110 replies to this topic

[TWoP Nikita]

From Zap2it:

The contestants set sail for Alaska; elevating iceberg lettuce for the Quickfire; surf and turf in the Elimination Challenge.

This thread will open at 11:15pm EST on January 30th.

[TiffanyNichelle]

Ugh of course Josh was going to make it to the top 4. I was with Stefan. It feels like Josh had made breakfast all season long. Everything becomes bacon and eggs.

I don't understand how Sheldon just stalled but I loved Tom calling out his bs about not being inspired by the ingredients he got to chose first.

[Dewie]

As much as I loved Stefan, I would not call that a "heartbreaking elimination" as the Bravo blurb indicated. He just didn't seem to be into winning at all this season and the second he started getting the "my first time was on a cruise ship" cut, I knew he was a goner.

[Tarasme]

Awww, Stefan. *sniff*

KNEW he was toast as soon as I figured it couldn't be a shell that Tom was crunching on in the teasers.

All the fun times between challenges were neat to watch. Nice to see everyone get along so well.

A little dismayed to see Sheldon trip; figured he was getting the suspense edit but it was still troubling to watch.

I prefer Emeril over Hugh but at least we didn't hear Padma go for an artery again this week.

TMI about Stefan's cruise history but darn! *What* was he calling his sexy pants?

[Ashforth]

*What* was he calling his sexy pants?

Pants for camping. Camping pants! He pronounced pants like Heidi Klum does, "pyants." Those wacky Germans.

[Lopethina]

No more Mr. Party Pants. :-(

[SueR]

So they said Stefan wouldn't be going to Juno. Did they throw him overboard? Hated to see him go but it was the right choice. He's really been skating by. Not only does Josh's beard irritate me, so does his hat. He couldn't even take it off for dinner. That's rude. By the way, that dinner they were served looked fabulous. Padma was relatively subdued this time, but I saw more of her breasts than I needed to. Lizzy got a little testy with Stephan when they were cooking. Not sure I like that side of her. Here's hoping Josh is gone next. He needs to be home with his wife anyway.

[alq67]

Aw Stefan! But I don't feel heartbroken as he seemed to enjoy the company more than wanting to compete in earnest. He remains in my top 3 favorite cheftestants.

Edited by alq67, Jan 31, 2013 @ 12:13 AM.

[bawarner]

Now THAT was a bullshit elimination. They actually used the word "inedible" when talking about Sheldon's dish AND he fucked up tempura for the second time. They should have shipped his stupid-ass-hat-wearing butt home!

I normally really like Brooke but she needed to STFU with all of her bitching and whining this ep. The only time I liked her this time was when Sheldon said that he didn't want to be known as the chef that cooked Asian food (or whatever it was he said) and she came back at him with "Then stop cooking Asian!" He is pretty-much a one-way monkey when it comes to what he makes. He and Josh are two peas in a pod in that regard.

[Modernwhimsy]

Lizzie is sooooooooo boring to watch. I don't want to see her scowl anymore. Give me Stefan's " i'll see you at fucking Last Chance Kitchen motherfuckers" potty mouth anyday. He was out of energy though. He doesn't quite have that drive that these first timers do.

[Toleda]

bawarmer

He is pretty-much a one-way monkey when it comes to what he makes.

Love to this. I'd forgotten about Dmitry's wonderful phrase. I plan to work it into as many conversations as possible tomorrow.

[WickedTuna]

Just when I think Josh can't get any dickier he does. Giving Brooke crap about her fried chicken was obnoxious. He wins one challenge and he thinks he's cock-of-the-walk. Please let him be next....PLEASE.

I can't recall - did any of the chefs complain about the iceberg lettuce?

Lizzy got a little testy with Stephan when they were cooking. Not sure I like that side of her. Here's hoping Josh is gone next. He needs to be home with his wife anyway.

Yes to both!

I can't for the life of me figure how Josh's dish tasted good. It looked and sounded disgusting. And I love scallops. If he pulls off a Hosea I'm going to have to stop watching.

[bawarner]

Not only does Josh's beard irritate me, so does his hat. He couldn't even take it off for dinner. That's rude.

I can't remember if Josh had is hat on when presenting his dish but I know that Sheldon definitely wore his when he went out to present to the the judges. I totally agree with you that it was rude.

