 | Top Chef: History Does Repeat Itself for ONE!posted by RF Club, Group AdministratorThursday, December 2nd 2010 @ 4:41 PM (not yet rated) |
Top Chef All Star! History Never Repeats! Well, except for One!!!
I don't watch 'Top Chef', for the most part. What does that mean, 'for the most part'? See, I am a Bravo Fan. Which means I tend to watch a lot of Bravo shows BUT I have my favorites. What are those favorites? They are 'The Real Housewives...', 'Tabatha Salon Takeover', 'The Rachel Zoe Project' and 'Flipping Out'. Those are the shows I record and watch faithfully. The other Bravo shows I catch here and there. 'Top Chef' I watch the least! Honestly, I catch an episode here and there and I couldn't name a winner of any season. I tend to not like a lot of the competition shows. The only competition show I have followed faithfully is 'Project Runway' and I was truly bummed when it moved to Lifetime. I think I tend to not like the competition shows because of my nature. I, myself, am not a competitive person. I never liked sports growing up. In addition, when I was a kid, I never enjoyed competitions of any kind. I like to work WITH people not AGAINST. In other words, I collaborate better than I compete. My children thrive on competition, go figure!!! I understand the concept of competing and I have nothing against it. I just don't do well in such an environment. Anyways, I think it is why I choose not to watch those type of shows.
Well, low and behold, today, Thursday, December 2nd, I watched the repeat episode of 'Top Chef' All Stars. I saw the premiere episode of Season 8. I guess Season 8 is all the losers of previous seasons competing to win the title that alluded them, Top Chef!! . These losers have been deemed ALL STARS because they were in the top of their respective seasons. Oh, and they are making Season 8 a big Grand Daddy Season by giving money out all through the Season to winners of challenges and THE TOP CHEF WINNER gets $200,000.00!! Anyways, as the television was on and it was my background noise I started getting more and more interested as they flashed back to each contestant's season. I watched their big egos and how they lost and I got drawn in! Before I knew it I was watching the entire episode!!!
I was quickly learning personalities. I'm from Italian descent and I must admit Fabio and Angelo are 'speaking to me'! Tre's laugh is contagious!! Carla seems too sweet to even be on the show! Stephen and his umbrella?? Yeah, I can't get past his umbrella (LOL) Richard is going to be a force to reckon with and he seems to respect the other chef's. I like that in a person. Dale Talde, now Dale was cracking me up, making muffins because he had immunity, way too funny!! Dale Levitski, or Big Dale. He seems like one serious dude!!! Antonia she seemed like she just wanted to get through the first challenge and breath!! Tiffani, the redhead, I have a feeling she is going to live up to being a redhead!! (LOL) The other Tiffany, not sure about her yet? Yeah, just not sure. Jennifer and Jamie, gosh, not sure which of these two are the bigger bitches, man, these two seem like they have serious MAN BALLS!! Good for them!!! Casey was just floating around the kitchen not doing or saying much of anything, yet!! Spike, well, c'mon, his name is Spike, I expect big things from Spike (LOL). Oh, and let us not forget Marcel, don't worry he doesn't let you forget his presence. Something tells me Marcel is a little devil. Elia was playing it cool in the kitchen, maybe that was not such a good thing! Now, the nice thing about not watching any of the previous SEASONS is I have no preconceived notions about these contestants. I have come in FRESH, so to speak.
Now onto the first episode. The setup for Top Chef is a 'quick fire' challenge and then the main challenge. The quick fire competition provided immunity for the winner and in this case it was winners. The first quick fire challenge consisted of placing the chefs in groups. The groups were setup according to the season they originally participated in and then they had to cook a dish that represented their 'city'. Each Season of 'Top Chef' takes place in a different city. This quick fire challenge brought me up to speed. I quickly learned who was in what season and the different cities of 'Top Chef'. Actually, this was smart on the producers part because for someone like me, who has not followed the show it brought me right up to speed!!! Kudos to Bravo and their producers!!! So, The City of Chicago Won, Season 4!!
Next up is the Main Challenge. Boy, was it a cruel one. The look on each chef's face said it all. They had to cook the dish that sent them home. OUCH!! Oh, and their faces showed just how much NONE OF THEM WANTED TO DO IT. C'mon who wants to do something over again that you BOMBED?? We might say, "If I had a chance to do it over I would do this and this" But, do we really want to go back and do things that we screwed up?? In addition, it was for elimination again?? Yeah, it sucked. So, they all got cooking!!! Then, they had to serve it up to the judges and Tom, the bald headed judge, came in and said, "hey since there really isn't room for all of you at once we are going to have you split in half. Nine of you serve your dishes and the other nine can judge with us and then vice versa. The Chefs were like, Okay?? You know they thought it would be kind of, sort of, nice to taste each others dishes but you could see they were somewhat skeptical. I think they were thinking, "Gee, this might mess with my head if I taste my fellow chefs work??" Little did they know it was going to get even better!!! The Bravo producers allowed the chefs to watch the judging. Oh, my!!! I am not sure I could stomach watching someone critique my work?? You know, I admitted above I don't like competition and I rather collaborate. Therefore, can you imagine me dealing with watching people on a television screen discussing my work?? I would have been just like ELIA, HIDING!!!! I understood exactly how she felt!!!
Now the chefs have to deal with facing the judges after hearing their RAW comments AND they have to face their fellow chefs after listening to their FRANK comments!!
Tension already building from the very first episode!!!
Now, I will be honest, I am no food connoisseur, which is probably why I have never watched the show. I listened to their comments but I had no clue what most meant. I cook plain. I eat plain. I enjoy a fancy restaurant here and there but food is not a top priority for me. If it isn't burnt, over salted or too spiced I am pretty much good to go!! I am not going to know if a chef messes up. Therefore, I have to take the judges word on their critiques!!
With all competition shows we have the top three and bottom three. Poor Richard. I think he would have won but rules are rules and he ran out of time. It is like in a football or basketball game. You know, the basket doesn't count if it goes in after the buzzer!! Richard was plating his dishes well after time, so his dishes should be out!! The winner, drum roll please..... Angelo!!! Angelo seemed genuinely surprised and humbled. He stated, "I am among some of the best chefs in the world".
The bottom three: Fabio, Elia and Stephen. I must admit I had no idea who was going home. The judges seemed to hate all three. I guess that is where sometimes you wish you could see how they really came down to the final elimination! I had a feeling Fabio was staying. I think they like him. I felt it was really between Elia and Stephen. And Elia was cut or eliminated!! However you want to say it but the poor girl was sent packing.
AND I am ASHAMED TO ADMIT THIS BUT I TEARED UP. Yep, you read that correctly. I have never watched the stupid show and there I was tearing up over a REALITY COMPETITION show!! What the HELL is wrong with me???? (LOL) I must admit Padma and Tom even looked sad. That Tony guy looks like nothing could make him tear up and Gayle looked a little sheepish too. Then, they interviewed Elia and she really had me tearing up. Elia didn't mince words. She admitted how hard it was to be going home. Elia said, "It hurts. It hurts to be the first one and it does matter what people say." I give her credit for not sugar coating things and admitting that she was in it to win and to be out in the first round sucks the big one!!!!
I have no clue if I will keep watching 'Top Chef' but that was my first experience and I must say I enjoyed it and who knew it could even move me to tears? Now that is funny!!!!!
Lucy
RFclub
