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Featured Replies

12 minutes ago, NoName said:

wife has only watched the last 2 seasons of TC, any recs for a good season to re-watch w/ her?

Texas (Season 9) is not the best season, but if you want to watch Paul Qui dominate like no one else, I recommend.  The editors should have received an award for how difficult it must have been to create suspense.

The Top Chef All-Stars and the Top Chef Masters are great.  I would wait to watch All-Stars until you get to know a few of the names.
Regular Seasons to watch:
Vegas (Season 6)
Chicago (Season 4)
Seattle (Season 10)
New York (Season 5)
Charleston (Season 14)
 
I enjoy them all, but these stand out to me.

I agree with these for sure.

I think S2 in LA is highly entertaining on a rewatch with so many divas, and a ton of chefs who’ve appeared in other seasons and shows. Marcel just stirred up so much shit. “I’m not your bitch, bitch!”

I liked S3 in Miami too but mainly I think Casey Thompson is sweet eye candy and she opened a place here in FTW soon after.

Chicago is loaded and might be my favorite with Stephanie Izard, Richard Blais, Antonia LaFaso, Dale Talde and a couple of others. Stephanie is such a badass in the kitchen. She looks so sweet back then but would rip apart a goat and hand you a beating heart.
  • Author
50 minutes ago, Texas St. Armadillos said:

The Top Chef All-Stars and the Top Chef Masters are great.  I would wait to watch All-Stars until you get to know a few of the names.

Regular Seasons to watch:

Vegas (Season 6)

Chicago (Season 4)

Seattle (Season 10)

New York (Season 5)

Charleston (Season 14)

 

I enjoy them all, but these stand out to me.

That’s a pretty good list but I don’t think you have to wait to watch the All Star seasons.  Season 17 is the gold standard with 8 not far behind. 

4 hours ago, Texas St. Armadillos said:

The Top Chef All-Stars and the Top Chef Masters are great.  I would wait to watch All-Stars until you get to know a few of the names.

Regular Seasons to watch:

Vegas (Season 6)

Chicago (Season 4)

Seattle (Season 10)

New York (Season 5)

Charleston (Season 14)

 

I enjoy them all, but these stand out to me.

All of these and throw in Colorado (Season 15). That took over as my overall fave from Vegas, not including either All Stars. 

4 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:


I agree with these for sure.

I think S2 in LA is highly entertaining on a rewatch with so many divas, and a ton of chefs who’ve appeared in other seasons and shows. Marcel just stirred up so much shit. “I’m not your bitch, bitch!”

I liked S3 in Miami too but mainly I think Casey Thompson is sweet eye candy and she opened a place here in FTW soon after.

Chicago is loaded and might be my favorite with Stephanie Izard, Richard Blais, Antonia LaFaso, Dale Talde and a couple of others. Stephanie is such a badass in the kitchen. She looks so sweet back then but would rip apart a goat and hand you a beating heart.

I’m not your bitch bitch was season 1. Dave to Tiffany. 
 

Also, for this finale, that was the biggest beat down since Paul Qui in the first Texas season. Wasn’t even close. 

I’m not your bitch bitch was season 1. Dave to Tiffany. 
 
Also, for this finale, that was the biggest beat down since Paul Qui in the first Texas season. Wasn’t even close. 

Old age senility. All that shit rolls together, bitch.

One of my favorite lines ever. Wife and I quote it occasionally. Took Tiffani about 15 years to figure out her tough bitch persona was keeping her off TV. I guess she went to the Guy Fieri school of image repair.she’s all over the place now.
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17 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

All of these and throw in Colorado (Season 15). That took over as my overall fave from Vegas, not including either All Stars. 

I liked Colorado a lot. However it started the transformation to Soft Chef. I enjoy a little gamesmanship and conflict. 
 

As for Vegas, it had probably the best final 3 with Gillespie and the Voltaggio brothers. I recently rewatched and forgot what an asshole Michael V. was. 

I liked Colorado a lot. However it started the transformation to Soft Chef. I enjoy a little gamesmanship and conflict. 
 
As for Vegas, it had probably the best final 3 with Gillespie and the Voltaggio brothers. I recently rewatched and forgot what an asshole Michael V. was. 

Agree on Colorado starting the transition. I like when they had to watch a brisket on an open pit for 15 hours. When they were dropped off at a convenience store with five bucks to make an elevated dish.

Wife still gets pissed off about Miami where they told them they were going to a club and the girls were all glammed up in CFM heels and taken to a food truck to work. Now they don’t even have to cook their own briskets.
6 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

I liked Colorado a lot. However it started the transformation to Soft Chef. I enjoy a little gamesmanship and conflict. 
 

As for Vegas, it had probably the best final 3 with Gillespie and the Voltaggio brothers. I recently rewatched and forgot what an asshole Michael V. was. 

