kathryn smith wrote:

How do you feel about seeing howie sweat week after week into the food coming off the end of his nose. I would never eat at a place he is chef at. I get so grossed out by this that i am now having second thoughts of ever eating at another eating establishment. I never saw ya'll sweating into the food. Is Howie kin to someone on the show; that his attitude and nastiness is over looked?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:13 AM

Raven Windrider wrote:

Great blog, Harold. Very inciteful. So, with no
do-over, who would you have sent home from Restaurant Wars Part 1?

Look forward to taking the Metro North down some weekend to sample your superb culinary skills.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:16 AM

Cindy wrote:

Harold, You are a rock star! I love reading your comments every week. You have such unique insight as someone who has been right where the Top Chefs are. I am thoroughly enjoying this season, but I agree that the chefs from your season seem to have an edge over this season's contestants. I look forward to reading more of your blogs and watching as you take the culinary world by storm.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:45 AM

michael wrote:

Daum, Harold. Cocky much? ;) These aren't the finalists yet, but I agree, you 3 seemed to be very talented even compared to s.2.

I agree with you mostly on everything, and here, on the atmosphere or how people were dressed. I too, think it's all about the food. But I think the do-over was a good decision and even though he didn't deserve it overall, Tre did mess up on this one (but no more than his teamates).

I thought team, 'Bad-News Bears' was awesome! And the quickfire was cool, unfortuntely for Casey, whom I like.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:51 AM

D0LLY wrote:

FINALLY a comment about CJ's non-performance.

This was his BIG chance to prove he could lead, but he did not man up. It might have been a strategic move to put the better chef on the line, then do as little as possible, but my respect for CJ went down.

Sara, on the other hand performed brilliantly. Not only did she volunteer to be lead, she learned from the soft opening, and made sure every dish met her standards before going out. My respect for Sara went up tremendously when she stood up to Howie, ignonred his little hissy fit, and made him do his lamb chops again.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:56 AM

Lisa in Tx wrote:

"You get your creaminess from activating the starch by beating the shit out of it with your spoon in the pot."

And this is why I love your blog ;)

Ditto on the beets. I am not a chef, and I may be nuts, but aren't root veggies an AUTUMN dish? Maybe I was spoiled by my grandmom's cooking and her use of things in season, but those things taste best when they're in season.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:07 AM

Corey wrote:

So tell us, if you put Tiffani, Dave, and yourself against "any of these guys any day of the week", how would you divide the duties? For example, in this season's restaurant challenge, one person was supposed to executive chef, one person was supposed to be souz chef, one person was supposed to be, uh, was it designer? And the fourth person was supposed to work the front of the house. I don't think they were allowed to say, "We don't have a leader, we're all working together." So how would you assign the roles for your hand-picked team?

I know someone else is going to ask this, but I might as well ask: if we're talking about four-person teams, wouldn't you like to have Lee Ann or Stephen on your team?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:36 AM

ceejay wrote:

Thanks, Harold, for saying everything I have been exploding to say since last week's ridiculous outcome! Plus, YOU get to say four letter words, and WE CAN'T -- and these atrocious episodes deserve every single four-letter word you can dish. This is the worst season ever! I thought last season was awful and the people a disaster, but you are absolutely right -- anyone from season one could mop the floors with anyone from season three. These folks are just incompetent. What is Casey still doing here? She can't even dice onions, for pity sake!?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:38 AM

J. wrote:

Wow! Just shows you how differently two people can view an episode. I thought that ResWars I was a legitimate draw...but had I been forced, I would have picked Garage to win. Yeah, the candles and the risotto were big miss-cues, but the other two dishes were very solid/good, and the service was WAY, WAY better. At April, not only was the service awful, but the food was very mediocre, all across the board (if I remember correctly). Anyway, I like the fact that you're not afraid to give out your uncensored opinion, but we definitely disagree on this one.

As for tonight's episode...it had to be Tre. Just had to be. He failed in almost every way (I thought the components of that Salmon dish sounded simply terrible). Also, I would like to point out that while I do believe that Tre showed tremendous potential, he has not consistently performed well. Yes, he has one two elimination challenges, and in impressive fashion, but he has also been on the bottom of a number of Quickfires and Elimination challenges. So, I don't think it was that much of a coup to knife Tre this week.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:42 AM

skm wrote:

Figured Tre was out because they (Bravo) always focus on the chef being eliminated throughout that particular show. Of course, TV let's us see only what they want us to see. Did not think it was fair to let the chefs take a mulligan. What's up with that!?! Ratings.?. Thought the judges had to decide each elimination based on the present challenge (greatly paraphrasing T.C.) - the judges didn't have the backbone to make that decision on RW #1. Feel really bad for Tre, as I would have liked to see him win it all. Although, he did seem to either slack off and/or rely on his fellow team mates on RW #2. Good luck to Tre !!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 2:10 AM

Jimmy Park wrote:

