Whew, its been a while. What has happened since I last checked in? Let's see - Kenny going home for Restaurant Wars: I really don't see where all the shock/hatred is coming from (just read Tom's blog - people are absolutely furious). I mean, he was serving as the executive chef (a risky position, by even his own admission) on the losing team, and put up not one, but two bad dishes (one of the them even described as a "horror show" by the guest judge)! What did people expect? I had a feeling it was gonna be him going home pretty early into the episode, and as the challenge unfolded, it seemed more and more likely - again, not sure why viewers were caught so off guard. I mean, I can see Kenny and the blue team's frustration with his exile/their loss - the other team being an unorganized mess in the kitchen, Angelo freaking out, Alex being a dick to the waitstaff and barely making a personal dish, etc. However, I agree with what Gail said at judges' table - they're not interested in the behind-the-scenes drama of what the kitchen was like or who was rude to who, or whatever. All they base their judgment on is the food that's placed in front of them, and that's how it should be. With that protocol in mind, Kenny was the obvious choice, and even though Alex is undeniably a weaker chef (he has been on the bottom for almost every challenge, with even the one exception being suspect because of the whole pea puree incident), discussion of sending him home instead seemed moot. He was on the winning team, therefore, he's safe. Simple as that. And while it's frustrating to see Kenny leave while so many inferior chefs remain in the competition (Alex and Amanda spring to mind - probably Kelly and Kevin, too), I respect the judges' decision to base their elimination choice on the events of that day alone. Often it seems like they let the clearly superior chef get a pass or two in the interest of seeing the best and most deserving competitors make it to the end, and this was an exception where they proved me wrong. It was clearly Kenny's time to go, and any other decision would have rang false.
And let me go on record when saying that he has a serious shot at fan favorite - have thought so for weeks, so it's not just because of this Restaurant Wars episode. Why? A few reasons - people respond to his talent without the arrogance (which is why Angelo has zero shot), leadership skills (calm demeanor when running a smooth team, as opposed to being a dick), as well as the various struggles he has had to endure over the course of his life (battled cancer, first wife died in a car accident, etc). These combined with his supposed "premature" exit from the show seals it - people feel he got a raw deal, and rewarding him fan favorite (and the $10,000 that goes with it) would serve as a kind of compensation. I'm convinced it's either gonna be him or maybe Tiffany, as she's proven herself as not only talented, but modest, as well (the public definitely responds to a chef not just being great, but constantly unsure of themselves at the same time - think Stephanie from the Chicago season). Her positivity and enthusiasm aren't hurting her chances, either. That being said, it's kind of slim pickings when it comes to that award - none of these chefs' personalities are really leaping off the screen. But again, if I had to say now, it's Kenny or Tiffany. You heard it here first.
Hard to say who the final three will be - I'm gonna say Ed and Angelo are the best chefs right now (would have included Kenny to complete that trio, but obviously can't anymore). Maybe Kevin has a shot?
The judges' remarks about Kelly's front-of-house service were such back-handed compliments. If someone said that I had a "clumsy charisma", I wouldn't thank them in return.
About time that Stephen went home - I don't think he put up one good dish the entire season. You could tell that Tom was completely disgusted by his lack of skill (he couldn't even cook the rice properly...). Also, what was with the chimichurri for his Brazilian dish? Even I knew that it's an Argentinian sauce - just being from South America isn't the same, dude...
Little bummed that the recent seasons' Restaurant Wars episodes haven't had as much to do with the space/setup. To me, that was always part of the fun - not just the food, but also the decor, atmosphere, etc. Using the limited time/budget to actually set up a mock-restaurant, or at least the concept of one - not just execute a menu. How was this really "Restaurant Wars" and not any old regular challenge? It was basically just two teams against each other, each chef preparing a course, and one person acting as front-of-house. Again, not enough "restaurant" specific guidelines/curveballs.
EVOO, btw, is an awful name. We actually abbreviate "extra virgin olive oil" like that on the specials menu at my job, but never in a million years would I think that would work for the actual name of a place. Why is it so hard for the chefs to come up with good ones - remember Revolt from last season?
Also, meant to say this earlier, but Kenny's not completely off the hook when it comes to arrogance (although it's not as bad as Angelo, I admit). A fun Top Chef drinking game could be taking a shot anytime he refers to himself as a "beast", "preppin' weapon", "alpha male" or (insert corny descriptor here). You'd be plastered before seeing the outcome of the episode.
