Top Chef Season 17: Meet the All Star Chefs Back on Bravo

I'm rooting for Joe Sasto, Angelo Sosa, or Bryan Voltaggio to win.

The rest of them suck.

Poor Jennifer Carroll. She must be a glutton for punishment.

She's been on the show a million times, and hasn't ever made it very far.

That's a great cast! When does this start? It's the only good thing on Bravo these days.

I just read that it's "scheduled" to air on March 19, 2020.

A looooong way away.

I'm surprised Lisa is coming back, considering she was edited as somewhat of a villain on her season. Maybe she wants to redeem herself?

It's odd, because Brian Malarkey and Bryan Voltaggio are both pretty successful restaurateurs.

Why would either of them stake their reputation, just to be on a reality show?

Angelo Sosa was also supposed to be a "celebrity chef."

What happened to him?

I had a huge crush on Bryan Voltaggio during Season 6. I will be cheering for him.

[quote]Why would either of them stake their reputation, just to be on a reality show?

My guess would be: $$$$$$

They bring name recognition, which translates to viewers... so perhaps Bravo gave them some extra incentive to sign on again?

Looking forward to the season -- March is no longer that far away!

I would eat Bryan Voltaggio fat sausage in front of alive audience if I had the chance.

I stopped watching Top Chef after Richard Blais won All-Stars. Has a black person other than the D.C. guy won since then ?

I stopped watching after it was clear Tom would declare the winner no matter if it made any sense or not. The year Nicholas Elmi won, that ended it for me.

Why isn't Michael Voltaggio coming back?

Because he has the lower voltage

Michael Voltaggio looks deathly ill.

Does he have the..... you know?

Premieres tomorrow night.

Finally, some good news!

I still have the hots for Brian Voltaggio.

Angelo, too.

I'm very excited about this season!

Bryan Voltaggio didn't age well.

Sure he did, R19.

Michael Voltaggio is the one who aged horribly.

He looks like a sick, old man.

I'd definitely take a load of Malarkey.

"Bryan Voltaggio didn't age well."

He's aged better than Michael

Thank God Marcel has disappeared.

Top Chef is running a marathon of last season, if anyone is interested.

I'm currently watching.

As for Bryan Voltaggio, he may have added a few extra pounds but he looks miles better than his brother. Michael looks like a drug addict.

What is that stupid ass NeeNee doing back on the show?

She isn't even close to being in the same league as the rest of these chefs.

I guess they needed a token.

Voltaggios = assmouth brothers

So who got eliminated?

R27 Nobody yet. The show starts at 10pm eastern.

I wish that Marcel and Hung came back.

That would have been fun.

Angelo Sosa seemed like he was crumbling under the pressure. Not everybody is cut out for reality TV. He should take care of his health, first and foremost.

No eye candy this season.

How in the fucking hell did Joe get sent home, ahead of Leeanne?

She burnt her fucking fish!! And she made amateur mistakes. She didn't know what the fuck she was doing.

And I really wish that Nini would shut the fuck up. Her voice and her constant rambling gets on my last goddamned nerve.

Just like it was during the Kentucky season, the producers seem to have a goddamned hardon for that dumb bitch. Every other comment on the show was from her... just blah blah blah blah fucking blah.

Oh, and what a shocker that she was also the guest bartender on WWHL with Gail, Padma and Tom.

She has got to be fucking SOMEONE on the show.

I don't know how people can say Brian Voltaggio is not hot.

He is SMOKING hot.

Also, I don't remember Gregory, but I was happy that he won the challenge. Good for him!

I was sad to see Joe go. I bet he has a nice furry ass.

Angelo, girl -- c'mon now, get out of that closet any day now.

It was sad seeing Leeanne stumble, but she's a competent chef. I'm sure she can recover.

Full episode (season premiere) up on YouTube.

I used to like that show but hate that fucking cunt Padma. Can't watch it any more because of her.

R36 = Salman Rushdie and Katie Lee Joel having a slumber party

[quote] I was sad to see Joe go. I bet he has a nice furry ass.

Same here.

I thought he would make it to the finale, but he got totally fucked over by stupid bitch Leeanne.

Bryan Voltaggio looks great. His brother looks like a meth head.

[quote] What is that stupid ass NeeNee doing back on the show? She isn't even close to being in the same league as the rest of these chefs. I guess they needed a token.

Nini is beyond annoying and comes off as a bit slow, but I seem to recall that she cooked some great things during her original season. And no, ffs, she wasn't chosen as a token. There are two other Asian women, two black men, and probably a couple other POC I'm forgetting; why would they need her as a token? Such a stupid, knee-jerk Dl response. (Well, unless you meant she's a token of the mentally retarded, which perhaps I could buy.)

