BravoTV.com

"Remember that anyone could go at this point … this isn’t a cumulative competition ...."

"At the end of the day, Harold won because here was the moment that Gail, Katie and I were asked to take the overall competition into consideration, starting at day one, and to weigh it against the evening's outcome. And overall, Harold had consistently embodied the qualities of a top chef. Over the weeks of competition, Harold pulled off round after round of arduous, high-stakes (and occasionally ridiculous) tasks, and managed to make friends in the process. He demonstrated creativity and spontaneity, and never lost his cool. At times I wish Harold hadn't played it so safe, but as he matures I think he'll find the confidence to take more risks. Tiffani showed talent and even growth, but Harold was also able to inspire a team, and at the end of the day a successful kitchen is a team. Harold truly is a Top Chef."

For those of us who play judge along at home, tell us Tom, is this a cumulative competition or not?

the most i saw of laurine in last night's episode was about 3 times. the last time the cameras where one her, she was in the kitchen getting the lamb and the chefs were not sure if it was done properly. she just looked at it and then looked away, made a face like DAHHHHH, i don't know and then served it anyway. i do better than that in my own kitchen.

AH! Why was there no prize for last weeks quick fire!!??? EEK!!!

I'm glad you wrote Korean instead of Chinese or Japanese! Yippee!
James-Korean is Asian! =)
I had the same reaction as you, but I was happy that he mentioned Korea.
I'm rooting for KEVIN!!!

Tom - I have a question about the rules of Top Chef. I was watching one of the rerun and saw where that guy Eli had brought his own "pressure cooker". Now, is that allowed? I mean, if you can't look at a recipe book and can't bring in your spices - at what point can you bring in a piece of equipment like a pressure cooker?

I find it very unfair that this guy brings in a piece of equipment that is a piece of junk, breaks and EXPLODES all over. Has an effect on another contestant (can't remember her name but she was decontructing Fish and Chips).

I'd like a ruling on this - I think Eli should be elminated immediately if he broke the rules (I mean - he's whiney brat anyway).

Thanks - Mike

love the show - hate the language. seems these chefs get more foul every season - there are episodes when the bleeper is going so much that no actual words come through. top chef masters was superior in many ways - but especially the fact that the mature and professional chefs could actually have conversations without dropping f-bombs every 3 seconds; made it so much more enjoyable. these folks are being presented in their professional lives - not their private, if i were an investor i would have a hard time backing such immaturity. the producers should consider setting standards for the language.

hey tom, seriously, its getting a little mundane, no surprises. why can't you mix it up and call out the losers first every once in a while, mix it up. we already know they are the winners as do the contestents. would be better to not know for sure who the winners are until they are standing in front of you, not just because they get called out first, please mix it up. it is getting boring in that respect.

I don't understand why the GD word (which takes the Lord's name in vain--a MAJOR sin) is allowed on air numerous times as part of a commercial for Top Chef and the F word is bleeped. This makes no sense to me. I am a huge fan of Top Chef and am very disappointed that the network would choose to use someone saying the GD word as part of a commerical. Very bad decision.

Hey foodies,
I would like to point out to Eli who said he would like to take a stab at making Top Chef history by winning both the quickfire and elimination challenges in both rounds that it has been done at least twice before: By Stefan in episode one of Season 5, and by Michael in Season 2.
Also, regarding Restaurant Wars, Michael went home in Season 2 because the judges felt he was being "carried" by the other chefs, but Tre (who was one of the top contenders in Season 3) went home because he was the Executive Chef and not everything in his restaurant went well (even though CJ picked the team and only did one salty lobster salad dish,) Brian worked the front of the house and made nothing, Casey did carrot soup and overcooked monkfish, and Tre made 4 dishes: scallops with a corn truffle custard, salmon sashimi with "one too many ingredients," a gorgonzola-crusted filet mignon dish and a not-so-successful bread pudding dish.
Even though the pattern is not consistent as far as who goes depending on what role they play, one thing rings true no matter what the challenge: if you spread yourself too thin and do too much, your dishes suffer from it and you will end up getting screwed.
The word chef in French means chief. Restaurant Wars -- and all team challenges -- should not just focus on the food but on how well people work together and inspire each other to create culinary excellence.

Why was there neiter a prize nor an advantage given for winning last week's quckfire?

