episode_8/Blogs/tom6.shtml
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 7:44 am
and Gail's comments.... But with each episode, his ego has clouded his focus. Time and again he has demonstrated that he is far more concerned with the location of Rioja, the acid balance of Rose´ and the correct temperature of Pinot Gris than with getting his hands dirty in the kitchen. The irony of it is that he speaks about wine to diners twice his age as if they are children, when the kid has only been drinking legally for three years! I trust that one day Stephen will be the great chef, sommelier or even the award-winning restaurateur to which he aspires. He has the drive and the education. But until he learns that good service is less about hearing the sound of your own voice and more about tuning into the voices and concerns of your customers, he is going to have a very hard time finding anyone to listen. http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/Episodes/Episode_8/Blogs/gail4.shtml
|
Sadiesmom
Member
03-13-2002
| Friday, April 28, 2006 - 7:09 pm
Maybe it would be interesting to go to Stephen's restaurant if the special occaision was to take a wine coure. But he does not seem to spend the time on the food tastes, but more in making obscure choices and in surface appearance. I, too, have eaten in small specialty restaurants, including one in NYC that served only 10 people at a time and all the food was made fresh to order and was not very expensive surprisingly. Turned out to be a test kitchen for a bigger restaurant - an experimental place that I lucked into finding for lunch and dinner. I loved that place. They would adjust the recipes to the customer's desire, such as avoiding my very serious food allergies. I think the talking down to people annoyed me the most, but not being available when they were short handed and exhausted in the kitchen was an unforgivable sin. They are not trying for the job of educator of the masses (a mistake Harold made on street food challenge as well), it is not waiter extraordinaire, it is top chef and it is stated that one of the thing they are judged upon is their value in the kitchen. I still suspect that Stephen was sandbagging to get LeeAnne thown out.
|
Alisons
Member
01-10-2003
| Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 3:58 am
Stephen did win at least two of the quick fire challenges (the one with all the cups and the one that someone said looked like a painting) and they mentioned him as being one of the top in the quickfire just about every week. On the web page they also featured his recipes in every week except for one. So, as far as attitude goes, I think that is a valid complaint but not the food complaint, I think his food was right up there. But anyway, I am not a Stephen apologist, I really don't care which one wins. For me the bottom line is the product (which I take to be the whole experience and not just the food though of course the food HAS to be good.) If you are ever in Reston my favorite restaurant here is the Jasmine Cafe. In Leesburg I like the Lightfoot the best, but the last time I was there the food was a little off, I think they switched chefs and it does not seem to be a GOOD switch...
|
Fruitbat
Member
08-07-2000
| Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 6:07 am
I am not convinced Stephan's food is all that great. His sandwich was not well received by Tom and his cups of fruit, though it won for presentation, was criticized by his teamates for being all show. LeAnn mentioned that he did not even taste his ramdom concoctions within the cups. Rosemary on mango? I think he wants to own a restaurant only to have others prepare the food so he can put on a show in the dining room. He would design the menu, of course, but as for laboring in the kitchen? No way. I see LeAnn as the clear winner but I would not be disappointed if Harold took top honors either.
|
Texannie
Member
07-16-2001
| Saturday, April 29, 2006 - 6:25 am
Here is an interview with Stephen done by the Bravo Program Exec. HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT GETTING DINKED LAST NIGHT? WAS IT JUST? It seemed unjust. I'm not saying I shouldn't have been eliminated, but I was teamed up on by the rest of the contestants. I should have been selfish and stayed in the kitchen but my mentors and professors at Cornell University Culinary Institute of America would've seen me forfeit the guest's experience by staying in the kitchen. I orchestrated an amazing service flow and chose great wines and enhanced the overall experience for our clients, Scott and Scott. I could've stayed in the kitchen but I knew that my competitors were capable of tackling the extra things. I wanted nothing to do with that wedding cake even if front of house was not an issue. They chose cake mix against my will -- I thought it was below satisfactory using a cake mix. I pissed off my fellow chefs by standing up for the cake. Tom said I had a disconnect from the competition and at that point I agree, I couldn't solely focus only on the kitchen. I can't ignore details. If the prize was a million dollars I would've made a different decision, but not for 100 grand. I was happy to make it that far. IT SEEMED FROM THE SHOW THAT PEOPLE REALLY DON'T SEEM TO WANT TO BE EDUCATED BY YOU...DO YOU AGREE? That's fine. I think it was my youth speaking in some ways. I have been working front of house and I do know how to read guests. I got caught up in the competition with an advantage by showing how good I could do that. The major detail I left out is that some people love it and some hate it. For example in the ‘restaurant wars' challenge, half the tables were interested and half could've cared less. We would've had a higher rating if I had known who was interested and who wasn't. I was flustered opening a restaurant in one day! PEOPLE ON OUR TOP CHEF BOARDS ARE PISSED AT YOU! HAVE YOU BEEN READING THEM? I try not to read the boards on the advice of my dad and my mentors. On my website I am getting emails from fans, the opposite of what I hear are on the boards. People were vicious from the 10 minutes I spent one day reading. It was not helpful to read. I appreciate people's opinions but no one that I read was reading between the lines of what I was experiencing at that moment on the show. WHAT WAS IT LIKE WATCHING YOURSELF? Watching myself on the show is a very humbling experience for me. Not many people get to see their personalities on national television. I think what I've learned is a lot about myself. There are a lot of changes I'll make because of Top Chef. I am intense and I need to know when to turn it down and when to turn it up. This will come with age and maturity. I've never been able to step outside myself like that. People have said I am intense in an overwhelming way and I couldn't understand -- now I do! DO YOU THINK YOU COME OFF ARROGANT? I come off as an elitist. I definitely have an elitist take in my personality but that's from a professional standpoint. I don't think I'm better than my neighbor because of how I dress or the car I drive. It's because of my passion and attention to detail and how much I care about the experience of my guests. I know things can always be better. I criticize my competitors or other restaurants because we're in the hospitality industry -- it's about the guest. The best in our field have proven to be beyond critical. I am just analyzing things that I should keep to myself at times because it comes off as abrasive and is misconstrued as arrogance. ANDREA TOLD ME YOUR OYSTER DISH THAT TED ALLEN CHOSE AS THE QUICKFIRE WINNER ACTUALLY STUNK. REACTION? I stand behind that dish 100 percent. I never make excuses for my food. I love that dish. That dish had shock value. It was all about a few bites that are gonna make your eyes roll to the back of your head -- that's what I delivered and that's why I won. Andrea's vegetable slaw, oh my god. Amazing. OK BEFORE I LET YOU GO, CAN YOU RECOMMEND AN INEXPENSIVE SUMMER WINE? Yes! Hmmm... let's see. Summer is the time for Rosé.... Chateau d'Aqueria which is a Tavel Rosé from 2004. This is a beautiful simple wine to sip outside during the summertime for under $20. YUM, I LOVE ROSÉ IN THE SUMMER! Yes -- it's nice dry, light and fruitful. One of the best-kept secrets of the summertime! ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SAY ABOUT TOP CHEF OR ANYTHING? It was a great learning experience -- the best in my career to date. I got to learn so much about myself. It was great for me. I stand by myself. I sacrificed my spot in the competition on behalf of my integrity so I hope that comes across.... THANKS STEPHEN. GOOD LUCK! http://www.bravotv.com/Andys_Blog/060427.shtml
|
|
|
|