Well then Michelle (the girl whose father killed himself) or Adrienne the lesbian should have been included this season, rather than Ninny.

Michelle actually made the final four and went to Macau. Ninny placed TWELFTH!

What in the fuck is she doing on this show, along with James Beard award nominees and winners??

Was shocked to see Joe eliminated in the premiere too. Just how bad was his flat bread dish??

Agree with R40 in regard to the fact that someone placing twelfth should not be considered an "all star". You should at least be in the upper half of the rankings.

My guess is that Joe will do well in Last-Chance Kitchen and will eventually return.

At the beginning of the first episode, NiNi and her vocal fry made a comment about all the James Beard nominees and winners, chefs with multiple restaurants, etc. and she didn't know what she was doing there.

I said to myself, she's going to win. They are giving her the winner's edit from the beginning. The underdog taking on all these great (?) chefs and winning.

I'm going to hate this season if this is true.

Padma and Tom said on WWHL that Malarkey went on to be the most successful chef in Top Chef history. He recently sold all of his restaurants to some big company for millions of dollars. Tom and Padma said that Malarkey was richer than all of them.

I saw that Andy Cohen announced he had tested positive for COVID19 the day after WWHL. Does this mean that Tom and Padma were exposed? (eek!)

[quote] Malarkey went on to be the most successful chef in Top Chef history. He recently sold all of his restaurants to some big company for millions of dollars.

Wow, then Malarkey REALLY lucked out if he sold all his restaurants.

Especially now!

I'm not totally getting the Nini hate. If I remember correctly, she was eliminated last season because she did a shitty job as Front of the House -- not her cooking. She was one of the frontrunners up until then and she knows how to do pastry (which always seems like an advantage, IMO).

Andy announced at the beginning of the show that it was previously taped

R49 Thank you. Good to know.

How many times do the writers have to have the winning contestant say the cliched," I'm a force to be reckoned with"? Who says this in real life?

New episode tonight.

That obnoxious NiNi needs to go.

Top Chef is one of the few shows on right now, that is actually original programming.

Thank goodness.

Who got eliminated?

How in the fuck did Angelo get sent home?

I thought that Stephanie or Eric were goners, for sure.

Poor Angelo. He seems so beaten down. Especially having a special needs child.

Angelo’s elimination did come out of left field. He wasn’t even featured that prominently in the ep. (Nini seems to be getting the most screentime and appears to be going far.)

It seems everyone really hated Angelo’s overly sweet tumeric soup.

[quote] Nini seems to be getting the most screentime and appears to be going far

Nitwit is definitely fucking one of the producers.

They really do seem to be into rice, because fat Nini and the chinese lesbian are getting lots of camera time.

Then again, Top Chef has always favored those people.

The viewer is at such a disadvantage with cooking competitions because we can’t taste the dishes, unlike other types of competitions where we can see or hear what contestants produce. We’re relying just on hearsay, essentially.

I was surprised to see Angelo go so soon.

Nini is definitely going far, so whoever it is that keeps posting about her will just have to deal with it.

In these trying times, the return of "Top Chef" to my TV has been incredibly comforting.

[quote] Nitwit is definitely fucking one of the producers.

Or maybe her food is actually good?

Sure, R61.

That's why she came in 12th place during her season.

Because her food is so "good."

She shouldn't even fucking be ON this show.

R62, wasn't she kicked off for being a bad Front of the House instead of a really bad dish??

There have been more than a few really good chefs who got axed because of FOH instead a shitty dish.

Well she didn't win Last Chance Kitchen either, R63.

Michelle did.

So why wasn't Michelle invited to the show? Or Adrienne? Or Sara?

All female chefs who placed higher than her.

Any why, out of everyone on Top Chef All-Stars, did they invite her to be the bartender on WWHL after the first episode aired?

Please. She's not on the show for her cooking. That much is for damned sure.

[quote] Any why, out of everyone on Top Chef All-Stars, did they invite her to be the bartender on WWHL after the first episode aired?

OK, maybe she has slumber parties with Andy Cohen and they do lines of coke together?

I have not seen LCK yet. I hope Joe Sasto pulled through. I would eat his.. pasta any time.

I haven't watched LCK yet, either -- does anyone know what the "twist" is?

Is it the two booted chefs competing against a third (another veteran)?

I really want Joe Sasto to be back in the competition.