I agree with your comment that a pork loin is a wonderful cut of meat. But I would love to see it ordered and cooked the way I do, with bone in and a layer of fat on the outside. If you do this I don't see a need to use bacon fat. It seems that in our quest to cook everything in 30 min. or less we lose a great deal of flavor that is natural. Also did anyone seem to think that Robin may have cheated by cooking her sweet pototoes the night before?

I've watched every Top Chef since Day 1 and I don't know if there is any way that you can answer this question- maybe in your next blog posting-(I've was trying to ask this on the "WWH Live" when you were on) Is there any Cheftestant for whatever reason that you feel was booted too early that should have gone on to win it all?

Why is Jen rarely mentioned on your blog?

I thought Korean is Asian?

Tom,
I think you are right on with Ash. I think he has a lot of ability and talent and just was too afraid to let it go. One thought on that, do you think intimidation was a factor with Ash? Although his comments were very nice to Michael when they were both up there in the previous episode, I think you hit it well asking him if he felt he could win the competition.
I am a high school basketball coach and feel that intimidation was a major player here. I think that anytime you go into a competition "not sure" or "questioning" whether you can win or not, you have NO CHANCE!

Hi Tom, I enjoyed this blog. while I'm not a wine drinker because of medical reasons it's really nice to read what goes well with what. I love to cook different pork dishe so this was helpful. While I can't drink the wine , my guests can and i'm sure they'll appreciate my knowing how to pair a wine with a dish. Hope you're enjoying your baby...they really do grow up so fast.

I love the show, and I watch it every season. I got really upset when they are showing previews of this weeks show, when the lady that had cancer says something about her G.D. Desert. Why wasn't that bleeped out. My children see and hear that on tv and it is using the Lords name in vain. You bleep other words that they say out. It really upsets me. Please have some conderation for people who believe in God, and saying that is wrong.

Dear Tom,
Missed our flight last week and got to visit CRAFT in Las Vegas. My fiance, 3 yr old boy and I were dressed in a non-craft fashion. Your staff let us in and gave us a outstanding dinning experience we had kobe filet for the first time & my son had chocolate milk in the wine glass. We were treated just like those other people sitting by us wearing nice cloths with no kids. We can not stop thinking about the food******.
We are also TOP CHEF Groupies we have seen and taped every episode so we can pause and rewind and try to figure out who is staying or going home (I am usually right)! We can not wait 2 more days for resturant wars. I am a 38yr old culinary student and tv does't get more entertaining then watching the brothers toshey! Thanks.

I've loved this show from season one, and this is my second favorite season (after season one). I LOVE to see talented, creative people doing what they do best, under pressure. And Tom's blogs have always been fascinating and fun to read. Great season, great show, and congrats to Tom and his family on their new baby.

Hi Tom, i love this show so much. i am a huge fan of Housewives of Atlanta and Top Chef has grown into my favorite, lol, i get more excited about your show now.
i totally agree that Ash messed up this challenge, but i think that the other 2 chefs in the bottom with him received a more harsher judging on their meals. i wanted Ash to stay!!! Lol, i understand though, and i love the show. Great, great season. take care.

I'm really enjoying Top Chef this season. You've really found some talented contestants.

While I wasn't surprised to see Ash go home, I will miss his personality in the coming weeks. While he was very witty with how he handled criticism, he seemed to really listen to what the judges said and tried to grow.

I hope he does very well in his chosen profession.

Hi Tom:

Bacon, truffles and caviar are very popular ingredients with the judges. In both Top Chef and Top Chef Masters, I have seen gratuitous use of these ingredients propel contestants to victory.

Bacon is amazing bang for the buck. Kevin (love the dude)used it liberally as an ingredient in his pork leg dish and you mentioned that Ash should have considered using it on his tenderloin. Given that this particular event was to create dishes from a particular cut of pork, how close is it to cheating for someone to add the best cut into their less amiable one? Personally, I would have bacon wrapped the herbed loin and stuffed it with herbed pork sausage; the loin is dull. Doesn't the flavour of bacon and sausage really come from someone else's cooking?

I suggest a few challenges -- maybe they have been done before:

1. No prepared foods -- pork belly is ok but bacon is out; eggs are fine but no mayo allowed

2. Really low budget meals and a low budget pantry. I thought the power outage problem with Mike V's fish was just poor production on the show's part. Even someone standing over that fish would have been hooped if the power had turned off. If you knew where the breaker was, you could perhaps reset it within minutes -- dish ruined still the same.

