Top Chef Season 5-Spolers Probable - Page 3

flere-imsaho · 02-06-2009, 10:20 PM

If they run the challenge again with the same dishes Leah's dish will still suck (since she clearly had no idea what she did wrong), but Jamie's would likely have been much better (since she clearly had a good idea of where she went wrong).

That alone should have gotten Leah booted.

Very disappointed.

Compare to Hosea, who knew he was hosed with the eel once Stefan got started. He still gave it a good go and even Ripert said it was a pretty decent job.

terpkristin · 02-11-2009, 10:03 PM

Gotta say, I'm glad to see Carla make it to final 4.

And it's soooo past time, glad to see Leah gone, though I think it would have been almost appropriate if they'd sent Stefan home...any of those bottom 3, really, arguably deserved it.

I cringed when I saw Fabio's finger. Ow ow ow ow ow. I have sympathy pains. Actually, maybe that's real pain, my pinkie's still kind of messed up.

The previews for the next episode look interesting. I like Carla's straightened hair, and Fabio's mohawk. It looks like Fabio's finger has healed. And they really look to be setting up drama between Hosea and Stefan.

/tk

Coffee Warlord · 02-11-2009, 10:12 PM

I think we all pretty much knew Leah was toast tonight, barring some meltdown of epic proportions (Stefan might have been a bit close to that meltdown).

Fabio has the greatest one-liners in the history of Top Chef.

DaddyTorgo · 02-11-2009, 10:53 PM

watching my dvr - wow - could stefan go home for the salmon? (coming up to judgement)

thesloppy · 02-12-2009, 01:08 AM

Whooo! Good episode tonight. A Fabio tour de force. I agree with TK that as much as I think Carla is a nutball, I am glad to see her go forward, her food as well as her technique have really shined as things have gone on, and she seems to have gone in a more classical direction. I was hoping Stefan would get the chop, but Leah was so past done.

flere-imsaho · 02-12-2009, 10:19 AM

I think Carla's revived in the past few episodes because she consciously made a decision to stop trying to be a chef she wasn't, and instead be the chef she is and make stuff she wants to make. The green eggs & ham was a classic example and WD's reaction showed why it was right on.

I think Stefan's going in the opposite direction. I have no doubt that's a dish he could have cooked in his sleep, but he clearly let running on autopilot put him a very bad position.

Hosea's the weakest remaining, in my opinion. He's trying to hang with Stefan and Fabio and he clearly doesn't have the chops for it. At least Carla already realized this for herself and started cooking in her sweet spot. Hosea's shrimp was a clear example of him going out of his sweet spot, thinking he had to to compete with Stefan, and losing his way.

Glad Leah is gone, and frankly I wonder if it's also in part due to her basically having given up during the past few episodes.

Thomkal · 02-12-2009, 02:15 PM

Yeah I would have cheered if Stefan had gone home, but Leah has really deserved to go home for the last 3 episodes, so glad it was her as the weakest link going.

I think Fabio is the weakest overall of the four, and I think Carla's simplicity is going to get her in trouble now that they are in the Final Four. However I thought there was no way in hell she'd win the quickfire with a tribute to Dr. Seuss (Hosea must have been really steamed after his comment about her dish), so kudos to her. I think its Stefan's game to lose at this point, because overall he has been the strongest chef. But man it was great to see him get a kick in the pants last night.

DaddyTorgo · 02-12-2009, 02:38 PM

i don't know - there's something to the fact that fabio + carla cooked the "simplest" dishes last night and were the top 2. i think too often we get caught up watching these shows in the gastronomey of it and forget that it's about the taste. even the obnoxious brit said last night about fabio's dish that if he went and started a restaurant this could be his "signature dish." A roast chicken. Must have been one damn good roast chicken. And I think we get caught up in who is doing things that are edgy or whatever and forget that all the best chefs in the world advocate using fresh local seasonal ingredients prepared simply to let the flavors of the food shine through.

Coffee Warlord · 02-12-2009, 02:41 PM

On the same token, we've seen in seasons past (Richard from last year comes to mind immediately), who both wowed the judges in terms of presentation and "out there" gastronomy stuff, and had apparently tasty food.

DaddyTorgo · 02-12-2009, 02:44 PM

valid point CW.

JPhillips · 02-12-2009, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

i don't know - there's something to the fact that fabio + carla cooked the "simplest" dishes last night and were the top 2. i think too often we get caught up watching these shows in the gastronomey of it and forget that it's about the taste. even the obnoxious brit said last night about fabio's dish that if he went and started a restaurant this could be his "signature dish." A roast chicken. Must have been one damn good roast chicken. And I think we get caught up in who is doing things that are edgy or whatever and forget that all the best chefs in the world advocate using fresh local seasonal ingredients prepared simply to let the flavors of the food shine through.

