My GOD, sir! You are hilarious! I hear your voice as I read this. A brilliant writer/ thinker/chef/person. I've GOT to pick up your books...

Brilliant. Love you Bourdain.

Now i know why Jen was kicked off for sure! there is no way the producers would of let her participate in the Le Bernardin quickfire challenge! she worked at Le Bernardin for 5 years with Justo and is the chef of Eric Riperts restaurant in philly! very interesting.....

"I tell you, it's a mystery to me what goes on in that talented young man's head. I can only guess that in Marcel World, it's always 1998, the sky is filled with magical ponies who shit foam -- and appreciate Marcel's rap stylings -- and everybody does exactly what Marcel thinks they should do -- perfectly. And if things go wrong, everybody agrees instantly that it's certainly not Marcel's fault. In Marcel Land, Ferran Adria never existed. Nor did Wylie Dufresne, or Heston Blumethal, or Grant Achatz. He thought all of that stuff up himself. In Marcel Land, what everybody wants is more foam -- they can't get enough! And liquid nitrogen. And gels and powders. Restaurant dining rooms are packed with beautiful women, shuddering with desire and anticipation for foam, foam, and more foam and hardened Crips shrink from his approach."

YOU. ARE. A. GENIUS.

My favorite show and after RHOBH, the ONLY show on Bravo!!!!

I don't know what to think about Marcel, yes he does some off as extremely arrogant, but he is also dedicated to making excellent food. Agree that he needs to listen more and lose the foam. But Mike I is a loose cannon too, so fireworks are inevitable with those two.

As for the winning team... I think they should have split the money as each and every one performed at a high level.

I enjoy your No Reservations show and I love your blog. As I read your blogs, I can hear you talking like you do when you are talking on No Reservations. What I enjoy most about your blogs is that you don't hold back, you tell it like it is. It makes me laugh and I look forward to seeing you as a judge each week and if you are not on the show, then I look forward to reading your blog.

Hi Anthony! Always love your blogs. I personally cannot stomach Marcel's personality. I do believe he is delusional, immature, foam-addicted, arrogant, cocky, rude and much more! I think I might recall one somewhat funny comment he might have made during the fishing episode but other than that, nothing significant comes to mind regarding Marcel except what a huge jerk he is. Was so happy to see him go home. Your blog was completely accurate and just maybe he will get it and do some self reflection. This kid will NEVER become successful behaving in the fashion that he does and the sooner he gets that, the easier his life will become. Because I think he could actually become a great Chef if he "got it". I am so happy you are on the show. You always make it more entertaining. So glad Bravo came up with this idea for the Top Chef all stars. The fishing episode was completely hilarious...I thought it showed the Chefs at their funniest and the editing was perfection. The comments they all made about each other were so funny but not mean or cruel. I am thoroughly enjoying this and hope there is another season of Top Chef All Stars in the future. And did I mention that Fabio is the bomb!!! I don't care if that man can cook or not...he's nice to look at, so entertaining and funny as hell!!!

I know Bourdain is a big "The Wire" fan - in season 5, Michael sets Duquan ("Dookie") up to be in charge of his corner crew - but Dookie commands no respect and they won't do as he says. They call him a "little b***h" and won't even tell him if the count is right when he asks. Michael takes him off the corner and sets him up to be basically a babysitter for his little brother Bugs.

Obviously, the analogy is that Marcel is Dookie - not only not commanding respect over those he's appointed to lead, but instead earning their derision and name-calling as they reject him as a leader. Just as Dookie is not Kingpin material, Marcel is clearly not a Top Chef in any sense of the word. He might be a decent cook, but a Chef is a leader in the kitchen, and a Top Chef would be someone who commands the respect of those leaders, someone like an Eric Ripert. Not a Dookie or a Marcel.

Mr. Bourdain, Have you ever considered being a contestant on Top Chef Masters? I think it should be a requirement for all Top Chef judges.

Tony,
You gave me four very loud belly laughs reading this. Your blog on this show is a pleasure and a joy. And SPOT ON. You nail the contestants, their strengths and weaknesses in a very insightful and entertaining way.

You'd hate me because I'm a vegetarian, but I love you, sir!

Marcel lets his ego get the best of whatever maturity and professionalism he has.

Tony, every aspiring chef should be forced to read and memorize your recent blog!

Love this blog post from Bourdain - spot-on analysis that had me lol. I would not be surprised if some of the long-winded comments were not posted by Marcel himself. I could totally see him waisting his time by creating various profiles with different email addresses.