Hahaha, loved your last comment. I love a little smack talk to finish things off. Too much talk about Season 3 > Season 1 > Season 2. Hopefully we can see a cookoff after this season.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 3:02 AM

Timothy wrote:

I've loved you for a while, Harry - but go check page 88 of the French Landry Cookbook - Thomas Keller you ain't....\

Stick to your dogma and maybe we'll see you in 2025 - or not....

posted on August 23, 2007 at 3:16 AM

zanne wrote:

Harold I agree whole heartedly with your comments. I would love to see you on the judges panel instead of Ted Allen. You have been there done that. I think it would be very interesting from a viewer stand point to have a past contestant and winner on the panel. With Tre the writing was on the wall. He was talented but did not pull through this go around. I still think Sara is weak. She made some good decisions tonight but, also hesitated when making them. The judges panel is not as credible as it used to be. More inertaction from Chef Colicchio, Gail Simmons and Anthony Bourdain would be a win. Again having harold on the panel would be very credible. The quick fire tonight was brilliant. Testing everyones basic skills. Fresh new idea for the show.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 4:35 AM

Morgaine Swann wrote:

I was shocked that Tre got sent home, and I was really disappointed with the April team at judge's table. They all just seemed to be standing back hoping someone else got in trouble. CJ was like that in the nightclub challenge, too. He doesn't want any responsibility, but everybody expects him to be the leader. That just doesn't seem to interest him.

I'm sick of Howie so I loved it when Sara made him re-do his dish. She's the first woman to successfully stand up to him. The others all seemed to want to avoid the fight, but Sara was ready fight about it - ha ha! I wasn't a big fan before, but I am now.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 5:32 AM

kenito799 wrote:

Thanks for your comments, awesome. But I don't agree, I don't see how you can say that April was the clear winner on the first night...they had just as many bad dishes as Garage, and Hung's dishes (the tuna and dessert) were universally loved as the best dishes from either place. [VERY interesting, however, to see Boulud loving the tuna and Zakarian not being impressed!] It seems to me that the only way April clearly won was the thing you say is least important--decor. I thing Tre failed two nights in a row to execute a stellar menu, while Sara picked up her team after failing and took control. Tre's great, it was a shock!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 7:51 AM

paula wrote:

I was bummed that tre got the boot. to tell you the truth i thought CJ should have went. he really threw Tre under the bus. I believe that they should not have redone the restaurant wars. I agree it was not a draw. I really feel that CJ brought nothing to the table. He left everyone out to dry. And he is still in it. Gotta watch him, I think he is a snake.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 9:03 AM

Will wrote:

Great blog Harold, I was just as confused as you were on some of the decisions made.
Personally, I don't see why anyone isn't talking more about Brian. As much as I like him, he didn't really do anything this week. I mean, Dale had the front of the house, and prepared a dish. At panel, the judges kept talking about Tre's failed dish--although the salmon did look unappetizing. In my opinion, a failed dish is better than no dish at all. So Brian was the one who should have gone. I was really disappointed with team April this time around-pretty much across the board. To be honest...I don't really know if there is a "Top Chef" left among the bunch. Maybe they shouldn't have done a retry......

posted on August 23, 2007 at 9:48 AM

Terri wrote:

Harold, You write a fantastic blog. I look forward to your blog because in it's simplicity, it's fun, truthful, to the point, and "always" makes me laugh!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 10:35 AM

Beth wrote:

Harold, thank you for discussing an issue that had me totally baffled last night. The judges said they were stunned by Team April's performance because THEY HAD DONE SO WELL IN PART ONE. What??? My jaw was on the floor. Then why didn't they name them the winner? What happened to, "There was enough bad stuff all around that we just have to give a do-over"? I love Top Chef and I have not have the problems with the judging that a lot of people have had in the past, but this inconsistency really has me scratching my head.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 11:17 AM

Lisa wrote:

I really enjoy your blogs. You bring both the experience from the contestent AND chef side, thus making your blog one I look forward to the most.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 11:37 AM

Deborah R wrote:

Gosh, I've missed you! Love, love, love your insights because you say what you think and not what you think you're supposed to say as a "representative" of the show. I was sorry to see Tre go, but his laid-back attitude sealed his fate. The nice thing is--listening to him last night on "Watch What Happens"--he owns his mistakes and has learned from them. And he still values the experience of being on Top Chef. All the people who are threatening to never watch again because of his elimination could learn from him. He's a class act. I always liked CJ, but you're right--he skated on this one and last week's soft opening as well. And Sara has really grown on me the last few weeks. Nothing seems to rattle her and it was hilarious watching her slap back Howie.

