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Top Chef Las Vegas

Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

Slap Shot said:
Grey said Tom's blog said that Michael won 2 of the 4 and from the editing how could possibly think anyone but Michael was the winner? It was clear as day before they announced it that he was going to win and he should have won from everything I saw during the episode.
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I know what Grey said and I've read Tom's blog. I disagree that what was shown on TV made it clear as day Michael would win. Bryan won the dessert, and I thought the editing made it seem like he won course three as well with all the praise they showed for his venison. That's why I put "winning" in quotes; I thought the editing made it look like Bryan won two of the four courses, when it turned out he didn't.
 
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The Paragon of Virtue said:
I thought the editing made it look like Bryan won two of the four courses, when it turned out he didn't.
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I saw the same show as you, I just didn't think Bryan won two dishes and because the praise for Michael's dishes was fairly unanimous and consistent throughout his 4 courses (albeit tempered a bit for the broccoli, but even the overcooked the cake was raved about the flavor) that Michael would win. Not a big deal but I didn't the editing was all that misleading.
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

It's been interesting the past few seasons to watch the show then read Tom's blog because to me it's quite obvious he determines who goes home and, as it gets closer to the finals, he also determines who the winner(s) will be.

The other interesting nugget from one of (Gail's?) the blogs was they were discussing the winner at judges table until nearly 6AM - no wonder the celebration was so subdued.

Couple other thoughts:
- I think the chef's should be allowed to present their courses individually and in order. It is supposed to be the meal of their life, isn't it?

- I liked the mystery box concept but thought it would be better suited for the the fist elimination challenge or a quickfire like event. They should allow the last three chef's free reign in the finale to plan a full 4-5 course meal, they earned this privilege IMHO.

- Regarding the knife pull for a sous chef and Robin; she might be annoying as hell but she did proved herself more competent than at least half of the contestants - obviously subjective. In the end the method really leads to a no win situation and unfortunately for Kevin he let it really bother him.

- Obviously not many fans of the show are fans of the way it's edited but one must give them credit for keeping us/me tuned in to the final minute. :)
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

Greyeagle said:
- I liked the mystery box concept but thought it would be better suited for the the fist elimination challenge or a quickfire like event. They should allow the last three chef's free reign in the finale to plan a full 4-5 course meal, they earned this privilege IMHO.

- Regarding the knife pull for a sous chef and Robin; she might be annoying as hell but she did proved herself more competent than at least half of the contestants - obviously subjective. In the end the method really leads to a no win situation and unfortunately for Kevin he let it really bother him.
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I also really liked the mystery box concept, but agree it was misplaced in this setting. Particularly because they then threw in the make a dish about your mom challenge. It felt like too many challenges.

I don't think the problem would have been Robin's ability to cook (I agree that when she was focused on her dish, so was a more than competent chef), I think it would have had to been the bad feeling she engendered with the other chefs.
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

In general, this season was fantastic. The final five or six 'cheftestants' on this show would have been finalists in other years, and I applaud the producers and judges for amping up the quality level of chefs, as well as the quality of the panels of tasters.

With the editing and the interview comments that chefs make, they can pretty much arc the characters to create any storyline they want.

Here are my suggestions to improve it.

1) Insist on a high competency threshold from the beginning. Concentrate on young chefs who have either gone to culinary school, are working at a high-end restaurant or run their own restaurant. I don't want to see incompetents, caterers, or those picked for because of the way they look or the way they appeal to certain multicultural demographics. It's Top Chef, not Top Model, Top Caterer, Top Gay Icon or Top Tattoos. Give us serious chefs that care about their craft.

2) Concentrate on the cooking. I am far less interested in their romances, backstabbing, lying around house time, or on watching them shop at Whole Foods, unless those things really give insights into how they cook.

3) I would like to see judging justified by some kind of scoring system, shown after the judges make their decision to advance or send chefs home, so that we know more about the decision itself, not just the editing of it. Iron Chef does this well.

4) I would like to see more demonstrations by great guest chefs who show how they do what they do. It would be much more interesting than watching contestetants sit around their houses, and would allow the guests to be seen as more than a dinner suit.

5) I like learning things from this show that can be applied to the home cook. More of that, please.

6) I'd like to see these chefs working more with wine pairings, which has a big impact on the overall effect of how people enjoy food.

7) Keep chef's families out of the show. It's awkward, to say the least.

8) I'd like to know what these Chefs learned that they didn't know before the show.

9) I am not into gimmicks, like cooking on campfires. Honor the history of cooking by allowing them to have good facilties and ingredients.

10) Enough with product placement already. Let them buy a commercial.
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

Finally watched the ending- too bad for Kevin to have a bad day. He needed to get over Priti quicker than he did, and move on- you get what you get.

The editing does get a little bothersome- and with that style, they run the risk of making the fans think that the show isn't genuine. After talking with Eve last weekend, I very much lowered my disdain for Mike, since she did mention that a lot of the "private" sessions was to draw out comments. So I bet it was somewhat taken out of context.

Cool to see such high talent at the end of this show- amazing.

One just wonders what will happen now.

Some of us are still waiting for Stephanie Izard's restaurant to open... :D

BTW, again, I'll ask if there's any FF interest in meeting at Eve's- I know she only got two shows in, but her food is much better than that. As a matter of fact, we are going there today for the annual Tasters Guild Champagne lunch. If we do- it needs to be Wednesday, since there's a bunch of stuff going on in Detroit Th-Sat.

As an alternative- there is Iron Chef Simon's restaurant Roast in the Book Cadilalc, and I think Wolfgang Puck has a place in the MGM Grand. There are a number of choices we can all meet at for a nice dinner.
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

To change gears here, but still on Bravo TV cooking reality shows...

Anyone been watching Chef Academy? I watched the last 40 minutes of last night's episode, week 2 I think? Is it really as lame as it seemed or did jumping into the middle of an episode mess it up for me?
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

Puck Swami said:
10) Enough with product placement already. Let them buy a commercial.
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The part that gets me most is that all the commercials are filled my those with product placement. I'm pretty sure that every commercial was either for Glad, Toyota, Bravo programming, or Macy's. May I never have to see those **** piano movers with those trash bags again.
 
Re: Top Chef Las Vegas

My mom went to a cooking demonstration that Fabio did about a month or so ago.

Here's what I found under my Christmas tree:

21539_601823524077_40600558_35014601_7138842_n.jpg
 
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