A bit tangential, so forgive me in advance: I also use liquid nitrogen in my job as a dermatologist TO DESTROY LESIONS. I would urge caution with large amounts of this substance which may be 'interesting' and the hallmark of molecular kitchens from Alinea to WD40 and all the copycats in between. This substance is capable of decimating skin cells from dermis to the fascia below. When we use it on you in the office during procedures, the intention is the lesions removal via destroying the layers below. When spilled - it's an OSHA emergency and I don't believe enough is known about 'eating or drinking it' to call it entirely safe. Senor Tony - pass it on? PLEASE use caution. I agree that Grant A is brave young man. But orophayrngeal squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue has historically been an old man's DZ. An old man who drank and smoked for 50 years and used Mongolian Fire all on his cheerios or chewed many a betel nut in the Eastern populations. Bourdain, As one who is considered an authority - it would not be a terrible idea for you to consider urging caution with LN2 in commercial kitchens. Head and Neck CA is increasing in young men and in Grant's case - he had NONE of the typical risk factors. This bears closer inspection, at least until more is known about potential carcinogenesis of LN2 in the oral cavity/digestive tract. Much obliged and apologies for the swerve.
PS - Marcel is immature. Weren't we ALL assholes at his age?
He'll be back though - his tenacity will force a return on some level. - ciao

I'm sorry that Marcel was given the boot. He's one cool looking guy.

NapaMalibu...if you are a Top Chef fan you might remember Ryan and Mark the Kiwi discussing movies for food themes in season 4 and Ryan saying 'All I hear out of his mouth is Wah Wha Wah'...Et Tu Brute!!! As Eric Ripert might say ferme la bouche si vous plait!!

"Rumsfeldian denial" Love it!

I like Anthony as a judge as he is harsh but very true to the chefs. The only problem I have is that he uses the word monchromatic in very episode!!! Get a new word dude!!! xx Big fan of the show!!!

In lieu of a new TCM episode this week I have amused myself by rereading ALL of Chef Bourdains blogs and found myself laughing aloud. His comments are snarky to the nth and refreshingly honest; if it tastes like crap, it's probably crap, if you go all wonderbread ghetto on your fellow contestants you should get a spatula up side yo head. In my head unicorns and ponies aren't pooping foam...Anthony Bordain is hosting next years Golden Globes...HEY...a girl can dream!!

Somebody need to tell Marcel that foam on food looks like spit..yuck

Well, I must say there are definitely two sides to every story. No doubt Marcel has skills, they just aren't the inspirational, 'I want to play on your team' ones. Looking back at his S2 finale even Sam who was generally a mild mannered person found him hard to take. I will miss the comedy/tragedy of his presence though. Some say he had an uncooperative team that stabbed him in the back. He picked them. Carla was picked last and by default. Not that I would want to subject her to Mikey I, but she could have assisted in calming the personality clashes. Angelo (the snake) made a vapid attempt at this, and he was correct in saying Mike I should have been cut off at the ankles. I wonder.. he usually is quick to put more than 2 cent in other peoples problems. Guess he was 'confident' his dish would save him so he took a page from Jamie's book of disappearing acts. Tiffani D did the only thing left to do when you find yourself in a dysfunctional situation that you can't change; she got out of the way. I think Antonia did the same. But on to the good news.
Dale and his team of true competitors assessed the situation and played to the strengths of each member. You don't have to be an amazing chef to earn praise, although this team has excellent chefs. Good teamwork and planning wins over 'I'm the star' and 'you can't tell me what to do' and 'drama kings'. Fabio is the master at front of the house. Carla is the queen of desserts. Richard and Dale are great at creative direction and troubleshooting when an issue arises. The only thing that could have made the win better was if they all shared the prize. In the world of reality television some of us want to see less of hating and backstabbing and more of America's got talent. Please.

Always a great read, this blog. Have just recently discovered your "No Reservations" gig, now on Netflix. I'm having a blast thinking that, if Hunter S. Thompson were to be alive, you both could co-host. Imagine the "bad craziness." Cheers.

Just finished watching the extended judges table and Bourdain, ya' nailed it. Marcel forgot about the pleasure of eating. When Ludo said his dish was like mush...and no texture....bingo. We all love....LOVE food. Pick your favorite snack, cookie, meal....we all LOVE food. No matter, fat, thin, athlete or couch potato; we all want to feel the crunch, savor the juicy and have a sort of mental "purr" over something creamy and smooth as it goes down our throats. From appetizer to desert, we eat to nourish, we eat to survive...we dine out for pleasure - to enjoy the meal and the company we eat with. To celebrate....Maybe Marcel should think about that the next time he enters a kitchen....even his own, unless his patrons are all over 80 and wear dentures.

