"If you're watching this you must be gay or a woman": I'm finally watching Bravo's A-List Awards, which I DVR'd last week. Kathy Griffin hosted and it's pretty funny. I just think its great that little Bravo (well not so little anymore!) decided to host a full-on awards show to salute the best in popular culture whilst pimping their own shows and of course engaging in more shameless product promotion. And as I'm watching it suddenly hit me that Bravo's audience must skew gay. Like really gay. Kathy Griffin should have been my first clue.
Anyway, one of the awards they gave out was for A-List Chef: "presented to a chef who has shown the greatest ingenuity and creativity with his or her culinary creations." The award went to Jose Andres (DC restauranteur and a guest on this season of Top Chef). The other nominees included David Chang (Momofuku/NYC), Suzanne Goin (Lucques and A.O.C./LA), and Michael Psilakis (Anthos/NYC).
After Tom Colicchio presented the award to Jose Andres, Kathy Griffin sprung a QUICKFIRE on them! They have "the commercial break" to make something delicious, which is to be judged by... the Top Chef All-Stars! But, post commercial break, Kathy Griffin choreographically drops the plates and ruins everything.
Bravo also honored an A-List restaurant: Bar Boulud (Daniel Boulud/NYC). Other nominees included: Little Owl (Joey Campanaro/NYC), Osteria Mozza (Matt Molina/LA), and Chicago's own Table 52 (Art Smith).
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Third Coast Dish: Steph Speaks
Top Chef 4 winner and new bona-fide celebrity chef Stephanie Izard finds a few minutes to fill us in on her new found fame.
Over here at Third Coast Toast, I've been supporting Team Stephanie from just about day one of this season of Top Chef. She proved herself to be a formidable competitor early on, snagging the very first elimination challenge win and picking up three more in her steady march to the Top Chef throne. There were times when we got nervous (peanut butter and tomatoes! yikes!), but in Chicago, our steadfast faith never wavered.
After receiving the title of Top Chef in last week's finale, Steph's been busy jet setting around the US for a whirlwind photo shoots, appearances, and interviews. Luckily, she found a few minutes to chat with me today via phone about her new found stardom, her trip to Asia, and the plans for her new restaurant.
Third Coast Toast: Hi Steph, thanks for taking the time to chat today. First off, congratulations on an awesome performance this season. How does it feel to be the first female Top Chef?
Steph: It's very exciting. It was a long, sort of difficult thing but in the end it all worked out - I'm super excited.
TCT: You definitely seemed very excited at the finale party last week. Was it hard to keep the secret all that time?
S: It was... in the end I just sort of played it like a little game. It was kind of fun to have a secret and not tell my parents. You know, it's like "I know something you don't know" and, just watching them stress out for the last week was kind of entertaining.
TCT: As the first female top chef, what's your perspective - do you think it's still harder for women to make it as a chef these days?
S: I mean, I don't think so. I think as long as you carry yourself as, you know, just a strong person and a strong chef throughout your career... of course there's gonna be guys that think that just because you're a female that maybe you can't do something. You just have to sort of do your best and be the best chef you can be, and not worry about not being a male.
TCT: How does it feel to be a celebrity chef now - to come from being famous in the Chicago food scene to being famous all over the world? Is it weird?
S: It's very weird. You know, of course everywhere I go in Chicago there's people all around congratulating me, which is amazing, but... yeah, it's everywhere, and it's so interesting to me to see how widespread the show was and how many people watched it... so it's crazy. This whole "famous" thing is sort of weird.
TCT: Cool. So there were a lot of different "characters" on the show this season - some were portrayed as likeable and some not so much, but everyone was definitely really talented. How much do you think personality, or "character" matters versus talent in the real chef world?
S: I think you should always focus on the food, and if you're the type of personality where it's gonna get in the way of making good food then that's definitely a detriment. But there's a lot of really great chefs out there that really aren't very nice at all. So I guess it just depends on what kind of relationships you want to have with your staff, and with people in the industry.
TCT: You mentioned in an interview with Chicagoist that a lot of being a great chef is being able to put together unexpected flavor combinations that work - you were really good about that this season, especially with the braised pistachios and the lamb in the last challenge. What is a great, unexpected flavor combination that you've had or discovered recently?
S: You know, I wouldn't say there's anything I've discovered recently... I'm always just playing around and making new things, but... trying to use fruit in a lot of your savory cooking is a fun thing to do. There's always beautiful fruit especially in the spring and summer and just, you know, playing around with it and trying to involve it in some of your savory dishes rather than just saving it for dessert is a lot of fun.
TCT: This season, what guest judge were you most excited to cook for, and were there any faces from the Chicago scene that you were surprised not to see?
S: I was probably most excited to cook for Anthony Bourdain - I've just been a long time fan, I love No Reservations, and... he's just so intelligent and well spoken, and I was just excited to see him there. I think a lot of people were surprised that Charlie Trotter wasn't there and maybe Grant [Achatz], but I don't think Top Chef is Charlie Trotter's thing. I think that they did find some great chefs from Chicago to participate, and it was a lot of fun to see some of the people I've been working with throughout the years.
TCT: I hear that you're scouting locations for a new restaurant in Chicago. Have you found any winners yet?
S: Not yet, I'm just starting early on in the process and I've seen some beautiful spaces, but I really want to put some thought into what neighborhood I want to be in. I think that's just so important that I want to sort of take my time and find the perfect space.
TCT: Do you have a concept or a specific cuisine in mind yet?
S: It's going to be globally influenced as far as the flavors go, keeping in with my style, but I want to have a restaurant that is the kind of place I want to go. Just really casual, no pretension, but it's all about just good food and wine and beer, and you know, hanging out with your friends and having a good time.
TCT: As you plan a menu, how important do you think it is to challenge diners versus serving flavors that they know and love?
S: I think that there's gotta be a delicate balance. If you have too many things on your menu that are kind of weird or bizarre you might scare away a few people, but I think there's a way to work in some unique flavors and some unique proteins and different items, that you can get people to sort of try something maybe that they haven't tried before. But definitely, it's always nice to have a few things on the menu might not be so scary, to encourage people from all over to come in.
TCT: I also heard that you're planning to keep it affordable. Can you tell me a little more about that?
S: Yeah, you know, there's some great restaurants in the city that are just super expensive, and I treat myself every once in a while to Avenues or you know, I want to try L2O, but I want people to come in on Tuesday nights just because they don't feel like cooking. It doesn't have to be a birthday or an anniversary or something special. I think that a lot of times you just want to have great food and hang out with your friends and you don't want to drop like $75 a person so, yeah, I definitely just want to keep it a little more affordable so it's just sort of a place you can go when you're just in the mood to go out.
TCT: Cool. So in between the Chicago taping and the finale taping, you took a trip to southeast Asia. Where did you go and what kind of inspiration did you find there?
