Portland is a great choice. Can't imagine how difficult it was filming, esp amid what the restaurant industry has been going through.
If you’re like me and can’t contain your excitement the pack your knives podcast has a good new episode giving background on the contestants.
Really good EP and I think the right person went home and the right one won. I was saying to my fiancée at the start that I thought Dawn needed to pick it up since she had struggled a bit recently. She definitely turned it around this week
Other than the douche guy from Portland who I really wish was in the bottom at least its a great season. Love almost everyone they cast. Japanese guy and the girl who keeps winning and thinks she sucks are prob my favs.
I’ve never watched the show but wanted to watch Portland They need to give the contestants an extra minute or two because of the bigger covid-related pantry
Sara is the personification of a bunch of the Oregon girls I grew up with. It’s fascinating to watch someone like that on tv and in a contest.
Totally agree. The arizona woman has a chance to be annoying but otherwise Portland Gabriel is the only unlikable cast member. And having Gregory, Kwame, and Richard in every episode rules.
The guy from Mexico (Gabe?) is really good too. Honestly like 8 different people could win and I wouldn't be surprised.
You mean Austin? He got canned at his restaurant back in December due to repeated violations of their "conduct policy"..
Well shit fuck him. https://austin.eater.com/2020/12/16...nt-comedor-executive-chef-gabe-erales-departs
I thought for sure Kiki was staying, because the rest of her dish was good, but I guess raw chicken is the worst infraction in the game.
She just wasn't cut out for this type of competition. She might be really talented but she sucked in this format. Almost everyone left has the ability to win now.
every contestant eliminated goes into a quickfire style contest that airs on Bravo's website and youtube channel (and I am guessing Peacock now too.) Tom is the sole judge generally. Starts with Episode 2 and usually is 1 v 1 with the current survivor of Last Chance Kitchen competing against that week's most recent eliminated Chef. Whomever emerges, or survives, out of Last Chance Kitchen gets allowed back into the main competition toward the very end. Its not good rn, but usually a distinguished Chef or two who had a one-off bad day and got eliminated will find their way back to the main show. So worth keeping an eye on down the road.
Sometimes they even reinsert a contestant midway through the competition, then start another round and the winner of that lck will come back for the finals. As Fran stated, a lot of times you’ll see someone who just has a really bad week go on a bit of a run in lck. Also, by the last chance kitchen finale it’s two of the better chefs who were just knocked out of the main competition (or one that’s really gone on a run facing off against the last chef eliminated), so its worth paying attention to the closer we get to the end of the season.
Nelson was the worst one left. Gabriel has been too hit or miss all season. I think Sarah and Shota? are head and shoulders the best left. Would be very surprised if either of them don’t pull it out. I’m surprised at how little mask wearing their is. They are bringing in a lot of different people
Spoiler Part A: I'm glad Jamie got back in over the guy with bland ass food. Spoiler Part B: Wow.. didn't expect them to do a best of the rest style round. I'm surprised Tom went for the pasta
Sara, Shota Gabe, Dawn Byron, Maria, Chris Avishar Would have put Gabriel in that first group tbh. Wondered if I was being reasonable not liking him but was amused that a theme of the confessionals this episode was that he was kind of a d-bag
I mean yeah, Nelson definitely deserved to go home, but unless I misheard (had a small child screeching at the time), Gabriel chose to serve the overcooked fish instead of the fish with skin that wasn’t crispy, which - at least to me - was a nonsensical decision.
I didn’t see the imagination from Gabe to make it to the end. I think he is better than a couple more chefs but is still probably outside the top 5.
Didn't completely follow that. I thought he was Monday morning quarterbacking and rethinking the dish conceptually. Didn't realize that could have been an on the fly fix for the overcooked fish.
Fuck Gabriel, he's a smug asshole. Glad he is gone. Really want to see Avishar cook his food. Always feels like he isn't sure what to do on this show. Overall I'm fine with just about anyone winning now with Gabriel gone. Though the other Gabe also sucks.
I would slot in Byron and Chris as their own tier above Maria but I’m with you across the board otherwise. Sara/Shota vs Gabe/Dawn in a PNW-Texas home and home I’d watch every week.