Giving Brooke crap about her fried chicken was obnoxious.

That comment he made was harsh but I thought Brooke's remarks about "that's when I stopped listening to you" was pretty rude too. They do kinda seem to have a relationship where they take shots at each other but it felt like both went over the line with that stuff. I'm no Josh fan but I don't think he's the only one to blame for that whole thing.

[WickedTuna]

They do kinda seem to have a relationship where they take shots at each other but it felt like both went over the line with that stuff. I'm no Josh fan but I don't think he's the only one to blame for that whole thing.

I think Josh has tried to copy Stefan's wifey thing but with Brooke. I thought I heard him say last episode that he might have to break up with her. Brooke did take a jab but IMO Josh is the only one who went over the line. I just don't think someone who has been on the bottom as much as he has should be tossing around insults about someone's food.

I really like Stefan and wanted to see him get to the finale but it was hard picking who I thought should go home. I think I would have liked Stefan's better than the soggy tempura.

Curtis Stone sure was talkative. I don't remember him ever commenting that much.

[Holliday]

I'm bummed to see Stefan leave but I take consolation in the fact that Josie left first. I would have been pissed had she outlasted him.

[pivot]

Now THAT was a bullshit elimination. They actually used the word "inedible" when talking about Sheldon's dish AND he fucked up tempura for the second time. They should have shipped his stupid-ass-hat-wearing butt home! v

I don't know about that. Tom looked like he might throw up when he got that hard crunch while eating Stefan's dinner. I've never seen him look that grossed out before.

Stefan has been skating by this season but I'd still rather see him stay than Josh and his overinflated ego. The guy wins one challenge and he thinks he's all that.

[whee whee piggy]

I was SO excited for these final episodes because I live in Juneau. I recently heard from a friend that he saw the crew in a local restaurant filming, but they must have kept under wraps really well. We'll a small town and can't keep a secret to save our lives. Even living here I got misty eyed at how pretty the scenery looked off the ship.

I know they won't let Josh win, but god he's awful. His borderline homophobic remarks about Sheldon getting a manicure, his endless xenophobic remarks about what he does and doesn't cook/eat...Isn't there a roadside diner needing him as a fry cook?

Uh Brooke, who's afraid of boats? That's just weird. And she's always sort of bugged me all season, but she's obviously better than Josh. If Sheldon can't pull this off and assuming no returning chefs, I'll take her.

So they said Stefan wouldn't be going to [s]Juno[/s] Juneau. Did they throw him overboard?

I wondered if he was going to be lying around his cabin in the complimentary robe, but from the scene in the teaser for LCK, it appears he's in Ketchikan, usually the first Alaska port heading north, and I know one of fishing lodges there has a nice cooking facility in the woods.

ETA:

I'd much rather eat food from someone who practices good grooming on their hands than someone who doesn't.

Oh, that reminds me! I don't know if they induced him to make those remarks because they had lingering shots of him loading his dishes by hand, but seeing his big grubby hands carefully placing each component in the little cups...ICK! I realize that cooks wash their hands a hundred times while prepping, but it still grosses me out.

Edited by whee whee piggy, Jan 31, 2013 @ 3:05 AM.

[Ginandtonic]

Josh talking about how he thought Josie should have been eliminated a few shows ago was very pot calling the kettle black.

[Jessimuhka]

I know they won't let Josh win, but god he's awful. His borderline homophobic remarks about Sheldon getting a manicure, his endless xenophobic remarks about what he does and doesn't cook/eat...Isn't there a roadside diner needing him as a fry cook?

God, I know, right? Plenty of dudes get manicures, and no one was making you get one Josh. I'd much rather eat food from someone who practices good grooming on their hands than someone who doesn't. Plus, if I was constantly using my hands like that, I'd be pretty happy to get a nice hand massage at a spa.

When Josh was repeating for the tenth time that he didn't know anything about sushi, I wish Brooke or someone had said that they didn't know anything about fried chicken either. I mean, neither one of those blind spots is better than the other dude. I think the main reason I can't stand him is that he treats other types of cuisines as a thing he doesn't know, rather than a thing he can learn. Lack of curiosity is a big minus for me.