But at the same time Collichio said he wished Carla had integrated the peas into the dish more.

kcchief19 · 02-12-2009, 04:46 PM

I've been jonesing for some great peas ever since I saw this last night. I almost want to go home an make peas and roast chicken for dinner.

Thought last night was a good decision. As mentioned before, I don't like Stefan but he can cook circles around Leah and should stick around. Last night sure seemed like a "lifetime achievement" award for Stefan because overcooking salmon is a culinary crime. Tom in particularly seemed like there was no way he was sending Stefan home last night, which pretty much put Leah out the door. Which is fine because she was the weakest link.

Carla is growing on me. She's coo-coo for cocoa puffs and bat-sh*t crazy but seems nice and has really nailed the last few challenges since she started going to her base. But I still think she's a great cook, just not a great chef. Stefan is the coach we all hated -- he's a prick, but he's right most of the time and gets results. That's what a chef is.

kingfc22 · 02-12-2009, 06:10 PM

Not a mention of the camera shot of Leah's boobs hanging out for everyone to see at the very start of the show. Disappointed.

JeeberD · 02-13-2009, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kingfc22

Not a mention of the camera shot of Leah's boobs hanging out for everyone to see at the very start of the show. Disappointed.

And my wife said that I was the only person who would notice that...

Man, I was really hoping Stefan would get sent home. I can't stand his arrogant ass.

I'm hoping that at least Fabio and Carla make it into the finals. They're fun to watch...

Barkeep49 · 02-14-2009, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

On the same token, we've seen in seasons past (Richard from last year comes to mind immediately), who both wowed the judges in terms of presentation and "out there" gastronomy stuff, and had apparently tasty food.

But none of those people have won. All of the winners have been about creativity executed perfectly (or at least very very well). I think Green Eggs and Ham's creativity warranted its win. I also think the Elimination Challenge pretty clearly did not call for creativity and simply called for execution, which Fabio and Carla pulled off.

kcchief19 · 02-15-2009, 10:03 AM

We've pulled Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski over to the dark side ... this turns into a Top Chef blog after the Extenze detour.

ExtenZe and Top Chef » Joe Posnanski

thesloppy · 02-19-2009, 01:42 AM

NoooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo!

I hope Stefan eats a fat sack of dicks in the final.

Coffee Warlord · 02-19-2009, 08:10 AM

Go Hosea!

jeheinz72 · 02-19-2009, 09:23 AM

Sad to see Fabio go, because he was so damn entertaining. THis is my first season watching, but I liked bringing Jeff back into the mix. I thought he kind of had a tough luck ouster the first time.

Stefan is such a poser. I love how he says he doesn't care to the judges (which is stupid) but has probably a dozen time in solo interviews said how badly he wants to win. For the majority of the season I was ok with him, because he was so apparently good at what he did. Now he's more of an ass.

Carla has grown on me big time. At first I thought she had to go (around the 5th/6th elimination) but man, she's brought her A game of late and if she keeps that up in the finale, she could very well win.

Hosea I go back and forth on. On one hand, he seems like a nice enough guy. On the other he's so neurotic and annoying. If he wins it'll be...ok.

JPhillips · 02-19-2009, 09:45 AM

Carla seems to have figured out the game. She's comfortable with her flavor profile and knows how to work the time limits. I thought she should have been gone early on, but over the past four episodes or so she's been top notch.

PurdueBrad · 02-19-2009, 10:06 AM

It's been a solid season in some ways and weak in others. I've enjoyed the comradarie of the opponents much more this year (although the Hosea-Stefan thing is beyond old) but the cooking (until last night) seems to be much weaker. Tom gives some interesting insights on the blog, such as a rather big problem with Jeff's dishes that wasn't described (the sterno he was using caused the oysters to taste like sterno) and some other problems with Fabio's dishes (i.e.- They were cold when he served it to them despite making it for them). It sounds like Fabio has a show in the works somewhere, either Bravo or Food Network I'm guessing.

I'm down to rooting for Carla as she has made an improvement over the course of the season unlike anything we've seen. I think she has figured out the game and I am hoping she pulls it off. If she doesn't though, she got some nice stuff between the car and the Super Bowl trip.

flere-imsaho · 02-19-2009, 10:17 AM

Agreed that Carla's figured out how to deliver on a regular basis. As per Emeril's comments, her performance last night was really a tour de force.

I've figured Stefan out. He's all technique and experience, and no heart. This is why he dominated most of the season so far (he was operating on a level beyond everyone else), but has started to fall short now (they've caught up, and he's got nothing to really "wow" the judges).

Boy howdy did Hosea make the right call on the gumbo and spending forever on the roux.

And super-sad to see Fabio go. I have a feeling, however, he'll be more than able to parlay his experience into more opportunities.