S: I went to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, which was amazing. I would say mostly, the food in Vietnam was very inspirational. They just have a way with flavors that really matches my style, where there's always a little bit of a salty and sweet and spicy, sort of hitting every part of your palate. It's just great that when you're over there, even the street food is amazingly seasoned, and it was just a lot of fun to see the different cultures.
TCT: Who do you think you're going to keep in touch with from the show? Is there anyone that's going to go in on the restaurant with you? I know Dale from last season is pulling in CJ and Sara for his restaurant...
S: I'll definitely keep in touch - I still talk to most everybody, but I couldn't see any of us really partnering up for a restaurant. I think that two chefs trying to work at a place just butt heads a little bit and I think that we're all just really strong and want to all go our own paths and do really well on our own.
TCT: When do you anticipate your restaurant opening?
S: I'm gonna shoot for late next spring or early summer - I'd like to do it within a year, so it might seem a little bit rushed, but I want to give people a place to come eat my food, so, we'll see if I can do that quickly.
TCT: Ok, one last question: I have brown curly hair just like you - it was kind of straight at the party last week - but yours always looks so great on the show... what product to you use?
S: Finesse mousse all the way. I go through like a can a week. It's all about the mousse.
TCT: Ok, well that's all I've got. Thanks for taking the time.
S: Thanks, take care!
Over here at Third Coast Toast, I've been supporting Team Stephanie from just about day one of this season of Top Chef. She proved herself to be a formidable competitor early on, snagging the very first elimination challenge win and picking up three more in her steady march to the Top Chef throne. There were times when we got nervous (peanut butter and tomatoes! yikes!), but in Chicago, our steadfast faith never wavered.
After receiving the title of Top Chef in last week's finale, Steph's been busy jet setting around the US for a whirlwind photo shoots, appearances, and interviews. Luckily, she found a few minutes to chat with me today via phone about her new found stardom, her trip to Asia, and the plans for her new restaurant.
Third Coast Toast: Hi Steph, thanks for taking the time to chat today. First off, congratulations on an awesome performance this season. How does it feel to be the first female Top Chef?
Steph: It's very exciting. It was a long, sort of difficult thing but in the end it all worked out - I'm super excited.
TCT: You definitely seemed very excited at the finale party last week. Was it hard to keep the secret all that time?
S: It was... in the end I just sort of played it like a little game. It was kind of fun to have a secret and not tell my parents. You know, it's like "I know something you don't know" and, just watching them stress out for the last week was kind of entertaining.
TCT: As the first female top chef, what's your perspective - do you think it's still harder for women to make it as a chef these days?
S: I mean, I don't think so. I think as long as you carry yourself as, you know, just a strong person and a strong chef throughout your career... of course there's gonna be guys that think that just because you're a female that maybe you can't do something. You just have to sort of do your best and be the best chef you can be, and not worry about not being a male.
TCT: How does it feel to be a celebrity chef now - to come from being famous in the Chicago food scene to being famous all over the world? Is it weird?
S: It's very weird. You know, of course everywhere I go in Chicago there's people all around congratulating me, which is amazing, but... yeah, it's everywhere, and it's so interesting to me to see how widespread the show was and how many people watched it... so it's crazy. This whole "famous" thing is sort of weird.
TCT: Cool. So there were a lot of different "characters" on the show this season - some were portrayed as likeable and some not so much, but everyone was definitely really talented. How much do you think personality, or "character" matters versus talent in the real chef world?
S: I think you should always focus on the food, and if you're the type of personality where it's gonna get in the way of making good food then that's definitely a detriment. But there's a lot of really great chefs out there that really aren't very nice at all. So I guess it just depends on what kind of relationships you want to have with your staff, and with people in the industry.
TCT: You mentioned in an interview with Chicagoist that a lot of being a great chef is being able to put together unexpected flavor combinations that work - you were really good about that this season, especially with the braised pistachios and the lamb in the last challenge. What is a great, unexpected flavor combination that you've had or discovered recently?
S: You know, I wouldn't say there's anything I've discovered recently... I'm always just playing around and making new things, but... trying to use fruit in a lot of your savory cooking is a fun thing to do. There's always beautiful fruit especially in the spring and summer and just, you know, playing around with it and trying to involve it in some of your savory dishes rather than just saving it for dessert is a lot of fun.
TCT: This season, what guest judge were you most excited to cook for, and were there any faces from the Chicago scene that you were surprised not to see?
S: I was probably most excited to cook for Anthony Bourdain - I've just been a long time fan, I love No Reservations, and... he's just so intelligent and well spoken, and I was just excited to see him there. I think a lot of people were surprised that Charlie Trotter wasn't there and maybe Grant [Achatz], but I don't think Top Chef is Charlie Trotter's thing. I think that they did find some great chefs from Chicago to participate, and it was a lot of fun to see some of the people I've been working with throughout the years.
TCT: I hear that you're scouting locations for a new restaurant in Chicago. Have you found any winners yet?
S: Not yet, I'm just starting early on in the process and I've seen some beautiful spaces, but I really want to put some thought into what neighborhood I want to be in. I think that's just so important that I want to sort of take my time and find the perfect space.
TCT: Do you have a concept or a specific cuisine in mind yet?
S: It's going to be globally influenced as far as the flavors go, keeping in with my style, but I want to have a restaurant that is the kind of place I want to go. Just really casual, no pretension, but it's all about just good food and wine and beer, and you know, hanging out with your friends and having a good time.
TCT: As you plan a menu, how important do you think it is to challenge diners versus serving flavors that they know and love?
S: I think that there's gotta be a delicate balance. If you have too many things on your menu that are kind of weird or bizarre you might scare away a few people, but I think there's a way to work in some unique flavors and some unique proteins and different items, that you can get people to sort of try something maybe that they haven't tried before. But definitely, it's always nice to have a few things on the menu might not be so scary, to encourage people from all over to come in.
TCT: I also heard that you're planning to keep it affordable. Can you tell me a little more about that?
S: Yeah, you know, there's some great restaurants in the city that are just super expensive, and I treat myself every once in a while to Avenues or you know, I want to try L2O, but I want people to come in on Tuesday nights just because they don't feel like cooking. It doesn't have to be a birthday or an anniversary or something special. I think that a lot of times you just want to have great food and hang out with your friends and you don't want to drop like $75 a person so, yeah, I definitely just want to keep it a little more affordable so it's just sort of a place you can go when you're just in the mood to go out.
TCT: Cool. So in between the Chicago taping and the finale taping, you took a trip to southeast Asia. Where did you go and what kind of inspiration did you find there?