I would rather they struggled with a more reasonable constraint -- like money. Have them set up a pantry for $50 -- like when someone moves into a new apartment for the first time. Then have them host three dinner parties for eight people at an additional cost of $100 per event. Of course add curveballs like guests with restrictions and unexpected guests. We'd all like to have more money left to spend on the pinot noir.

For those of us with a little more room in the budget, the contestants should be aware that viewers will patronize the restaurants -- not the judges. The real success will come from striking a balance between cooking well and behaving well. Jen and Kevin have already won.

I realize that the judges aren't aware of what happens when the chefs are shopping, but didn't Kevin cheat by using bacon (which is basically pork belly) to make his pate work? I thought his dish should have been disqualified.

Tom
I love to watch you when Toby is talking (or any other time)when he was talking about arm pit hair and you put your down,I had to pause the tv for laughing so much. Love the show and Love watching you more!!!!

Man, I have missed most of the season, and this ep was fairly good. I love an episode where I learn a little bit - such as about wine. I know next to nothing as I am a beer drinker, myself. Oh, the complexity of beer!

Anyhow, I was not too impressed by Ash - the description of his dish and such. Many no doubt say so, but I am fairly certain I could have knocked out a better loin than he.

I wish we could get a Top Chef: Amateurs type show with plain ol' home cooks like me. Then I could really feel smarter.

"Carolyn Medford LI:
I think Tom is setting us up for a big upset next week. Something tells me one of the Fab Four Jen, Kevin, Bryan or Michael V will be packing their knives and going!"

I thought the same thing but couldn't bring myself to say so out of dread.
OK, contradicting my prior post, I'll just go ahead and say it now.

"OH NO!!!"

Thank you, Tom, for explaining why Laurine did not shuffle off instead. I was confused by the editing of this episode, which made both Laurine and Robin seem more at danger of the cut than Ash. But, thanks for the clarification. (otherwise I would assume cat food is better than bland-food to you judges :)) Please say Robin is next. She should have never even been a contestant, compared to the caliber of her peers. ~watching for years and years to come!

Being judged dish by dish and not on cumulative quality depends on who you are and if you're needed for drama. Stefan should have been sent home before he was last year(he scored lower than Jeff on the episode where Jeff was sent home), and Marcel seemed to get a free pass or two. I hope the Jen drama in the previews is just a red herring.

Chef,

Love the blog, thanks for letting us get a little deeper into your head. What I wish you wouldn't do is what you just did in that sentence this week. You are either trying to up the tension, or you are foreshadowing. I wish you wouldn't do either. Upping the tension isn't necessary- people reading your blog are huge fans and are going to watch the show next week regardless. So, if you are foreshadowing, I wish you wouldn't- your comment is totally making me think one of the frontrunners is going home next week, and I'd prefer to go into the whole thing without any preconceived notions.

Of course, I'm totally ridiculous about this kind of thing. I scramble to turn off the TV the instant the previews for next week start, cause I just prefer not knowing. LOL!

Hey Tom,

I feel like you're foreshadowing Restaurant Wars: The Fall of Jen. Or maybe her dish just wasn't as interesting or didn't have the back-story the others had to make it worth mentioning. Or maybe im reading too much into your wonderful blog. Ah well, it was a great read as always, the episode and your blog make me want to try cooking a pate, right now Kevin is really looking like the Top Chef but the brothers and Jen seem like forces to be reckoned with, even the side players (Eli, Mike I) seem like they might have a chance...

Tom,

I'm a huge fan of the show, however, the cumulative factor is starting to become an issue for your long term watchers. Even my 10 year old daughter, who has watched the last 3 seasons with me, gets frustrated when a clearly inferior chef somehow manages to eek by week after week. I know you won't rewrite the rules of engagement, but how about a spin off show once a season with chefs who scored well in the quick fires and elimination challenges, but didn't win Top Chef, competing in a cumulative ranked contest?!?!

I, for one, would love to see some of the stronger chefs from each season come back and compete in this type of a forum!

Keep up the great work.....best season ever.

I've been wondering why one of the cheftestents don't take the mature approach with Robin and ask her to be quiet for a while. A mature person could diplomatically tell her that the constant chatter in the present situation is grating on their nerves. No sniping, no hysterics. At least some of the chefs appear to have leading roles at home. Certainly they could handle the situation if they chose.