He is so damned sexy, in a 70's porn star kind of way.

Finally caught up on this episode. Wasn't sad to see Angelo leave - I've always thought there was something off about him - in a creepy manner.

[quote] [R62], wasn't she kicked off for being a bad Front of the House instead of a really bad dish??

Yes, that is why Nini was kicked off. She screwed up as FOH, but her cooking was good—I think she won a couple challenges during her short time on the show.

[quote] So why wasn't Michelle invited to the show? Or Adrienne? Or Sara? All female chefs who placed higher than her.

It's higher than she (did). And has it ever occurred to you that maybe some past contestants weren't available or interested?

Nini's a bit annoying, but it's clear your fixation on her is going to be more annoying.

Am I the only one who is surprised that Angelo is straight?

I see Purple Rain posters and club kid outfits in his past.

I found Nini more memorable than Karen. I don't even remember a thing about Karen or the bald guy with the tattoos and I've seen all of the seasons.

I don't think Angelo is str8, his kid is adopted

Angelo was supposedly with an asian woman, right after his original season ended.

Don't know what happened to her, but apparently, they produced a kid. And now he's taking care of the kid.

No surprise there.

Slightly off topic but is anyone watching Tournament of Champions on Food Network? Antonia La Faso and the other Voltaggio brother competed on it. So did Brook Williams. This might explain why they aren't on TC17.

Jennifer Carroll...she is talented but did she ever open her restaurant Concrete Blonde? She talked about incessantly. I'm thinking some mental issues with her. Remember last All Stars when she was all hopped up and acting like Jerri Blank at the elimination table?

Jennifer might be talented, but she comes across as the cuntiest cunt who ever cunted.

I thought the rumors were that Ms. Carroll had/has a huge drinking problem that interferes with her functioning properly as an adult.

That was a nice episode to honor Gold. Some of the food looked really good.

Did that disgusting Nitwit FART while she was talking to Stephanie and the red head?

She's so gross.

Top Chef really does love orientals, doesn't it?

That's why I stopped watching. It was so biased.

I thought that this season would be different, but clearly not.

[quote] That was a nice episode to honor Gold. Some of the food looked really good.

I'm enjoying the season so far. In lieu of being able to eat at restaurants, at least I can enjoy the visuals of good dining.

I do have to say that I thought Karen was going home.

^^ They totally gave her the goodbye edit. And she was all teary-eyed in all of her interview segments. It was a good fake-out.

Joe is winning it last chance kitchen thankfully

Kelly Clarkson is the guest judge on tonight's episode!

R85, frautastic!

So who won?

Wow! The most shocking thing this season so far! Brian Malarkey is a heterosexual!!

Why does this show insist on attacking and trashing the white male chefs, but the asian female chefs are always praised, and always exempt from criticism?

I swear, this is why Top Chef has become unwatchable.

R89, what a sad, archaic world you live in. A female chef was sent home tonight. Sorry that she wasn't Asian.

And yet that loser Leeann is STILL in the competition, despite being in the bottom for three straight weeks.

No, no favortism at all.

I love how they just drag Malarkey through the mud, and criticize the hell out of him. At first, they accuse him of doing too much. Now they're accusing him of not doing enough. "Oh, it's too plain. Just mozzarella and tomatoes, and it's been done to death."

You mean like the fucking corn soup that the asian lesbian made, and was so "spectacular" that she won the elimination challenge? Or Leeanne's unseasoned slices of vegetables? But no personal attacks there.

The only attacks were on Malarkey.

Fuck this lame ass show. Might as well call it SJW Chef.

Everything they make looks disgusting to me

If the show ended now, the finale would have an all-gay Top 2 battle between Gregory and Melissa, IMO.

However, contestants who start off really strong in the first half of the show tend to slide a little bit downward towards the second half. The chef who is ascendant during the second half -- after getting off to a mediocre start -- usually wins this show, from my observation.

Gregory is gay, R193? Link, please. I had no idea.

I'm still rooting for Brian Voltaggio, but so far he isn't making much of an impact.

R94, Gregory mentioned being gay on his season, I believe. Below is confirmation:

[quote] Chef Gregory Gourdet, the openly gay chef from Departure restaurant in Portland, Oregon, was a lead contender throughout the season, but fell just short of snagging the win in the grand finale in Mexico. While he may not have walked away with the accolades and title, Gourdet proved himself a fierce competitor and role model to thousands of gay youth pursuing careers in the culinary arts.

There were way too many Trolls in this episode (including Malarkey).

Is anybody watch Last Chance Kitchen?