S: I went to Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam, which was amazing. I would say mostly, the food in Vietnam was very inspirational. They just have a way with flavors that really matches my style, where there's always a little bit of a salty and sweet and spicy, sort of hitting every part of your palate. It's just great that when you're over there, even the street food is amazingly seasoned, and it was just a lot of fun to see the different cultures.
TCT: Who do you think you're going to keep in touch with from the show? Is there anyone that's going to go in on the restaurant with you? I know Dale from last season is pulling in CJ and Sara for his restaurant...
S: I'll definitely keep in touch - I still talk to most everybody, but I couldn't see any of us really partnering up for a restaurant. I think that two chefs trying to work at a place just butt heads a little bit and I think that we're all just really strong and want to all go our own paths and do really well on our own.
TCT: When do you anticipate your restaurant opening?
S: I'm gonna shoot for late next spring or early summer - I'd like to do it within a year, so it might seem a little bit rushed, but I want to give people a place to come eat my food, so, we'll see if I can do that quickly.
TCT: Ok, one last question: I have brown curly hair just like you - it was kind of straight at the party last week - but yours always looks so great on the show... what product to you use?
S: Finesse mousse all the way. I go through like a can a week. It's all about the mousse.
TCT: Ok, well that's all I've got. Thanks for taking the time.
S: Thanks, take care!
Top Chef 5: NYC!
A credible source is reporting that Bravo has settled on the impeccible food town New York City as the location for the upcoming fifth season of Top Chef. Even though they've only just wrapped the broadcast run for this season (tonight's Top Chef Chicago Reunion Special will be the last show), filming for season 5 is reportedly set to begin in July and run through August.
As snack says: "I expect the Big Apple blogosphere to bring it."
As snack says: "I expect the Big Apple blogosphere to bring it."
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Sweet Victory for a Summer Night: Dispatches from The Top Chef Chicago Finale
It was a big night for Chicago... and a big night for women chefs everywhere as Stephanie Izard won the Top Chef Season Four crown in a fierce battle against runners-up Blais and Lisa, and thereby made history as the first woman to win the title of Top Chef in the television series' four season run.
As an invitee to the "exclusive" Top Chef Chicago Finale viewing party last evening at Room 21 in Chicago, I got a coveted front row seat to all the drama and excitement -- not even Steph's parents knew the outcome of the show! I also got to catch up with Chicago's other season four cheftestant, Valerie, as well as Season Three's Dale Levitski and Sara Nguyen who were also in attendance.
First off, let me say that Room 21 is an impressive restaurant space... I imagine the only reason I haven't been down there is that it is SO far down south... 2110 Wabash, which is practically ON Cermak. It starts getting sketchy this far south. But nevertheless, it was a beautiful place to have the party and the perfect evening weather only added to the vibrant atmosphere. Smartly dressed guests sipped on champagne and Grey Goose cocktails, and were treated to hors devours including crispy duck rolls, wasabi crusted lamb chops, seared scallops, rice-filled crostinis, savory fried chicken drumsticks, and melt-in-your-mouth himachi. Later on, the passed desserts included assorted candied popcorns, chocolate dipped strawberries, nut-rolled fruit-filled chocolate truffles, and mini red velvet cupcakes. I CLEARLY had to sample one of everything. Mmmm!
I ran into Steph shortly after I arrived. She looked great, and had a fantastic poker face on - her cheery, but impressively calm demeanor gave nothing away. "I'm just ready for it to be over" she said with a breathy laugh. Steph was joined by her parents and sister, as well as a few friends, who all seemed more nervous than her! I wished her luck and headed to the bar to pick up an orange martini - I decided that a classy night deserved a classy drink. And I do love the taste of good vodka. Yum.
After hobnobbing with a few people from Bravo and their contributing media partners, I caught up with Valarie a little later on. Pint-sized and packed with energy, Val shared that she's been keeping busy since the show going the Art Smith route as a private chef in Chicago. She has one main client who she spends most of her time with, and isn't planning on getting back into the restaurant world anytime soon - even as her pal Steph is planning to open a new place of her own. Like the other cheftestants in attendance, she had just returned from the filming of Bravo's A-List Awards (hosted by Kathy Griffin and airing tonight). She said it was a pretty crazy show but that it was fun to catch up with her fellow TC castmates.
With the time of the show drawing close, I found a few minutes to catch up with Season 3 cheftestant and Chicago resident Dale Levitski on his new restaurant and his take on the current season. (Here's me and Dale!)
Preparations for Dale's new Chicago restaurant, Town and Country, are well underway, and he's got fellow season three cheftestants Sara Nguyen and CJ on board as sous chefs. Sara's also Dale's new roommate - they recently moved into a new place in the Lakeview / Lincoln Park area. When I later asked if they were settled and decorated, Sara laughed and remarked that no, the place still looks like a college dorm room. Oh well, I guess chefs are not necessarily designers! Dale shared that CJ wasn't out in Chicago yet, but was planning to move out in August. He giddily explained that the concept and design for Town and Country are complete, the space is purchased (in the west loop on Monroe & Canal), and he's already working out the details of the "contemporary diner" menu, which will include variations on his favorite dishes from his time on the show (which are also included in the new Top Chef cookbook) - rack of lamb, seared scallops, seared elk loin, turkey & pork meatballs, and more. "I want to have a fun, relaxed, professional kitchen" he explained, and having Sara and CJ there will help keep this philosophy alive. He said that being on the show and finishing in the final two gave him new confidence and direction in his career as a chef. "As a chef, this is the happiest I've ever been. I know this is what I was meant to do."
When he got to meet the season four cast earlier this week at the Bravo A-List Awards in NYC, he said he really didn't want to like them, but ended up being won over. "I think we were the season that all loved each other and got along" he noted, commenting that the editing of this season definitely exposed more conflicts between cast members. While he was happy with the way he was portrayed, he did add that "some people walk away from the show with regrets. You just have to be yourself" and hope the editors are kind. "One thing Bravo did do a good job of this season", Dale added, "was showing how beautiful Chicago is". We agreed that we did have an exceptionally beautiful fall, but nonetheless - they did get some great shots of the bean, the skyline, and all those other little parts that makes Chicago the gem it is. So cheers to Bravo on that.
But lest we forget, Stephanie was the star of tonight's party. "I'm nervous for her. I'm sweating!" Dale exclaimed as we discussed Chicago's chef-darling of the evening. Dale also revealed a startling connection that I hadn't heard of before tonight: Stephanie used to be Dale's sous chef at Andersonville eatery La Tache. Dale says he encouraged Stephanie to try out when auditions came back around, and as luck would have it - she made it! Dale was out of a sous chef, but as we know, he soon moved on to bigger and better things. I can't wait until his restaurant opens in September!
But back to the main event of the evening: the Finale! As nine o'clock rolls around, the guests of the party gather on the outdoor patio, where the show is being projected on a large screen. Stephanie and Valarie sit flanked by their families and friends in front row seats to the show.
