25 replies to this topic

[Darth Nigel]

Another strange show popped up on Food Network this past week; "Bobby's Dinner Battle". Anyone else watching this?

The setup is that Bobby Flay travels to an American town and arranges a three-way competition between "couples". Each couple has a small budget and a short time to make dinner for each of the other couples and Bobby and a "guest judge". There are thus three rounds (dinner on three successive days at each house) and then some lucky couple gets a prize.
So it's a bit like Channel 4's "Come Dine With Me".

Bobby is a likeable host, and the show is (so far) less tedious than the "3 Days with Bobby Flay" misery from last year.

But for me, even in the world of "reality television", this one feels strange and very staged. The editing feels a bit clumsy, and I'm not sure I buy that these people are living in the houses where the show is set.

Only seen a couple of episodes so far (Dallas and Los Angeles) so maybe it improves.

Edited by Darth Nigel, Jan 28, 2013 @ 1:22 AM.

[blugirlami21]

I watched this as well a few hours ago. I was confused by how the those two older ladies won when there was so much wrong with their meal. I think it was the Texas episode because there was an old west theme going on.

The premise was interesting but I thought it was awkward asking the competition's opinion about the other competitor's food. They are not going to be truthful if they really want to win.

[Makahlua]

Yeah, I caught the Dallas episode earlier too (nice to see my home represented!), and was also quite surprised when they won!

I liked what they did with the nopales, but after the complaints about the over doughy chili pies and the sorbet of chocolate bitterness, I was sure that they were on the bottom and it was between the cousins & the competitive friends. Please don't tell me they won that for their tablescape?! I was cheering for the cousins, they had 2 big setbacks and still came up with good food, even if the 'ladies' could only sniff at it. Also had a facepalm moment at tornado lady & her wontons - well no kidding they don't seal if you put a huge scoop like that, silly woman.

The judging by the competitors is awkward for sure, though I felt like the cousins were mostly straight up. I think you can tell from Bobby & the special guest what the more honest opinion is, and get a read on the character of the competitors from their answers.

Still surprised though, after all Bobby raved about their stuffed smoked chicken & the shortcake, I certainly thought they had it on the food front. Stupid tablescapes. BRB, need to acquire some amaretto and 'borrow' their recipe!

[chessiegal]

I watched the premiere because of Bobby Flay, and was slightly underwhelmed with the LA episode. However, I enjoyed the Dallas episode much better. I found the fumbles to be entertaining.

I think a lot of commenting about the judging ends up on the editing room floor, so who knows what was said that decided the pick of the winning team. I noticed several times that Bobby disagreed with one of the team member's comments, and so I think something they don't like doesn't hold much if any sway with Bobby.

[Mlle Poilane]

I've seen the LA and Dallas battles, and I wasn't overly impressed by the show. It seems very low budget to me, with most of the action taking place either in a supermarket or in someone's home. It seems like an easy show for Bobby to do since the focus is mostly on the contestants.

I was so sure that the two women would win in Dallas with their chicken, as Bobby told them it would be a hard dish to beat. Then, everyone seemed to like their strawberry shortcake, so what happened? I wish the audience were in on the deliberations for the finalists, or at least more than we can see now.

I especially liked the Dallas episode because the guest judge was Tiffany Derry, a finalist on "Top Chef." She's a pistol, but we didn't get to see her sense of humor on this show.

All in all, I don't see this show lasting for very long. It lacks excitement for me, but despite that, I'll probably watch it again. Maybe it will improve with age.

Edited by Mlle Poilane, Feb 4, 2013 @ 2:24 AM.

[cpcathy]

Tiffany Derry was the best thing about this episode. I would love her to have her own show, but she'd have to horn in on one of Rachael's many shows.....
Not sure exactly why the two women won, if not only for their tablescape. I guess you can use stuff from your house but you can't use ingredients from your pantry?

[SomeJoeBlow]

Judging by the number of replies, I'm guessing everyone is just really bored with this show? I realize they're trying to ratchet up the drama, but I hate the artificial time constraints they put everyone through. Like in the Chicago episode where the couple, for some reason, wasted over an hour, then had their drinks *almost* ready to go, but couldn't serve them because they ran out of time. Why? In a real dinner party, you would just, you know, serve them. I also don't understand the timing. I mean, it could be due to production edits, but if you're making scallops, you definitely wouldn't make them an hour ahead of time. Or even bruschetta with melted cheese -- why would you melt the cheese, then let it sit for two hours? None of the timing makes sense. And then, after beating two other couples, you're somehow the best home cooks in that entire city?

