Leila is a tad too intense for me. I enjoyed the blog thoroughly, and despite having seen the episode I would be unable to tell you which dish of Ashley's the judges did or didn't like. Kind of trivial, don't you think?

looks to be an exciting season. will the past shows be coming out on dvd? so many of my friends missed the first few seasons and are now addicted. i myself have been watching since season one and would love to see them again. would be happy to buy the dvds.

I'm liking your blog, Monica. A lot better than some of the other "stiffs" in this blogosphere. What a great season this is starting out to be. I had high hopes for Eve. Her resume is very impressive. But every time the camera landed on her, she looked like a deer in the headlights. Poor dear, she really doesn't have the skin for this. Keep up the good words ... I enjoy reading you.

Leila—

Thanks for pointing out Volt's location to Monica. I was just about to do the same. Not that she couldn't make a side trip to Frederick, but it's certainly a lot closer to the Penn-Mar border than it is to DC proper.

And I agree that Zaytinya deserves a mention.

Great blog Monica! You are one of my faves to read..but I was disappointed this week that you missed out on calling us a foodie pet-name :( Oh well, I know you'll make up for it next time! I, unlike some of your other readers, don't take offense to you using a wrong word or name here or there..I've seen EVERY TC blogger do it at some point. I really think it must be unavoidable when you are trying to squeeze it a quick blogging session. I always love hearing your take on the more behind-the-scenes action! Past cheftestants are good for that in some way also, but you always have the dish on the current season which is more fun to hear :) Thanks for your time, great blog and can't wait to watch next week!

The Voltaggio brothers are obviously great cooks, but it's only the second episode of the season and I'm already tired of the rivalry thing. The show is about all the chefs and their food.

I believe it was Eli and not Kevin in the Elimination Challenge Top 4.

Editor's Note: Thanks for the catch! For some reason, I think I'm going to get these two mixed up all season!

I certainly hope you make it to VOLT, but you seem to be suggesting it is in DC.

"I'll be visiting D.C. the second half of September and plan on eating at VOLT."

It is not in DC, it is not even in the DC suburbs, it is in Frederick, Maryland, which might be generously termed the *greater* metropolitan region. There are certainly lots of people who live there who work in DC, but it's a trek. It is 55 miles away.

On another DC note, it was strange that you didn't mention Mike Isabella, since he is a chef, at Zaytinya, in DC proper and is a 6th season contestant on the show. That is a Jose Andres restaurant, one of many, but why not mention the name of the actual cheftestant who works there?

I was bemused by your statement "the judges seemed to like Ashley's soup, but not her second dish." That was so bizarrely wrong I wondered if you had wandered off to the fridge during those moments in search of some nosh. And apparently your alleged assistant editor did too, since he or she did not correct you. The judges liked Ashley's watermelon version of carpaccio, which is a dish traditionally made with very thin sliced beef. It was not a soup. It did not in any way resemble a soup. It was an appetizer. They liked it. The second dish they hated resembled a soup because it did not set.

I'm no foodie, and certainly no cook. But I love Top Chef. It, along with Project Runway, are two reality shows I never miss. So I watch it with some attention, but with no special knowledge. This is why I can't understand such mistakes made by someone who works for Bravo, who is blogging for Bravo, who refers to herself as an editor, who has an assistant editor present, and who presumably had access to the episode in every which way, transcript, video, whatever, long before the rest of us unwashed masses. Wouldn't it be a good idea to factcheck so as not to appear to not have watched your OWN network's program. The DC stuff would have been nice to get right too, but the mistake on the actual content is very very odd. Like using salt instead of sugar. Even if for some reason you decided only to watch it at the last minute, how could you think they liked a soup when it was slices of watermelon? Sure hope that nosh was good.

Anyway, love the show.

Editor's Note: Thanks for the catch on the carpaccio! I will indeed be making the schlep to Frederick.