It's a perfectly warm summer night - the kind that feels like there's a little magic in the soft breeze - like something extraordinary might happen. The anticipation in the air is palpable.
The show opens and immediately we go into the final challenge which is, predictably, "cook us the meal of your life". It must be a four course meal with seafood, poultry, meat, and dessert (yes, dessert!) courses. In a recycled move from last season, the cheftestants are also met with three prestigeous "sous" chefs for the challenge: Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, and Dan Barber of Blue Hill (a 2008 James Beard Outstanding Chef nominee!). Stephanie gets to choose first and goes for Ripert. Blais goes for Barber, which leaves Lisa with Bloomfield.
Each cheftestant gets to choose from a long list of fine proteins from each of their chefs. They'll have a few hours to prep, and then five or so hours to cook the next day.
They get to work prepping and Eric Ripert is a bit miffed that Stephanie's giving him direction on how to filet a fish. The "studio" audience at Room 21 lets out a presumptive giggle and Steph cracks up at herself.
All too soon, prep time is over, and the chefs must retire for the evening. When they return the next day, it's only half surprising that POOF! they'll have no sous chefs for the remainder of the challenge. "We need to know that you lived and died by your own hands" comments Tom, after he's shared the twist in the rules.
"It's like your sous chef called in sick" Blais remarked. You just have to keep going and pick up the slack. Heads down, they get back into it. Blais is visibly frazzled and scrambling to pull his menu together. When Tom stops by, he remarks "I'm really in the shit right now". Yikes.
Stephanie's feeling the pressure too when Tom stops by. She sounds like she has a solid menu, but she's really worried about her dessert, a ricotta pound cake with salted banana cream. She's delivered (and indeed won) on other desserts, but she's starting to doubt herself. Bad news!
At this point I stole a glance over to Steph and her family, and her poker face was still on. Her family, however, was really sweating it out. But her quiet stoicism gave away nothing!
Lisa's surprisingly the only one in the kitchen who's calm, collected, and focused when Tom stops by. She's laid out a thoughtful menu of her favorite asian flavors, and she's feeling good about her timing and her ability to deliver. Well Lisa, you got this far. Let's see what you can show us tonight.
It's finally time for service - a black tie affair for nine, including Padma, Gail and Tom, Ted Allen, the three former sous chefs, Tom Zagat (yes, of THAT Zagat), and noted Puerto Rican chef (that we've never heard of) Alfredo Ayala.
First Courses (seafood):
Lisa: Grilled prawns with crab, chili-basil sauce, and homemade potato chips
Blais: Barely seared scallops with mango and pineapple vinegar
Steph: Seared Red Snapper with truffled clam and asparagus sauce elegantly served in a teacup.
*Lisa's prawns are excellently prepared, but some of the diners wonder if the chili kick is too intense for a first course. Blais's dish, on the contrary, apparently has no flavor at all. Steph's red snapper is a hit for flavor and elegant presentation.
Second Courses (poultry):
L: Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken) soup and a dumpling
B: "Which Came First?" Guinea hen with an egg and foie gras
S: Quail breast over lobster ravioli with mango-lobster sauce and a quail egg
*The judges are marveled by the concept of Blais's dish, but feel like each individual component gets lost in the execution. They love everything about Steph's dish except the leeks - they're undercooked (crunchy!) and have no purpose on the plate. Lisa's soup however, is a home run. The judges are practically licking their bowls.
Third Courses (red meat):
L: Wagyu beef with chayote and cucumber salad
B: Pork belly with pickled rasdishes and mirin broth
S: Lamb Medallions with maitake mushrooms, braised pistachios, blackberry and olive tapenade
*The judges LOOOVE the lamb and are pleasantly surprised to see that the seemingly random assortment of ingredients work brilliantly together. Score one for Steph! Blais's pork belly is a flop for being underseasoned. Lisa's beef is cooked well, but the sauce is a little too sweet and the garlic doesn't come through enough.
Fourth Courses (dessert):
L: Thai Black Rice Pudding with coconut and lime and mango cream
B: Banana Scallops with Bacon Ice Cream (really Blais? AGAIN?)
S: Ricotta Poundcake with Salted Banana Cream
*The judges like the texture and flavor of Lisa's pudding, and find Steph's poundcake "average" - the like the cake but feel she came up short on the cream. Somehow they are wowed by Blais's banana-scallop-threepeat. They're acting like Blais invented bacon ice cream. Really guys? You've never heard of this concept before? BEEN done!
All in all, it was a pretty strong performance by Lisa and Steph, and not so much for Blais. For being the "risk taker" of this season, I've got to say that he's played it really safe, especially compared to some of the stuff Marcel was pumping out two seasons ago. Some foam there, some smoke here, a little bit of liquid nitrogen... it didn't really add up to anything ground breaking in the end.
We go next into the judges table, and now people are physically gathering around Steph on the patio - holding her hands in rapt anticipation. She's still got that poker face on. The judges go course for course and point out the ups and downs as noted above. When they ask if there's anything else the chefs want to add, Blais blurts out "I think I choked tonight". The judges are initially shocked at this admission, but later agree with him - he didn't perform up to his potential. OH SHIT! With Steph's lackluster dessert and Lisa's stellar soup, it looks like Lisa might have the edge here. The judges send the contestants away to deliberate to the songs of morning birds chirping. I ask Dale if he thinks the judges are drunk right now. "No. Not this time" he tells me. "But probably most of the other ones!" It still sounds to me like Padma is slurring her words a little bit. Maybe she's just tired.
They finally call the contestants back and the silent hysteria on the patio of Room 21 is at fever pitch. Padma finally, slowly, dramatically utters the words "Stephanie.......... YOU ARE TOP CHEF!" AND the whole place goes nuts! Everyone's crowding around Stephanie. After hugging her parents she leans over a row of chairs to give Val a big hug.
And she finally gets to break the poker face and bust out that big toothy grin. It's plastered on her face for the rest of the night.
After I gave Steph my congratulations and the crowd arond Steph began to wane, I caught up with Dale on my way out the door. "I'm so happy for her" he glowingly remarked. "It's so great to be there to watch someone's life change in a minute". And it was.
As an invitee to the "exclusive" Top Chef Chicago Finale viewing party last evening at Room 21 in Chicago, I got a coveted front row seat to all the drama and excitement -- not even Steph's parents knew the outcome of the show! I also got to catch up with Chicago's other season four cheftestant, Valerie, as well as Season Three's Dale Levitski and Sara Nguyen who were also in attendance. First off, let me say that Room 21 is an impressive restaurant space... I imagine the only reason I haven't been down there is that it is SO far down south... 2110 Wabash, which is practically ON Cermak. It starts getting sketchy this far south. But nevertheless, it was a beautiful place to have the party and the perfect evening weather only added to the vibrant atmosphere. Smartly dressed guests sipped on champagne and Grey Goose cocktails, and were treated to hors devours including crispy duck rolls, wasabi crusted lamb chops, seared scallops, rice-filled crostinis, savory fried chicken drumsticks, and melt-in-your-mouth himachi. Later on, the passed desserts included assorted candied popcorns, chocolate dipped strawberries, nut-rolled fruit-filled chocolate truffles, and mini red velvet cupcakes. I CLEARLY had to sample one of everything. Mmmm!