I thought the entire idea was that the home cooks were going to compete with Bobby Flay a la Throwdown. But, no, he's just there being bored..

[GoMocs]

This concept was done already a few years ago wasn't it? 3 or 4 people would throw dinner parties and they would all attend and a winner would be picked. Anybody remember the name of it?

[cpcathy]

I'm watching this show basically for something to watch. I did love the gay couple, I want to go to dinner at their house. Now my friends who love Bobby Flay have a new mission--invite him to your house and get him tanked!

[JanetMacklin]

I watched the Chicago battle and I too loved the gay couple! I hated the mother and son. I don't care how in character you were, you do not great guests looking so bedraggled and sweaty. The mother was completely at a loss as to how to prepare the veal and it looked gross. I was put off by the way the son was so aggravated by having to prepare a vegetarian dish. I'm not vegetarian myself, but it's not an uncommon thing to prepare a vegetarian dish. It's not the end of the world. Most of the folks didn't even try to accommodate the poor guy. The first couple who forgot the cocktail and slacked off on the theme made the meat eaters a nice appetizer and gave the vegetarian a cube of cheese and olive on a toothpick! And two sad latkes as compared to the meat-eaters big entree.

Faced with the same challenge I would have made the appetizers or the entrees vegetarian all around.

Edited by JanetMacklin, Feb 1, 2013 @ 2:45 PM.

[biakbiak]

This concept was done already a few years ago wasn't it? 3 or 4 people would throw dinner parties and they would all attend and a winner would be picked. Anybody remember the name of it?

Come Dine with Me? BBCAmerica used to air it here. I much preferred that format because they were actual dinner parties where the hosts actually sat and ate with the guests and often had activities, not just appear at the door, sit down immediately, eat, critique and leave. Also, it was the participants themselves who voted after the last evening to decide who was the winner.

[SomeJoeBlow]

Most of the folks didn't even try to accommodate the poor guy.

It was kind of funny -- "Hey, here's this fabulous entree! Oh, and you...um, here's some kibble I dug out of the dog bowl." I didn't think it was fair that it wasn't announced they had to prepare a vegetarian entree until they were actually at the store with 45 minutes and a budget to shop, but then a lot of this show isn't realistic regarding throwing an actual dinner party. I haven't seen the Dallas one, but in the Chicago & LA ones, people are basically taking the surprise ingredient and...serving it. Straight up. If it's champagne, they serve champagne. If it's gin, they serve gin. Olives -- let's put an olive on this! At least the mother/son from Chicago actually incorporated potatoes, but, then again, they got potatoes. And still gave the veggie guy a 30-second potato salad.

Edited by SomeJoeBlow, Feb 1, 2013 @ 4:50 PM.

[BW Manilowe]

In the LA ep, I absolutely loved it when the team with the Asian lady on it lost. She was just *so* positive she (specifically herself, I don't think she gave a rip about her cooking partner) was gonna win, during the shopping & prep, & being all smug about it (plus that negative reaction to Bobby's version of Iron Chef America's "Culinary Curveball" being added to any of her dishes) to boot, that I just couldn't help grinning from ear-to-ear when Bobby said another team won. As I remember, she gave a " I lost??!! *Someone*'s gonna pay for this!!!!" reaction when Bobby announced the winner. Anyway, she definitely wasn't very happy with the results.

[SomeJoeBlow]

I originally posted this in the Food Network thread, but this was my reaction to the LA episode:

The Asian couple was hilarious -- they hated everything, then, $135 for a beef tenderloin (cooked Sous-vide, of course!), then 1-hour ice cream. Don't touch it with strawberries. Nobody really tried to incorporate the secret ingredient in any way other than the most obvious. I liked that the smoked chicken couple had made smokers out of barrels, but it was weird that the couple that made the most boring dinner party meal ever won. I mean, after her brownies, I expected her to come out with some Jello Jigglers and Miller High Life..