"The judges' remarks about Kelly's front-of-house service were such back-handed compliments. If someone said that I had a "clumsy charisma", I wouldn't thank them in return."
ReplyDeleteLOL! Right???
EVOO IS a terrible name. Ugh. I think that's what Rachel Ray calls it.
Ha! "Preppin' weapon!" Never heard him say that!!
"You heard it here first." :) :) :)
seriously, fuck kenny. he sucks. i think he won 1 elimination challenge. quit saying "alpha," dude. it doesnt make you the best chef. you were consistently in the middle/bottom. im amazed how viewers (judging by the comments on tom's blog) bought into his self-promotion. the most infuriating part of the episode was when team blue desperately pleaded with the judges to change the rules in order to save their own skin. pathetic. if i was tom, id try and send home the whole team.
ReplyDeleteeveryone has won an elimination. as far as im concerned, everyone is equal, with angelo maybe being the favorite by a hair, and alex being a hair worse.
btw, everyone saying the "pea puree incident" is starting to reminds me of "the noodle incident" from calvin and hobbes.
Ha, I TOTALLY thought of Calvin & Hobbes when mentioning the pea puree also - glad I'm not the only one who made that connection.
ReplyDeleteI see what you're saying when mentioning that Kenny was always in the middle/bottom (if he was as great as he said he was, why didn't he win more challenges?), but you're not factoring in the quickfires. I think he won a few, and those that he didn't, he was usually in the top. I remember the judges always seeming really impressed with what he came up with. But yeah, everyone did seem to buy into Kenny's "one-man PR campaign" (as Tom referred to it - really seems either dislike the dude or just resent the public's defense of him), maybe even myself. I think it's his confidence that made this happen, made him stand out, and people responded to it. For example, with almost every challenge, almost all the chefs said how frantic, crazy, and difficult it was, trying to come up with a dish. Kenny always seemed to have a solid idea immediately, and then calmly/confidently executed it. So even if it didn't pan out for him, again, people responded to the confidence (maybe even mistaking it as skill).
Also, a comment on Tom's blog mentioned something that I had picked up on, as well. So many of Kenny's dishes were "duos" or had two preparations, leading me to believe he was perhaps too quick to prove how ambitious/talented he was, and that was maybe his downfall - lacking the skill to back up his ambition (kinda like Jeff in the NY season, although I liked Jeff MUCH more).
Still don't think the competitors are as evenly skilled as you think they are. I think it's easily Angelo and Ed's game now. Alex really has received harsh criticism for almost everything he's put up, and even though Amanda has pleased the judges every now and again, she really doesn't seem to know what she's doing in the kitchen - a clueless mess. I watched Kenny's exit video and, after mentioning how flabbergasted he was to be gone (said that a lot over the course of the season, too - again, I think people were quick to buy into the bullshit), he said that he would like to see Amanda win because of her underdog status. Eh, whatever - not me.
All kenny could make was a duo of suck.
ReplyDeleteat least alex and amanda's dishes never made the guest judge make a "im pissed off i put this in my mouth" face, like frank bruni did.
I frankly cannot believe you'd put Kenny up there with Angelo and Ed. Kenny has won 1, note ONE quickfire on his own, and twice with other people. And only one elimination. I don't see how he stands out at all to be ranked with Angleo and Ed, both of whom have been on top multiple times. Kenny is an angry man, who spits at the world and blames it for the miseries of his own life. Most people move on. What I can't get over is Kenny's constantly pointing the finger elsewhere, either at other teams or at other chefs, at how they're not doing things the way he thinks is correct or orderly. It appears to him there is nothing he can learn from this group of chefs or the judges. When told he does not do well or that his dishes suck, he does not reflect on how he can improve. When you say he quickly gets an idea and executes, well, he quickly gets an idea but fails to either edit or perfect the idea. Otherwise his dishes would've come out on top a lot more than they had.
ReplyDeleteFan favorite? I think not. At least not for me. If he's unable to see his own blind spots then he will never get beyond it. Maybe you're right and that's why people feel for him? But there are other more deserving chefs.
I do agree about the front of house. I think the original intent for Top chef is to provide a prize large enough so the winner can start their own restaurant? In which case front of house becomes exceedingly important. If it's not run properly people will not come back even if you have great food. I don't care if they can't decorate (they can always hire someone) but a successful restauranteur must have a good idea about the operations of his/her restaurant beyond its food.
Rachel Ray does say EVOO.... =_=