I ran into Steph shortly after I arrived. She looked great, and had a fantastic poker face on - her cheery, but impressively calm demeanor gave nothing away. "I'm just ready for it to be over" she said with a breathy laugh. Steph was joined by her parents and sister, as well as a few friends, who all seemed more nervous than her! I wished her luck and headed to the bar to pick up an orange martini - I decided that a classy night deserved a classy drink. And I do love the taste of good vodka. Yum.
After hobnobbing with a few people from Bravo and their contributing media partners, I caught up with Valarie a little later on. Pint-sized and packed with energy, Val shared that she's been keeping busy since the show going the Art Smith route as a private chef in Chicago. She has one main client who she spends most of her time with, and isn't planning on getting back into the restaurant world anytime soon - even as her pal Steph is planning to open a new place of her own. Like the other cheftestants in attendance, she had just returned from the filming of Bravo's A-List Awards (hosted by Kathy Griffin and airing tonight). She said it was a pretty crazy show but that it was fun to catch up with her fellow TC castmates.
With the time of the show drawing close, I found a few minutes to catch up with Season 3 cheftestant and Chicago resident Dale Levitski on his new restaurant and his take on the current season. (Here's me and Dale!)
Preparations for Dale's new Chicago restaurant, Town and Country, are well underway, and he's got fellow season three cheftestants Sara Nguyen and CJ on board as sous chefs. Sara's also Dale's new roommate - they recently moved into a new place in the Lakeview / Lincoln Park area. When I later asked if they were settled and decorated, Sara laughed and remarked that no, the place still looks like a college dorm room. Oh well, I guess chefs are not necessarily designers! Dale shared that CJ wasn't out in Chicago yet, but was planning to move out in August. He giddily explained that the concept and design for Town and Country are complete, the space is purchased (in the west loop on Monroe & Canal), and he's already working out the details of the "contemporary diner" menu, which will include variations on his favorite dishes from his time on the show (which are also included in the new Top Chef cookbook) - rack of lamb, seared scallops, seared elk loin, turkey & pork meatballs, and more. "I want to have a fun, relaxed, professional kitchen" he explained, and having Sara and CJ there will help keep this philosophy alive. He said that being on the show and finishing in the final two gave him new confidence and direction in his career as a chef. "As a chef, this is the happiest I've ever been. I know this is what I was meant to do."When he got to meet the season four cast earlier this week at the Bravo A-List Awards in NYC, he said he really didn't want to like them, but ended up being won over. "I think we were the season that all loved each other and got along" he noted, commenting that the editing of this season definitely exposed more conflicts between cast members. While he was happy with the way he was portrayed, he did add that "some people walk away from the show with regrets. You just have to be yourself" and hope the editors are kind. "One thing Bravo did do a good job of this season", Dale added, "was showing how beautiful Chicago is". We agreed that we did have an exceptionally beautiful fall, but nonetheless - they did get some great shots of the bean, the skyline, and all those other little parts that makes Chicago the gem it is. So cheers to Bravo on that.
But lest we forget, Stephanie was the star of tonight's party. "I'm nervous for her. I'm sweating!" Dale exclaimed as we discussed Chicago's chef-darling of the evening. Dale also revealed a startling connection that I hadn't heard of before tonight: Stephanie used to be Dale's sous chef at Andersonville eatery La Tache. Dale says he encouraged Stephanie to try out when auditions came back around, and as luck would have it - she made it! Dale was out of a sous chef, but as we know, he soon moved on to bigger and better things. I can't wait until his restaurant opens in September!
But back to the main event of the evening: the Finale! As nine o'clock rolls around, the guests of the party gather on the outdoor patio, where the show is being projected on a large screen. Stephanie and Valarie sit flanked by their families and friends in front row seats to the show.
It's a perfectly warm summer night - the kind that feels like there's a little magic in the soft breeze - like something extraordinary might happen. The anticipation in the air is palpable.The show opens and immediately we go into the final challenge which is, predictably, "cook us the meal of your life". It must be a four course meal with seafood, poultry, meat, and dessert (yes, dessert!) courses. In a recycled move from last season, the cheftestants are also met with three prestigeous "sous" chefs for the challenge: Eric Ripert of Le Bernadin, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, and Dan Barber of Blue Hill (a 2008 James Beard Outstanding Chef nominee!). Stephanie gets to choose first and goes for Ripert. Blais goes for Barber, which leaves Lisa with Bloomfield.
Each cheftestant gets to choose from a long list of fine proteins from each of their chefs. They'll have a few hours to prep, and then five or so hours to cook the next day.
They get to work prepping and Eric Ripert is a bit miffed that Stephanie's giving him direction on how to filet a fish. The "studio" audience at Room 21 lets out a presumptive giggle and Steph cracks up at herself.
All too soon, prep time is over, and the chefs must retire for the evening. When they return the next day, it's only half surprising that POOF! they'll have no sous chefs for the remainder of the challenge. "We need to know that you lived and died by your own hands" comments Tom, after he's shared the twist in the rules.
"It's like your sous chef called in sick" Blais remarked. You just have to keep going and pick up the slack. Heads down, they get back into it. Blais is visibly frazzled and scrambling to pull his menu together. When Tom stops by, he remarks "I'm really in the shit right now". Yikes.
Stephanie's feeling the pressure too when Tom stops by. She sounds like she has a solid menu, but she's really worried about her dessert, a ricotta pound cake with salted banana cream. She's delivered (and indeed won) on other desserts, but she's starting to doubt herself. Bad news!
At this point I stole a glance over to Steph and her family, and her poker face was still on. Her family, however, was really sweating it out. But her quiet stoicism gave away nothing!
Lisa's surprisingly the only one in the kitchen who's calm, collected, and focused when Tom stops by. She's laid out a thoughtful menu of her favorite asian flavors, and she's feeling good about her timing and her ability to deliver. Well Lisa, you got this far. Let's see what you can show us tonight.
It's finally time for service - a black tie affair for nine, including Padma, Gail and Tom, Ted Allen, the three former sous chefs, Tom Zagat (yes, of THAT Zagat), and noted Puerto Rican chef (that we've never heard of) Alfredo Ayala.