[Mlle Poilane]

I think this show is so bad, it's good! The only reason I watched it was because it's a Bobby Flay show, and his track record of winning shows has been fairly good. I have a sneaking suspicion that the FN coerced Bobby into taking on this show. It seems to have nothing good about it BUT Bobby Flay, IMHO. As far as Bobby is concerned, he could almost phone the show in, I think. He has the same lines over and over every week, then shows up to taste the food. I don't know whether he actually eats a whole meal, or whether they simply show him tasting it.

I liked the gay couple, too. I'm glad they won. They said they have parties three or four times a week, so maybe that's why they seemed good at entertaining. That weird guy and his weird mother were almost scary both in the kitchen and when they presented their dishes. I'm glad they didn't win. I wasn't even convinced they liked each other!

Edited by Mlle Poilane, Feb 4, 2013 @ 2:46 AM.

[GoMocs]

My complaint about the vegetarian is this. I understand and respect those who have religious issues for their vegetarianism. However, I feel those who just make it a "lifestyle" choice and haven't been doing it for decades should NOT expect others to cook special for just them. I can buy the concept that maybe its a bit healthier to eat that way, but eating one non-veg meal is not going to take time off their lives. Go eat that steak, smile, enjoy it, and then go back to non meat eating when you leave. To ask for special dishes (again excepting those for religious reasons) to me is very self centered and egotistical. There are things I don't like and won't eat, but I wouldn't ask for special dishes if I was coming to your house, I just may not eat a thing or two you made. Just seems like to this meat loving person that many of the self-made vegetarians/vegans have this "I am better than you meat eaters" attitude. SO, guess I am saying I sorta agree with the guy in the show who said he shouldn't have to cook special for one person.

[CPP83]

he shouldn't have to cook special for one person

Personally I feel that sort of attitude is really unnecessary because he would not have to cook "special" for one person, all that is required to feed a vegetarian is to make a dish with no meat. It's not the same as cooking for someone with an allergy, which is much harder, imo, because you really have to know what they can or cannot eat safely.

It isn't as if a vegetarian is even as picky as a vegan might be, so make up a hearty pasta dish, roast off some portoello mushroom caps and stuff them, make a rice dish with vegetable broth instead of chicken or beer, the options are endless, they're relatively easy and quick, it'd just be another side dish at best so just replace one of the side dishes you may have planned before and you're done if concerned with time constraints.

Often I find that most of the dishes prepared against a main course can be eaten by both meat eaters and veg heads alike, so if you know how to cook food well, season it well, it'll be a well liked dish more often than not.

When I hear a whiner like that guy, I feel no sympathy for them because, imho, it's just laziness on their part to not want to cook what they don't want to, it has nothing to do with it being too hard or difficult to feed someone with different tastes. When you're willing to entertain a group it generally comes with the territory, no one is asking for a limb to be sacrificed.

[GoMocs]

Another side of this is that two of the teams were required to cook more dishes than the team with the vegetarian, is that fair? Shouldnt' they all have to prepare the same number of dishes? Maybe each of the other two teams should have been allowed to request separate dishes for one of their members to keep it fair.

[cpcathy]

The gay couple had to cook a regular burger and a burger that was veggie, so they made the same number of dishes.

[GoMocs]

Did the gay couple cook two appetizers or just one vegetarian one?

[Quorwyf]

Pretty sure they did one vegetarian app. I think it was some cocoa tossed nuts and a skewer of olives.

[Mlle Poilane]

I thought the olives were stuck into a square of cheese, which would be two appetizers, wouldn't it? The cheese and olives were one, I thought, and the cocoa coated nuts were the other. Since you probably wouldn't eat cocoa with olives, I thought they were two separate dishes, but maybe I'm wrong. It seems like a rather close call.

[cpcathy]

The cheese with the olives were made by the first couple.

[fliptopbox]

If I recall correctly it wasn't the vegetarian guy insisting on a separate dish, it was Bobby Flay. I have a feeling had they not made special arrangements for veggie-dude he would have just graciously ate what he could or wanted and left the rest. I have a feeling Bobby only made a big deal out of it to throw an unnecessary monkey wrench into the mix for the rest of the competitors. Kind of the same way he shows up at the teams' homes an hour before showtime and presents them with a surprise mandatory ingredient. It just amps up the drama.

[chessiegal]

According to this web site, this show, after 5 episodes, will not be back.

No more Bobby's Dinner Battles.

[cpcathy]

I like Bobby (after a period of thinking he was way overexposed) but this show was just dullsville. Stilted, predictable, just boring. Try again, Bobby.