It's been a fe days since the episode, so I'll assume it's safe to discuss here -- I was sad to see Joe go! He should have gone for a fried pasta. On a purely superficial note, I absolutely want to see him naked.

Yes, I wondered why he didn't do a fried ravioli.

Malarkey is obnoxious...he deserved to be dragged. Melissa makes beautiful food ...I thought her soup looked delicious.

[quote] Malarkey is obnoxious...

That has nothing to do with his cooking.

It's called TOP CHEF, not TOP PERSONALITY.

And no R99, her food looked like nothing special. There's only one reason she won.

^^Your odd and annoying fixation and vendetta against these certain chefs is making this thread absolutely unreadable. I don't know what your deal or agenda is, but I'm here to discuss the food.

Being a vegetarian, I loved this last challenge. Fun to see food I could actually eat.

Melissa’s dish looked delicious and I wanted both Eric and Nini’s desserts.

Just block that person!

Anyone could have guessed that Malarkey was going to get dragged for doing a tomato mozzarella salad. Corn soup may not be the most unusual dish in the world, but it's not fucking ubiquitous the way tomato mozzarella salad is; plus, Melissa used a lot of ingredients in hers that you wouldn't expect to find in corn soup and that really showcased the farmer's market.

R104, yeah, Malarkey just made a caprese salad. I mean, c'mon now... He was lucky Lisa's dish was as bad as it was.

r97 why would you want to see Joe naked? He's chubby and flabby.

Malarkey's cooking is obnoxious just like him.

The judges are just jealous of Brian Malarkey because he has more money than they do.

Someone upthread mentioned that he sold his restaurants to a corporation, and made a TON of money.

He's rich. And they're jealous.

I don't remember Malarkey having such a 'zany' personality on his original season.

People complaining about who was and was not invited are neglecting to consider that not everyone can drop their life and go off to film. I’m sure many who are invited can’t or don’t want to do it.

I'm very unimpressed with LeeAnn..wasn't she in the finals one season?

R67 and R97, definitely agree about Joe. I don't really find those type of moustaches attractive (or any type really), but I thought Joe was damn sexy, and by the end, I was definitely on the wanna-see-him-naked and fuck-his-brains-out train.

I don't remember LeeAnn, R111, but I haven't been very impressed so far. But I'm still catching up on episodes. Was sad to see Angelo go though, he was another sexy man.

Argh, I was sad to see Jen go home.

She has redeemed herself from her previous appearance on Top Chef, that's for sure.

Last chance was Lisa vs. Jen, Lisa won

Jen needs to stop entering these cooking competitions.

I don't think it's good for her mental health, because she's so terrible at them.

Poor Jen! She made a terrible, overly gingery dish named after her sister!

R115 As asked before, why do these chefs (most with their own restaurants) risk their reputation by taking part, and being skewered by Tom and co for creating terrible dishes? Is the check for appearing too tempting?

There doesn’t feel like a clear winner at stage: Kevin, Melissa and Gregory are the front runners at the moment imo

Even poor Brian Voltaggio is staking his reputation by doing this show.

Before this, everyone thought of him as this superstar of Top Chef.

Thanks to the editing and favortism of the judges, he's looking like a total flameout.

He should have refused to do the show. It's not worth his already stellar reputation.

Can you just imagine if he is beat by that idiot Nini? Brian would never live that down.

I’m growing tired of the judges.

I'll bet Malarkey is a totally fun fuck.

[quote]As asked before, why do these chefs (most with their own restaurants) risk their reputation by taking part, and being skewered by Tom and co for creating terrible dishes?

Malarkey is the only one who is super successful. He is a multi-millionaire after recently selling his restaurants to an investment group. The rest of them are nowhere near that level, including Tom. In fact, Tom's restaurants are not that successful anymore.

[quote] The rest of them are nowhere near that level, including Tom. In fact, Tom's restaurants are not that successful anymore.

Which is why he's such an asshole to Malarkey, on the show.

If that's the case, then why even bother inviting him back?

Tom Colicchio is just a jealous cunt.

Colicchio is a good guy. Malarkey is annoying as fuck

Maybe they get paid per episode?

I'm sure some of the chefs do the show on the principle that there's no such thing as bad publicity. Even if they get slammed for a crappy dish at some point, they're sure to attract some customers/Top Chef fans who just want to try out a restaurant run by a Top Chef alum.