Unbelievable, Richard is an example of a true leader, people want to follow his lead, not because they are forced to, not because of any power he may have over them, but because they wanted to be by his side. Marcel may not have had the power to send anyone home, but he certainly did not play to the strengths of his team. Sidelong comments and nit-picky criticism do not a leader make. You can blame editing, but it was clear that he had difficulty taking criticism as well as working with others.

Oops "Two cents" here, misspelling "Bourdain". How two cents of me. My apologies to the Chef!

WHY DO PEOPLE HAVE TO WRITE A BOOK ON THIS BLOG ? ONE OR TWO SENTENCES PLEASE, BEYOND THAT, YOU'RE A BORE . I DON'T THINK THE COLONOSCOPY JOKES ARE FUNNY. YOU HAVE USED THEM ONE TIME TOO MANY.

So like the Quickfires show like how inept the chef-testants are. Everyone has weaknesses. Immunity should be granted only to those who know how to train seals to fetch at Seaworld like.

Did anyone notice Tiffany's artful dodge at the judge's table when they wanted to discuss FOH? WOW! I’m not sure if she succeeded or failed horribly (editing) because I sure picked up on it! Have to say, I was insulted when she played dumb about bringing up the confrontation on the line. Come on Tiffany...grow some!

I think they were right to send Marcel home (after all, he did make that eye soar of a desert), but I almost wish they would have sent Tiffany home for that unskillful slide of hand!

What was the purpose of editing this episode to spotlight Fabio? Was it supposed to be a red herring? If so, that stinks, considering the outstanding job he did. Not only did he direct service and handle the front of the house, he made a stellar dessert (quite an accomplishment, as many have crashed & burned before him) AND lent a calm & steady influence in the kitchen. If being a chef is being a leader, this shows it in spades. Look, I like Richard as much as anyone; Team Bodega worked cohesively & cmoothly to make a whole experience. They also had Dale's short slide into Hissyland and Richard's anxiousness was evident-BOTH of which Fabio handled deftly. You only need to look at Team Etch's meltdowns in and out of the kitchen to truly appreciate the huge part played by the steady hand (and head) of Fabio. When Dale picked him for this challenge, he KNEW he had the secret weapon the other team lacked. Tom marveled at the service, Anthony nearly wet himself over the dessert, and then they went to the judges' table and chose Richard. I like everyone on Team Bodega but, on this night, Fabio was the MVP. He should've at least shared the win.

Did you READ Marcel's bio here on this site? He says himself he considers himself a "cook."

New Rockband name:
"Foamshitting Ponies"
Hilarious blog Anthony

Through all his Top Chef appearances, Marcel Vigneron has mostly out cooked his competition and he has always outclassed them.

Whether Marcel has leadership skills, however, cannot be judged on the basis of Top Chef because the show has never provided a fair or realistic opportunity to judge any of its contestants' leadership skills.

Unlike Marcel, the majority of the show's cheftestants routinely behave like petulant, conniving saboteurs.

Past winners Harold and Stephanie may be the only two who made it to the top with honor, but even Harold's win is tarnished by the fact his finale competitor Tiffani was forced to work with Dave Martin, who had so little respect for the competition (or himself) once he was eliminated that he got drunk on the line and openly sabotaged Chef Tiffani. On Top Chef, Dave's disgusting behavior was rewarded with a spot on the Top Chef All Star show. In real life, Dave Martin would have and should have been fired for his gross insubordination and drinking on duty.

Mr. Bourdain, you are lucky you have immunity and you are lucky Marcel is a classy guy who probably wouldn't sue you for defamation anyhow.

In the culinary world of personalities, professionals, and critics – we can at least forgive Colicchio and Padma for their decision to send Marcel packing, because we want to believe that there is some integrity in Top Chef. When I say integrity, I mean that I, like others, (perhaps naively) believe that the judges on Top Chef are insulated from what is going on behind the scenes in the kitchen. I’ll have to believe they were oblivious to the fact that Tiffani can’t cook a 6 minute egg. I believe that they were equally unaware that Isabella bounced schizophrenically back and forth between petulant sandbox schoolchild, and purposeful saboteur. With these assumptions in mind we can at least give Tom and Padma the benefit of the doubt, and we can believe that they now know they sent the wrong Chef home this week.