I'll miss Stefan's nonsense, but not his boring dishes. If Josh wasn't in the running to leave, I think Stefan was the right next person to go home. Like most of you, I agree that his heart didn't seem to be in it.

Cooking on a boat would have been torture to me. I get so horribly sea sick, I'd either have to be drugged to the point of it being unsafe to hand me a knife, or puking off to the side every 5 minutes. I don't even really like watching boats on TV. (and I have gotten sea sick at the movies)

I didn't like the restaurant - it looked like it tries too hard to be cute.

This is what I forgot to mention before! All that "whimsy" looked pretty tiresome to me. Upside-down lamps! So cutting edge. And that cubby hole food thing was just bizarre. Did those dishes go together? If not, what's the point of serving them all together? And sushi pops, ugh.

Edited by Jessimuhka, Jan 31, 2013 @ 5:51 AM.

[Barton]

They are on a cruise ship with I assume a limited amount of baggage, but Josh must have a couple of suitcases full of assorted hats. Don't think I've seen him wear the same one twice. He must really be sensitive about his baldness or something. He even wears it when they are sitting and relaxing late at night. What a dick.

[austentatious]

I thought Stefan was adorable looking in the youth. His looks were what I would have gone for in my youth.
I thought he was on his way out when they showed the photos from his "cruise". I wonder if he was an incorrigible young man? He's pretty incorrigible now.
My cable went out in the last 15 minutes so I had to come here for elimination information but I thought it was Stefan. He didn't seem to try real hard this time around. But, as someone mentioned, he lasted longer than Josie.
Tschau, mein liebchen!

[Bastet Esq]

Stefan saying maybe the cruise ship lady to whom he lost his virginity might watch this and realize she was the first made me laugh; Stefan, honey, I'm pretty sure she knew at the time.

And when Padma said, "One of you won't be going to Alaska," I snarked, "Do you airlift the loser out or just toss him overboard?"

Based on this challenge alone (what we saw of it, anyway), I thought elimination could go either way. Taking past performance into account, even subconsciously, would point to Stefan, so I was expecting him to go. He hasn't bugged me as much as of late, but it may just be because he has fewer women around to behave poorly to. Sheldon was a no-brainer winner for the QF because of his creativity, so it was surprising to see him choose such mundane ingredients in the EC when he had first choice, and disappointing to see him prepare them so poorly.

At first I thought Brooke was leery of getting on the ship because of motion sickness - and Lizzie mentioned Brooke having her dramamine - and I was quite sympathetic, as my motion sickness is at its worst on the water; I've become nauseated on a docked boat. But subsequent comments made it seem she was afraid of boats. Whatever it was, she handled it, and I laughed when Padma announced the prize and Brooke said, "That's ironic."

I cannot stand Josh, and think he's quite a few rungs beneath the other remaining contestants in terms of talent. If he somehow squeaks through, I will be incredibly annoyed.

[rookie]

I'm surprised by the final 4, and aside for Lizzie, I did not expect any of the others to be left. Like some of you mentioned, it just didn't seem like Stefan was really into it this season. He's pretty successful outside the show, so my feeling is he came on as a way to get extra publicity. I ate at his restaurant, Farm, and it was delicious so I don't think he's struggling.

I really like Lizzie. I like that she stays out of the drama and does her own thing. I think she deserves to win and I'm over Josh and Sheldon. Has Josh ever made anything without bacon? He's like that chick Jamie who only ever made scallops. We get it, you like bacon and it makes everything taste better. But how bout not using it every once in a while?

[Northwester]

If Josh somehow wins (horrors) he wouldn't be the first TC winner with a limited culinary range, as well as seemingly a limited world view. I remember Kevin Sbraga being actually proud of his ignorance about non Western mainstream cooking.

I kept waiting for someone to say to Josh, it's Top Chef, not Top Breakfast. I can't believe the judges were giving him props for being creative and stepping outside his comfort zone when he made yet another breakfast dish and yet another dish with pig.