And the chefs certainly are not going to lose any potential customers over dishes that weren't even bad, just unsuitable to the challenge, like Malarkey's tomato burrata salad (delicious but done to death) and Voltaggio's Quickfire entry this week (delicious but failed to replicate the restaurant dish his sister was eating), despite the white guy freak who thinks these criticisms constitute vicious personal attacks.

BTW, Colicchio is worth around 20 million so I doubt he's eaten alive with jealousy over Malarkey's supposed fortune.

lmfao who the hell is in this stanning for Malarkey, Joe the mustache guy and Voltaggio? Get over it they're not going to win every challenge. It's bizarre how you're attacking the female and non-white chefs as if they're "less deserving" of winning. Melissa, Gregory, Nini and Eric make a lot of interesting food with different flavors that you don't usually get to see on "high end" menus.

All Joe makes is fucking pasta and bread

Malarkey may be very successful and rich but he's annoying as hell and yeah count me in as shocked that he's straight

I hope Gregory or Melissa wins the whole thing

I agree LeeAnn should be off soon but her Mapo sauce looked good last episode

New episode tonight.

Which white guy will get kicked off next, leaving Leeann still there to cook her shitty food?

oh yes those poor white men are so oppressed on Top Chef!! Get a life

Ding dong, the bitch is gone!

Leeann is such a cunt.

Malarkey should have told her to shut the fuck up.

She's not even a good cook.

Who got kicked off?

R131, Nini and Karen.

I am glad Eric and Bryan Voltaggio are still in it.

I would say the Top 3 are easily Gregory, Melissa, and Kevin.

I'm happy that Brian is still in it, too.

I thought he would win easily, but it's not looking that way.

To be honest, he's not pushing himself in the creativity department. I think that he has a very corporate mindset now, which doesn't work in the Top Chef format.

[quote] Malarkey should have told her to shut the fuck up.

Malarkey and Leeann were squabbling like an old married couple.

Karen won Last Chance Kitchen, she's back in the game

Wow, that's impressive!

Good for Karen.

As soon as Melissa and Kevin paired up, I thought they would be the winning team.

R138 they really are killing it, aren't they? Both of them have been so dominant thus far. I feel like they are definitely the chefs to beat. I also like Gregory and Eric and I still stan Bryan V but the dude needs to step. it. up.

Wow, Nini came across as a clueless hack in Last Chance Kitchen. She burned her steaks not once, not twice, but THREE times and then went on to completely scorch her chicken curry in round two.

Teaser for next week showed Malarkey pitching a restaurant concept based off the movie Shrek. Seriously?

Glad to hear Karen will be back in!

I cannot stand this Malarkey guy. He is too extra for me. And those bleached teeth. Cannot stand him.

Is he known as a good chef?

Not a big fan of this show and did not know who he was...

Did anyone notice continuity issues at judges’ table where Bryan and Eric were standing in different positions depending on the editing cut, LOL. Still, the pressure of the double-elimination created an entertaining episode.

All the food looked excellent too bad a team had to go home

how the hell is Malarkey straight? he is fucking flaming

I love Malarkey. He's hilarious.

Eric was the right one to go home. He takes himself way too seriously.

I'm happy that Eric admitted that he was very arrogant. During his season, he was the golden boy. This season, he clearly saw that he's not the best chef in the world.

He said that he learned humility this season, so that's a good thing.

I love Brian Voltaggio. He's really cute, and kind of ditzy, actually. He doesn't really seem to be very aware of his surroundings, which makes him even more funny. I also love his kooky laugh.

Bryan’s laugh is so unique and the reason is why its constantly added to the edit.

Look forward to the backstabbing bitchfest that is restaurant wars next week!

Wow, Brian laughs. I have only seen a few of this season's episodes. What I remember in terms of the impression Brian gave me when he and his meth-lab brother were on the show was that I never saw Brian smile.

I'm surprised that Voltaggio has a son. He seems at least bi to me.

I thought the criticism of Brian was a bit unfair.

The judges were like, "make up your mind, either you want to do fine dining, or you want to make your food accessible to more people."

I get where he's coming from. His plating is exquisite, and his culinary sensibility is very high end.

However, he probably wants his food to reach a different clientele, other than just food snobs. He wants "regular people" to experience fine dining in an environment that is not intimidating.

It's a great idea, but maybe one that he didn't quite get across to the panel.

Stephanie Izard's critique of "you're a fine dining chef, so own it!" was ridiculous.

Of course he owns it. Every single plate he puts out, is immaculate. Even the ones that he creates with a fucking machete!

He just wants his food to reach more people than it currently does.

[quote] I'm surprised that Voltaggio has a son. He seems at least bi to me.

