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I’m sorry to disagree with Tom but Michael was not professional at all times. His attitude towards his brother was not professional at all. Even if he's your "bro," in the restaurant wars he was his "employee" and that is so not the way to treat someone under your command. I would really hate to work in his kitchen

I am adding this a bit late, but I have to say that I think all of the comments about this being the best Top Chef Restaurant Wars is at least a little insulting to the previous 5 seasons. With that said, I am glad that the cheftestants did not have to split up and decorate - or paint - I always felt this took away from a cooking competion. But the other seasons did, and I think it took away from some of the cooking. As much as I love this season's participants, I don't think you can dismiss how difficult the other seasons had it in regards to this particular challange.

I watch alot of food shows, and I have yet to see one dealing with Kosher cooking. Top Chef usually has a limitation placed on how the chefs must cook. Talk about restrictions ! However, kosher cooking also allows for substitutions in our cooking. The food markets today have plenty of kosher products. The biggest challenge of course would be the lack of pork products, and no mixing of meat and dairy products.
Give it a try!

The caliber of contestants this season is phenomenal. The dishes coming out of the kitchens are blowing my culinary mind. I can't commend the staff and judges enough for this show. I see it just as a televised competition, not a Reality Show, though the production is amazing in its own right. There are no gimmicks to this show. It's all about the food and the judging is on point every time. I'm an architecture student and sitting through critiques in a good design school is exactly like this. Taking an idea and turning it into a cohesive, well executed, presentation is very similar to what we do. Chef Colicchio can sit in on my critiques any day!

Bravo to Top Chef!

First, let me say I watch just about every cooking show on television. However, Top Chef gets top marks for its production. Top Chef has the highest caliber of contestants, integrity, competence, judges, and location.

After watching other cooking contest shows, such as “The Food Network,” they pale in comparison to the class of, "Top Chef.” I know it seems like I am gushing but really, look at what else is out there. The only other show that gets good marks is, "Iron Chef.”

"The Next Iron Chef,” is sloppy, the judging appears unprofessional, and the set is too stark and cold. How could any food taste good on that judging table? In addition to the chefs being more seasoned, they do not bring new technology and exciting recipes to the show. I am a good cook and think I could produce many of the dishes that appear on Top Chef. This is not so on other challenge shows whose contestants are so frantic that you can't really tell what’s going on except they all seem to be in fear for their lives.

I hope Bravo will produce more quality cooking shows like Top Chef. I just wanted to thank you for doing it right.

Your biggest fan!

Chef Tom - how about discretly mixing it up a bit and asking the losers to appear at judge's table first. Might be a nice "giant curve ball".

I want to commend Top Chef and Natalie Portman for showing viewers that vegetarian food is FOOD, too. As a vegetarian it is hard to find something to eat at a steakhouse, thank you Mr. Colicchio. Something different to most, but the everyday for me. Much love!

In addition to being a vegan, doesn't Natalie Portman have a medical condition which presents other food challenges?

Catherine

Tom-You guys where really spot on, on this Restaurant Wars, I was really upset that Jen did not execute as well as she normally does, I am so cheering for Jen. Then I would say it's a toss up of the brothers as well as Michael, but at this point of the game, it's so hard to tell.

Again, another excellent job well done by the Top Chef Team. Keep on giving us TC true blue fans the best, as you all usually do.

Good Luck to you and all of the Top Chef Team.

Catherine

Tom-You guys where really spot on, on this Restaurant Wars, I was really upset that Jen did not execute as well as she normally does, I am so cheering for Jen. Then I would say it's a toss up of the brothers as well as Michael, but at this point of the game, it's so hard to tell.

Again, another excellent job well done by the Top Chef Team. Keep on giving us TC true blue fans the best, as you all usually do.

Good Luck to you and all of the Top Chef Team.

Chef, your blog completes every episode, its always gives the viewers depth and another perspective about what happened. So thank you very much for writing these.
You made a comment about the leadership taken on by Michael V. It was distinctly portrayed in the epsisode that he took ownership in the kitchen and made sure that the entire team did well, which no matter what your profession is, has to happen. I would question his professionalism. There was an entire clip on Micheal V stating how he's often misunderstood, which also highlights his use of colorful words. I'm not so sure you can misunderstand someone swearing constantly at other people whatever the reason maybe. This definitely does not constitute professionalism. Just because the job gets done right, doesn't mean that you treat others badly in the process. If someone was deviating from the plan, his behavior is completely acceptable, but Michael V generally is unprofessional in all situations. Probably more towards his brother than anyone else.
Do you have any criteria at the finale or anywhere in the process that judges the level of professionalism the chefs display? I understand this is a show about food, but I doubt the top chef will be running a one man kitchen.

THANK YOU CHEF B, I was about to assult this TOP CHEF elimination of LAURIANE. First I thought what why was Jennifer of Kevin not eliminated for serving disgusting dishes, whether Lauriane told the judges trash was coming or they discovered it makes no never mind as much as Jen and Kevin made it not Lauriane. Yes Chef B they should not have to carry chefs who are not of their caliber and Jen and Kevin and the Volts are excellent chefs compared to Lauriane. I am still a perform and be judged on such but this was hard Jen and Kevin KNOWS that Lauriane was sacrificed by the deer in the headlights spill.

I have to say I actually APPLAUD that you did NOT make the chefs create a whole eatery out of nothing this season. I think it was great to just give them a kitchen and COOK. It's about the food, and handling the front, expediting, doing the menus, oh, and yea - COOKING - the food is enough challenge for anyone. I like the insight it gives to the various leadership skills and ability to multi-task of all the chefs. It was the BEST R-Wars EVER. I know Toby disagrees, but for me it's the FOOD first, the service second, and the ambiance and "concept" third.