First Courses (seafood):
Lisa: Grilled prawns with crab, chili-basil sauce, and homemade potato chips
Blais: Barely seared scallops with mango and pineapple vinegar
Steph: Seared Red Snapper with truffled clam and asparagus sauce elegantly served in a teacup.
*Lisa's prawns are excellently prepared, but some of the diners wonder if the chili kick is too intense for a first course. Blais's dish, on the contrary, apparently has no flavor at all. Steph's red snapper is a hit for flavor and elegant presentation.
Second Courses (poultry):
L: Tom Kha Gai (coconut chicken) soup and a dumpling
B: "Which Came First?" Guinea hen with an egg and foie gras
S: Quail breast over lobster ravioli with mango-lobster sauce and a quail egg
*The judges are marveled by the concept of Blais's dish, but feel like each individual component gets lost in the execution. They love everything about Steph's dish except the leeks - they're undercooked (crunchy!) and have no purpose on the plate. Lisa's soup however, is a home run. The judges are practically licking their bowls.
Third Courses (red meat):
L: Wagyu beef with chayote and cucumber salad
B: Pork belly with pickled rasdishes and mirin broth
S: Lamb Medallions with maitake mushrooms, braised pistachios, blackberry and olive tapenade
*The judges LOOOVE the lamb and are pleasantly surprised to see that the seemingly random assortment of ingredients work brilliantly together. Score one for Steph! Blais's pork belly is a flop for being underseasoned. Lisa's beef is cooked well, but the sauce is a little too sweet and the garlic doesn't come through enough.
Fourth Courses (dessert):
L: Thai Black Rice Pudding with coconut and lime and mango cream
B: Banana Scallops with Bacon Ice Cream (really Blais? AGAIN?)
S: Ricotta Poundcake with Salted Banana Cream
*The judges like the texture and flavor of Lisa's pudding, and find Steph's poundcake "average" - the like the cake but feel she came up short on the cream. Somehow they are wowed by Blais's banana-scallop-threepeat. They're acting like Blais invented bacon ice cream. Really guys? You've never heard of this concept before? BEEN done!
All in all, it was a pretty strong performance by Lisa and Steph, and not so much for Blais. For being the "risk taker" of this season, I've got to say that he's played it really safe, especially compared to some of the stuff Marcel was pumping out two seasons ago. Some foam there, some smoke here, a little bit of liquid nitrogen... it didn't really add up to anything ground breaking in the end.
We go next into the judges table, and now people are physically gathering around Steph on the patio - holding her hands in rapt anticipation. She's still got that poker face on. The judges go course for course and point out the ups and downs as noted above. When they ask if there's anything else the chefs want to add, Blais blurts out "I think I choked tonight". The judges are initially shocked at this admission, but later agree with him - he didn't perform up to his potential. OH SHIT! With Steph's lackluster dessert and Lisa's stellar soup, it looks like Lisa might have the edge here. The judges send the contestants away to deliberate to the songs of morning birds chirping. I ask Dale if he thinks the judges are drunk right now. "No. Not this time" he tells me. "But probably most of the other ones!" It still sounds to me like Padma is slurring her words a little bit. Maybe she's just tired.
They finally call the contestants back and the silent hysteria on the patio of Room 21 is at fever pitch. Padma finally, slowly, dramatically utters the words "Stephanie.......... YOU ARE TOP CHEF!" AND the whole place goes nuts! Everyone's crowding around Stephanie. After hugging her parents she leans over a row of chairs to give Val a big hug.
And she finally gets to break the poker face and bust out that big toothy grin. It's plastered on her face for the rest of the night.After I gave Steph my congratulations and the crowd arond Steph began to wane, I caught up with Dale on my way out the door. "I'm so happy for her" he glowingly remarked. "It's so great to be there to watch someone's life change in a minute". And it was.
Chicago's Superchef Grant Achatz Takes Top James Beard Honors
Ok so I'm a few days late on this, but the annual James Beard Awards ceremony was held this past Sunday at the Lincoln Center in New York City, and Chicago's favorite molecular gastronomist, Grant Achatz, took the top prize: the Outstanding Chef Award.
If you're unfamiliar, the James Beard Awards are the annual "Oscars" of the American food industry: they are among the highest honors a chef can receive. The "Outstanding Chef" award is the highest prize: it goes to "a working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as a chef for at least the past five years." So yeah, it's a pretty big deal. CONGRATS GRANT!!! :) His fellow nominees were:
*Jose Andres of minibar, Washington, DC (and guest judge on this season of Top Chef)
*Dan Barber of Blue Hill, NYC
*Suzanne Goin of Lucques, LA
*Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
Chicago chef Carrie Nahabedian of Naha took home the regional honor of Best Chef: Great Lakes. Her fellow nominees included Graham Elliot Bowles (for Avenues, Chicago), Bruce Sherman (North Pond, Chicago), Michael Symon (Lola, Cleveland), Alex Young (Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor).
My favorite Chicago pastry chef, Mindy Segal, was nominated but snubbed for the second year in a row in the "Outstanding Pastry Chef" category, so that's a bummer! But I'm glad she was nominated and I hope they do the right thing and give it to her next year.
Bravo's Top Chef was honored with a broadcast media award for "Best Television Food Special" for the Top Chef Holiday Special, which aired last December. The show did not however take the "Best Television Food Show" honors, which instead went to a PBS show I've never heard of (but must be good): Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie. However, it's really a credit to the Top Chef producers that this show is taken seriously enough to even be nominated at these awards - notice that there's no Iron Chef, no Hell's Kitchen, no Emiril or Rachael Ray. There's a reason they're not in there and a reason why Top Chef is. And that's the reason I watch.
Read the Trib's full coverage of the event here. The complete list of nominees and winners is here.
If you're unfamiliar, the James Beard Awards are the annual "Oscars" of the American food industry: they are among the highest honors a chef can receive. The "Outstanding Chef" award is the highest prize: it goes to "a working chef in America whose career has set national industry standards and who has served as an inspiration to other food professionals. Candidates must have been working as a chef for at least the past five years." So yeah, it's a pretty big deal. CONGRATS GRANT!!! :) His fellow nominees were:
*Jose Andres of minibar, Washington, DC (and guest judge on this season of Top Chef)
*Dan Barber of Blue Hill, NYC
*Suzanne Goin of Lucques, LA
*Frank Stitt of Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Alabama
Chicago chef Carrie Nahabedian of Naha took home the regional honor of Best Chef: Great Lakes. Her fellow nominees included Graham Elliot Bowles (for Avenues, Chicago), Bruce Sherman (North Pond, Chicago), Michael Symon (Lola, Cleveland), Alex Young (Zingerman's Roadhouse, Ann Arbor).
My favorite Chicago pastry chef, Mindy Segal, was nominated but snubbed for the second year in a row in the "Outstanding Pastry Chef" category, so that's a bummer! But I'm glad she was nominated and I hope they do the right thing and give it to her next year.
