fwiw if anyone looking for a top chef podcast, two nba writers do Pack Your Knives. Joe Flamm their guest this week https://twitter.com/PackKnives
Blew my fucking mind. Also good insight as to how going first in restaurant wars is an advantage because when you go second the first wave won't leave. They hang around to see judges come in which fucks up service. He also said Karen could have likely gone home if Kevin didn't fall on sword. They recounted her comedy of errors as front of house, dropping food, spilling wine on a guest, and her food sucked. Didn't realize she was a beard award winner. Never thought she was that great in any season. Edit:. Also great insight as to how not only did kevin do too much but him expediting was a huge mistake. He should have done like Gregory and focus on cooking and tasting everything.
i think Malarkey mentioned briefly on this season how many places he has (or had) running that perspective and discussion has me pulling for gregory. Guys like Brian and Kevin etc already have their dream concepts up and running. Rather see someone who needs that extra ooomph to get where theyre going. idk if the private chefs are content with their career trajectory or not; but guessing they will be OK in a post-Covid world.
LCK ended with the remaining players coming into the kitchen, right? Or was there a second EP of it last night?
Top Chef fantasy league is neck and neck. I'm just edging out the GF 82 to 78.5.... Kevin going home over Karen really screwed me over. Luckily, Melissa dodged a bullet this past week and Kevin is back in the competition. Kevin, Melissa, and Cmar are all I have left. Agree about rooting for Gregory. It's really hard not to cheer for him, and he was an absolute powerhouse on his season (that I watched just before all-stars happened to know more of the chefs).
Prob not true but it might not be that far off. Searsucker, a 7,000 square foot space in San Diego's Gaslamp district that serves classic American food is projected to his $11 million in sales for 2011, while Burlap (which serves what Malarkey calls "Asian Cowboy" cuisine) did $795,000 in sales in its opening month—almost double what Searsucker made in its first month, according to Nations Restaurant News. https://www.inc.com/clarissa-cruz/top-chef-brian-malarkey-15-million-gamble.html Respect.
1.Greg 2.Melissa 3. Kevin 4. Voltaggio 5. Malarkey 6. Stephanie Definitely room for some movement in the Top 4 and I think they are bunched pretty tightly.
I used to get mad when everyone would do the crudos to cut corners on prep time. Was overplayed. but the taking tofu out of a box and being rewarded for it was underwhelming.
Finally Malarkey went home Greg had been too good this season to go out on that chaotic kitchen setup. Think they got the Final 5 right.
Having a lot of trouble choosing my vote for fan favorite. 1 of Melissa, Gregory, or Stephanie will get my vote.
just the quickfire, she earned the main challenge dub. Just sorta over her lack of creativity, going outside her comfort zone, despite her legitness.
That was harsh on Gregory. Can't believe Stephanie made it this far and didn't go home for the raddichio.
Felt like Steph was going home all ep but that editing was the typical Top Chef the worst isn't the worst thing they love to do. Sucks for Gregory, he is the guy I'm most interested in seeing opening his dream restaurant.
Stephanie has actually performed really well over the last five episodes she just lacks any creativity so it’s hard to put her up there with the other remaining contestants + Greg.
I’m still shocked Stephanie is still going, but she’s been really killing it these last 4 or 5 weeks.
Sad to see Kevin go but you're right Can't believe he essentially went home for overcooked pork that he thought he nailed.
they had Voltaggio in tears. Felt bad for him. Perhaps italian guys did not mean to be that harsh. Kevin just overthought and pressed too hard. Shaving all that truffle, overloading the parm.
that was prob my favorite episode this season - loved to see all those dishes - they all looked great - and love an underdog coming up big like Stephanie did - that secondi dish looked like it really won over some harsh critics - was incredibly creative Mr steamengine
No doubt. She’s obviously creative and I over-embellished her as not. I think I just auto assume all private chefs don’t do what some of the others do in terms of taking leaps.
I think it’s probably the coolest aspect of this season, it seems like she’s had a ton of personal growth just over the course of this season, particularly with respect to her confidence in herself. Melissa’s a near-prohibitive favorite for the final (although I think the removal of the constraints of a challenge will give us Bryan at his best) but Stephanie has just been killing it.
Great finale. Would have loved to see Steph nail course 3 and see how she could have forced the judges hand more. Felt like Volt had a much more mistake free finale than Melissa but Melissa brought new levels to cooking and watching her blow people away was so cool. Awesome season, sucks Gregory got hurt though.
Melissa ran away with it after the squab. Steph may have had a real chance if not for the gnocchi course.
He’s in Houston now. Opened up a place down the street from me called Aqui that was the shit but restaurants here move in and out like the wind. I think he has something else in the works though.