I'd love to see you get the old gang and do a restaurant wars challenge--and I echo Corey's question: Who would be your fourth, Stephen or Lee Ann?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 11:46 AM

Rebecca wrote:

you're right, harold. much as i love all seasons of this show, Season One will always have a special place in my heart. the finalists were aces all-around and you could take this crew down...
i am coming to Perilla soon and i can't wait!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 11:53 AM

gary.e wrote:

Horold. I,m sure you know the ups and downs in the world of running a first class restautrant, and bad as it is to see Tre go he did fail, a restautrant is doomed if a chef cannot give a customer the best food each and every time, good job on the blog.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:02 PM

Trish wrote:

Harold,
Again your blog is right on. I love the way real New Yorkers think and talk. Especially Italians.!!!!!!!!! I'm italian myself. I felt Tre got screwed last night. Granted, he could have done better and I can't believe that he didn't change most of that menu. I thought CJ was more responsible for this trainwreck. That lobster salad was scary. Would you hire a sous chef like that??? I also can't beleive that Chef Tom gave them another chance at the challenge. You guys in season 1 had a solid win and you only had 3 chefs. You and Tiffany really were impressive that night. Season 2 restaurant wars was a joke. Sam really disappointed that night with the watermelon and cheese thing he made. I really thought Tre was going to be in the finals against Hung but now we will have to wait and see. I hope that Perilla is doing well. I'm coming in again for dinner soon and I'm really looking forward to it. Your food is great and I was thrilled to meet you. Trish

posted on August 23, 2007 at 12:35 PM

NANCY S. wrote:

I don't understand why commenters keep jumping in with "Brian didn't cook anything". His job was front of the house, and he was much improved over last week, so why all the harsh criticism?

He had a job and he did it.

I don't think he'll win this thing, but jeesh, back off, folks.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:09 PM

holly wrote:

Harold, I love the idea of seeing the different seasons compete against each other again. The last one was great. What do you think about this idea...Take some of these big name chefs, Anthony, Barton, Tom, Rocco, Ted etc. and have them compete against each other ala "Top Chef", and some of the best former top chef contestants judge the cooking...maybe like a 6 episode deal with eliminations and everything! Wouldn't THAT be awesome!? You guys can say things like, "That is the worst tasting thing I have put in my mouth in a long time." Are you listening producers?? I guarantee, WE WILL WATCH!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 1:11 PM

Megan wrote:

Harold, I completely agree with you about salmon, unless you catch it yourself in the Pacific ocean (or buy it directly off the boat), then it one of the best fish and is a bit of heaven for two or three days. I now will only eat salmon if it is wild and freshly caught (in the ocean, not high up the river).
In fact, one of the best ways I've ever had salmon was from a fisherman's wife, who made a salmon spread from freshly caught salmon that she cooked in a pressure cooker. It was just salmon, a dab of mayo, S&P, and some type of vinegar on white bread. She could have put that in any restaurant for lunch and IMO everyone would have been raving. Maybe it is just the memories of those sandwiches on a freezing cold morning, drinking hot coffee and waiting for a hit on the line... but since I can drive an hour and buy fish off the boat, a pressure cooker is now on my list of wanted cooking supplies - they were that good!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 2:40 PM

mstreet wrote:

Last night's episode was BS! Howie should go home because I know for a fact that SWEATING in EVERY freaking meal he cooks is a health hazard!! As for the quality of season 3-- I love it!! However, last night's episode had me so nervous that I only wanted to see the end - and I am glad I did. Because knowing Tre was the person to get kicked off is one thing- but- to have known all the mistakes CJ's lazy and The Sweaty Bulldog's arse made would have made me picket and boycott Bravo!!

P.S. Tre has not won any quickfire challenges but he has more often than not been in the top 3 quite a few times!!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 2:49 PM

Bryant wrote:

What is with you and the rest of the contestants on season 1? ...Why do you all seriously act like you're Holier Than Thou when it comes to discussing Chefs from other seasons? You've all gotten way too cocky in your abilities with your one-sided opinions. I do have to say Harold, you were my favorite from your season, but I've lost a great deal of respect for you since. Your attitude and ego make me cringe. Your Top Chef days are over (except for all these stupid All-Star episodes they've been throwing in, that I see you've jumped on) ...so there really is no need for you call out this season and say you can do it better. That really pisses me off, and really makes YOU look like the asshat.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 2:59 PM

ollie wrote:

Hey, Harold,
You were our pick to win TC1 from the beginning. For the mouth-watering descriptions of your dishes and for your humility, maturity and leadership.

You, LeAnn, Dave, Tiffany and Steven could definitely beat the TC3 chefs. There was a magic to your cooking and your personas that spoiled us for the subsequent seasons. TC2 was a joke - only Marcel seemed to be a good chef. TC3 has far more talent than TC2, but the "mouth-watering" of your season is gone.

Also gone is Katie, who is missed only because TC2 and TC3, in particular, have become The Padma Show. We hear more from her than from Tom, Gail and the guest judge put together. Can't watch reruns of TC3 because of her. Love reruns of TC1, wouldn't watch reruns of TC2 because they couldn't cook.