To everyone who answered my question - thank you. I found the answer using your hints and clues and even posted them yesterday, but I don't see my post. Thanks again. Oh, and to the poster who claims there are more bad chefs this season, I disagree. This season has some of the strongest chefs I've seen, which is making the quess of who the final 3 are more intriguing.

Most of the cheftestants this season are bad. The only good ones are Kevin, Jennifer, and the two brothers.

Georgianne, the easiest place to view QF and Elim wins is on Wikipedia. They have a great summary of all seasons, all episodes and a great on-going chart of the progress. Just type in "Top Chef" in the search.

Also, no matter how fair it is or isn't that the worst dish goes home each week despite past performance, that't the format they have chosen for the show. Period. There are infinite ways the judging COULD be done, but this is it. I think Tom is just reacting to all the posts complaining about who's still here, not what's to come. I hope.

I'm glad I wasn't the only one to notice the lack of anything said about Jen. Since she is my favorite, I look forward to your opinions of how she is doing. On the other hand, I just chalked it up to the fact you probably don't have time to critique each contestant for every episode.

Been enjoying the show since day 1, thank you for consistently delivering entertaining and educational (I like to cook) programming. One thing this weeks leaders (Bryan, Michael, Kevin, Jennifer) showed was they could be top chief as well as top chef. Something that has been stressed over the years and something others like Mike Isabella and Eli have shown they can't be.
Best of luck with your family and the show!

What a cute dad you are. I'm sure his palete will be amazing soon enough.
I too love the pig but know thing about wines and pairings. And I am just dying to try pork belly. Listen up restaurants in CT.
Smart is definitely the word to describe Kevin (MIT GUY). He's so likable too.
I was so impressed with Charlie Palmer. Seems like a great guy who showed respect to everybody and everything. Don't know if there's an ego somewhere but it didn't show.

Great insight about this weeks competition Tom. But, I am worried that the producers of Bravo have already decided a final consisting of the brothers and Jen because they feel that would make the best TV.

Kevin at this point seems to be the best contestant but, he is probably considered to bland for the producers and will be eliminated shortly.

I hope I am wrong.

Top Chef should be cumulative.

We ate at Kevin's restaurant in Atlanta a few weeks ago. We had the chef's menu with the chef's chosen wine pairings. (Kevin was at the grill, cooking) Some of them were a real revelation- Kevin does have an amazing palate for discerning what would go well with a wine. I knew he'd do well in this challenge- so glad he won!

I suggest you guys have a wacky, over the top, gay guy blow the show up. What do you think?

Hi Tom!
Thanks for a really great season of Top Chef! Love your Diet Coke Commercial...SO you!

I love your blog but must chime in with those that have noticed your reticence about mentioning Jen. Do you not like her? Do you not care for her food? You can't deny there is something going on.

first off, this was one of my favorite elimination challenges to date. i loved the drawing knives to get a different part of the pig and then the challenge of pairing them with the pinot was great.

that being said, the judges blew it by not sending home ash the week before instead of ashley. it became obvious that ash is just a stooge who doesn't have the spine to be in this competition. whether he was letting mike v to everything for their dish last week or having mike i's suggestion completely change his dish, he did not deserve to be there. i am certain that ashley would have put forth a better effort than ash did this week.

plus if ash had gone home last week, then i assume robyn would have been gone this week instead. please spare your viewing audience and get rid of this woman!

Chef
It was a pleasure and a great experience to be in the crowd for your demonstration at the NYC food and wine festival. I enjoyed the descriptions for the confits. I am already looking forward to next years activities.

Hi Peachie - thanks for the heads up!

Next week's Restaurants War looks interesting indeed. Bryan appears to be Team lead and has to deal with not only his hot-headed brother but also walkie-talkie Robin. I csn't wait!

Chef, you have me very concerned at this point by your last comment about it not being a cumulative competition. It almost sounds like you're hinting that the fab four (brothers Voltaggio, Kevin and Jen) aren't going to be the finalists. I truly hope that this is not true. In past years, the one that comes most to mind is season 3 with Lisa going to the finals, I wish that y'all could see what goes on behind the scenes. It always seems like the ones who constantly praise themselves are not up to par. Mike Isabella constantly is on air talking about how great he is, he's not. At least not from what we see.