At this point I'd say it's between Stefan and Carla. I don't think Hosea has the chops to deliver a truly awesome 3-course dinner, while Stefan almost certainly has it in him to do just that and Carla's on such a roll you have to count her in.

Thomkal · 02-19-2009, 01:34 PM

A trip to the Super Bowl and a new car-Carla sure knew which challenges to win didn't she? Keep being stunned that she wins-I thought she was in big trouble when she took on oysters with almost no experience shucking them. But kudos to her for pulling it off big time. I think she almost has to be the favorite right now. Not bad for someone I wanted out from episode 1 with her weird behavior.

Don't like that they brought someone back in, didn't think that was fair at all to the Final Four. At least they put a condition on him coming back. I was pulling for Jamie there, but knew Jeff would be tough. So long as it wasn't Leah, I was happy. And he nearly won the final challenge too, so kudos to him.

Man I was so hoping they'd kick Stefan out, but they need that enemy for the Final 3, the one everyone hates. Fabio was the weakest of the five really though and probably didn't deserve to go to the Final 3 as much as the others. I hope Stefan finishes third now, and Carla "Hootie-who's" right in his face when she wins.

jeheinz72 · 02-19-2009, 03:02 PM

What's the link to Tom's blog, PB? I"d love to read that. As I said, this is our first season watching and my wife and I have really really enjoyed it.

And since Carla won a car, doesn't that practically exclude her from winning under rule 1B in reality TV show land? I don't recall if it still holds up, but I know on Survivor people who won the car always lost

kcchief19 · 02-19-2009, 03:53 PM

When I read the press release last month about the final episode, I predicted to Mrs. kcchief19 that they would bring back the last few booted chefs and give them a chance to make the finals with a win. They did the same thing on Project Runway a few seasons ago.

If Jeff had won last night, Stefan was gone. I thought he might have pulled it off. If Carla had slipped a little -- maybe not guilted the other chefs that borrowed stuff from her help shuck oysters -- that might have been the opening Jeff needed. I wanted Jamie to win the quickfire because I thought she was the best of the rest. But Jeff put in a heck of an effort.

I have fully bought into the notion that it's coming down to Hosea and Stefan. I will probably be rooting for that nut Carla. I still think there is a difference between a great cook and a great chef. I'd want someone like Stefan running my restaurant kitchen, but if I just wanted a great meal I might go to Carla.

DaddyTorgo · 02-20-2009, 09:03 AM

didn't get to watch this till last night.

Man was I STOKED to see Jeff back, and so happy to see him keep his flavors simple and win the quickfire.

Regarding the elimination challenge - I actually thought that they were going to give the win to him and send Stefan + Fabio home. Seems like it would have been the right thing to do based on the comments about the dishes that we heard. We heard nothing but praise for all of Hosea/Carla/Jeff, while Stefan and Fabio each had something a little "off" about theirs. So color me confused how they didn't say "well in that case we want to send home the two weakest chefs so we're giving the win to Jeff" if it seems like it was basically a tossup between Jeff + Carla.

Nice to see Jeff finally recognize what he had done wrong though, and hopefully he'll go on to a successful career.

I think the final being in New Orleans is a HUGE advantage to Carla, and maybe a secondary advantage to Hosea, who certainly knows his fish and has obviously studied-up on New Orleans. Definately puts Stefan at a disadvantage (yay!).

Man I'll miss Fabio's kooky accent.

DaddyTorgo · 02-20-2009, 09:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

Tom gives some interesting insights on the blog, such as a rather big problem with Jeff's dishes that wasn't described (the sterno he was using caused the oysters to taste like sterno) and some other problems with Fabio's dishes (i.e.- They were cold when he served it to them despite making it for them).

aaah. teach me to post before reading Tom's blog. Interesting. Still - not sure what else he could have done - I was hella impressed that he was doing the oysters up right there on the spot and managed to pull it off.

Coffee Warlord · 02-20-2009, 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

Man I'll miss Fabio's kooky accent.

The good news for him is, though, he doesn't have to sleep in the bunk-y bed no more.

DaddyTorgo · 02-20-2009, 09:25 AM

lol - and apparently he'll do alright for himself.

"Everyday Italian with Fabio" anybody?

PurdueBrad · 02-20-2009, 09:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeheinz72

What's the link to Tom's blog, PB? I"d love to read that. As I said, this is our first season watching and my wife and I have really really enjoyed it.

And since Carla won a car, doesn't that practically exclude her from winning under rule 1B in reality TV show land? I don't recall if it still holds up, but I know on Survivor people who won the car always lost

Sorry Heinz, just saw this.

Here's the link: Tom Colicchio | Bravo TV Official Site

path12 · 02-20-2009, 10:34 AM

Am I the only one who likes Stefan? He was way cocky last episode (and not that funny) but for the most part I get the feeling he's just one of those guys who likes to bust balls just to get a reaction and isn't nearly the asshole they make him out to be.