Sorry I am so late but I have one question. After Mike I finished his one dish, did he offer to assist anyone else on his team? Maybe he could've spent Laurine on the front of the house while she tended to her lamb. Just a thought

In response to this: "I fail to see how her lamb dish was her fault when the final dish was cooked and presented by Kevin"

I think the point is that the front-of-the-house person was required to make a dish. Even if Kevin cooked and presented it, it was her dish and she was (supposed to be) responsible for it. In fact, I wonder if his actually doing all the work for her on top of his own dish makes her worthy of the chopping block.

Thank you Zephyrweb for clarifying my mistake. I knew what I meant even if my typing fingers did not! :-)

And I have to agree with your brilliant points Gioranus & Excuse Me. From where I sat, Jennifer deserved to be sent home more than Laurine.

I've also wondered why the Voltaggio brothers would chose to compete in the same season. Was it their decision or the producers?

Chef Tom, I've never seen you smile so much. In previous seasons you've always came across as austere and serious. Its nice to see, and I hope you did get your own piece of chicken from Team REVolt!

I am rooting for Jenn and Kevin, although I like the brothers too. Michael V. is the obvious choice to take it all. Jenn is wearing down emotionally and I would not be surprised to see her go home. I hope not. Kevin looks to be one of the best cooks for sure but restaurant wars showed that even he can have a bad night. Its obvious to me that Robin and Eli are not going to make. So the final three should be the brothers and Kevin.

I also think Robin has a great deal to offer. In my opion, I think it would be fitting if Robin were to WIN TOP CHEF.

Her win would pull a few of these "CHILDREN" back into reality. It is obvious a number of them were raised by wolves and did not learn a darn thing about civility and respect.

Nice blog.

I think that Jen should have gone home in this episode. Obviously she's a much-much better chef than Laurine and I'm guessing that's why you kept her. But based on the rules of the show, Tom's rationale and what we actually saw in the episode, Jen made mistakes in both her dishes (you liked the halibut but you disliked the dish as a whole) whereas Laurine messed up the front of the house, but her lamb was fine. As far as I could tell from the episode, the only issue you had was the cooking (too rare) and that was Kevin's fault, not Laurine's.

I fail to understand why Laurine was sent home . I realize she was by far not one of the strongest chefs remaining in the pack , but her performance was not the worst of the chefs in the Mission restaurant . Tom you continually state the competition is not accumulative....but only your last dish is what counts at judges table . Fair enough ,only if the judges stay the course with that philosophy . I fail to see how her lamb dish was her fault when the final dish was cooked and presented by Kevin ,the complaints aired on the show were of rare lamb...not tasteless...not her fault .The judges deemed the front of the house was out of control due to lack of table side presence ,I truly feel this was an end result of the chaos in the kitchen .Jen cooking each plate to order ?????????? Kevin's lamb very under cooked...STRIKE 1 for Kevin ,Jen's trout flavorless(according to judges)STRIKE 1 ,Jen's sauce served with the trout broken STRIKE 2...Jen's mussels and clams undercooked STRIKE 3...Jen being in charge of restaurant Mission's failure STRIKE 4 . Jen should have been sent home...Laurine was not hiding or ducking the judges she was running about apologizing to customers trying to hide the horrific lack of performance by the kitchen staff that evening ...end of story .

mylababy--

no robin DID NOT win an elim challenge...she won the quickfire

Hello Tom,

Thanks for your in depth explanation of this roller coaster ride through Restaurant Wars. I truly believed that Jen's team would win because they all got along so well during the QF. However, getting along doesn't always get the prize if there is no leader. This season has been the best because the best have risen to the top and the less qualified cooks have been sent packing when in due course. That said, Jen made 2 poor dishes and didn't lead her kitchen at all. That puts her errors on par with loser Laurine. Please fess up to the fact that a chef's game history IS weighed when deciding who should go. We, the audience know it, and know YOU judges know it!

As for the name REVolt: it was a combination of the team's names. It never conjured up revolting to me. Your wrong conclusion doesn't bode well for you judges being insightful. I felt that Michael V did a wonderful leading his team, even by force. He wanted to win more than perhaps anyone else. I also find the bickering brothers funny to watch. They are both accomplished chefs on their own. Therefore, the sibling rivalry is inevitable. I'm truly curious why they were cast in a single season, btw.. Certainly, having partners, friends, or relatives can alter a contestant's experience.

My impressions of the brothers. First - it was clear from the recap of the day between commercial breaks that Michael V. used liberal profanity in his aggressive management of his team during the day. I don't believe Robin's mid-service comments were novel for that kitchen - and I thought Bryan's agreement with his brother's comments on inapproriate kitchen behavior was a bit sarcatic. I'm also unclear how Michael ended up as team leader - simply for the knife pull? His teammates deferred - and his brother wisely deferred in the interests of team success. I actually thought Michael seemed a bit sheepish at judging (proud but sheepish) because he was well aware that his own management wasn't perfect. I thought his sharing of the money was a gesture to assuage a guilty conscience - and that Bryan's "you keep the money - you earned it" was calling him on his imperfect management - sacrificing team professionalism/respect for the win. The team was impressive - but I'm even more impressed by Bryan V.'s judgement - he knows his younger brother is brilliant - but volatile.

I'm so thrilled about the upcoming vegan episode!! There is an infinite wealth of delicious options that can be made without animal products, and I'm looking forward to seeing the chefs use those in fun, creative ways. Talk about sustainable eating! I hope, like with the pro-sustainable-fish bits this week, we get a little background on why vegan options are planet-friendly. We didn't get to see that context in the Top Chef Masters vegan ep, and it would have been nice to see the chefs understand and appreciate the issues involved.

Also? I'm so relieved Jen and Kevin stayed on, though it was sad to see Laurine go.

Loved the new quickfire!
Don't like the "drama" from past few episodes between Robin and others, it felt cheap.
Service at a restaurant always accounts for more than the food-Laurine was an easy choice. (an old restaurant saying is, "If the food is great but the service sucks, people won't come back, but if the food is okay and the service is great, they'll come back.")
I think the "front of house" person should be matching wines/beer also.
So sorry to see Jenn screw up this week~Go Philly!

