Top Chef - 1/10/07 - SPOILERS!!

[SDMomChef]

So....


It was a so-so episode for me - nothing really interesting was created by the chefs - nothing really unusual in the challenges or at the judges table. I think sending Mike home was the right decision - I just don't think he is at the level of the other chefs and Sam had to keep helping him.

Cliff is really moving into my do not like pile - I'm not sure if it is arrogance or what, but he doesn't seem to be a team player. I thought that his decision to be the "front person" was because he didn't want to cook with Marcel. I also don't think that he tried very hard to be successful at it, and that disappointed me.

[Casey1230]

Agree it was not the best of shows, but still enjoyed it. Wonder what they were thinking tho! No wine in an Italian joint??? Raw chicken?? And Sam's dessert..... yuck! I, too, didn't care the Cliff's attitude at all.... when asked if he should go and if not, who,,, he's.... 'pick one of them' was arrogant and just plain rude...can't even say a name?? Looks like next week is a doozy... do ya think somebody got beat up? The comment 'wait until you see them' makes me wonder what happened.....

[Canice]

Yup, I agree: It was time for Mike to go home, and I don't know how much he even minded. Cliff's arrogance is getting a little much (and I totally agree about his decision to work the front of the house), but I think Elia needs to buck up: what kind of kitchen does she work in that's so genteel? They're brusque (at best!) places, and she shouldn't take everything so personally. That said, she should have fought to be front of the house; it would have been the best thing for the team.

Besides that disgusting dessert and lack of wine, the very idea of "Italian" was lame, IMO. Hasn't it been done to death? Nothing sounded/looked appealing and there wasn't even an angle to make it special. I thought if they did an Apuglian menu, or A taste of Trieste or something, it would say more than "another (yaaaaaaawn) Italian restaurant". I liked the snack challenge but it seemed everyone failed in the restaurant.

Oh, and I was right: the guest judge was that same nasty guy who judged last year and just sneered at everyone and was sooooo rude. Nice new 'do though.

[Hammster]

I like this challenge. I think it really shows how the contestants work as a team and also illustrates, somewhat, how their roles play out. Mike was definitely the sous chef on the Italian side. (More on this in a bit) Ilan and Sam did all right. But yeah, no wine? Huh??? I think they should have streamlined their menu a bit so they would have had money in the budget for the wine. And Mike saying that he stuck to the list. Not good. Not taking responsibility.
I don't have a problem with Cliff being brusque. I don't think he's mean, but just understands that things needed to get done and out to the tables. I think Elia and Marcel were a bit over sensitive to Cliff's demands. But it could come back to haunt Cliff if no one wants to work with him later. I think in this kind of a competition, it's better to make friends than enemies. As much as I think Sam or Ilan have a good chance, it's totally possible that all this hate toward Marcel may end up helping Marcel and Elia. Marcel learned his lesson quickly and didn't do any foams or gelees this week. Smart man. And Elia is just doing her thing, not stressing over Marcel, and I think it is keeping her focused on the prize as well.
I don't know if anyone realised, I didn't until reading Tom's blog, that Miguel was let go after last season's restaurant challenge for playing "sous chef". Miguel one season, Michael this one. Hmmm. Coincidence? Or a conspiracy?? LOL.
I wonder about next week as well. I thought maybe they all shaved their heads! Maybe there was a fight. And it looked like Cliff was up in the middle of the night for some reason.

[sharhamm]

I'm wondering also about next week. Maybe someone got up in the night and cut Marcels hair?
Anyway, I thought last night was a little boring. A hamburger joint. Come on, this show is supposed to be about Top Chefs!
I think Mikey wanted to go home to his wife.
Cliff made a jerk of himself. He definately is not a team player. I thought he was going to be the one to go home.

[Casey1230]

Hmmmmmm.... I just saw a clip of next week's show on Bravo and somebody is sent home .... not the usual way..... think the idiot on Project Runway who didn't play by the rules.... Think that maybe Cliff or Sam (temper tantram???) was sent packing... it was Tom C. that told them that they 'had to leave'... so not the usual Padma doing the pack your knives!!

[Hammster]

Hmmmmmm.... I just saw a clip of next week's show on Bravo and somebody is sent home .... not the usual way..... think the idiot on Project Runway who didn't play by the rules.... Think that maybe Cliff or Sam (temper tantram???) was sent packing... it was Tom C. that told them that they 'had to leave'... so not the usual Padma doing the pack your knives!!