Are you talking about Brian? Because Brian's hole is probably tighter than a vice grip.

He's so straight laced and a bit boring, which is not necessarily a bad thing. But he just doesn't seem all that adventurous.

Which is precisely why his brother Michael won, in their original season when they competed against each other.

If any Voltaggio is bi or gay, it's Michael. He seems to be the wilder brother of the two. I also don't think that he has been linked with any female, either.

Something is up with Michael V.

Either he has an eating disorder, or he's a druggie.

He looks unwell.

I get Pete Davidson vibes with Michael V.

Sadly, Bryan V is very very straight. Married his high school sweetheart and has three kids. He comes across as very serious and earnest. Very buttoned up. Not a jerk or a douchebag but very … restrained.

I'm not surprised Brian V.'s son is named Thatcher... He's very serious, but some people are just like that. He needs to get back on track this season though -- he's underperforming.

The Nini-hater's head must have exploded because she won LCK.

Brian V is so uptight in real life, I bet he's a real dirty piggy boy behind closed doors. Would love to get him all poppered up and eat his asshole til he begs to be fucked.

But also, when did Kevin get cute?? He was very unattractive in his last appearance but there is something about him now -- maybe the post-cancer humility? He's a lot more likable. Physically and personality-wise.

The Voltaggio's are creepy boys to men. There's a reason for the constant 3 day beard growth. They were born without jaws or chins. Sad on a chef. Usually they lose all that to FAT. But the autistic/manic emotionally dead Voltaggio was born WITHOUT a chin and only enough jaw to hold his mouth closed. It's tragic.

And Kevin never got cute. Who watches Top Chef for hot guys? Must be that same weirdo who watches Survivor to see guys in dirty saggy underwear. SAD. Join a gym. Tone up. See some goodlooking men on the street. Have a crush on a live person who changes their socks. Chefs are gross sexual companions.

Jeez, r156. Why so negative?

I think Brian V is very cute. The laugh reminds me of Seth Rogan which isn't a good thing. Plus he was displaying quite the gut whilst shopping at WF. Dude needs to tighten up.

[quote]The laugh reminds me of Seth Rogan which isn't a good thing.

THANK YOU! It was driving me nuts trying to figure out who it reminded me of, and that's it.

So who went home?

Michael is not back because he won.

Kevin went home because his restaurant wars restaurant was terrible.

Wow, that was a great episode!

So happy for Gregory. He was really calm and collected, he was focused, and he had his shit together. He really picked the right team.

The way Leanne treated the wait staff, though. Ugh. I really hope she can see herself on television, and change how she behaves. That was just downright nasty.

I'm happy Malarkey came through for the team. He gets such a bad rap here, but he doesn't hurt anyone. Yes, he's a performer and a bit over-the-top, but he's harmless. Annoying? Maybe. But he seems like a good guy.

I love Stephanie. I hope she makes it to the end. She's a real team player, very low key, and humble. I like that.

For the losing team, Kevin was the right one to go home. That menu was absolutely ridiculous. Too many items for Restaurant Wars.

I'm glad he took responsibility and didn't throw anyone under the bus.

Btw, is Kevin gay? If I remember, he had a wife and kids, but he really sets off my gaydar.

Anyone know who won Last Chance Kitchen?

I hope Kevin makes it back in to the competition. He's too good a chef to not make it to the finale.

Todd Gak won Last Chance Kitchen.

Who's Todd Gak?

When you name your restaurant after a dish that relies on curry, don’t use bought curry powder.

Pointless, zilllion-year-old Seinfeld reference, r166.

It’s Gack.

R164, Kevin won it over Nini.

Thanks R170! I'm happy for Kevin.

Btw, who was that really handsome judge in the past two episodes?

I'm assuming he's gay?

He judged the chef restaurant presentations, and he also judged the restaurant wars.

I think his name might be Rob or something.

Kevin was the right one to go home. That being said, I admire his "the captain goes down with the ship" attitude and I'm glad he won LCK and will live on to fight another day.

I thought he waaaay over reacted about the dish incident at the restaurant supply store. The other team had no way of knowing those dishes were there because he had chosen them.

r171 Not gay - looks like Colin Farrell - married with a few kids.

Yes this was a great episode R163 with drama and tension where the chefs were trying hard to be nice and supportive, but secretly raging inside.

Both Kevin and Gregory were faithful to their concepts, but Kevin bit more than he could chew with too many dishes and failing to recreate his chicken dish. It seems that no-one ever learns from other restaurant wars and keep on making the same rookie mistakes. But that’s what makes the episode fun to watch I suppose?