CW, that bunky-bed line by Fabio was one of the funniest things I've seen this season.

DaddyTorgo · 02-22-2009, 08:07 PM

lol - i just saw Ariane sous-chefing for the challenging chef on Iron Chef America

terpkristin · 02-22-2009, 08:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

lol - i just saw Ariane sous-chefing for the challenging chef on Iron Chef America

Let's hope the challenger doesn't ask her to tie a roast. Wished I'd seen it! What episode (what challenge)?

/tk

DaddyTorgo · 02-22-2009, 08:18 PM

my dvr just crapped out on me as far as telling me what the episode info was - it's on food network right now though TK.

it's a king crab challenge with chef freitag vs. chef flay

terpkristin · 02-22-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

my dvr just crapped out on me as far as telling me what the episode info was - it's on food network right now though TK.

it's a king crab challenge with chef freitag vs. chef flay

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for it in the next week or so (at work right now, the boys I work with are flipping between the Oscars and NASCAR).

/tk

DaddyTorgo · 02-22-2009, 08:30 PM

aaah the life of a rocket scientist

flere-imsaho · 02-22-2009, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Let's hope the challenger doesn't ask her to tie a roast. Wished I'd seen it! What episode (what challenge)?

The farm one. Don't remember the exact episode number.

terpkristin · 02-22-2009, 08:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

aaah the life of a rocket scientist

Well, to be fair, this is the first night in awhile we've had to breathe. As long as they keep my satellite healthy, I'll let them watch whatever they want. I'm getting ready to head out, I've been helping them setup to keep an eye on things in case anything goes wrong overnight (this is the first night they'll have entirely on their own, last night I left at 4, before that I was full-on nights).

/tk

DaddyTorgo · 02-22-2009, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by terpkristin

Well, to be fair, this is the first night in awhile we've had to breathe. As long as they keep my satellite healthy, I'll let them watch whatever they want. I'm getting ready to head out, I've been helping them setup to keep an eye on things in case anything goes wrong overnight (this is the first night they'll have entirely on their own, last night I left at 4, before that I was full-on nights).

/tk

hey that's cool...i wasn't making fun

Coffee Warlord · 02-25-2009, 10:02 PM

University of Colorado for the win!

Edit: And I have to share my "I'm just awesome" moment. We were talking about the finale the last couple days, and I called precisely who they'd be bringing on as the mystery sous chefs. And even stated, "just watch, we'll have Stefan and Marcel."

DaddyTorgo · 02-26-2009, 12:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

University of Colorado for the win!

Edit: And I have to share my "I'm just awesome" moment. We were talking about the finale the last couple days, and I called precisely who they'd be bringing on as the mystery sous chefs. And even stated, "just watch, we'll have Stefan and Marcel."

you didn't post it in here, so unless you can provide videotaped corroborating evidence of this i choose not to believe it

Barkeep49 · 02-26-2009, 07:29 AM

I think that Stefan was robbed. The guy was clearly the most talented chef there by some distance. Carla had a completely different style, so her I could understand. But Hosea? What a joke. And I say this feeling Stefan was a nearly insufferable ass.

MJ4H · 02-26-2009, 08:05 AM

But did Stefan make the best meal in the final challenge? That was how the winner was decided. I thought it was pretty clear by the judge's comments, and even Fabio who wanted Stefan to win, that Hosea's meal was better. In that case, I don't think you can say he was robbed. I think you have to say he blew it at the end, just like Richard last season.

Coffee Warlord · 02-26-2009, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

you didn't post it in here, so unless you can provide videotaped corroborating evidence of this i choose not to believe it

The funny thing is, when they revealed them, I almost immediately thought, "damn, I cannot believe I didn't post that prediction on FOFC".

flere-imsaho · 02-26-2009, 10:24 AM

Stefan, who is all technique and no heart, needed his execution to be perfect in the final and the frozen thinly sliced fish was a failure of his technique. That and the lack of creativity for dessert couldn't be made up by the awesome squab.

Hosea executed flawlessly right in his wheelhouse. It was the better 3-course (well, 4-course) meal, end of story.

I don't feel sorry for Carla. On at least one other occasion she's allowed herself to be steamrolled by another chef, to her self-admitted detriment, and if she can't learn from that for the final, she deserved what she got. Having said that, she clearly still did well to get so far.

Thomkal · 02-26-2009, 12:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Thomkal

Well what do we think of the chefs so far? I hope that trend of whomever wins the first competition wins the season doesn't come true this time around because I can't stand that guy already. No real surprise on who went home imo, they never are a big fan of culinary students. And how weird that the two that knew each other beforehand were the ones to go.

I was surprised Hosea was not one of the judges three favorites after their comments during his judging. I'll go on record right now and say I think he wins. Pretty funny that the guy who had no idea what he was cooking ended up in the top 3 anyway.