That being said I LOVE LOVE LOVE this show and DVR it and watch each episode at least three or four times. I wish they were longer than an hour. There obviously is so much that we don't see. And I have to say that you judges are spot on. Everything you say really makes sense. Well, maybe I have no idea what Toby is saying half the time but he does bring some comic relief.

Thank you Cass for the clue. I did find my answer in Wikipedia. For anyone who may have been curious as well:

Kevin - 3 Elimination wins and 2 Quick Fire wins
Bryan - 3 Elimination wins and 0 Quick Fire
Jennifer - 1 Elimination win and 2 Quick Fire wins
Michael V - 1 Elimination win and 1 Quick Fire win
Eli - 1 Elimination win
Mike I - 1 Elimination win
Robin - 2 Eliination wins (I only remember the one where maybe 2 people clapped)

I wish at least once the judges taste the food not knowing which chef cooked it. There seems to be a lot of favoritism going on.

One possible meaning for Tom's teaser "Remember that anyone could go at this point … this isn’t a cumulative competition ...." (besides the obvious that everyone is harping on) is simply that he wants, Us, the viewers, to not take anything for granted and to keep watching the show because "anything can happen".

Either that or Bryan V goes home because his restaurant loses.

One possible meaning for Tom's teaser "Remember that anyone could go at this point … this isn’t a cumulative competition ...." (besides the obvious that everyone is harping on) is simply that he wants, Us, the viewers, to not take anything for granted and to keep watching the show because "anything can happen".

Either that or Bryan V goes home because his restaurant loses.

At this point why not dump Ash, Laurine and Robin altogether? It's clear none of them is winning anything.

Know this is heresy to serious foodies, but wine is overrated. Eli bragged how he knew wine and others didn't, yet he was complemented for his food and knocked for his pairing. But when all the cheftestants picked their wines, no one said "that stuff is swill"; everything was "that's a fine wine!". Wine is a great moneymaker for liquor stores and restaurants, but this smacked of oneophile snobbery. Antecdotally in this economy there aren't many people paying $50 and up for a bottle of vino. And factually client who owns liquor stores in some yuppified NYC areas tells me the down market stuff is still selling while high end wines are slow movers.

Colicchio,

You are like the seinfeld of the culinary world...mulling over every detail of every aspect of every piece of food/preparation put in front of you. And i really do mean that in the nicest way possible. Huge fan of you, and seinfeld for that matter. Keep it up.

Colicchio,

The blog is always a great read. Can't get enough of the thoughts that rattle around in the head of the head judge. You are the only man that can pull of the sole patch without looking like a complete tool. You could probably do the whole show without talking; your facial expressions are so priceless, they say it all. I wish you'd spend more time in the kitchen planting that seed of doubt in all the chefs' minds while they are prepping their dishes....

Oh, and the coke commercial was money.

Chef, I think, no matter protestations to the contrary, it has to be cumulative, at least a little bit. As pointed out previously, you don't want a mediocre chef to win. Having the rotating guest judges allows someone to come in with "a clean palate", the regular judges should use their knowledge of the contest as a whole, while making the challenge of the day the MAIN criteria -- and I think for the most part you do. Just look to another (formerly Bravo) reality show that has suffered this year with out ANY consistent judging for the proof.

Thanks for your blog, as always.

Count me among those who would be happy to kick off everyone but Bryan, Mike, Jen and Kevin, and let those four duke it out for a few weeks. I love watching those four cook.

To Pierre DeRagon:
Jennifer did not get enough credit for the Air Force project because if you will recall, she had immunity and did not cook any food. Because she had immunity, she was in charge of organizing and running the kitchen, but she did not cook food. Why would you expect her to win when she did not cook anything?

Tom - Thanks again for the explanation of the judges' thinking, and your personal take on the challenge and options available to the cheftestants. I think it's very helpful for those of us (like me) who don't have the training and background in cooking. We hear terms and techniques, but your explanations of them are really great.

One disturbing trend I've noticed is that there's more and more focus on the "drama" of the house, and MUCH less time spent hearing the discussion at Judges' Table. The last couple of shows have featured one or maybe two comments for each of the winning chefs, and perhaps 2 or 3 max for each in the bottom group. This isn't a soap opera; it's a show about cooking, and I for one would like to see more of the early seasons' approach, which was to actually hear the judges and contestants talk about the food, rather than have to waste time listening to people snipe at one another ("send grandma home"). C'mon Bravo, put the focus back where it belongs - on the food.