The previews look hilarious.

Karen fumes, while the ladies are giddy over Brian Voltaggio!

I would be the same way!

I don’t know if she can win it but I like Stephanie too. One of the best moments all season was when she said to her husband during the challenge, “I’ve got this. Go help Leann.” Top Chef hasn’t always been like that. I really admire people like Stephanie, it says so much about who she is.

As a private chef, she’s done really well to stay in the competition.

And Gregory made all the right choices when selecting his team. I finally got the point of Malarkey who was fantastic. Stephanie proved to be very dedicated and malleable to Gregory’s vision and Leann worked her ass off.

On Kevin’s team, Voltagio did his own thing, as usual, Melissa couldn’t work up any excitement for somebody else’s concept and Karen, whom I really like, fell into every known front of house trap. And ruined her dish.

Even though he botched it, I admire Kevin for taking responsibility - again, TC hasn’t always been like that. His journey this season has been particularly interesting and resonant in the context of the pandemic; the earlier episode that honoured the late influential figures and revealed his near death experience - which he fought his way back and won. And this episode when he spoke of the same experience and how it’s grounded him more in the truth and honour of his experience, to have survived his illness. I think we all feel a bit of that, the drive to come back and being compelled to lead our most authentic existence.

This is the best season of Top Chef ever, for me it has really captured the zeitgeist.

As someone who has never heard of "Country Captain," I never want to again. Seriously, a Southern American CURRY? And with that dopey "neither Country nor Captain, tawk amongst yourselves" name?

And now Kevin with his unattractive facial hair is back? Feh.

Loved this episode and agree with the poster upthread who said Gregory picked the right team (though, I would have swapped Leann for Melissa). I, too, was pleasantly surprised at Malarkey, who really rose to the occasion.

Given the way Padma says "you are Top Chef!" in the preview, it sounds like whomever wins is stunned that he/she won... so maybe it *will* be Stephanie.

On a related note: is anyone else watching Top Chef Canada? I'm really enjoying its new season, as well.

I never like the restaurant war episode, always seems so unfair

When Greg chose Malarkey over Melissa I knew this guy was seriously going to win. Malarkey has opened dozens of restaurants, he knows the front end like nobody's business. Smart Choice, because the front of the house is where they always fail in restaurant wars. Also, by choosing the no drama "B" team, if he wins he takes out a serious contender, which he did.

Kevin let his ego take over, he deserved to be cut.

I am with R179. It just is too much in the time frame they are given. If everyone is expected to cook, then they should bring back a helper from the eliminated cast to be front of house. How the house manager and expediter are supposed to also cook a serve a decent dish is beyond me.

The judges loved Melissa's dish but her lack of enthusiasm was for the too many dishes to plate and serve for each table. It was Kevin's show, so she just did her job and supported the concept.

LeAnne's pineapple upside down cake looked amazing.

That handsome guest judge is way too manicured and well-dressed to be 100% straight. And his eyes are too twinkly for a straight guy.

Oh, I wanted me some of that upside down pineapple cake with rum and raisin ice cream. An actual real desert that also looked beautiful.

The fat boy pissed all over his grandma's bad chicken dish.

[quote] Voltagio did his own thing, as usual

You can't really fault Brian for that. Fine dining is his thing. Even in casual settings.

I still remember that one quickfire challenge, where they all had to work with machetes, and he still put out a fine dining plate.

It's in his blood.

[quote] I never like the restaurant war episode, always seems so unfair

I thought this one was much more fair than previous restaurants wars.

They were all given an equal opportunity to pitch their ideas and sell it to the panel.

The ones who sold their idea the best, were the winners. It seems pretty fair to me.

It’s not fair that the Canuck gets to watch our Top Chef, but we don’t get to watch theirs!

I *think* non-Canadians can watch the episodes on YouTube for a fee.

Or, if you can find a way around the region restrictions, all the episodes are on Food Network Canada (free).

A “fee?” You mean a tariff. Sneaky bastards.

No, more like a rental. Same way you'd pay for new episodes of a series on, say, iTunes.

Store bought curry powder for a signature dish is ridiculous. It's fine for home cooks, maybe even as a shortcut for an accent flavor. But as a signature dish (that you named your restaurant after!) it's outsourcing your signature flavor. For that alone, Kevin deserved to go home. It was otherwise a mess.

Both head chefs dictated their choices autocratically. And that's fine, but then it falls on them when those choices are wrong.