Much luck to you with your restaurant.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 3:13 PM

Deborah R wrote:

Harold:

Gosh, I've missed you! Love, love, love your insights because you say what you think and not what you think you're supposed to say as a "representative" of the show. I was sorry to see Tre go, but his laid-back attitude sealed his fate. The nice thing is--listening to him last night on "Watch What Happens"--he owns his mistakes and has learned from them. And he still values the experience of being on Top Chef. All the people who are threatening to never watch again because of his elimination could learn from him. He's a class act. I always liked CJ, but you're right--he skated on this one and last week's soft opening as well. And Sara has really grown on me the last few weeks. Nothing seems to rattle her and it was hilarious watching her slap back Howie.

I'd love to see you get the old gang and do a restaurant wars challenge--and I echo Corey's question: Who would be your fourth, Stephen or Lee Ann?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 4:16 PM

marianne wrote:

Didn't any of you bloggers watch season one? The reason Harold says he would put himself, Tiffany and Dave against anyone, is because that's who was a team for the restaurant wars in season one (and they won)... Duh!!!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 4:56 PM

Tracy wrote:

Harold, I just have to say I came down to New York for one day only and had an amazing dinner at Perilla. I was a fan of yours on the show but I was still suprised tasting the quality in person. Down to every last morsel I really enjoyed it. I used to work in a restaurant and my fiance is a talented chef - we really appreciate a great meal - so thank you and keep doing what you are doing.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 5:12 PM

Heather wrote:

Yeah, Harold -- tell it like it is!

There. is. no. cream. in. risotto. I don't care what the most highly regarded chef in the world likes to put in his arborio rice -- if he's adding cream, "risotto" is a misnomer.

Re beets, agreed that they are better in the fall, but the farmer's markets in New England have them fresh right now, in Aug. I prefer to roast them, and that's not a summer project. So in this case, maybe it's the preparation method, and not the vegetable itself, that determines its season?

posted on August 23, 2007 at 5:42 PM

Edwin wrote:

Harold,

While I do love Southern Italian and Sicilian food, my maternal family is from Northern Italy. I was always under the impression that risotto got its creaminess by the method of cooking, as opposed to mashing with a spoon. One lives and learns.

I will agree that Howie's "risotto" was not, in anyway, a risotto. My Italian ancestry would not have kind comments were it served to them as such.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 5:50 PM

Dana wrote:

Harold, good to have you back! I think you really summed it up well, as you tend to do. Just posting to say how sad I am to see Tre go. :(

I assume these guys spend the whole day online the day after the show airs where they got booted. Therefore...

Tre, best wishes! You're a class act and a great talent. I hope we hear what happens with you in the future. Take care!

Dana

PS: Howie is stil around. Yay! Harold, if you get a chance to see the frozen food episode again, check out how funny Howie's comments are throughout that entire episode. I was LMFAO! I saw it twice already and could easily sit through it again. Go Howie!

posted on August 23, 2007 at 6:01 PM

kymmers1 wrote:

great insight, I think you hit the nail on the head. Seems to me they were all geared up to call it a draw before the 1st evening began. after watching last night, the jerk from the night before is going to redecorate....the eliminated cheftestants were there ready to dine...stephen was there ready to play his role. doesn't seem likely to me unless they had it all planned from the beginning. what a shame! I think you are still the best Top Chef and with the remaining contestants there is no doubt you will remain the only one worthy of the title thus far.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 6:14 PM

sandi wrote:

My first post and I couldn't resist. I was just at Witch Craft today for lunch. I live and work in SF. I was thinking the whole time I should be judging my experience the same way you are all judged on TC. My sandwhich was great, but there were some strings in my corn salad :).

Harold, I love your blogs. they are insightful and kind. I am from the NYC area (CT) and come back often. I look forward to trying your restaurant.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 7:16 PM

Shauna wrote:

I look forward to reading your blogs every week.
My feelings about Tre's dismissal were so reminiscent of LeeAnne's in Season 1. I hated to see each of them go but understood why it had to happen. Reading Colicchio's blog I see that he constantly defends the consistency of the judging process. But I don't understand how can it be completely consistent when their decisions are based on subjective criteria. Maybe there's an element to the process I'm unaware of, but it seems to me they sit there after each challenge and talk it out. Literally.
I'm not the only person who's noticed that mediocre chefs have slid by week after week. If there was a way to incorporate a point system for the winners and non-winners of each challenge, tallying the total score of each remaining chef then comparing those scores, perhaps it would add some objectivity to the process. But what do I know...
You've been my favorite since day 1. With a few exceptions--very few--there have been no contestants who I've felt could stand up to you, LeeAnne, Tiffany and Dave. You and your fellow contestants from Season 1 set the bar very high!
Thank you.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 7:28 PM

Laura wrote:

Congratulations, Chef, on opening your first restaurant and in NYC no less... the food capital of the world. It would be great to have a special tv presentation at your place with all the chefs who are from the New York Metro area that were on Top Chef including Chef Tom. Show them why our area is the best in food.

I hope Dave got a new job. Best of everything to you.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 7:37 PM

Lauren wrote:

Harold - I adore you. I wish I lived in NY so I could visit Perilla. This is the best blog I've read today - so perfect honest.