Who do I want to go home soon? Probably crazy lady who lets her spirit guides determine what she's going to cook.

the very first post in this thread, and I picked the winnah.

Of course I wasn't so right about that crazy lady. I have to say I was really pulling for her in the finale given the two bulls spewing testoserone and completely disregarding her as having a chance to win. But I knew she was dead in the water when she let Casey talk her into doing the cooking in a bag technique when she had never done it before. I have a feeling those souffle's wouldn't have been as good as the tarts she wanted to do either. Wish she hadn't overcooked them though so we could have found out if they would have been.

So glad Hosea won over Stefan, he was so arrogant and pompous-I don't think his head would have fit in the room overall. I think though they either should have said do a three course dinner with a dessert as one of them or no dessert at all. Given them the choice gave them an uneven playing field over whether the judges preferred to have a desert or not as part of the meal as we saw them debate at the end there. If there was going to be some prejuidice against/for dessert, it shouldn't have been allowed or all of them had to do it.

JPhillips · 02-26-2009, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

I think that Stefan was robbed. The guy was clearly the most talented chef there by some distance. Carla had a completely different style, so her I could understand. But Hosea? What a joke. And I say this feeling Stefan was a nearly insufferable ass.

What I like about Top Chef is that previous work matters very little. Survival is decided by how you perform in the current challenge.

Cringer · 02-26-2009, 05:09 PM

Felt bad for Carla here, though not is a "robbed" way but in a "damn she choked bad" way. As Thomkal said, you knew the minute she agreed to try something she had never done that she blew her chance, then she did it a second time and that sealed the deal. Wish she had done her things, her way, just so it didn't end up a two man race.

Hosea as Top Chef? Blah. He just doesn't come off as really good to me but he did better then Stefan at the end so I guess he deserves it.

timmynausea · 02-26-2009, 08:23 PM

More like Top Douche. I hated Stefan early on, but I was rooting for him by the end just because Hosea was so annoying. They couldn't have hamfisted the foreshadowing any more than they did, either - Hosea mentioned wanting to beat Stefan just about every week of the season.

flere-imsaho · 02-27-2009, 09:33 AM

You live and die by the rules, of course, and the rules for this basically state that you're only as good as the last thing you produced.

If the competition was judged on a cumulative basis, then the final three are probably Stefan, Jeff and Fabio, with Stefan probably taking it. If we take away the constraint of essentially American cuisine (which really did it for Fabio once they got to New Orleans), then I think Fabio has a good shot to beat Stefan.

It's here that Stefan's catering experience lets him down, in my opinion. After this entire season, do we really know what Stefan likes to cook? By the end Carla, Hosea, Jeff and Fabio were all doing stuff right in their wheelhouse and were producing great stuff, while Stefan's still putting out precisely executed catering food. Sure, the technique is great, but is it interesting?

Bottom line: I hire Stefan to cater a high-brow event with lots of VIPs (think black-tie fundraiser). I hire Carla to cook an intimate dinner for a small group of close friends. I visit Hosea's restaurant every couple of months to see how he's developing and what stuff he puts out. I guess that makes them all excellent in their own ways, but also probably shows why Hosea wins.

02-11-2009, 10:03 PM	#102
terpkristin Grizzled Veteran Join Date: May 2003 Location: Ashburn, VA	Gotta say, I'm glad to see Carla make it to final 4. And it's soooo past time, glad to see Leah gone, though I think it would have been almost appropriate if they'd sent Stefan home...any of those bottom 3, really, arguably deserved it. I cringed when I saw Fabio's finger. Ow ow ow ow ow. I have sympathy pains. Actually, maybe that's real pain, my pinkie's still kind of messed up. The previews for the next episode look interesting. I like Carla's straightened hair, and Fabio's mohawk. It looks like Fabio's finger has healed. And they really look to be setting up drama between Hosea and Stefan. /tk __________________ GO TERPS! https://www.flickr.com/photos/terpkristin https://twitter.com/terpkristin

02-11-2009, 10:53 PM	#104
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	watching my dvr - wow - could stefan go home for the salmon? (coming up to judgement) __________________ If I've ever helped you and you'd like to buy me a coffee, or just to say thanks, I have my Bitcoin and Ethereum addressed listed below :) BTC: bc1qykhsfyn9vw4ntqfgr0svj4n9tjdgufryh2pxn5 ETH: 0x2AcdC5cd88EA537063553F5b240073bE067BaCa9