First off I think the Judges made a good decision to send Lorrine home she was uninspired had the worst attitude about the front of house it was awful that she didn't describe each dish did she temporarially have a brain freeze. That episode where she stated she forgot it was a competition she shouldve been gone then.

The name of the restaurant revolt I loved I thought it was a good combination of their names. I also thought of revolution not revolting they deserved the win and I was also gunning for them to win.

Go Micheal V I think he is the more talented between the brothers and siblings do argue and love all at once get over it people

I don't think its favortizm on the show at all Keep up the great work on the show Tom I absolutely love it me and my friends call each other every commercial and discuss the show

I also asumed the next show was a vegan one thanks everyone for the confirmation

I hope the top three is the brothers and Jennifer

Robin is really starting to grow on me and I think she is the dark horse in this race. What she puts out usually makes me wish I had some at home - especially during restaurant wars her dessert looked amazing. I like that she doesn't have formal training and uses her artistic background to create dishes that look fresh and aren't all full of big oversized chunks of meat trios - yuck!

Tom,
You rock man, you are the heartbeat of TC. I personally have been driven to chase the dream of being a chef directly due to you and seeing how want, ambition and love for food can be a blessing in someone's life. Any tips at all on the path to take for this dream? It would be amazing to get advice from someone as awesome as you. Keep on rocking Tom and we'll keep watching!

What about Jen's trout? Tom doesn't even mention it in his blog. Oh the show he said "This is an absolute disaster". The halibut he refers to was in the clams and mussels dish. Omitting it allowed him to only count 1 strike against her.

Nice to see TC promoting sustainability with Rick Moonen. TC could be a great outlet to teach people a little more on that topic.

This reminds me that in a past season, monkfish was used in a quickfire challenge, and I felt outraged about it. Two whole monkfish used just two get two filets out of them, what a waste...

To the Top Chef show: you have such a huge audience, so please, take a greater part in educating and promoting us to use sustainable produce, and eat healthy.

I loved that they took out the decor issue. It allows the CHEFS to focus in the FOOD, not the decor. Even if, as Toby suggested in his blog, ambience is as important as the food (to which I disagree- "Well the food was ok, but they had awesome chandeliers so I will be going back!"), most chefs, while they have a concept, will often bring in a decorator to do take care of the DECOR.

@DC When the judges mentioned the sauce was broken, they meant that the sauce was literally coming apart- that the various ingredients like oils and herbs were no longer blended well together and, stead, were seperating on the plate.

I think Mike Isabella was actually joking about "going home," as in "packing his knives and going home." At least that's how I interpreted it!

I see that several of the young chefs may be able to cook but are not Top Chef material. Part of being a top chef is also being able to delegate, respect other chefs and lead. I would say that Michael, Brian, Mike and Eli fall well below this level, exspecially in the Respect Department.

I agree that making the chefs decorate the restaurant didn't quite fit and I'm glad they got rid of it. A few seasons ago two excellent chefs had to take crap from the judges for putting scented candles on the tables. What the heck does that have to do with being being a good chef?

And tom defends the idea behind the quickfire challenge. I agree the idea isn't bad, however only giving each person 10 minutes to cook seemed a bit harsh. It would be like giving 4 artists one hour each to complete a beautiful painting or 4 writers one hour to complete a great script. Is the final product a true reflection of their talents? no way.

I'm really enjoying the V. brothers. The older one always has a look on his face like the look a karate guy has just before he drives his head through a piece of wood.

Tom:
Great season so far with most of the twists being wonderful additions. I do see one "opportunity" to present a community service, ala "Chopped". I think that food safety issues need to be called out. Like the lamb in this episode. there is a standard for lamb doneness, 140 for medium rare. I don't see many thermoeters on the show. I think an unsafe food should be disqualified from judging. I know that I have had a few wonderful meals that were followed by many of hours of regret in the bathroom.

Tom,
Thanks for the blog. It adds depth and complexity to the flavor of the episodes ;-)

Question: did I miss something in the 10/28 episode? Your comments implied that Jen and Mike V. were supposed to act as executive chefs of their respective resturants. I didn't see that (might have missed it). I know they got "first pick" on the quick fire and, going on schoolyard experience, that implies they were "team captains" of that challenge; but was that also included as in expectation of the Main Challenge?

I am glad to see Robin standing up for herself. I though Michael V. was very rude. I am done with the brothers. they do not make me want to root for them. Maybe the stress is just getting to them all, though. Kevin and Jen for the finals, imo. Thanks for the insight, Tom.
Bravo, why won't your website let me use my registered name?

As the mom of four sons I love watching the brothers V. Haven't had the chance to read anything about them yet but B. seems like the typical people-pleasing, in charge first born and M. the typical "you worry about you, I"ll worry about me" second son.
I find their bickering, again, "typical" and it cracks me up.
Why do I keep hoping to see Jen and M.V. open a restaurant together when this is all over?
Great season.

Chef Colicchio,

Love the show. Question: since you were provided menus, did you really need an explanation of the dishes when they were served? This isn't something that normally happens in a restaurant.

I am a big TC Fan since Season 1 but I disagree about your comment you made on the show that this years Restaurant WArs was more of the difficult ones ever performed in all 6 seasons, this was the easiest by far because we didnt have to watch the chefs actually setup a restaurant (construction process) which somehow takes away from the chefs talents even though your argument to me would be that the knowing how to setup an actual restaurant (outside the kitchen-front of the house) is just as important as could knowing what to do in the kitchen. That is I would agree with you about totlally. Overall, I like the way the season is going as the previous but to me it is a toss up as to who is my choice to win.....

Helo Tom,

This was a more polished RW. I thought the name REVolt was not a bad name. R for Robin, E for Eli, Volt for the brothers. The meaning for me, was that it was against the grain... I actually like when we can see the workings in the kitchen between the head chef and the supporting cooks. In Michael's kitchen, it was clear that he stepped up and took charge through completion. I wasn't sure why he admonished Robin so much. However, she had only 1 plate in all those courses. Therefore, she was very lucky to have been placed on that team. For FOH, I thought that Eli looked like a stuffed pig. He seemed too casual toward the judges. It is interesting to hear from your comments that he actually did a good job. As for Jen's team, I was so shocked that she did not take charge as she did at the military base. It was so unlike her usual professionalism. I was so sure that Jen's team would win, until I saw Mike I's first course. Ewwwww. Not appetizing to look at. From then on, it was all downhill. Thanks so much for your in depth explanation. Looking forward to next week.