You were exactly right, last week Bravo played it that April completely won the Restaurant Wars challenge. If that wasn't the case, then the editors shouldn't have edited it in the way they did. Garage was a total mess and April did decently for a "soft open" - so what was the problem? Service/servers? Meh. Let's say it together, it's Top Chef, not Top Server.

I hope that you, Tiffani and Dave get to compete against any of these guys in a Restaurant Wars or any challenge. (I loved seeing you KILL sorry, pathetic-excuse of a TC Ilan in the 4 Star Challenge.)

posted on August 23, 2007 at 7:45 PM

Patricia wrote:

It seems to me that the food produced by the TC season 1 chefs was much more interesting and innovative than what I have seen this season.

posted on August 23, 2007 at 8:42 PM

Wulfbear wrote:

"I have to say though that I would put Tiffani, Dave, and I against any of these guys any day of the week. Any day of the week."

I'm with you on that, just add in Stephen for sommelier, and give him a word limit per table...

posted on August 23, 2007 at 11:11 PM

sheryll wrote:

"at the end of the day they say this isn’t Top Sous-chef, Top Sommelier, Top this, Top that -- this is Top Chef. It's about the food."

You missed another appropriate quote :
"this is about cooking and XXX didn't cook anything"

Dale did the front of the house AND did one of the second appetizers.

What did Brian do for four hours on day two?

How/why did Tre do four dishes while CJ and Casey each did one and Brian did none? Who's bright idea was this?

Fortunately, I live in Dallas and frequent Abacus so I can ask Tre in person some day.

posted on August 24, 2007 at 1:58 AM

Erica wrote:

Harold

I totally agreed with your blog. Restaurant April's food did seem to beat The Garage in the first round. Having a "do-over" was inappropriate.

However-I too enjoyed seeing Sara M. step up and take charge during the second restaurant challenge. I like her style. She pretty much says it like it is-and can deal with negative feedback. I don't recall her throwing anyone under the bus-unlike C.J.

C.J. really played it safe in the restaurant challenges. I agreed with Tom. C's comment---that C.J. had Tre take the exc. chef position to play it safe. It must be difficult be in front of the judges wien your dishchallenge has failed-but for heaven's sake--be a man--don't throw anyone under the bus. C.J. has now made negative comments about Ryan's dishes and Tre's at the judges table.

Am very sorry to see Tre go--thought he had a shot at winning this. Hope this show helped his career somehow!

Love your blogs--hope to try your restaurant next time we're in New York!

posted on August 24, 2007 at 7:45 AM

Smiley wrote:

Love your blog!!! I missed your idea's on making the girls cook in high heels. You should brag about TC 1 it is the best season by far, and not looking like it will be out done any time soon. Luck in all things.

posted on August 24, 2007 at 8:05 AM

Rose wrote:

Your commentary couldn't be more exacting. Howie's risotto will live in TC infamy. Coming to NYC in Sept...trying to get a reservation at Perilla and using Open Table. I like the updates to the website. Hope to be there soon.

posted on August 24, 2007 at 10:23 AM

LeighBee wrote:

Hey, Harold,

I agree that the first go-'round of RW was not a draw at all, but I didn't think it was presented that way: I believe that the judges decided to try for a soft opening to see how the chefs responded to what would have been a real-life situation. What restaurant opens with only one day to create the decor and the menu? Even if they're that crazy, would that same restaurant open to the big critics on the first day? I do theatre work, and at auditions, the good casting directors watch a cold reading once, then they give direction for how they would like to see the scene improved, and let the actors perform it again. Part of being a good artist on stage or in the kitchen is the ability to listen to criticism and use it to improve your product. I actually thought the do-over was a solid tactic.

Of course, that said, I too am bummed at the fact the Tre had to take the fall. I look forward to seeing him shine in the future!

posted on August 24, 2007 at 12:49 PM

michelle wrote:

I had the exact opposite of your reaction from watching the first part of Restaurant Wars -- I thought Team Garage won. Hung's dish was the only one on the show really praised - and their dessert was well received too. Tre's pototoes were singled out as being horrible and Malarkey's service was slammed -- there were a lot of deserving candidates that could have gone home last week, Malarkey, CJ, Tre, Howie - but I didn't get a sense that Team April won. So if anything, I was prepared to be pissed if anyone from Garage (Quatre) was eliminated - especially Hung, who brought-it last week and was cheated out of an individual prize.

posted on August 24, 2007 at 1:17 PM

Diana K. wrote:

Harold,

You were my pick for TC1 & the best true chef/restauranteur to come out of TC, winning or not. Any team with the best of your season would destroy the best of 2 & 3 combined. Tre was my pick for TC3 & I think he'll open his own fabulous restaurant in NYC one day, as well (I'm guessing that your restaurant is fabulous bc I've never been, but will on my next trip to NYC bc you weren't opened in time before).

But in everything else from this week's blog, you are wrong. Really, really wrong.