Bravo's Top Chef was honored with a broadcast media award for "Best Television Food Special" for the Top Chef Holiday Special, which aired last December. The show did not however take the "Best Television Food Show" honors, which instead went to a PBS show I've never heard of (but must be good): Gourmet's Diary of a Foodie. However, it's really a credit to the Top Chef producers that this show is taken seriously enough to even be nominated at these awards - notice that there's no Iron Chef, no Hell's Kitchen, no Emiril or Rachael Ray. There's a reason they're not in there and a reason why Top Chef is. And that's the reason I watch.
Read the Trib's full coverage of the event here. The complete list of nominees and winners is here.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Stephanie Sighting!
My baker friend John reports that Top Chef Chicago finalist Stephanie Izard was spotted last Wednesday browsing the treats at Sweet Mandy B's on Racine & Webster in Chicago. Although John was downstairs at the time, tending to the ovens, his co-workers report that she ultimately settled on a chocolate chip cookie. Delish.
Steph's also going plate-to-plate with former Shawn McClain protege Nick LaCasse this Sunday, June 15, at the Drawing Room at Le Passage. The dinner sold out nearly instantly, so the organizers added a VIP post-dinner reception featuring a meet & greet with Steph and complementary seasonal cocktails created by her chefness. As was pointed out on Chicagoist, this event partly overlaps with the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, where the Top Chef winner is to have a showcase, so that may mean trouble for Steph on Wednesday. But as the Le Passage event is on a Sunday night, and looks to have been scheduled after the taping of the finale, it's very feasible that she's doing both in the same weekend. The Food & Wine Classic schedule lists a presentation on Saturday at 10:30am by Padma and Tom, titled "In the Kitchen With Top Chef". It says Tom and Padma will be giving cooking demonstrations... but... is it all a clever ruse??
I guess we'll find out on Wed!
Steph's also going plate-to-plate with former Shawn McClain protege Nick LaCasse this Sunday, June 15, at the Drawing Room at Le Passage. The dinner sold out nearly instantly, so the organizers added a VIP post-dinner reception featuring a meet & greet with Steph and complementary seasonal cocktails created by her chefness. As was pointed out on Chicagoist, this event partly overlaps with the annual Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, where the Top Chef winner is to have a showcase, so that may mean trouble for Steph on Wednesday. But as the Le Passage event is on a Sunday night, and looks to have been scheduled after the taping of the finale, it's very feasible that she's doing both in the same weekend. The Food & Wine Classic schedule lists a presentation on Saturday at 10:30am by Padma and Tom, titled "In the Kitchen With Top Chef". It says Tom and Padma will be giving cooking demonstrations... but... is it all a clever ruse??
I guess we'll find out on Wed!
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Puerto Rico, My Heart's Devotion (Top Chef Finale Part One)
... and one chef went back to the ocean. It was a night of hot flavors and fierce competition as plantains and pigs took center stage. The scenery was beautiful and the chefs well rested, but once they landed on the island there was no time for vacation - it was right back to the same high-caliber challenges.
Filmed just weeks ago, the chefs had a hefty break (about three months) between filming in Chicago and the Puerto Rico finale, which they all spent differently. Antonia opened her restaurant (Foxtail) and put in 100 hour weeks in the kitchen - yikes! [Sidenote - looks like Foxtail is just about the hottest new spot in West Hollywood - SUPER popular with the celebs! Go Antonia!] Steph traveled around southeast asia. Blais and Lisa spent the time sharpening their skills as well.
Blais, Antonia, and Steph are cheerfully reunited at the airport. They indifferently wait for the arrival of Lisa... no one is particularly excited to see her. Everyone feels like she should have gone home weeks ago.
No sooner have the cheftestants landed when they're thrown back into the fire - or, the Quickfire in this case. The chefs are welcomed to San Juan by Padma and guest judge Wilo Benet, apparently known for his fine Puerto Rican cuisine (...only in Puerto Rico). The challenge: create two kinds of frituras, or "fritters" - ubiquitous fried nuggets of various composition found throughout Puerto Rico, and "enjoyed best with a cold, cold beer" (of course Padma would be the authority on this!). Both must include an element of plantains. The chefs are also offered a full table of produce and a full refrigerator of proteins. Basically, whatever they do, it has to be nugget/bite sized, and it has to be FRIED - very typical of caribbean & central American food. And it's GO TIME!
Steph serves up tostones (flattened, fried plantain slices) with seared tuna, as well as pork & shrimp fritters with brown butter, lime & basil sauce.
Antonia serves crispy oysters with cilantro plantain jam, and fried yellow plantain with spicy slaw.
Lisa offers tostones with pan roasted duck & mango salsa, and chorizo fritters.
Blais has a play on "chips & salsa" with fried green plantain "chips" and a fresh plantain "salsa" as well as pork meatballs with plantain sauce.
The outcome? Wilo doesn't like Antonia and Blais's dishes as much as Lisa and Steph's. Guess the tostones were a good call! But its ultimately Steph who takes the win. And surprisingly it's her first quickfire win! Guess she's just been racking up the elimination wins. Not bad!
After the challenge, Wilo invites the four chefs over to a "classic Puerto Rican party" complete with dancers and live drummers. CUE THE SLOW MO! Over dramatic music, we now listen to Blais and the others remark about how nervous they are while we watch them akwardly dance with the locals and clap their hands. This is a little cheesy, but points for trying to add some gravitas to the finale!
Finally we're onto the elimination challenge and it is: pigs. Four of them. The chefs each get a full pig, and they must make at least two dishes out of it, that will feed 100 people at a very exclusive VIP event in the gardens of a famous Puerto Rican building. But they don't have to do it alone! To the "top chef march" theme, out come Dale, Andrew, Nikki, and Spike! As her "advantage" in this challenge, Steph gets to assign the sous chefs. After taking Dale for herself, its Spike and Blais, Nikki and Antonia, and Andrew and Lisa. Really, no one wanted to work with her. But Andrew-who-doesn't-throw-people-under-the-bus is going to channel his inner mother theresa and try to support Lisa even as she barks in his face.
The chefs get some PM prep time before the big day, and they take full advantage. However, Dale forgets to put the pork belly in the fridge overnight. WHAT AN IDIOT! They find it in the morning and it goes straight into the trash (why wouldn't it? why was there so much discussion about that?) so Steph and Dale need to think of a new third dish. They come up with a salad of chicharrones, fruit and prosciutto which ends up being a hit, surprisingly.