Tom,

I think this did a great job of rationalizing the decision to oust Laurine rather than Jen. Simple arithmetic really depends on which factors you're counting. Time obviously wasn't one of them.

If it were, Jen's halibut, no matter how good, would've been a minus. Its prep miscalculation was edited as having stalled the restaurant and no matter how good once it finally emerged would be considered a minus. That with the other dish. Jen's tally = minus two.

Laurine. Minus one for front of house responsibility. Now the inspiration behind her lamb might not garner any positives, but much of the complaint we saw regarding it was on Kevin's execution. Seems a solid negative 1.5.

Jen clearly has the future which you want while Laurine doesn't. Be comfortable with that. Don't hide behind the faux objectivity of arithmetic, when the criteria aren't predetermined, and when *what* you choose to count is inherently subjective.

Thanks, -- Mike

PS. Regarding that lamb. I moved to Atlanta from Chicago a few years back and when dining out one of the most salient concerns I needed to encode was the difference between execution of Medium Rare. In the South, that is rarer than Chicago "rare" -- and "rare" here is inedible -- both of which explains why so many were unhappy with Kevin's lamb execution.

Why there would be a difference in the first place, though, was lost on me until watching this episode and dining at both Craft and Kevin's restaurant recently. Customers' default preference here is Medium Well. Of course you guys don't want to do that to meat, so what you deliver is Chicago Medium/Medium Rare. This means that when you walk into Woodfire and Kevin is cooking, the entire scale is linearly ratcheted down, and a Medium Rare ends up raw. Things are only slightly better at Craft...the scale readjust still exists.

Love Restaurant Wars, but agree with the bloggers who called for some attention to the diners' comments- we were left hanging as to whether they were of the same opinion as the Judges. More Judges' Table and less "drama" filler, ala Top Chef Masters would be welcome since we can only experience the cooking vicariously.
@Lizabeth Regina- I believe Anthony Bourdain and Padma had some issues- he then made some comments that she and the producers probably took umbrage with, and so we are left without His Royal Snarkiness. A definite loss!

Tom explained in an earlier blog why blind tasting would not make much difference. The regular judges can identify who made what dish blindfolded by the style and flavor profile and presentation. And guest judges don't know who the contestants are anyway, so there is no history bias there. Actually guest judge keeps the history bias from straying too far, they call out fail dish or praise successful without preconceived notion of the chef priors. Like Robin QF win may never of happened without guest judge chef Bernstein.

I don't think broken sauce means greasy taste, it means looks sloppy. Still same ingredients after all. Deconstructed bearnaise for French challenge sounds broken sauce too. Notice, they never criticize the FLAVOR of Jen's dishes. It means judges liked the flavor but had nitpicks with final finishes as areas for improvement. Of course I'm a Jen fan as clearly some are not.

I agree that this is an awesome season. I'll take the incredibly talented chefs over "drama" (can I just say S2..) anytime. The food creates enough drama by itself, which is the beauty of this show.

That said, I think editing failed a bit this week because I got the impression that judges were dissatisfied with both of Jennifer's dishes so I was expecting her to go home. Don't get me wrong, I'm really glad she's still there and I'd rather have cumulative judging but since the rules are what they are the ending felt uncomfortable to me. Glad your blog clarified it though and now I feel I can be genuinely relieved Jen (who's my favourite along with Kevin) didn't go!

I think everyone misinterprets Mike I. and what he says a lot. Everyone in the house seems to like him enough, even the ones that have been sent packing. They spend everyday with him and their opinion of him should be taken into consideration. I mean, he obviously does not make an effort to be politically correct and is chauvinistic to an extent. But, I cannot see how his comment about it being time to go home could be taken as more than a joke.

The Host/ess needs to be removed from "Restaurant Wars." Typically the host is what the team believes to be a lesser chef, and typically the judges use whatever excuse possible to send the host home.

Obviously, Jennifer should have went home for serving a fish dish that tasted like "grease." And as for Kevin, Tom is usually a stickler for mis-cooked meat, but not when it is from one of the top contenders.

Enough already with the "you are only judged by each dish." In 6 seasons, we are all wise to the fact that the chef's body of work also comes into play. Whenever a top dog is on the bottom, someone else goes home. I actually think this is a better system anyway, so why not just be upfront and honest about it? Even if the judges think they are objective, they are being subconsciously subjective.

It would be really nice if the judging was "blind", i.e. the judges taste the dishes, score them, then the identities of the top 3 and bottom 3 are revealed to the judges.

@VeganViewer: Top Chef Masters had a vegan elimination challenge late in the run this summer, probably either the 7th or 8th episode.

I also use a point system to score the show--if you go to the Bravo boards, you'll see the standings after 9 rounds. Basically, chefs get:

4 points per elimination win
3 points per elimination honorable mention
2 points per quickfire win
1 point per quickfire honorable mention
-1 point per quickfire dishonorable mention
-2 points if they're eliminated in a quickfire (Lauren, Jesse)
-3 points per time on the chopping block
-4 points when finally eliminated

The top three of all time are Stephanie and Richard Blais (28 points each) and Stefan (25 1/3 points--since no individual winner was named in the farm challenge, he, Jamie, and Carla each received 3 1/3 points).

Tom, can you settle something that's being hashed out on the boards? Was Michael the OFFICIAL leader for his team, or just the de facto leader?

Tom,

I love the show and do not miss it...and actually watch repeats.

I would like to see fair judging during Restaurant Wars.

Jen should had gone home for her POOR DISHES.

You were quick to send TRE (season 3) and DALE (season 4)for the poor dishes. Yet, Jen stayed with her awful fish.