I can't remember a final 4 that was so bland, both in terms of cooking and personality. Someone posted earlier that Josh seems a cut below the other remaining cooks. I would agree with that, but I also think that the other three are a cut below the finalists in other seasons. Including Stefan, who was a beast during his first season but this time seemed to be phoning it in. In the first show this season he bragged about everyone he's met saying he got cheated. But rather than coming out to kick butt, he acted like he was in summer camp. (Maybe it's a defensive strategy. I can imagine him saying, yeah, I didn't win, but you know, I wasn't really trying.)

I've come this far so I guess I'll watch the finale, but not a single one of these chefs has been memorable. Whoever gets the win will just be the best of a sad lot.

Edited by Northwester, Jan 31, 2013 @ 4:52 AM.

[stopeslite]

This seemed from the editing to be an elimination based on season performance rather than tonight's meal, but I'm ok with that - Stefan has already had his chance at the whole thing, and he's been skating by in the middle-bottom this whole time. I'm just mad Josh is still here.

I didn't like the restaurant - it looked like it tries too hard to be cute. I was with Stefan in wanting to rearrange the Ikea bookshelf of food, and I laughed when Brooke threw in a different possible arrangement scheme to mess with his head. They were all really going after each other there, weren't they? Killer Fatigue is finally setting in. I thought there was going to be a fistfight at one point.

I was surprised a bit how much they pushed being the "final five" and going for the "final four" - I assume the production people were feeding them those lines, but don't they remember about the other two people who are coming back?

Edited by stopeslite, Jan 31, 2013 @ 5:46 AM.

[JodithGrace]

So Josh thinks it's effeminate for men to get manicures, while he stands in front of a mirror curling his mustache ends? Does he keep them in rollers every night?

So, for the second week in a row a front runner ends up at the bottom in danger of elimination. Last week Brooke and this week, Sheldon. Sheldon, why, with a plethora of ingredients to choose from, would you chose the most cliche of Surf & Turf proteins to work with? That would have been okay for this challenge if you had done something totally weird with them, but no. And under Top Chef conditions, with fryers that are often unreliable and when the food ends up waiting for at least 10 minutes, why are you still attempting tempura?

It's true that cruise ships and boats are two entirely different things. On a giant cruise ship, very rarely do you even realize that you are on the water. I thought Brooke was really good about dealing with her fear of boats, and I hope she enjoys her cruise. Cruises are great!

Stephen was amusing to watch and I will miss him. I hope that he doesn't win his way back in LCK, though. But I do wish it had been Josh going home this time..hats, mustache and all.

[apricot2]

If Josh someone wins (horrors at the thought) he wouldn't be the first TC winner who had a limited culinary range, as well as seemingly a limited world view.

Yes, and speaking about limited world view - and despite the protestations in his blog - Tom Colicchio clearly was not familiar with the crispy pork skin Stefan prepared (interesting that both Stefan and Curtis Stone mentioned their mothers cooking it), because he obviously did not know what it was. A limited world view with a judge’s position and arrogance to boot.

I’ll miss Stefan.

Edited by TWoP Nikita, Jan 31, 2013 @ 10:28 PM.
LCK talk

[RescueMom]

Brooke's got a fear of boats, and she's also the one who had the fear of heights at the space needle. For some reason, I remembered that when she talked about not wanting to instill her fears into her child.

[arc]

And sushi pops, ugh.

Agreed 100%. Sushi in roll form is already easy to handle. "Qsine" was whimsy for its own sake.

Tom Colicchio clearly was not familiar with the crispy pork skin Stefan prepared

I dunno. The Cantonese dish "siu yuk" is roast pork belly with some method that lightens up the skin by introducing bubbles somehow. That's crunchy but edible, and I quite like it. I've also attempted to make duck and pork cracklings at home as a byproduct of rendering those scraps and skin together in the same pot, and what happened was that the pork skin looked a lot like what Stefan served: it's nearly inedible, way too tough for regular teeth to break down. IMO, Tom's reaction wasn't about unfamiliarity, it was justified fear for the integrity of his teeth.

[apricot2]

IMO, Tom's reaction wasn't about unfamiliarity, it was justified fear for the integrity of his teeth.

Yeah, the crunching was pretty loud, lol.

I think what impressed me more was that Curtis felt compelled to explain that it is “a cultural thing,” and that it reminded him of the pork his ‘mum’ used to make for him as a child, and that people loved to eat in pubs on Sunday. Tom looked clueless.