Hmm, I wonder if it has anything to do with Cliff's late night excursion caught on film?? At least it looked like Cliff in the promo for next week. I know Cliff keeps saying he'd beat up Marcel if he gets a chance. Scary.

[Casey1230]

This had to have happened after the challenge and prior to the judge's table as Tom C. made the comment about 'wait until you see them'... which may be that there is already one less than they were expecting.... Maybe Cliff and Sam threw Marcel off the roof that he so enjoys sitting on Anxiously awaiting Wednesday night!!!! Ah, the intrigue...................

[tidee]

i enjoyed this week's show. i think because it was finally down to a managable number of chefs where you could see if they were doing what they should.

we are not seeing all the background going on with the hate fest. ilan is the most vocal, but cliff and sam have both said truely hateful things.

this show is lucky as far as me watching it goes, because i like the concept so much. i work nights and tape the show to watch when i can. they need to have ONE show ONCE a week at ONE time for ONE length of time. if they don't, i loose interest 'cause i miss parts. that's the reason i lost interest in the amazing race. they were always screwing with it.

[Peweh]

I was thinking they shaved their heads too but DH picked up on the Cliff lurking around thing and said maybe he slipped hair dye into the shampoo!! I think this is possible... last night, a disappointment, I wanted to see Mikey AND Cliff go. Cliff said he wanted to do front of the house because that;s what he does in his restaurant, but he was awful at it so I think he just didn't want to work with Marcel

[Canice]

Speaking of pranks and mischief, or whatever next week holds (I'm intrigued!)...
What about Ilan and his stupid Ode to Marcel? Esp with its failed foam? How juvenile could one be? What was his point besides ridiculing Marcel? What did he want to do with his TC opportunity? I seriously wonder if anyone besides Elia and Sam is actually trying to win this competion.

The first few episodes I thought Betty was so warm and engaging, bubbly -- I really wanted her to do well. Then (at least, as edited) she became the sugar-coated b!tch, and I was glad to see her go. Conversley, Marcel was painted from the outset (or perhaps WAS) the ego-jerk from hell, ala Stephen from Season 1. Pretty unlikable. But the more he was painted the villain, and worse he was treated by the others... the more I thought he might be OK. Must be a lot of fun being a producer on this show, working with the editors!!

[KristiB]

Sam/Ilan/Cliff need to grow up. They just come off looking like jerks with their Marcel hate.

I understand Marcel is probrably annoying but he doesn't deserve all that venom.

[Hammster]

Conversley, Marcel was painted from the outset (or perhaps WAS) the ego-jerk from hell, ala Stephen from Season 1. Pretty unlikable. But the more he was painted the villain, and worse he was treated by the others... the more I thought he might be OK. Must be a lot of fun being a producer on this show, working with the editors!!

I was talking with DW the other night and we were observing that although most didn't care for Stephen in the first season, there wasn't this outright hate and all the focus on hating someone (with the exception of the heated exchange between Candace and Stephen). Maybe some of it is editing, but it wouldn't be in there if there wasn't a reason for it. Besides the obvious ratings points, I mean.
The 3 stooges; Sam, Ilan and Cliff, definitely need to get off the Marcel hate bandwagon and back into cooking, or they will end up packing their knives. Ilan definitely looked like an idiot trying to foam the Italian dressing to make fun of Marcel. Let Marcel succeed or fail on his own. It also kind of looks like during next week's elimination round that Marcel will have to plate his own dishes. And it looked like a lot of dishes. Yikes!

[stacy7272]

I think picking Ilan before Cliff was a mistake for Sam. And Cliff was a jerk, again, this week. He doesn't want to work with Marcel so he decides to become even more annoying than Marcel is? I would think that Marcel, annoying or not out of the kitchen, would be easy to get along with in the kitchen. He is a great cook and he is very professional and helpful. Although, I do think Elia and Marcel over reacted to Cliff's "voice raising." I guess they expect him to whisper?

Ilan trying to foam the dressing was embarrassing. You have 30 minutes and that's how you spend them? It turns out he actually can't do what Marcel routinely does so he decides to let everyone know about it? Ilan's performance in the kitchen is faultering so I think it would be wise for him to watch his cocky attitude.

I'm glad Mike is gone. You can always tell the person who shouldn't be there - the one who actually seems relieved to leave.

[Canice]

....
Oh, and I was right: the guest judge was that same nasty guy who judged last year and just sneered at everyone and was sooooo rude. Nice new 'do though.

Pardon me for quoting myself, but I just read Harold's blog, and boy did he come down on this guy! He really was awful to everyone both times he judged (and Betty got all weepy over Tim Allen's tactful comment?).