Yeah, Laurine lacked experience but she was not as bad as Radhika.

Please REVIEW how Restaurant Wars is judge...for next season to avoid dissapointments. Bloggers were pretty mad about Season 3 and 4.

Thanks Tom!!!!

I think lots of people missed an obvious thing about the name REVolt. It's also an amalgam of the names on that team.

Robin
Eli
V
O
L
Taggio

Kudos for removing the décor facet of the restaurant wars, so next to go is ‘front of the house’ role. Bring out all the eliminated chefs, each team picks who they want to run the front and provide a $5k incentive to the winning team’s host. You try to like the two chefs to the meal by making them accountable for the concept/execution of a dish which they can't cook! It’s still an apples to oranges comparison when judging.

Those of you that have blogged about including past performance in the judging got your wish this week. Jen is great (my favorite actually) and based on superior performances to date should go further than Laurine, but she had 2.5 strikes to use Tom’s scoring. 1st strike – for her beige trout with broken sauce. 2nd strike – for her shellfish-to-order that killed the service (and they were still undercooked) and ½ strike for her half great, half bad halibut dish. I believe Laurine had 1½ strikes. Kevin has to account for ½ a strike for the lamb.

Lastly, great job by Bryan to somewhat defer exec chef to Michael for the good of their team. No doubt if he would have been allowed the same role, he would have garnered the win and $10k

Great blog, thanks for writing.

Love the show, love the season. I know the judges' table is heavily edited and shortened but it would be great to see much more of it, even if it means the episodes are 90 minutes long. Sounds like I'm not alone in this. The fans want more,... both for winner and loser comments.

Doug A:
"Volter" reminds me of "Voter." Maybe the team could have gone with "High Voltage" as a name. This team had a lot of energy and enthusiasm for the challenge. It was nice to see Bryan and Michael V. work on the same team finally. They smiled and laughed and again excelled under pressure, which Chef Tom has pointed out they do well, and this helps them win challenges.
The name "Mission" made no sense to me. They said they picked that name because it evoked images of the historic "Missions" established during the Old West days. Really there was no way to tie that in without decor of terra cotta tiles, pottery, etc. Certainly the menu was not linked to that era or evocative of anything Spanish. The location was not in an old church building, but in the middle of neon-lit Vegas. Nor did they say they were "on a mission" to produce good food. So from the beginning, their concept was not solid.
They lacked enthusiasm and comraderie, and they were the ones competing for $10K each! The very first thing they did was to approach the challenge with a "can't" attitude and all immediately agreed: "We won't be doing any dessert." Fellow chefs alert: No dessert means diners are in for a "savory dish overdose"! Their need for sweets will not be met. This lets customers down.
Also, the Mission team's workload should have been divvied up to where two chefs worked on the two options for each course. That way, they would not have gotten so bogged down and late with each dish. As it was, Mike I. did two 1st-course dishes, Jenn did two 2nd-course dishes, and Kevin did the two 3rd-course dishes.
And, the minute the judges came in, the first course should have been fired; 10 minutes later, the next one, and 10 minutes later, the last one! Chef Tom has said this repeatedly when expediting a dinner service.
Taking these things into account, it is no surprise that the "Revolt" team won. These members approached the challenge with a "can-do" attitude, expressing that they would do everything they could to win.
They acknowledged each other's skills and split up the dishes with a good distribution of the workload, with Eli doing a 1st-course Arctic char with beets and Michael V. making the other choice of chicken and calamari. (I have high hopes that this recipe will be posted on the Bravo site since Chef Tom couldn't get enough of it and it was a hit with the other judges as well!)
Bryan prepared a duo of beef: short rib and Prime NY strip with a sunchoke puree, and Michael V. prepared the other selection of cod with a Billi-bi croquette and zucchini.
Bryan thoughtfully conveyed that he had enough pastry experience to execute a great dessert and made a chocolate gnache with spearmint ice cream and chocolate tuilles. Michael V. smartly ackowledged Robin's quickfire-win apple crisp dish, which she did a version of with pears, vanilla ice cream with almonds. As Chef Tom always says, dessert and coffee is a great chance to leave an outstanding lasting impression.
Yum....

Tom, the blog has been wonderful for clarifying certain issuses and I thank you for the time you take to write it. This season has been particularly exciting to watch based on the caliber of the chefs involved and some of the new twists to the challenges. An excellent move by Top Chef staff.

I look forward to Restaurant Wars each season, and while it appears not all viewers agree with the show's staff, I like the minor changes made. This isn't Top Designer, so decorating the restaurant, to me, is non-essential. Glad it is gone. Front of house should be responsible for one dish and glad that was added.

I have read the comments on the Restaurant Wars segment and have my own to add.

Mission made mistakes, which Jen and Kevin should have foreseen. Jen did a great job managing everyone with the military episode. Seems strange to me that Jen (or Kevin) didn't take this into account. While Michael V, according to some viewers, was overbearing, they fail to recognize that a kitchen does need someone in charge to make sure everything is proceeding on time and being properly prepared. If Robin acted as she did in a real restaurant situation, would she still be employed there? I think not.

To Mrs Habu: Rules the cheftestants have to follow include NOT manhandling of another cheftestant. He broke the rules and was thus sent home.

To Mirza: Had Bryan been pushed as far as Michael was, I think you would change your comment. Bryan seems a little quieter than Michael, but I believe that those still waters run deep and you haven't seen all of Bryan yet.

To VanHalen Fan: Go ahead. The rest of the viewers don't agree with you.

To those who are defending Laurine: Kevin cooked the lamb to what he considers 'medium rare'. Just looking at it, I wouldn't have eaten it, as it was just too rare. Laurine had the opportunity, after telling the judges she would take care of it and then didn't! She did a terrible job out front, and yes, each dish should have been explained to the judges as to what it was. There were more mistakes she made that it did not surprise me that she was sent home. Jen and Kevin made some serious mistakes too, but I really cound't see anything that Laurine did right.