02-12-2009, 04:46 PM	#112
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	I've been jonesing for some great peas ever since I saw this last night. I almost want to go home an make peas and roast chicken for dinner. Thought last night was a good decision. As mentioned before, I don't like Stefan but he can cook circles around Leah and should stick around. Last night sure seemed like a "lifetime achievement" award for Stefan because overcooking salmon is a culinary crime. Tom in particularly seemed like there was no way he was sending Stefan home last night, which pretty much put Leah out the door. Which is fine because she was the weakest link. Carla is growing on me. She's coo-coo for cocoa puffs and bat-sht crazy but seems nice and has really nailed the last few challenges since she started going to her base. But I still think she's a great cook, just not a great chef. Stefan is the coach we all hated -- he's a prick, but he's right most of the time and gets results. That's what a chef is. Last edited by kcchief19 : 02-12-2009 at 04:51 PM.*

02-12-2009, 06:10 PM	#113
kingfc22 Head Coach Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Morgan Hill, CA	Not a mention of the camera shot of Leah's boobs hanging out for everyone to see at the very start of the show. Disappointed. __________________ Fan of SF Giants, 49ers, Sharks, Arsenal

02-19-2009, 09:45 AM	#120
JPhillips Hall Of Famer Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Newburgh, NY	Carla seems to have figured out the game. She's comfortable with her flavor profile and knows how to work the time limits. I thought she should have been gone early on, but over the past four episodes or so she's been top notch. __________________ To love someone is to strive to accept that person exactly the way he or she is, right here and now.. - Mr. Rogers

02-06-2009, 10:20 PM	#101
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	If they run the challenge again with the same dishes Leah's dish will still suck (since she clearly had no idea what she did wrong), but Jamie's would likely have been much better (since she clearly had a good idea of where she went wrong). That alone should have gotten Leah booted. Very disappointed. Compare to Hosea, who knew he was hosed with the eel once Stefan got started. He still gave it a good go and even Ripert said it was a pretty decent job.

02-11-2009, 10:12 PM	#103
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	I think we all pretty much knew Leah was toast tonight, barring some meltdown of epic proportions (Stefan might have been a bit close to that meltdown). Fabio has the greatest one-liners in the history of Top Chef.

02-12-2009, 01:08 AM	#105
thesloppy Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: PDX	Whooo! Good episode tonight. A Fabio tour de force. I agree with TK that as much as I think Carla is a nutball, I am glad to see her go forward, her food as well as her technique have really shined as things have gone on, and she seems to have gone in a more classical direction. I was hoping Stefan would get the chop, but Leah was so past done.

02-12-2009, 10:19 AM	#106
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	I think Carla's revived in the past few episodes because she consciously made a decision to stop trying to be a chef she wasn't, and instead be the chef she is and make stuff she wants to make. The green eggs & ham was a classic example and WD's reaction showed why it was right on. I think Stefan's going in the opposite direction. I have no doubt that's a dish he could have cooked in his sleep, but he clearly let running on autopilot put him a very bad position. Hosea's the weakest remaining, in my opinion. He's trying to hang with Stefan and Fabio and he clearly doesn't have the chops for it. At least Carla already realized this for herself and started cooking in her sweet spot. Hosea's shrimp was a clear example of him going out of his sweet spot, thinking he had to to compete with Stefan, and losing his way. Glad Leah is gone, and frankly I wonder if it's also in part due to her basically having given up during the past few episodes.

02-12-2009, 02:15 PM	#107
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	Yeah I would have cheered if Stefan had gone home, but Leah has really deserved to go home for the last 3 episodes, so glad it was her as the weakest link going. I think Fabio is the weakest overall of the four, and I think Carla's simplicity is going to get her in trouble now that they are in the Final Four. However I thought there was no way in hell she'd win the quickfire with a tribute to Dr. Seuss (Hosea must have been really steamed after his comment about her dish), so kudos to her. I think its Stefan's game to lose at this point, because overall he has been the strongest chef. But man it was great to see him get a kick in the pants last night.

02-12-2009, 02:38 PM	#108
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	i don't know - there's something to the fact that fabio + carla cooked the "simplest" dishes last night and were the top 2. i think too often we get caught up watching these shows in the gastronomey of it and forget that it's about the taste. even the obnoxious brit said last night about fabio's dish that if he went and started a restaurant this could be his "signature dish." A roast chicken. Must have been one damn good roast chicken. And I think we get caught up in who is doing things that are edgy or whatever and forget that all the best chefs in the world advocate using fresh local seasonal ingredients prepared simply to let the flavors of the food shine through.

02-12-2009, 02:41 PM	#109
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	On the same token, we've seen in seasons past (Richard from last year comes to mind immediately), who both wowed the judges in terms of presentation and "out there" gastronomy stuff, and had apparently tasty food.

02-12-2009, 02:44 PM	#110
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	valid point CW.

02-15-2009, 10:03 AM	#116
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	We've pulled Kansas City Star columnist Joe Posnanski over to the dark side ... this turns into a Top Chef blog after the Extenze detour. ExtenZe and Top Chef » Joe Posnanski

02-19-2009, 01:42 AM	#117
thesloppy Pro Starter Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: PDX	NoooooooooooooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooo! I hope Stefan eats a fat sack of dicks in the final.