#1 - Part I was a soft opening & was planned that way. Just like the "time change" episode & the "night out" episode. They were designed to fool the contestants & they did (although how anyone couldn't have figured out the other 2, really?). All restaurants should have those soft openings to learn what they need to fix ASAP before turning off real customers. The producers only decided to take this season's wars to a more reality-based level. I am sure you would have appreciated that move in your own season if it had been done.

#2 - Both teams were given good critiques & only 1 team seemed to really listen. Only 1 team brought their food to a level that all the judges either loved or, at a minimum, liked. Therefore, that team deserved to win.

#3 - Then a judge has to look at what the losing team's members brought to the competition compared to what the titles they voluntarily took on said they would bring. Tre accepted being the executive chef. As the exceutive chef, his job was to set the tone/pace of the kitchen, OK the food going out, & delegate where needed. He failed in all 3 phases. He deserved to go home & the judges couldn't ignore 1 bad day bc real customers do not, either. If they had, that would've been bull#@$%.

posted on August 24, 2007 at 1:23 PM

Di NYC wrote:

Hey Harold- I share your dismay at Tre's dismissal...however, I don't agree that Restaurant April clearly won Restaurant Wars I. They all had flaws in their food and front of the house clearly matters in the overall Restaurant scheme of things. Restaurant Wars II made me absolutely loathe CJ and I certainly hope that he gets his in the next episode. There is nothing worse than a passive aggressive teammate. I'd rather take Howie over him b/c at least Howie's stance and intentions are clear. He took no responsibility for his lackluster dish and then basically threw Tre under the bus.

Any news on where Tre is nowadays? I hope he's in NYC... I'd eat at his restaurant any day...

posted on August 24, 2007 at 2:45 PM

Dana wrote:

Hey Harold!

I thought from day one of S1 that you were the best choice to win. I felt the same about Tre and was so diappointed to see him leave. I have been vocal in other blogs but can't get over the fact that no one says much at all that Brian went through 3 weeks of this intense competition without cooking anything! Oh well, just my opinion. I cannot wait to get back to NYC, I hope to try Perillo! Good luck with your continued success!

posted on August 24, 2007 at 7:25 PM

Kari wrote:

I have to say though that I would put Tiffani, Dave, and I against any of these guys any day of the week.

This.

Hung is the only one left who could put up a fight against the former chefs you named, and even then, I suspect it would be a quick battle. Casey is no Tiffani, and Dale no Dave. Tre was the closest approximation of you, at least in terms of poise and demeanor, but he lacked your leadership and command of respect in the kitchen.

Great blog, by the way. A truly surprising read.

posted on August 25, 2007 at 6:07 AM

lawayne wrote:

I am surprised none of the bloggers referenced Joey's comments regarding knowing from the front of the house who cooked the undercooked items....that was really funny, IMO.

posted on August 25, 2007 at 3:16 PM

Edwin wrote:

I never heard that beating rice was necessary for a risotto; my Lombard relatives would have found a Southern Italian (a Sicilian, even!) telling them how to make risotto to be, umh, inappropriate.

posted on August 25, 2007 at 8:49 PM

peter wrote:

Hey Harold, that was a great blog. I completely agree with you that from what was shown, Team April should have won the first Restaurant War. I was also like you, in shock when they decided to send Tre home. If anyone on their team deserved to go home, it was CJ for not pulling his weight. He only made one dish and apparently thought the bread pudding was "boring" but didn't feel that he should bring it up with his teams' head chef Tre. Brian also should have contributed more by helping make a dish like Dale did. Anyways, those are my thoughts, keep up the great blogging. Thanks.

posted on August 25, 2007 at 9:13 PM

FanFare wrote:

Welcome Back Harold.

It has been a while, but worth the wait. Your comments are an interesting take on this challenge. Great to hear that Daniel Boulud has much to offer verbally. It is too bad that the editors cut whatever comments he made... He seemed mute compared to Mt. Tom at JT.

You make a very good point that part deux may have been a bit of a sham. It did seem that in part one, Team April was a better restaurant (overall). Most of the courses were well received (except for those darned potatoes). Therefore, Howie and his hellish, sweaty risotto should have been eliminated. (Obviously, he has some sort of hidden immunity idol in hand to keep him in the game.)

I, too, was unimpressed by Madonna's brother and his design ideas. His annoying behavior in part one overshadowed any contribution he could bring to part deux. In short, he was too much of an a-hole to allow for his 15 minutes...

Tre was the next you. He seemed calm, graceful, kindhearted, and a stand-up guy in the kitchen, His peers looked up to him throughout the season. That is why he was asked to be the Exec. Chef for the team. He was the "Anti-Ilan" of the entire crop of cooks. It was sad to see him leave prematurely. It looks as though the charm of winning the first elimination (to become Top Chef) has been broken this time around.

While watching both parts of this challenge, I thought that You, Tiffany and Dave could outwit, outplan and outcook these two teams on any given day of the week. You guys already outcooked the best of the worst from S-2 in the infamous
smack down.