Look forward to the 'vegetarian show'.

"WARS LAST NIGHT WAS A REAL NAIL BITER AND PAINFUL TO WATCH JEN AS IT WAS PAINFUL TO WATCH CARLA LAST SEASON IN "WARS". ROBIN NEEDED TO RECOGNIZR THAT SHE WASN'T IN CHARGE AND HER HOSTILITY SHOWED A LACK OF CHARACTER UNBECOMING TO SOMEONE OF HER CALABER. CARLA WOULD HAVE LAUGHED HIM OFF AND WORKED ALL THAT HARDER. TOM, YOU TEACH ME SOMETHING ABOUT MY COOKING SKILLS EACH WEEK AND LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT WEEK AND WAR OF THE "V"'S JEN WILL ROCK NEXT WEEK I KNOW AS SHE CERTAINLY LEARNED LOTS LAST NIGHT AND SHE'S A VERY SMART CHEF. LOVE THE SHOW.

Nevermind restaurant wars, it's ancient history----BRING ON NEXT WEEK!

FINALLY! Thank you, thank you, thank you. I've been waiting since the first season for a vegan challenge, and next week the wait will be over.

Do I think everyone will botch the food big time, and complain how "hard" it is to cook without animal ingredients? Yes. Absolutely. Because they don't "cook outside the box" often enough, which is why I've felt this would be such a good challenge for any batch of cheftestants.

Do I also think this will make for some entertaining TV? Yes. I really do hope so.

Honestly, I would love to see one of the players say, "Piece of cake. I'm a chef, and it's a chef's job to know how to cook every which way to Sunday."

Anyway, thank you very much for finally giving vegan viewers a chance to see how the chefs will handle this kind of challenge.

I missed the first several seasons of TC and only started watching about half way through TC Chicago. I did not realize how much the sophistication and complexity of the cooking had increased until I saw a re-run of a much earlier season's "restaurant wars". Some of the earlier dishes (oreo lemon dessert) were more on the level of "Good Housekeeping" recipes. Things have really changed for the better. Love the show.

To SFviewer,

I had to respond about your comments concerning KungFood in San Diego. Extraordinary Desserts is absolutely divine, but KungFood no longer exists. However, another vegetarian restaurant has opened up in that location called Nature's Express. I've been wanting to try it for sometime. I have no idea if it is linked to the original KungFood or not.

Ok i know everyone saw that Jen and kevin were quite upset for feeling they let the team down. G

laurine may have wanted to go home, but she didn't have to take 3 other chefs out, along with losing $ 2,000 each that they gave up, hoping to win more money. BYE LAURINE!!!

Since you've covered just about all my opinions, I have just one comment. I was not impressed with Bryan's refusal to accept part of the winnings that Michael so graciously wanted to share with the team which contributed to his win. It may not have been meant as such, but it appeared to be a slap in the face. Are we looking at a new reality show here? What makes the brothers so competitive/hostile.

boo for excluding my earlier post. I hope i wasn't being crass. I think it was bogus for Jen to be kept under the rules of each week the chefs are judged for their plate, not a cumulative effort. Yes Jen is an excellent cook but if the final 4 are pre-picked why bother with all the in between episodes? Based upon Tre's dismassal a few seasons ago it is entirely reasonable, though not desireable for jen to have been eliminated. If anyone else had shown a lack of leadership they would have been called out for it. And while tom said in his blog he liked her fish dish, her fish had a broken butter sause they all disliked. And shellfish cooked to order for what they knew was to be a slammed service? 2 bad dishes and a lack of leadership in my book deserves to be called out.

Is it me or the brothers are annoying. They seem to like each other one minute, the next they are ripping each others throats out. like they look like they are looking out fir each other, have each others back, family loyalty, the nxt they cuss each other out. Is it editing, and/or forced. it looks sooo forced n fake.

I love this season.

I liked the name Revolt and was pleased that the chefs didn't have to decorate their restaurants as in previous seasons.

I feel sorry for Robin, but I work with someone like her. She seems to be a good person who just gets on your nerves if you spend too much time in her company. The other chefs are impatient with her, but she also seems to take offense too quickly.

I saw Richard Blaise with Eli as his sous chef on Iron Chef! He lost to Mario Batali, but all the food looked amazing. I always like Richard and I'm happy he seems to be getting some recognition.

I will be SO disappointed if it isn't the Brothers V, Kevin, and Jen in the finals. Anyone of these would be a deserving TC.

Although I love this show & hardly ever miss an episode, I really think favoritism toward some chefs is so obvious. I wish in at least some of the episodes they judge the dishes without knowing which chef was responsible. I wonder if Jen,Mike or Bryan would still be in the running.

Responding to: aaa

"can you explain what does "the sauce is broken" mean? you said it...but i don't understand how a sauce can be broken."

Many sauces are emulsifications. That is, one substance suspended in another. Vinaigrette, hollandaise, bearnaise, and many more sauces fall into this category.

An emulsified sauce involves suspending one ingredient one or more other ingredients. Typically a fat, such as butter, is incorporated into the mixture. The fat can easily separate from the emulsification, breaking the sauce.

Several conditions that will break a sauce:
•Too high (or low) of a temperature
•Adding the fat too quickly
•Not incorporating (whisking) the fat into the sauce quickly enough, allowing it to pool.
•Allowing the mixture to stick to the sides. (The mixture will be much thinner at the sides and can cook very quickly)
•Time is also a factor. A sauce will break if left out too long

How does one know if a sauce is broken? If the sauce is overcooked the protein will coagulate, making the sauce appear grainy. The most common break though, happens when the fat is not added properly. One will see pools of fat sitting in the sauce.

Hope this helps.

I agree this is the best season of Top Chef since its inception--and this year's challenges are clearly designed to give fans more of what they really want: more about food, less goofy drama a la Hosea and what's-her-name. I've never enjoyed the show so much--it's great! But please, guys, drop the pretense that it's fair or even desirable that chefs aren't judged cumulatively. I love you Tom, but you're bending over backwards to explain why Jen stayed and Laurine went. Admit it: Jen's obviously the far superior chef, and the reason you and we know it is because we've seen the cumulative results of her cooking. As many fans here have pointed out, it would've been a tragedy for Jen or Kevin to go home. Fix this ridiculous "rule" and it won't happen. And yeah, more Judges' Table PLEASE!!!

