You've probably seen it on the Top Chef promos - and you know he was acting for the cameras - but Crazy Eyes Andrew still has the best soundbite so far this season:
"As far as me going home, you need to drag me out with security guards. This is my house."
He wasn't - dragged out - and he didn't go home. But the producers should make sure there are no sharp knives around Andrew when he goes in front of the Judges Table. The crazy act sure makes good TV but he seems unhinged. (Andrew, wrap your head with aluminum foil; it will drown out the voices and thwart the aliens that are trying to control your mind....)
Still don't have all the chef's names down and still not yet rooting for anyone. The egos and arrogance of some of the contestants so far is a turn-off, and not at all funny like it was with the always entertaining Hung in Season 3.
And isn't it kind of weird, and a little disturbing, that they have some of these chefs sleeping in BUNK BEDS? After the age of 14 or whenever you stop going to summer camp, I don't think you should sleep in a bunk bed.
Quickfire challenge - with Mexican food authority Rick Bayless as guest judge - was about transforming and elevating the humble taco. Pretty good challenge and pretty tough judge. Bayless is one of my favorite chefs - his Frontera Grill in Chicago is a fab casual restaurant. (Had the best margaritas in my life there. Yep, better than Mexico.) He's soft spoken but he definitely knows good food and will tell you when yours isn't. Some of the chefs, like Erik, he of the Hairy Spider Eyebrows, didn't like that so much.
Take this exchange:
"I thought the plate looked like a train wreck," Bayless said about Erik's sloppy plating.
"He can go screw himself," Erik said.
Didn't see any lengua (tongue) tacos, but I guess that's too street. Manuel's face dropped when Rick didn't chose his taco. You know he so thought he had it in the bag. Richard's jicama taco was innovative (he won the challenge), but I think I'd rather eat Crazy Eyes Andrew's duck tacos.
Elimination challenge: Split into two teams, steal food from people's houses (OK, raid their pantries) and create food for a neighborhood block party.
This is where the arrogance of the chefs began to bother me.
Ryan: "I thought we kicked their [other team's] ass."
Padma: "You didn't."
Some chefs didn't want to elevate the food because that's not what "Middle America" wants.
So glad Bayless's comeback was: "Good food sells to everyone."
And Tom's: "That means you should be dumbing down what you're doing?"
Some of the sad, sad food served to those poor Middle Americans was soggy corndogs (Erik), soggy Waldorf salad, made with white balsamic vinegar instead of mayo! (Ryan), mac and cheese that tasted like "a brick" (Nikki), paella that was more like rice pilaf (Richard) and oily pasta salad that was apparently WORSE than supermarket salads (Zoi).
But the corndogs fried way too far in advance did Erik in - dude, don't screw up hot dogs in Chicago! - and he was sent packing. Much deserved in my opinion.
Next week: Daniel Boulud is on board as guest chef. Good stuff.
"As far as me going home, you need to drag me out with security guards. This is my house."
He wasn't - dragged out - and he didn't go home. But the producers should make sure there are no sharp knives around Andrew when he goes in front of the Judges Table. The crazy act sure makes good TV but he seems unhinged. (Andrew, wrap your head with aluminum foil; it will drown out the voices and thwart the aliens that are trying to control your mind....)
Still don't have all the chef's names down and still not yet rooting for anyone. The egos and arrogance of some of the contestants so far is a turn-off, and not at all funny like it was with the always entertaining Hung in Season 3.
And isn't it kind of weird, and a little disturbing, that they have some of these chefs sleeping in BUNK BEDS? After the age of 14 or whenever you stop going to summer camp, I don't think you should sleep in a bunk bed.
Quickfire challenge - with Mexican food authority Rick Bayless as guest judge - was about transforming and elevating the humble taco. Pretty good challenge and pretty tough judge. Bayless is one of my favorite chefs - his Frontera Grill in Chicago is a fab casual restaurant. (Had the best margaritas in my life there. Yep, better than Mexico.) He's soft spoken but he definitely knows good food and will tell you when yours isn't. Some of the chefs, like Erik, he of the Hairy Spider Eyebrows, didn't like that so much.
Take this exchange:
"I thought the plate looked like a train wreck," Bayless said about Erik's sloppy plating.
"He can go screw himself," Erik said.
Didn't see any lengua (tongue) tacos, but I guess that's too street. Manuel's face dropped when Rick didn't chose his taco. You know he so thought he had it in the bag. Richard's jicama taco was innovative (he won the challenge), but I think I'd rather eat Crazy Eyes Andrew's duck tacos.
Elimination challenge: Split into two teams, steal food from people's houses (OK, raid their pantries) and create food for a neighborhood block party.
This is where the arrogance of the chefs began to bother me.
Ryan: "I thought we kicked their [other team's] ass."
Padma: "You didn't."
Some chefs didn't want to elevate the food because that's not what "Middle America" wants.
So glad Bayless's comeback was: "Good food sells to everyone."
And Tom's: "That means you should be dumbing down what you're doing?"
Some of the sad, sad food served to those poor Middle Americans was soggy corndogs (Erik), soggy Waldorf salad, made with white balsamic vinegar instead of mayo! (Ryan), mac and cheese that tasted like "a brick" (Nikki), paella that was more like rice pilaf (Richard) and oily pasta salad that was apparently WORSE than supermarket salads (Zoi).
But the corndogs fried way too far in advance did Erik in - dude, don't screw up hot dogs in Chicago! - and he was sent packing. Much deserved in my opinion.
Next week: Daniel Boulud is on board as guest chef. Good stuff.
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