Tom. OMG, SEJ is right-what are you alluding to at the end of your post Restaurant Wars is notorious for knocking someone out who steps up to the "plate" and may fail due to overwhelming circumstances. Based on the promos with Jennifer saying "she's not ready"...I hoping she dosn't get booted.

Georgianne,

The answer to your question can be found on the Bravo Message Board. There's someone there that keeps a running tally on all of the contestants.

Hope this helps.

Tom,

You tasted the food so if you say Ash was the one to go so be it...but the challenge was Pigs and Pinot and Robin's dish apparently had little pork taste and Laurine's was a train wreck and prepared wrong. Ash had a weak dish, I get it. But, really? I thought either of the other two should have gone home. Robin is grating to anyone at this point. I know your editors play it up, but I too would go nuts living with someone endlessly talking drivel. I also agree with some of the comments that Eli and Mike Isabella need to grow up. I can't even imagine them running a professional kitchen acting like juveniles. They garner less respect from me than Robin.

Blah, blah, blah. Anyway, Georgiann wrote and wants a run-down on quick-fire and elimination challenge rankings. She can find it on Wikipedia.

Btw, your chef from Dallas Craft is at the Texas State Fair today at 2:30 today. Might check out the demo.

Cassandra

P.S. I agree with another post. You don't really discuss Jennifer enough in your blogs and she is consistently worthy of mention.

I'll miss Ash. Good personality.

Love watching Kevin. He's got a great attitude and skills to match. So creative.

Silly the way the chefs pick on Robin. Just outcook her, people! You want to get someone sent home? Cook better food. Don't waste your time being mean to a nice lady. It only makes you look bad.

These chefs are the best group since Season One.

I agree with a lot of other viewers there seems to be a lot of foreshadowing going on as to someone getting eliminated earlier than they should. I'm really hoping it's not Jen. I know several times she has mentioned getting nervous cooking for some of the bigger name guest judges. I REALLY hope I'm just buying to much into this though, and in the end the same four who were at the top last night are tops in the end...

Does anyone know where I can find the list of how many Quick Fires and Elimination rounds each contestant have won thus far? Or does anyone know?

Kevin will destroy Bryan with a pillar of pork-scented flame and become Season 6 Top Chef

"Remember that anyone could go at this point … this isn’t a cumulative competition ...."

Is this a hint? Is a top contender leaving next week?

Please don't let it be Kevin or Jennifer. Especially Kevin. I'd feel so bad for him!

I do think that past performance should factor a bit into the elimination decisions, at least when you've placed a mediocre contender beside a consistently excellent contender on the chopping block. It just makes more sense to me, especially in the case of restaurant wars, when a head chef is often blamed for the shortcomings of those working under him or her. For ex., it looks as if Robin works under a Volt brother next week, and the previews imply that she doesn't perform so well. I hope he wouldn't go home for her poor performance just because he's the leader.

Basically, because this isn't cumulative, any kind of team effort is automatically brought down by dead weights who have been coasting by on poor-but-not-awful dishes, and that doesn't seem fair to the "head chefs" who likely wouldn't hire them to work at their *real* restaurant in the first place.

Great competition last night!! The three that need to go -- Ash, Robin and Laurine -- were there in the bottom three last night, as expected. Ash clearly deserved to go -- he just doesn't seem to get it -- not the competition but just COOKING in general. Robin again made it through even though at this point she and Laurine are clearly out of their depth. The four that, at this point, will probably be the final four were there at the top.

But, Chef Colicchio, I have to point something out to you about your blog. You discussed the Voltaggio brothers (when aren't they discussed?) and Kevin (this season's food poet and in my opinion, the best chef) but, again, Jennifer goes unmentioned. Yes, you praised her last week when she won the challenge but the praise was focused mostly on her winning despite her being was sick. In your blog for last night's episode she was in the top four and cooks well consistently but you didn't mention her. I wonder why she goes unnoticed..... she is the only female chef this season with any real chops. But setting aside the fact that she is female, her food stands up against the more "popular" chefs. Again, I go to the episode where she was executive chef/expeditor of the entire Air Force cooking project and WASN'T GIVEN ANY REAL CREDIT and not even considered as a contender for winning the challege!

It seems this is a symptom of the ongoing syndrome of women getting very little respect in the food industry and the ongoing need for them to have to fight for recognition. Chef Colicchio, I hope that this isn't the case with and is just an oversight on your part.

