+1
This shows that good chefs can be canned on 1 bad dish, as I think Stephanie’s an overall lesser cook. She has no self-confidence, but that popcorn thing made me question a lot. Good episode, and as someone said above, I am loving how much they’re showcasing NOLA’s culture and food.
One of my best meals ever was at Lespinasse in the Kunz days. He used popcorn in a dish, it was great.
But maybe it’s passe, must have been over 20 years ago.
Great episode: one of the best in a while. Nina continues to crush it. Dr John was classic
My first time to check this thread, but I have been following the season. Good season so far I think. Nina is doing very well, but I also really like Carlos. Justin has shown talent at times but had a really off week there I think. Carrie has also showed promise. Brian has had moments. I don’t see a clear winner yet, but Nina and Carlos seem strongest to me. Most of the biggest annoyances are gone at this point. Sara seems pretty weak and rather annoying. Travis seems weak too.
Great Restaurant Wars and it really showed what happens when FOH and BOH aren’t in tune. The differences between the 2 places was incredible. What really amazed us was Justin’s team didn’t even get their menus set before heading out to buy dishware. That was on Justin, as the Exec Chef he should have got their dishes set before figuring out the decor.
However, I do think the right person got booted (how sleazy to only talk about your food while letting your companions’ dishes go un-explained).
And what was up with all the corporate sponsorship? If they’d named more brands they wouldn’t have had time for the actual show.
That said, I thought it was overall a good episode.
Yeah, nothing says Top Chef like Dunkin’ Donuts…
restaurant wars is always fun for the trainwreck that will happen.
FOH service and BOH expediting are the main things that affect service. Both have to happen to have an overall good dining experience.
I was hoping for the mise en place relay race quickfire though. oh well
I don’t think Justin has overreacted at any point, but the other chefs seem really offended by it. He builds a fire for his dish and other people feel entitled to use it. If someone turned on the stove and put a pan down to heat, would you feel like you could just throw your food in it? No way.
Justin asks that the tickets be given to him a certain way, and asks for a ticket for the judges’ table. He gets incorrectly written tickets and no ticket for the judges’ table. Not his fault.
Don’t mistake passion for anger, guys.
Justin’s bigger problem is that his last two dishes have sucked. Dried-out protein two weeks running is a bad trend. I though he had chops earlier but he needs to refocus or he could be dropped.
Yes, he was entitled to be irritated by the fire thing, the others should have asked, and by the tickets. Sara was a disaster and I am glad she’s gone.
Nick and Travis had surpringly good showings, Carlos a surprisingly off showing.
Still thinking Nina and Carlos are strongest, but really there are several others who are doing well, and overall this is a good season IMO. Plus the only totally intolerable people were Michael and the male model and they’re both gone.
I noticed KY is a sponsor…when will Padma bring a little KY into an episode?? 
I expect it isn’t just Top Chef that’s doing this but it ticks me off that commercials are routinely integrated right into the show.
Another solid episode last night. Sometimes I wonder if Stephanie ever tastes her food because she seems to have no idea whether what she’s made is good or not. Travis making biscuits and gravy seemed like a bad idea and it was. Don’t get me wrong, I love B&G but it’s not something I would make to win a competition. Even when made perfectly, it’s simple comfort breakfast food – would be the equivalent to plain pancakes and maple syrup. In the end his improper execution of cutting the fat into the flour sent him home. I’m actually kind of surprised he’s stuck around this long. Justin probably should have been sent home for his dry gumbo (was it even gumbo?) given the audience. It looked like mashed up braised meat to me. This was another example of “we think this guy is better” breaking the tie.
I’m a big sucker for zhajiangmian. I’m impressed that Shirley attempted it. I would have been really impressed if she did hand pulled noodles instead of the hand cut (not true da shao mian).
Lots of crying this episode.
My wife gets pissed when she sees it. She says things like, “Well if you want to be with your family, go home. Nobody forced you to do this.” Which makes me feel like I married Mr. Potter from It’s a Wonderful Life.
“sentimental hogwash!” ![[wow.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/7/7d450e9830889c8943b674446a21b7254cad657e.gif "wow"){kind=small}
+1
My wife kept looking at the TV going, “WTF are you in a cut-throat competition if you can’t handle it?” God I love her.
Solid episode, though the corporate tie-ins are really getting annoying. Or maybe I’m just getting older and crankier.
corporate tie ins would be better if the food products weren’t so pedestrian. dunkin donuts coffee beans! wow…
I’d rather hear about reynolds aluminum and plastic wrap and glad containers.
whole foods is okay. I would really like for them to have one episode where they have to shop at Ranch 99 and fight for parking on a weekend.
A very solid episode tears and all for me. God I’m glad Sara was gone this evening.I’d say Shirley, Nina and Carlos are all looking good.
Tim, I disagree, the right man went home. The dry dish Justin made - his fourth straight week on the bottom - was bad, but not as bad as an undercooked biscuit. I also found myself wondering if the jam was homemade. To me, if you are going to make B&G and Jam it is so simple that you better nail it all. Also, he pulled that test biscuit with 35 minutes left and saw they weren’t working. I cook biscuits in about 12 minutes IIRC. If I had a bad batch at 35 minutes left I’d have tried to make more.
Justin is absolutely flirting with disaster. If he ends up even marginal at this point I think he’ll go. He and Brian looking very vulnerable. Stephanie’s lack of confidence makes her seem vulnerable always as well, or at least an unlikely inclusion in any final group.
The remaining group is strong though. I’m still liking Nina, Carlos, and Nicholas has come on very strong. But Shirley and Carrie have had strong moments, and if any of these people were to reemerge from LCK at the end they’d have a good chance too with that momentum.
Good episode and the right person did go home…Justin is on the cusp; maybe hanging on as the last “local” boy. As of now, to me, all the remaining chefs seem like decent people. After Sara left, the creeps were all gone.
Cheers!
Marshall
Local boy finally goes home. Carlos acts like a douche with the whole Oven Gate fiasco.