However, you Mr. Bourdain unfortunately cannot claim the same ignorance. If we are indeed examining facts, rather than just opinion, we know that Tiffani can’t boil an egg, and in the Dining Room she mistakenly believes that her laughter is ample substitute for professionalism and attentiveness to the diners and their experience. It’s not. Antonia speaks for herself. Clearly. Marcel demonstrating maturity and leadership made no excuses when the judges criticized him, and simply awaited their scathing critique. He only began to defend himself when his team became the “pack of gleeful attack dogs”, as quoted by yourself. Antonia couldn’t wait to play the schoolyard tattletale. I fully expect her to show up next week with Isabella’s letterman jacket on. Isabella pushed Marcel under the bus, and Antonia couldn’t wait to drive it over Marcel. Isabella however was truly extraordinary with his Goodfellas-like actions. A finer job of sabotage, insubordination, pouting, openly defiant, and uncooperative immature behavior couldn’t have been any better executed unless maybe it was coordinated with the shows Executive Producer’s. Actually, since Padma and Tom went along with the farce, it makes one wonder. What we can say about Angelo is that we know him well enough to know that he is already embarrassed enough about avoidance of any responsibility. So comments there are not necessary. I also have to believe that since Angelo likes competition, he’s sorry to see Marcel go. The others could not be more pleased with the outcome. It is like watching a segment of Survivor. I watch Top Chef because I thought it was about culinary prowess, not about a junior high-school mentality popularity contest.

Perhaps before you go publicly assassinating others in your public forum in the future Mr. Bourdain, it would be better if you remembered that being a notorious chef and sometimes articulate writer, qualifies you as…..oh that’s right, as a notorious chef and writer. No more. No less. Clearly based on this blog it does not qualify you as an experienced judge of leadership. If it did you would have thought twice before writing such a blatantly biased review of this week’s show. You would not have said that “in the end, his team turned on him”. Marcel’s team turned on him from the minute they were picked. Isabella’s behavior would never have been tolerated in your kitchen, nor in Tom’s. Ever. An unbiased accounting would have reminded readers that Angelo is quoted as saying “I would have sent Mikey home”.

Before you judge Marcel on his leadership, you need to remember that he really had no authority to take corrective action. He couldn’t fire Isabella, or send him home. He could only expect that his team would exhibit some level of maturity. But they did not. We get it Mr. Bourdain. You hate Marcel. Talent is easy to hate. Marcel was given the most impossible of tasks - which is leadership without any authority whatsoever. He was not given the job of leading a team of professionals, but rather a group of insidious mercenaries who benefited from cutting him slowly, and bleeding him drop by drop, failing to even try to participate in a winning culinary effort, with instead one in particular focused on how he could rid himself of one of Top Chef’s most talented and significant competitors. If Top Chef is going to judge its Chefs on leadership, then they should at least consider giving those leaders some real authority. But you can’t give any contestant real authority in a competition show. So just as none of the contestants were docked for lack of cooperation, leadership should not have been used as a criteria in judging. But that would be too logical, almost sort of like recognizing that giving someone immunity this far into the season is counterintuitive and unnecessary. Let’s hope that Top Chef remembers in the future that this is a show about culinary creativity, talent and execution as an individual. If not – let’s just change the show’s name to “Restaurant Wars Survivor” in the future, and your viewpoint in this blog would have more merit.

Mr. Bourdain, your comments have always been entertaining when it comes to judge's table, but I really didn't care for some of them towards Marcel. Some of your comments were on target, but came off very mean. It was almost like there was a personal hatred towards Marcel. The way you felt about his foams. Anyway, respect your opinions, but don't always agree with them. I think you all should have sent Tiffany home this week. She did not do her job properly as a communicator between front of the house and the kitchen. Communication is always the key to success, right?

OMG! Your blogs (and books) are just what the doctor ordered. Your wit, humor and knack for painting hysterical "pictures" of Top Chef events, are a show unto themselves that I would watch again and again.

By the way, where is your "bro" Eric Ripert these days?? Thought he was gonna be a guest judge.

Marcel is clearly delusional - and your exploration of what "Marcel-land" is possibly like was a masterpiece - the horses, striking fear in Crips - it was all hilarious and on the mark. His leadership style was like the kid everyone picks on insisting that "I'm the boss and you have to do what I say" when he's appointed hall monitor. Respect is earned, and he didn't earn any.

On another note, I wish Fabio had won or at least had been a co-winner. I wasn't there, obviously, but his leadership and presence in the dining room seemed to definitely enhance the experience of eating at "Bodega."