02-19-2009, 08:10 AM	#118
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	Go Hosea!

02-19-2009, 10:06 AM	#121
PurdueBrad Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: DeKalb, IL	It's been a solid season in some ways and weak in others. I've enjoyed the comradarie of the opponents much more this year (although the Hosea-Stefan thing is beyond old) but the cooking (until last night) seems to be much weaker. Tom gives some interesting insights on the blog, such as a rather big problem with Jeff's dishes that wasn't described (the sterno he was using caused the oysters to taste like sterno) and some other problems with Fabio's dishes (i.e.- They were cold when he served it to them despite making it for them). It sounds like Fabio has a show in the works somewhere, either Bravo or Food Network I'm guessing. I'm down to rooting for Carla as she has made an improvement over the course of the season unlike anything we've seen. I think she has figured out the game and I am hoping she pulls it off. If she doesn't though, she got some nice stuff between the car and the Super Bowl trip.

02-19-2009, 10:17 AM	#122
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	Agreed that Carla's figured out how to deliver on a regular basis. As per Emeril's comments, her performance last night was really a tour de force. I've figured Stefan out. He's all technique and experience, and no heart. This is why he dominated most of the season so far (he was operating on a level beyond everyone else), but has started to fall short now (they've caught up, and he's got nothing to really "wow" the judges). Boy howdy did Hosea make the right call on the gumbo and spending forever on the roux. And super-sad to see Fabio go. I have a feeling, however, he'll be more than able to parlay his experience into more opportunities. At this point I'd say it's between Stefan and Carla. I don't think Hosea has the chops to deliver a truly awesome 3-course dinner, while Stefan almost certainly has it in him to do just that and Carla's on such a roll you have to count her in.

02-19-2009, 01:34 PM	#123
Thomkal Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Surfside Beach,SC USA	A trip to the Super Bowl and a new car-Carla sure knew which challenges to win didn't she? Keep being stunned that she wins-I thought she was in big trouble when she took on oysters with almost no experience shucking them. But kudos to her for pulling it off big time. I think she almost has to be the favorite right now. Not bad for someone I wanted out from episode 1 with her weird behavior. Don't like that they brought someone back in, didn't think that was fair at all to the Final Four. At least they put a condition on him coming back. I was pulling for Jamie there, but knew Jeff would be tough. So long as it wasn't Leah, I was happy. And he nearly won the final challenge too, so kudos to him. Man I was so hoping they'd kick Stefan out, but they need that enemy for the Final 3, the one everyone hates. Fabio was the weakest of the five really though and probably didn't deserve to go to the Final 3 as much as the others. I hope Stefan finishes third now, and Carla "Hootie-who's" right in his face when she wins.

02-19-2009, 03:53 PM	#125
kcchief19 Pro Starter Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Kansas City, MO	When I read the press release last month about the final episode, I predicted to Mrs. kcchief19 that they would bring back the last few booted chefs and give them a chance to make the finals with a win. They did the same thing on Project Runway a few seasons ago. If Jeff had won last night, Stefan was gone. I thought he might have pulled it off. If Carla had slipped a little -- maybe not guilted the other chefs that borrowed stuff from her help shuck oysters -- that might have been the opening Jeff needed. I wanted Jamie to win the quickfire because I thought she was the best of the rest. But Jeff put in a heck of an effort. I have fully bought into the notion that it's coming down to Hosea and Stefan. I will probably be rooting for that nut Carla. I still think there is a difference between a great cook and a great chef. I'd want someone like Stefan running my restaurant kitchen, but if I just wanted a great meal I might go to Carla.

02-20-2009, 09:03 AM	#126
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	didn't get to watch this till last night. Man was I STOKED to see Jeff back, and so happy to see him keep his flavors simple and win the quickfire. Regarding the elimination challenge - I actually thought that they were going to give the win to him and send Stefan + Fabio home. Seems like it would have been the right thing to do based on the comments about the dishes that we heard. We heard nothing but praise for all of Hosea/Carla/Jeff, while Stefan and Fabio each had something a little "off" about theirs. So color me confused how they didn't say "well in that case we want to send home the two weakest chefs so we're giving the win to Jeff" if it seems like it was basically a tossup between Jeff + Carla. Nice to see Jeff finally recognize what he had done wrong though, and hopefully he'll go on to a successful career. I think the final being in New Orleans is a HUGE advantage to Carla, and maybe a secondary advantage to Hosea, who certainly knows his fish and has obviously studied-up on New Orleans. Definately puts Stefan at a disadvantage (yay!). Man I'll miss Fabio's kooky accent.