Thanks again for commenting and try not to stay away too long from your loyal fans.

posted on August 26, 2007 at 11:37 AM

Anthony A wrote:

Harold,

You are starting to grate on the nerves. You allow for the Chefs to take all kinds of liberties in their burger interpretations, but wring your hands and rant like a lunatic because Howie adds cream to his risotto. While I agree with your opinion and never add cream to mine, some great chefs who I won't even deign to question and" whose boots that you are not worthy to lick" finish their risottos with cream. One writer on this board refers to Thomas Keller and another would be Alain Ducasse (I credit another blog site for this revelation). Just as an aside, it has already been done by Tre earlier this Season.

Also, what was so great about April's food in the first challenge?

It seems almost unanimous that the Tuna Tartare that Hung prepared was the best dish on either side and Howie's much reviled risotto was deemed flavorful by the blogger and some judges. If you want to kill Howie for anything, beat him up for the huge batch sizes that he used to prepare it. This probably presented more textural problems than the cream simply by virtue of the fact that it sat around so long. I do not recall anything apart from the tarte tatin getting any love from the judges in the April group.

Also. all this bragadoccio about the superiority of Season One is getting tiresome. Season One's best cooks rival anyone on Season 3, but it is not even close on the lower tier chefs. Season 3's field is much deeper. They do not have people of note to thin out the field like your group did with first year culinary/ fashion model students and health food experts whose sole mission was to propagate good bowel movements from her food.

Also, look at the talent that has been eliminated to date and it will give you some indication of the level of competition in this grouping. Gone are: The Executive Chef of Cafe des Artistes, the Executive Sous Chef of Jean Georges, and the latest casualty was a James Beard Rising Star Chef nominee.

To my knowledge no one with the exception of Lee Anne in Season 1 even has a resume approaching this level. It seems to me you have fallen prey to the same amount of hubris that you accuse some of the judges of having when dealing with the contestants. With this said, you need to get grip on your ego and recover some of that long lost humility that endeared you to so many fans a couple of years ago.

posted on August 26, 2007 at 11:43 AM

dlm wrote:

All I can say is you just rock, Harold! I am highly disappointed in this weeks' results, though. I'm still dumbfounded that Howie is going further in the competition than Tre. I think the earth must have temporarily tipped on it's axis when that decision was made. Your blogs are great!

posted on August 26, 2007 at 7:11 PM

Amanda wrote:

I total agree that the first episode of Restaurant Wars: Part I was not a draw!!! It is nice to finally have someone agree with me. If they had gone like the first two seasons than Tre would not have gone home and we would be looking at this way different!

posted on August 26, 2007 at 9:49 PM

Paul L wrote:

Wow. Harold You Have Amazing Perceptions And I Think Your Outlooks On A Lot Of The Chefs' Situations In Challenges And Your Takes On Them Are So On Point. Even More So Then The Judges. I Would Love To See You As A Judge In Season 4, But You Probably Can't With Your Restaurant And All. How Do You Feel About How Much The Restaurant Wars Options Have Expanded Since Season 1. I Mean You Guys Had Raw Space That Was Literally That And All You Got To Organize Was The Seating Arrangement And The Style Of Cuisine With A $500 Food Budget. Now Season 3 Is Coming Out With Totally Designing Their Restaurants With $2,500 And $700 For Food. I Think They Should Have Kept The $500 Food Budget. I Find It Funny That Still American Workshop Was The Best Of Them All. I Am No Chef By Any Means And I Don't Have The Most Experienced Palette, But I Do Hope To One Day Make A Trip To Perillo And Eat Your Food

posted on August 27, 2007 at 2:34 AM

Dave C wrote:

Totally agree!

I love Top Chef, but at times, there's a lot of BS to sift through. Still, I was waiting for you to go at it with Tiffany or Steven all through season 1. Season 2, right off the bat you could see Ilan, Sam, and Elia were top contenders (and Marcel to a lesser degree, but still a contender). This season, it was clear from early on that Tre and Hung were the only "heavyweights". I literally just assumed the finale would be Tre vs Hung.....which would have been great! (of course, at the end the judges decide they can't decide who wins and decide Tre and Hung have a chicken cutting contest as the tie breaker.) Now that Tre is gone, all anticipation of the finale is gone. If Hung is eliminated, the finale will be like watching some lame undercard boxing match with two no name boxers.

Obviously, Tiffany, Dave (curious as why you would take Dave over Steven) and yourself could take these teams. But a "Restaurant Wars" vs Season 2's Ilan, Sam, and Elia would be great! (I know you did the all-stars thing...but thats not the same as a Restaurant War!). They could give you 48 hours instead of 24 hours and a larger budget. That would be awesome.

posted on August 27, 2007 at 2:45 AM

Frenchfry wrote:

Hey Harold,

I looked forward to Restaurant Wars all season. At the end of the first version, I did not feel it was a draw (as you stated as well.). It appeared that the judges liked the decor of April and most of the food. Only service suffered from Brian's meltdown. The bigger issue was created by that "guest blogger" Andrea Whats-her-name and Madonna's Brother, "Mr. Near-Do-Well". Padma gave more time and weight to Ms. Andrea's comments than to Daniel Boulud!!! That was ridiculous.