Jennifer stands a very good chance of taking this competition -- I just hope her insecurities don't get in her way.

Team Red Santa! Kevin, you make phenomenal, well-thought out dishes. Good luck.

Great assessment Tom, as a cullinarian it left me with a couple of questions regarding mincing - after you made the comment about the grinder, the blade, the pork, all needs to be very cold.

In the kitchen, I have seen this done two other ways. One method involves adding ice to the pork so that it is very cold, and chills the grinder and blade (which tend to heat up from the friction of the work), with the water then later removed.

I was also wondering if this is why sometimes I see chefs using a cleaver, large french, or two french knives to manually mince their meat... so that it stays cold and is cut, not mashed up.

Also, why haven't I ever seen anyone have the blades for their grinders sharpened? They are a cutting surface just like our working knives, are they not?

Thanks, keep up the great show

I think I'm seeing something special with Kevin. I've been watching this show since season one, and I have yet to see a chef who puts his ideas into play as well as Kevin. I think he is a remarkable chef. Even if Kevin doesn't get the win I think he has distinguished himself as the best chef in this year's competition.

Robin is this year's Marcel... someone that everyone loves to hate, not because they were bad people, but because they are annoying to their competitors, especially under stress. Marcel may have been a better chef, but it's the drama that's the consistant factor. If you haven't tasted her food, then nobody on this blog has an informed opinion on whether she should go home or not.

I don't think Michael V should be judged too harshly by things he says to his brother. There is a whole relationship (years and years) there that we know nothing about. Frankly, if my brother made me angry in the middle of a competition, I would be much harder on him than on someone else. If you look at that scene at the shrink wrap dispencer closely, Brian knew immediately that he had taken the wrong approach and didn't react at all the Michael's abuse back. Those were just two brothers clashing in the heat of the moment.

Great blog as always Tom. And I agree with you about cumulative judging. If it was cumulative you could never have guest judges since they would have no idea what the cheftestants had done in previous rounds. It would render the guest judges opinions meaningless. I very much like having the guest judges because they are consistently some of the best chefs out there and it is interesting hearing their different takes on food and the cheftestants food.

Thanks for all of the cooking tips and explanations. It helps my own cooking and it makes menus easier to decipher.

Sinead,

Palmer lives in and runs his restaurant and in Healdsburg, CA which is in the northern part of Sonoma. My suspician is that he went on a legal hunt, rather than just stepped outside as Brian suggested.

Agree with Sinead!! I do not think Top Chef -- or the viewers -- are best served by eliminating a chef for a single bad dish when they have otherwise proven to be at the top of the pack.

Tom,
Thanks for your explanation of tonight's episode. since I am not a wine drinker, your blog claified the judge's decision for me. Ash should have shown more confidence in his own cooking. As we approach the end, it is always interesting to see who will be in the finals. I am hoping it will be Kevin, Jen and Brian. The others are not in the same league.
Congrats on the new baby.

The fact that Hosea won last year's Top Chef seems to confirms Tom's last line. I smell an upset next week!

I find it hard to believe, no, make that impossible to believe, the judges don't to some extent, however small, take into account a contestant's previous dishes while judging. I have seen in the past at the judge's table this subject discussed. Simply the fact it's talked about seems to indicate that in the back of their minds they are aware of each contestants previous dishes.

But if in fact a dish is really bad, what can you do? Just because someone up to now has made consistently good food, do you send someone else home who prepared a better dish?

I am in agreement with a large portion of the fans that the top four are Jen, Kevin and the brothers (although I am not a Mike fan), and I don't foresee any of them making a big enough mistake to be eliminated until the final four but would truly hate to see it happen for just one bad dish.

"It is not a cumulative competition..." which I believe is wrong. A cheftestant can survive week after week by doing "ok" food, and be not at the top, and not at the bottom. So, say, at the end of the competition, they cook one fabulous meal and they win. Can that happen? And should they get the award, not for being the "top," but not for being the bottom either?
Not sure Charlie Palmer was a good choice, since both Michael and Bryan had worked for him and knew his habits, likes and dislikes well, which gave them an unfair advantage (even though they are consistently good).
Finally, did I hear one of the Voltaggio brothers say that Charlie Palmer stepped outside one day and killed a wild boar? Was that a joke? Where does he live? Or is he one of those strange, eccentric "wild game" hunters who liked to bring the animals to them?