Thank heaven Jen did not go home. That would have been the end of me as a viewtestant. She tried for too much and fell badly short. But she is still a brilliant cook.

The rivalry between the brothers is wearing thin. No wonder they live on opposite coasts. That might be the hook this season, but all the bickering is diminishing the focus on and interest in other equally (or more) talented chefs. Enough already.

nothing worse than one-note, under-seasoned, raw lamb. Especially when you are serving it to Coliccio. We all know how particular he is about his meat.

I like the subtle adjustments that were made for this season's restaurant wars; front of house should have to produce something edible...or at least attempt to do so. I was a little pissed that radika got the boot for front of house during top chef chicago, when she hadn't produced any food. Afterall, it is TOP CHEF, not TOP HOSTESS, and 'NOT TOP SCALLOP'

You call this an amuse bouche?!!!

Sorry if I missed this, but it surprises me that no one has bothered to mention by name where the quick fire challenge concept originates. It is based on a Surrealist exercise called "exquisite corpse".
reference http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exquisite_corpse for a detailed explanation.

Other than that great episode.
I liked the bravado of the REVolt name.
I think Bryan is a bit uptight.
and it was really great theater to watch the Guilt Kevin and Jen felt for getting Laurine sent home. You could see it on their faces and in their body language. They knew they had failed, but she was the sacrifice. Great Stuff!

Personally, I think sending an individual home during Restaurant Wars is a bit bogus. Everyone contributes to the Win and to the Loss, although not in equal proportions, but still it's a team effort. Tom, see what you can do to devise a new scenario.

Thanks.

Okay, I know...enough already...I've written too much today to this site, but in response to Mylababy:

I did count Robin's salad/crisp win. She had two lows (-2), a high (+1), and the QF win (+1), which equals 0. She'd only have a score of 1 if picking the chip counted in the first QF. My comments in the Deconstruction blog addressed Eli's tactless remarks about Robin's cancer.

I wish they'd have posted my first comment and a couple of others in prior blogs, because I agree with so many comments and want us viewers to be able share and discuss our opinions more often.

By the way, for grins, I pointed up prior seasons...They were mostly consistent in the finale (under my point system) except for a few hiccups...Hosea (Season 5), Lisa (Season 4), and Tre (Season 3). Tre's elimination in that season still gets me, esp. since I live in Dallas.

Instead of REVolt, they could have named their restaurant "Volter". That means "to jump" in French. It also means "more volt" in English, which is what the team had.

what classy contestants you have this year..how are you ever going to make a final decision...its the most professional group ever...i am very offended by elis "send the granma home" comment..im a granma and watch your show all the time...it was very disrespectful to all of us granmas out here...shame on him

Thank you, Chef Tom. I've been a TC fan for all 6 seasons, but never read the blogs before today. It's great to get a little more insight. RW always seems to involve a crisis of leadership on some level, and frequently on the more collegial team. It's facsinating to watch. BTW - loved TC masters, too. Thank you for the best show on TV!

Great show, as always. Such talented, creative chefs - all.
It's pretty clear , now, who the standouts are - the Brothers V, Jen and Kevin. As outstanding as everyone is, these are the leaders of the pack. Can't wait to see who leads the next challenge.

Mi hchael earned that win last night. He was executive chief at every turn concerned for every move. Look he help Robin with her
dessert and had concerns due to a previous quickfire his brother
would not pull off his dessert. Thats what was missing in the
Mission rest. However as much as I like Jen and Kevin one of them
should of gone home.

Excellent comments on a most excellent episode. This by far is the best season ever on Top Chef. The cooking is top notch; the quickfire and elimination challenges are great; the guest Chef's are great and the judges tables are very good. The young talent that is represented in this season is amazing and get's me exciteted to go out and eat more fine dining establishments. I remember going to Rick Bayless's restaurant when he just started out in Chicago as well as Gail Gand and Rick Tramto's early restaurants and were amazed at their talents...I can only imagine what these young chefs will be some day. Good job Bravo in getting such an awesome and inspiring line-up for Top Chef!

Ienjoy reading your explanations of how the judges determine which of the cheftestants is eliminated. Since tv is audiovisual and not olfactory it's impossible for viewers to know how the food actually tastes.

One quibble: You state that you believe Michael V was professional in his treatment of Robin. He seemed pretty rude to me. In fact so many of the cheftestants (especially Eli) have been visibly rude to her I've become a bit offended by their behavior. Whether they like her cooking or not they could at least show her some professional respect.

I look forward to next week's episode. I can only assume from the preview that the entire bunch is thrown for a loop by Ms. Portman's vegetarianism. This is the first time Top Chef has ever featured a vegetarian challenge (exlcuding TC Masters vegan challenge) and, like Restaurant Wars, is something I would like to see featured every season. I am a foodie, but I'm also a vegetarian, and for the life of me I can't understand why so many chefs have difficulty with the concept. If a chef can't prepare a delicious non 60s style vegetarian meal then he/she lacks creativity and doesn't deserve the title of Top Chef. As a vegetarian there is nothing as frustrating as going to a well-reviewed restaurant only to have to walk out because there is literally nothing on the menu I can eat, or (in some cases even worse) having to eat some airline quality salad and a side dish because you're in a group that won't walk out with you. I look forward to seeing what this group comes up with.

I was impressed by this season's "Restaurant Wars" and enjoyed watching. Laurine seemed like a weak link all season. i'm sure she's a fabulous cook, but, she did seem to lack a competitive edge, and when she wound up in the bottom, she didn't care about that as much as she didn't want to be one-upped by Robin, or in the same category. This attitude didn't put her in the best light.