After the guests have left, it's onto judges' table. Blais and Stephanie are the favorites - Blais for his simple, yet elegantly executed dishes (especially the pork belly) and Stephanie for her consistently creative dishes, including the chicharrones salad. And the winner is... BLAIS! And he wins... A CAR!! Wow toyota, you've gone too far! Blais is overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, it's now onto the losers. Antonia gets dinged for her undercooked pidgeon peas and for serving all three of her dishes on the same plate, and the judges note that her dishes are the least sophistocated of the four. Meanwhile Lisa is criticized for poor execution of her tostone bite and overly sweet plantain-potato puree, as well as over-garnishing her dishes in general.
We go to commercial break and see that the fans have texted their votes for who should go home tonight... and it's a whopping 91% for Lisa. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a margin that large on a Top Chef poll before. Unfortunately for the fans, it sounds like the judges have set up Antonia as the loser tonight... and indeed she is ultimately the one who is told to pack her knives. The collective audience watching around the country consequently groans out loud or shouts obscenities at the TV. Or a combination of both.
To top it off, Lisa's extra bitchy to Blais and Steph when she returns to the waiting room. "You could of at least said congratulations!" she exclaims. Blais decries her poor attitude to the cameras in one of the best lines of the night: "what does she want me to say? Lisa, you've won the bronze medal. Congratulations!" OH SNAP!
Why Lisa is still on - after sliding by week after week - is still a mystery. And all it means is that the finale is clearly a bout between Steph and Richard - although we could have assumed this all along. But its too bad that more likeable, personable, and inventive chefs could have made it this far - at this point, Lisa just makes the show a little difficult to watch... and take seriously.
Looking forward to next week, where the final flames are fired up in Top Chef's Puerto Rico kitchen. TEAM STEPHANIE ALL THE WAY!!!
Filmed just weeks ago, the chefs had a hefty break (about three months) between filming in Chicago and the Puerto Rico finale, which they all spent differently. Antonia opened her restaurant (Foxtail) and put in 100 hour weeks in the kitchen - yikes! [Sidenote - looks like Foxtail is just about the hottest new spot in West Hollywood - SUPER popular with the celebs! Go Antonia!] Steph traveled around southeast asia. Blais and Lisa spent the time sharpening their skills as well.
Blais, Antonia, and Steph are cheerfully reunited at the airport. They indifferently wait for the arrival of Lisa... no one is particularly excited to see her. Everyone feels like she should have gone home weeks ago.
No sooner have the cheftestants landed when they're thrown back into the fire - or, the Quickfire in this case. The chefs are welcomed to San Juan by Padma and guest judge Wilo Benet, apparently known for his fine Puerto Rican cuisine (...only in Puerto Rico). The challenge: create two kinds of frituras, or "fritters" - ubiquitous fried nuggets of various composition found throughout Puerto Rico, and "enjoyed best with a cold, cold beer" (of course Padma would be the authority on this!). Both must include an element of plantains. The chefs are also offered a full table of produce and a full refrigerator of proteins. Basically, whatever they do, it has to be nugget/bite sized, and it has to be FRIED - very typical of caribbean & central American food. And it's GO TIME!
Steph serves up tostones (flattened, fried plantain slices) with seared tuna, as well as pork & shrimp fritters with brown butter, lime & basil sauce.
Antonia serves crispy oysters with cilantro plantain jam, and fried yellow plantain with spicy slaw.
Lisa offers tostones with pan roasted duck & mango salsa, and chorizo fritters.
Blais has a play on "chips & salsa" with fried green plantain "chips" and a fresh plantain "salsa" as well as pork meatballs with plantain sauce.
The outcome? Wilo doesn't like Antonia and Blais's dishes as much as Lisa and Steph's. Guess the tostones were a good call! But its ultimately Steph who takes the win. And surprisingly it's her first quickfire win! Guess she's just been racking up the elimination wins. Not bad!
After the challenge, Wilo invites the four chefs over to a "classic Puerto Rican party" complete with dancers and live drummers. CUE THE SLOW MO! Over dramatic music, we now listen to Blais and the others remark about how nervous they are while we watch them akwardly dance with the locals and clap their hands. This is a little cheesy, but points for trying to add some gravitas to the finale!
Finally we're onto the elimination challenge and it is: pigs. Four of them. The chefs each get a full pig, and they must make at least two dishes out of it, that will feed 100 people at a very exclusive VIP event in the gardens of a famous Puerto Rican building. But they don't have to do it alone! To the "top chef march" theme, out come Dale, Andrew, Nikki, and Spike! As her "advantage" in this challenge, Steph gets to assign the sous chefs. After taking Dale for herself, its Spike and Blais, Nikki and Antonia, and Andrew and Lisa. Really, no one wanted to work with her. But Andrew-who-doesn't-throw-people-under-the-bus is going to channel his inner mother theresa and try to support Lisa even as she barks in his face.
The chefs get some PM prep time before the big day, and they take full advantage. However, Dale forgets to put the pork belly in the fridge overnight. WHAT AN IDIOT! They find it in the morning and it goes straight into the trash (why wouldn't it? why was there so much discussion about that?) so Steph and Dale need to think of a new third dish. They come up with a salad of chicharrones, fruit and prosciutto which ends up being a hit, surprisingly.
After the guests have left, it's onto judges' table. Blais and Stephanie are the favorites - Blais for his simple, yet elegantly executed dishes (especially the pork belly) and Stephanie for her consistently creative dishes, including the chicharrones salad. And the winner is... BLAIS! And he wins... A CAR!! Wow toyota, you've gone too far! Blais is overwhelmed.
Unfortunately, it's now onto the losers. Antonia gets dinged for her undercooked pidgeon peas and for serving all three of her dishes on the same plate, and the judges note that her dishes are the least sophistocated of the four. Meanwhile Lisa is criticized for poor execution of her tostone bite and overly sweet plantain-potato puree, as well as over-garnishing her dishes in general.
We go to commercial break and see that the fans have texted their votes for who should go home tonight... and it's a whopping 91% for Lisa. Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a margin that large on a Top Chef poll before. Unfortunately for the fans, it sounds like the judges have set up Antonia as the loser tonight... and indeed she is ultimately the one who is told to pack her knives. The collective audience watching around the country consequently groans out loud or shouts obscenities at the TV. Or a combination of both.
To top it off, Lisa's extra bitchy to Blais and Steph when she returns to the waiting room. "You could of at least said congratulations!" she exclaims. Blais decries her poor attitude to the cameras in one of the best lines of the night: "what does she want me to say? Lisa, you've won the bronze medal. Congratulations!" OH SNAP!
Why Lisa is still on - after sliding by week after week - is still a mystery. And all it means is that the finale is clearly a bout between Steph and Richard - although we could have assumed this all along. But its too bad that more likeable, personable, and inventive chefs could have made it this far - at this point, Lisa just makes the show a little difficult to watch... and take seriously.
Looking forward to next week, where the final flames are fired up in Top Chef's Puerto Rico kitchen. TEAM STEPHANIE ALL THE WAY!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)