In any event, unfortunately, Tre did create the worst parts of the dinners on both nights (oversmoked potatoes and repulsive salmon). The other errors made by Casey and CJ on nite 2 sealed Tre's fate. Since he was deemed Executive Chef for the night, he was expected to fall on his sword. It was, in effect, his kitchen, his menu, his responsibility.

I, too, am disappointed to see such a wonderful and promising gentleman chef go too soon. However, that was the name of the game. I am sure we have not seen the last of him. (How I wish we had seen the last of whine-guy Howie!)

Keep your spirits up and enjoy your success at Perilla! Thanks for blogging.

posted on August 27, 2007 at 12:41 PM

Deb wrote:

Harold, love your blog, I was upset Tre left, and so agree that a re-do was not on! Garage lost plain and simple the first time around.
Think you should be on the judges panel, Ted Allen bugs me, and Padma, beautiful, good MC, but come on, food critic? Love Collichio though!

posted on August 27, 2007 at 8:24 PM

darkInertia wrote:

Harold, after reading through your comments about the first night of the Restaurant Wars, I'd have to disagree with you that April won. I rewatched the episode and read through Andrea Strong's comments as well and took down the following report card on the food (ignoring the service, decorations, etc.)

Garage
Bread service - good
Tuna tartar - great
Risotto - bad
lamb shank - worst
crepes - good

April
oyster - bad
scallop - ok (scallop bad to ok, corn pudding great)
grouper - bad to ok
filet of beef - worst
desert - good

Both teams had good and bad dishes. The service on both sides was about equal in having misses - Garage's decore and scented candles to April's flustered host, missing silverware and dirty plates.

All in all, I think that the judges made a good and fair choice in sending no one home - both teams had the same chance to learn from their mistakes and to do better the next night.

posted on August 28, 2007 at 3:56 PM

Leslee wrote:

There was no contestant in Season Two with your class, your skills, or your ability to keep your eye on the goal. The jury's still out on Season Three, but I suspect you set the bar so high that nobody will be able to come close to your professionalism.

posted on August 28, 2007 at 5:58 PM

Deborah R wrote:

marianne wrote: "Didn't any of you bloggers watch season one? The reason Harold says he would put himself, Tiffany and Dave against anyone, is because that's who was a team for the restaurant wars in season one (and they won)... Duh!!!"

Yes, Marianne, most of us did watch season one, and yes, we know which chefs competed in the restaurant wars challenge. But since Harold was suggesting a match with season three--and they had four chefs on their team--some of us assumed he might want to add a fourth and wondered whom he'd choose. The question was all in fun, sigh. So sorry it upset you. Perhaps you missed your Prozac today. Duh.

posted on August 29, 2007 at 11:49 AM

Karen K wrote:

Harold - You are awesome! I miss watching you cook week after week. In season 1 you were my favorite the entire series. I was glad to see you in the cook off - and wish you would be on the show again. Your comments are truly you! Keep on cooking and writing!

posted on August 29, 2007 at 5:16 PM

megan wrote:

thanks so much for another wonderful blog! it's always one of my favorites to read... this time your creamy rice references cracked me up. i hope perilla's going well for you and wish you all the best!

posted on August 29, 2007 at 11:47 PM

buddydave wrote:

I agree with darkInertia.

Based on the TV edit of round 1, there was no clear winner. It truly liked like a draw to me. Maybe Harold knows something we don't...

Yes, it sucks that Tre is gone. I thought CJ or Brian (MALARKEY!) deserved to go more than Tre. But to say the whole thing is bull**** because April clearly won the first round smacks of selective TV viewing to me.

Tre's arrogance did him in. He overheard the other team talking about their menu and thought April had it in the bag. So he starts throwing out dishes he can do "in his sleep," which apparently is what he did, since the judges thought they sucked. I'm sad to see him go, but he ****ed up and now he's gone.

posted on August 30, 2007 at 12:09 PM

Tricia wrote:

I have to admit, I too thought the draw was bogus. In the first part, it seemed that April was the clear winner. The food coming out of The Garage just didn't look appetizing in the least. However, I was glad to see the rematch because Quarte really wowed me the second time around which is what I have been waiting for all season actually. My favorite thing about 1 and 2 was watching the progression of the chefs and their dishes. For example, in 2, I wasn't an Elia fan until mid season - at which point everything from then on looked delicious. This season started out with a bang. I really thought the chefs on 3 were of a much higher calibur but no one really has the same ambition to be the best as in the other seasons. It took the rematch to truly impress me. Up until this point, I was indifferent about who would end up in the final three (which was not the case in 1 and 2). I agree... Tre shouldn't have gone home. I feel he had an off day. Sure, he was guilty of being way too comfortable for his on good but come on ... I could have diced that onion faster and I'm not a professional chef.

posted on September 4, 2007 at 8:05 PM