While I understand why Mike came down hard on Robin, it's understandable why she fought back, or resented him stealing back some thunder by telling the judges he had micromanaged her desert. All the chefs this season have treated her like Season 2 treated Marcel.

It's an interesting sociological study to see how personality, and stress, change the dynamics of an adult living environment into Middle School politics and school yard bullying.

I agree that Michael deserved to win, and it was awesome that he split the money. He is a classy guy, and I admire his talent.

It was also interesting to see how Jen and Kevin, by far two of the strongest contenders, aren't immune from making mistakes. As others have said, I'm ready for Mike I. to go home. His cooking seems top notch, but, he's so not a team player, and such a wise guy, that it would be nice to see him eliminated already and go home.

Then again, these brave cheftestants who bring their knives to competition for all the world to judge and watch them deserve a ton of credit just for being there, and lasting this long. The irritations make for a successful season, and this one was great so far.

Probably the best show of the season~!

Just love this show, great chefs this year. My one comment, when Tom stated this was the best restaurant ever??? Granted there have been few good, let alone great restaurants in the "wars", but Tom, Toby and of course Rick Moonen were not at the Warehouse Kitchen opening in Top Chef Chicago. Even Anthony Bourdain loved it. (P.S,. I am a Chicagoan so admittedly biased)

I haven't watched Top Chef until this season and I really regret not starting earlier. I agree with viewer from CA that it appears the judges do not want to fire the better chefs because they have a bad night. But I didn't want to see Laurine or Robin in the finale either.

Love watching these talented people cook. Being a Huge Fan of desserts, I too thought Mission made a big mistake not to have one. It can be such a fantastical finish. I felt sad that Jen did not do as well as she should. But I am a big fan of Kevin, Bryan & Michael V. I think that they really possess a lot of talent. And it is the way that they talk about food that flavors their passion.

Also, I was wondering if BRAVO would ever consider taking these talented chefs and combining them with the theme of either Pescatarians or Vegetarians? I think it would be a great challenge idea and I would love to see how creative Top Chefs can be with making a main dish of all vegetables.

There is a restaurant in San Diego called Kung Food that had low cholesterol selections and other selections for post heart attack/surgery folks. I think it is still there but I moved back to SF Bay Area nearly 8 years ago. It is right next to my favorite dessert place called, "Extraordinary Desserts." It is always a place I have to go whenever I am in San Diego.

I think how the contestants didn't have to decorate this season. Although it is part of the restaurant business and thus the industry, I like the focus on food this season way more!

Would it even be possible to eliminate the front of the house part in future seasons completely and have all 3/4 cooking? I think the front of the house job will almost never win over great food, yet they can't be in the kitchen plating their own dish.

revolt - an expression or movement of spirited protest or dissent

I thought it was a clever play on their names. If it ended with -ing then maybe i would wince. I loved this restaurant wars especially at such a nice setting in Vegas. How lucky were they! The fact that REVolt got three stars from Toby Young was the treat they needed to hear. It made me really want to eat their food. I stopped by the Langham for a press event but unfortunately Michael V. was "on vacation". Hmm. I'm curious to see what he is like in the kitchen although I can see how siblings can interact that way. I'm the same way with my sister although I'm more Bryan and she's more Michael. When siblings are stressed and competitive, it can get catty and tv viewers love the drama. You can tell they care about each other regardless of what happens.

Include me in as one who thought the name REVolt was clever and appropriate. I liked Michael's assertiveness and actually felt Robin came off as a cussing shrew. I loved both challenges and sorry to say, I disagree with you Chef Tom, Laurine was sacrificed to save Jennifer. I was surprised at both Jennifer and Kevin's lack of leadership and dishes. Jennifer seemed usually scattered and unfocused

Cass - thanks for the breakdown of wins, but Robin won an elimination challenge outright. It occured during the deconstruction episode when Eli tossed her under the bus with his "cancer" comment.

Hi, Chef...I agreed with the judges it was time for L. Evrn if you don't like to be out in the front, you have to step up to things at times, and just do ot the best you can. That she didn't explain what was being eaten was a disservice to the other chefs, that you had to ask for an explanation was painful to watch. Eli seemed a much better front attendant, maybe Michael I should have opted to be front haus. I wonder why they didn't ask at the begining on their team who could do it. In team events placement is almost everything. In any event, its getting down to the wire, and very interesting, as any misstep will send someone home. Love the show and yeah, a lot of us watch just for you.

I think if Jennifer or Kevin were eliminated, there would have been a viewer revolt, like what happened when Tre was thrown under the bus by the judges.

Jennifer and Kevin are Top Chefs, regardless of their performance in this episode.

I love Top Chef, but one of the things that bugs me to no end is how the producers pick really high caliber chefs and matches them up with mediocre chefs who have no clue.

If all the chefs are equally talented and one blows it, we know it was on merit, then there was no question of bad or flukey judging.

If the chefs are unevenly matched, the best chefs get eliminated for making dumb mistakes(nobody is ever perfect all the time!) while the mediocre chefs get a free pass because they are riding on the coat tails of the excellent chefs.

Also, it is not fair to chef contestants like Jennifer, Kevin and the Volataggios to be matched with people they have to carry.

WOW, was this a nerve-rattling finish. It would have killed me to see Kevin or Jennifer get the boot tonight, but as you yourself stated in your blog, K & J at least did something right. Laurine, unfortunately, misfired on every level. This turned out to not even be close as far as who won. The blue team knew they'd lost and I'd venture to say most of the viewership did too. As for red, Michael does have some 'tude but I don't think he's ever thrown it at anyone just blindly. He was more or less in the leadership role in the kitchen and he had to make sure things were running right. Eli did a very good job as the host, and the brothers (as usual) nailed their dishes. Getting back to Robin, it could be argued whether or not she "deserved" to be here at this stage of the competition, but the fact of the matter is she was there, and she delivered. I don't think it's fair for people to get on her case anymore. Whether or not she can maintain this level remains to be seen.

can you explain what does "the sauce is broken" mean? you said it...but i don't understand how a sauce can be broken.