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Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 11:33 am
One thing I am curious about Wylie & Graham. When they were in the car together on the way to the store.... Were they picking out ingredients together that they could share, so they could get twice as many items? If so, is this fair?
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Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 12:21 pm
Hmm, they were picking out items, I'm not sure if it was to share. I hadn't originally thought so--I thought they were just brainstorming, like "can I have carrots? oh, only in a can." I do remember when they were in the store, one of them saying that he wouldn't use all of something, so the other guy could have the rest.
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Christy358
Member
07-10-2007
| Thursday, June 18, 2009 - 11:09 pm
Anytime you get contestants working for charity rather than the chance of a life time for themselves, you get more helpful happy contestants. You do not get the real fun of the challenge
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 5:49 am
I don't know who Kelly Choi is (apparently she's famous in her own city) but I absolutely do not like her as a host of this show. Her manner of speaking (or screeching) is offensive to me and she's ruining this for me. The thing that has always bothered me about Top Chef until recently was how New York centric they were, and this just proved it. Pick someone who is known outside of NYC please.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 6:50 am
I think there is still "real fun" in watching top name chefs deal w/details in a kitchen (like a lack of a pantry) that they normally don't face. They still want to win, they still are competitive, and they still want 'bragging' rights; I don't think the competition changes those aspects dramatically. The big difference I do see is that they aren't living together and doing these challenges for weeks on end and THAT makes it much easier to be polite and civil. I agree, Costa- Kelly is driving me nuts! DH and I said last night when we were watching it that we couldn't wait to get Padma back.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 7:29 am
I agree Teach. These chefs all know each other alrerady, too, and already respect each other. So the polite/civil thing is a lot easier for them. They are competitive and they do want to win, but it's just not near as nasty. The thing that bothers me about Kelly too is her inflection. "You received three... and a half... STARS." Or something like that. She is distracting and detracting and while she may be a lovely host on her local station, she's not so much on a national stage.
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Stacey718995
Member
07-05-2007
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 8:01 am
I can't stand the way she talks either. I have said since the beginning it is like she screams at them or worse, ME! I muted her several times this last show and just watched the graphics showing the points at the bottom. I enjoy learning about chefs outside of areas that I am not familiar with or chefs I have not heard of. I really loved this week because I know Graham personally, he really is a funny guy.
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Mgmriver
Member
04-27-2009
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 9:21 am
If they had someone else besides Kelly this show would be near perfect viewing for me. She's so stiff and robot-like with a voice that grates on my ears. Her personality also lacks. Poor choice in giving her the gig. If they do this show again they will surely replace her. I like a wee bit of personality in my hosts. Otherwise I like this show.
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 9:30 am
LOL. I was sure someone in NYC would slap me with a wet pasta noodle for my dislike of her, so I'm glad to see I'm not the only one. I agree this show would be totally enjoyable to watch WITHOUT Kelly Choi as host.
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Lexie_girl
Member
07-30-2004
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 9:35 am
<<---- misses Padma.
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Panda
Member
07-15-2005
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 10:20 am
not really a fan of Kelly but I did recognize her from the local channel.
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Lilfair
Member
07-09-2003
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 4:10 pm
Kelly is doing a really poor job. No likability comes through. And she makes me feel like she doesn't really like what she's doing or the people she's with. Not a good fit with the spirit of this type of show. She'd do better on some weird dating Reality Show.
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 5:29 pm
I expect Padma's contract is written for the regular Top Chef series, so she is not a part of this show. That being said, I am loving watching top chefs who very likely have not sliced and diced for years having a chance to revisit their early kitchen days. Because these are established chefs - and there is a definite sense of brother/sisterhood there - I feel less "will to kill" and that perhaps these contests take place for "bragging rights" and not surival! I see the similar "Iron Chef" as being highly competitive with FOOD, not with insults, put downs, etc. Just how I see it, of course -
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 6:01 pm
Who was it the first episode who said he never went shopping? Was that Hubert? I cracked up when whomever it was said that!
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 6:30 pm
Costa - I don't remember which chef made that comment, but it is certainly true that an executive chef does not typically deal with the nuts and bolts of a meal.
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Stacey718995
Member
07-05-2007
| Friday, June 19, 2009 - 6:43 pm
It was Hubert; I got a kick out of it too. How about when he lost his cart. LOL it was hilarious to see him so lost in something simple like a grocery store but then he knew how to cook it all in the shower.
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Gemma120in2002
Member
07-05-2003
| Saturday, June 20, 2009 - 10:13 am
He said he isn't used to going to the store, he picks up the phone and orders it and it's delivered. It was so cute watching him trying to navigate simple small scale grocery shopping. It was good to see him laughing t himself and not taking things too seriously.
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Nerovh
Member
06-12-2005
| Saturday, June 20, 2009 - 6:48 pm
I thought Hubert was so charming! I loved it when he lost his grocery cart and then when he was trying to use the microwave and he said something like "I thought the microwave was only used for drying out my newspaper." He was such a good sport about laughing at himself, it made me really glad that he won.
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Teachmichigan
Member
07-22-2001
| Saturday, June 20, 2009 - 8:12 pm
DH and I noticed that both winners so far have been the quieter chefs - the no-frills, stay-calm and figure out contestants. Wonder if that trend will continue?
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Costacat
Member
07-15-2000
| Sunday, June 21, 2009 - 4:45 am
I dunno but I really enjoy this show. I love the humor and professionalism that this chefs bring, and how it's about the food (and not personalities). If they'd ditch the gawdawful host it would be, as said upthread, just about perfect. Really, what's wrong with a feel good show for a change? 
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Nerovh
Member
06-12-2005
| Sunday, June 21, 2009 - 8:03 pm
I agree, Costa. It's actually a bit of a relief not to be waiting for somebody to just lose it and go off. Both episodes so far have left me feeling relaxed and smiling. I hope it stays that way.
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Tess
Member
04-13-2001
| Monday, June 22, 2009 - 3:28 am
My husband and I are loving this show as well. It is so nice to see the chefs being so nice and respectful to each other while they wait for the decision. It was so much fun to see Susan? baking cookies and then all of them diving in right away. For both of the first 2 shows it has been quite easy to predict the winner just as it has been obvious who is going home on Next Food Network Star and who will be "Chopped" but the shows are so fun to watch anyway. We used to watch all the cooking and DIY shows together when we first married and 17 years later we've come full circle and here we are back where we fell in love. 
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Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 7:16 pm
Another good show tonight. Quick fire was each chef cooking in a "theme color", and elimination was street vendor food using an unusual ingredient like pig's ear, tongue, heart, stomach (tripe). Rick Bayless won--although doing the math, I actually thought it was going to be quickfire winner Willow (probably didn't spell his name right, sorry). The French youngster (is he only 24?) seemed like he belonged more on the "regular" Top Chef, although he did come in third rather than last place, which surprised me. He was so funny the way he kept not wanting help, yet he was the one who needed it. (Oh, and his hair seemed like he needed a hairnet when cooking. It really took away my appetite.)
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Stacey718995
Member
07-05-2007
| Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 7:19 pm
The sweaty flying hair thing was hard for me as well
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Tntitanfan
Member
08-03-2001
| Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 7:46 pm
I thought the most interesting thing about the show was that three of the chefs - including the French-trained one - prepared Mexican dishes! None of the proteins would have initially appealed to me, but I may have been able to stomach - no pun intended - them in the Mexican preparations. Well, no - menudo is not on my fav list! Perhaps I have never had a bad enough hangover?
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