02-20-2009, 09:25 AM	#129
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	lol - and apparently he'll do alright for himself. "Everyday Italian with Fabio" anybody?

02-20-2009, 10:34 AM	#131
path12 Coordinator Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Seattle, WA	Am I the only one who likes Stefan? He was way cocky last episode (and not that funny) but for the most part I get the feeling he's just one of those guys who likes to bust balls just to get a reaction and isn't nearly the asshole they make him out to be. CW, that bunky-bed line by Fabio was one of the funniest things I've seen this season. __________________ We have always been at war with Eastasia.

02-22-2009, 08:07 PM	#132
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	lol - i just saw Ariane sous-chefing for the challenging chef on Iron Chef America

02-22-2009, 08:18 PM	#134
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	my dvr just crapped out on me as far as telling me what the episode info was - it's on food network right now though TK. it's a king crab challenge with chef freitag vs. chef flay Last edited by DaddyTorgo : 02-22-2009 at 08:18 PM.

02-22-2009, 08:30 PM	#136
DaddyTorgo Hall Of Famer Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Massachusetts	aaah the life of a rocket scientist

02-25-2009, 10:02 PM	#140
Coffee Warlord Head Coach Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Colorado Springs	University of Colorado for the win! Edit: And I have to share my "I'm just awesome" moment. We were talking about the finale the last couple days, and I called precisely who they'd be bringing on as the mystery sous chefs. And even stated, "just watch, we'll have Stefan and Marcel." Last edited by Coffee Warlord : 02-25-2009 at 10:03 PM.

02-26-2009, 07:29 AM	#142
Barkeep49 Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Not too far away	I think that Stefan was robbed. The guy was clearly the most talented chef there by some distance. Carla had a completely different style, so her I could understand. But Hosea? What a joke. And I say this feeling Stefan was a nearly insufferable ass.

02-26-2009, 08:05 AM	#143
MJ4H Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Hog Country	But did Stefan make the best meal in the final challenge? That was how the winner was decided. I thought it was pretty clear by the judge's comments, and even Fabio who wanted Stefan to win, that Hosea's meal was better. In that case, I don't think you can say he was robbed. I think you have to say he blew it at the end, just like Richard last season. __________________ My YouTube channel My Twitch channel My Sharona

02-26-2009, 10:24 AM	#145
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	Stefan, who is all technique and no heart, needed his execution to be perfect in the final and the frozen thinly sliced fish was a failure of his technique. That and the lack of creativity for dessert couldn't be made up by the awesome squab. Hosea executed flawlessly right in his wheelhouse. It was the better 3-course (well, 4-course) meal, end of story. I don't feel sorry for Carla. On at least one other occasion she's allowed herself to be steamrolled by another chef, to her self-admitted detriment, and if she can't learn from that for the final, she deserved what she got. Having said that, she clearly still did well to get so far.

02-26-2009, 05:09 PM	#148
Cringer Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Edinburg,TX	Felt bad for Carla here, though not is a "robbed" way but in a "damn she choked bad" way. As Thomkal said, you knew the minute she agreed to try something she had never done that she blew her chance, then she did it a second time and that sealed the deal. Wish she had done her things, her way, just so it didn't end up a two man race. Hosea as Top Chef? Blah. He just doesn't come off as really good to me but he did better then Stefan at the end so I guess he deserves it. __________________ You Stole Fizzy Lifting drinks! You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and steralized, so you get NOTHING! You lose!

02-26-2009, 08:23 PM	#149
timmynausea College Starter Join Date: Dec 2002	More like Top Douche. I hated Stefan early on, but I was rooting for him by the end just because Hosea was so annoying. They couldn't have hamfisted the foreshadowing any more than they did, either - Hosea mentioned wanting to beat Stefan just about every week of the season.

02-27-2009, 09:33 AM	#150
flere-imsaho Coordinator Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Chicagoland	You live and die by the rules, of course, and the rules for this basically state that you're only as good as the last thing you produced. If the competition was judged on a cumulative basis, then the final three are probably Stefan, Jeff and Fabio, with Stefan probably taking it. If we take away the constraint of essentially American cuisine (which really did it for Fabio once they got to New Orleans), then I think Fabio has a good shot to beat Stefan. It's here that Stefan's catering experience lets him down, in my opinion. After this entire season, do we really know what Stefan likes to cook? By the end Carla, Hosea, Jeff and Fabio were all doing stuff right in their wheelhouse and were producing great stuff, while Stefan's still putting out precisely executed catering food. Sure, the technique is great, but is it interesting? Bottom line: I hire Stefan to cater a high-brow event with lots of VIPs (think black-tie fundraiser). I hire Carla to cook an intimate dinner for a small group of close friends. I visit Hosea's restaurant every couple of months to see how he's developing and what stuff he puts out. I guess that makes them all excellent in their own ways, but also probably shows why Hosea wins.

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