I love the pairing of pork and pinot. At a local restaurant I was fortunate enough to be served seared pork belly with a foie gras terrine and pickled cabbage. I paired that with an Oregon Pinot and it was terrific.
I often pair Pinot with foie gras because it is almost the opposite of the traditional sweet accompaniment.
I know every picture is but a moment in time, but Mike Isabella should be getting the word by now that he's the best of the worst not the worst of the best. The four that were deemed the most worthy are my odds on favorites to be the last four standing.
As much as I like the brothers Voltaggio, I got to believe Kevin is the odds on favorite to win.

Great job on the analysis, Tom, keep it up.

Chef,
This really is the best season of Top Chef to date.

I can't believe how many things we're getting to see prepared that we've not seen done on TC. I think it's the first time that I'm actually looking forward to each episode to find out what the chefs are going to cook next. I love everything about the show. This season, the food is really the reality star!

And thank you, as always for your explanations, especially about the terrine and rillette. While there are many chefs and foodies who watch TC, many are average folks who do not use such techniques in their home kitchens so the insight is appreciated.

So many strong contenders now. And yes, I've already braced myself that any one of my "favorites" could go as I turn on the TV each Wednesday. Still, I foresee myself at some point any week now jumping up and shouting "OH NO!" at my TV.

That, Chef, is the mark of a good season.

I think Tom is setting us up for a big upset next week. Something tells me one of the Fab Four Jen, Kevin, Bryan or Michael V will be packing their knives and going!

Hi Tom,

As always, your comments are always appreciated by the show's audience, and it goes a long way in explaining your decisions. Your last paragraph really holds a lot of hidden meaning. Obviously, a lot of the viewers feel similarly to the contestants: Robin should have been eliminated from the competition quite some time ago, and the fact that she hasn't been seems to be detrimental to the competition. And let me elaborate on that statement.

You're quite right in analyzing the shows remaining competitors, very little wiggle room remains, and the top (the Voltaggio's, Jen, and Kevin) is very distinct. Meanwhile, the middle of the pack, Mike I and Eli, continue to do enough to stay in the competition, while the bottom also remains consistent, with Robin and Laurine occupying the lower tier. So, to my previous comment, next week is restaurant wars, where it appears that Robin will be paired with the Voltaggio's. This could have one of two possible implications: she will be carried through the competition (again), or she will fail and potentially cause one of the better competitors to leave.

So, to your point, that this isn't a cumulative competition, do you feel that this is still an appropriate approach to judging? I think the competition and the show itself would be horribly affected if we see one of the better chefs leave as a result of one of the lesser chefs.

Why no mention of Jen's dish?

I really like Jennifer and I hope she wins. Out of the brothers Brian I see is the calmer more responsible one. Mike V is a annoying show off with an attitude and i am sick of it. Also I am sick of Eli's treatment to robin. Even though she is annoying they don't have to be so rude. Eli nor Mike I are TOP CHEF's. They really need to work on their attitudes. I hope the top ones are Brian, Jennifer and Kevin.

Thanks for the comments about the wines -- I hope we can encourage Toby to expand upon his assessment of that French Pinot because what he said has to be one of the funniest lines to come from a judge on that show!

Thanks Tom,

Truly enjoying this season. The cooking is dominating the show without as much of the cheesy reality show story lines. The talent level is clearly better than previous years. Eli, Mike I, and even Lauren could have, with luck, reached the finals in the past. This year it would take a major blow-up by two of the top four(the brothers V., Jen, and Kevin). Also, for the most part this year ,these are decent people(Kevin, Jen, Ashley, Ash, Ron). Most are even trying to put up with Robin who is driving me nuts with her external dialogue. And I don't have to stay in the same house with her.

Glad to have Toby back too. His Pinot metaphor may be the funniest line of the entire season. Now there's a T-shirt!

Congratulations to Kevin! In fact, my new favorites are Kevin and Brian. It is refreshing to see strong chefs and strong people as well. Kevin in particular was heart warming this evening and his sincerity and delight was written all over his face and Brian is a stand up guy and a true sportsman. Michael V, while an innovative chef, needs to remember he is an adult and act accordingly (but as a hot tempered person myself I do realize how hard that might be at times...).

Eli isn't even an adult yet.

Best wishes to Robin I hope she doesn't take the inconsiderate roommates to heart.

You are simply the best. I enjoy your watching your reactions. Thanks! ceegee