Eh, with Colorado I just liked that they legit all liked each other (final 6 or so anyway). I got tired of the assholery and gamesmanship because when top chef started being recognized as a legit competition for the best young (unknown?) chefs in America, it didn’t need to be about the bullshit reality show fodder. I want to see good chefs. Not chefs that know how to fuck each other over. Make good food and you will win. Period. I think Buddha just showed us that. 

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Was listening to a podcast where Gail was the guest and she confirmed that season 20 will be filmed entirely overseas.  Further investigation strongly suggests that Paris will be the primary location.  That will be very cool. 

I hope Ludo is a guest judge.  He cracks me up and his French accent is so strong it sound like someone doing an impersonation.

Edited by kevwun

54 minutes ago, TonyTexas said:

Was listening to a podcast where Gail was the guest and she confirmed that season 20 will be filmed entirely overseas.  Further investigation strongly suggests that Paris will be the primary location.  That will be very cool. 

Did she not confirm she loves me? Damnit.

Was listening to a podcast where Gail was the guest and she confirmed that season 20 will be filmed entirely overseas.  Further investigation strongly suggests that Paris will be the primary location.  That will be very cool. 

Paris might encourage more freedom for those magnificent yabbos
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13 minutes ago, kevwun said:

I hope Ludo is a guest judge.  He cracks me up and his French accent is so strong it sound like someone doing an impersonation.

If they’re going to be in Europe then they should use some European based chefs that we don’t normally see . We’ve seen plenty of immigrants like Ludo, Ripert, Keller and Boulud. 

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...
On 6/3/2022 at 11:30 AM, TonyTexas said:

I don’t think this season and batch of cheftestants was any worse or better than any recent seasons, save All-Stars. But I did think that the finale seemed awfully flat. I’m not sure whether that was because of the location, the finalists, average guest judges or seemingly bored Tom, Padma and Gail. 

This is a a very insightful observation with regard to Tom, Padma and Gail.  They all truly seemed to be going though the motions this season.  Tom just didn't seem all that engaged, Padma seems to want to be more an activist and is simply doing TC for the money at this point, and Gail was more or less a non factor.  They have been doing this a long time now so i can see where they're over it.  Problem is when we all notice it, the audience will be "over it" soon as well.  

The show needs a complete rework. It’s stale. Everyone is bored and the contestants less interesting or talented. It happens. Keep Gail’s tits. Rework the rest.

3 hours ago, Texzilla58 said:

The show needs a complete rework. It’s stale. Everyone is bored and the contestants less interesting or talented. It happens. Keep Gail’s tits. Rework the rest.

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Re-watching restaurant wars from the California season where they made them do lunch AND dinner service.  I like this format and they should do it for every restaurant wars.  And make FOH and Exec Chef swap with the two line cooks for each service.

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11 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Re-watching restaurant wars from the California season where they made them do lunch AND dinner service.  I like this format and they should do it for every restaurant wars.  And make FOH and Exec Chef swap with the two line cooks for each service.

Yeah. I like that too. Everyone has a turn at the positions of death. FOH or Executive Chef had gone home in 14 out of 20 restaurant wars. 

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

Yeah. I like that too. Everyone has a turn at the positions of death. FOH or Executive Chef had gone home in 14 out of 20 restaurant wars. 

True, but line cook is only one behind.

Eliminated Roles

EXECUTIVE CHEF
7
FRONT OF HOUSE
7
LINE COOK
6

Edited by Biff Tannen
lol, which kinda makes your point, but still

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Author

Howie Kleinberg from season 3 died of a heart attack at 47. He was entertaining in a train wreck kind of way

 

DD00AF3D-F802-4653-BF02-46DBAB4276A0.jpeg

2 hours ago, TonyTexas said:

Howie Kleinberg from season 3 died of a heart attack at 47. He was entertaining in a train wreck kind of way

 

DD00AF3D-F802-4653-BF02-46DBAB4276A0.jpeg

Well that's a bummer

10 hours ago, The Ace of Aces said:

Isn’t that the chef that slapped back at Anthony Bordain?

Are you thinking of Fabio?  I don't think Bourdain was on the show in Howie's season, but I could be wrong.

On 7/16/2022 at 2:54 PM, Biff Tannen said:

Re-watching restaurant wars from the California season where they made them do lunch AND dinner service.  I like this format and they should do it for every restaurant wars.  And make FOH and Exec Chef swap with the two line cooks for each service.

i actually really liked the tasting menu thing they did 2 seasons ago

  • Author
25 minutes ago, NoName said:

i actually really liked the tasting menu thing they did 2 seasons ago

That was a Covid adjustment that I didn’t like. Service issues and order flow adjustments in the kitchen are an essential part of restaurant wars. 

1 hour ago, TonyTexas said:

That was a Covid adjustment that I didn’t like. Service issues and order flow adjustments in the kitchen are an essential part of restaurant wars. 

Agree.  It worked well for that season, but I think it was a lot easier than regular Restaurant Wars.

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