The Drag Queen guest judges on Canada's brunch quick fire challenge this week were.....Canadian. As in busted looking men in dresses with bad wig lines and not a shred of wit between them. And they knew nothing about food. Was Brooke Lynn Heights busy? Right, also a witless big man in a dress.

That challenge deserved Allyssa, or Manilla or Eureka. Someone big, pretty, funny and hungry.

[quote] Karen fumes,

Karen annoys. I don't care for her. She can leave [again] any day now. Kevin and Karen both overreacted with the plating fiasco at the store.

Yeah, that was not a good look for Lee Anne with the waiters, but as someone who has worked as a waiter in college, believe me that chefs being sarcastic or exploding behind the scenes is not at all unusual. Still, you would think she would rein it in in front of the cameras.

I did have to cringe at Karen spilling red wine all over that woman's lap! That's quite possibly one of the worst things ever for a server.

I like all the chefs but I was kind of glad to see Kevin fall on his face. His concept sucked but was good to see him take ownership of it.

Stephanie just seems like a cool chick.

Gregory's menu looked delicious. I seriously wanted Haitian food after that. Everything looked delicious.

Not being from the south myself, do southerners eat the type of family-style food Kevin was putting out there? Canapes with caviar, curries, etc. It seems quite bourgeois, but I'm not from there, so what do I know?

R191 Agree about the whole plating extravaganza. That was some diva level shit.

R194, goodness, no. I don’t know what the fuck his menu was about, but it certainly didn’t represent what Southerners eat.

R196, thanks. That's what I suspected. The menu certainly seemed at odds with his stories about fishing in rivers and eating at granny's home.

I grew up in the South and never heard of Country Captain. It must be very specific to the Carolina coast. Boone's Farm Country Kwencher, however, I have heard of.

Well, Lee Anne is gone, but at least she made out with $20,000.

Hilarious that with 14 brunch dishes, you couldn't get an egg to save your life. Chopped up hard boiled eggs in a salad doesn't count.

R200, what exactly happened with Gregory's egg idea?

On a side note, I was mildly disturbed watching Malarkey putting on shoes with no socks!

I think it's down to Melissa, Greg and maybe Voltaggio. The rest of them are not even close. Although the judges threw a warning to Melissa lastnight with her crap salad. Make more crap like that and we will send you packing.

And good old Malarkey is there for exposure. He desperately wants his own show out of this.

Bryan Voltaggio is going to begin his mid-season ascent after this episode, IMO.

All of those fraus were getting hot and bothered by him. I'm sure they kept going over to his station for 'seconds.'

Gregory ran out of time, so he just dumped some spinach on his dish, r201. I was so afraid Melissa was going home. I wish she had noticed no one was cooking eggs, scrapped the "salad", and just done scrambled eggs with chives and goat cheese (or anything!).

R202, don’t forget Kevin. I assume he’ll come back.

R204, thanks. It was an uncharacteristic misstep for Melissa who has been one of the strongest chefs this season. I certainly want to see her at the end with Gregory.

Hello, r202!

I was so happy for Brian! He made two beautiful dishes for the camp fraus.

I don't know what it is about him, but he's so cute. He's very down to earth, and I like that. I loved how he said he used to go camping when he was younger, and when asked if Michael went to camp also, he said, "No, Michael only like spas." Michael's quite the diva.

Very happy that Leeanne went home. I can't stand her.

I think Melissa was saying “fuck you” to the challenge.

^^^Agreed. And the judges said fuck you right back to her.

Tom had a hard on for Kevin in LCK. Leanne obviously made a better benedict, but Kevin is a man so he's going forward. Whenever its close, Tom always picks the dude.

R211, I agree Tom (and most likely all the other judges, too) want Kevin back in this competition. But I think Kevin won LCK this week. Lee Anne fucked up her over easy egg, nailed the French omelette but Kevin's was close, and then cooked her eggs way too early for the Eggs Benedict. Plus her sauce was not a Hollandaise. When she described her sauce, I thought it didn't sound like it would evoke a Hollandaise and that's what Tom said. Lee Anne has been scraping the bottom for a while now. I figured she'd go sooner or later.

[quote] Leanne obviously made a better benedict, but Kevin is a man so he's going forward.

Maybe she did, maybe she didn't, but overall, Leanne sucks balls, while Kevin is very talented, so I can't say I was sorry to see him win their LCK duel.

I cannot believe that Karen used to be a cheerleader.

No wonder she's such a bitch.

Isn't she a lesbian?

Kevin is obviously a much better chef than LeAnne, who only made it as far as she did because of her likability. She's one step up from Ree Drummond as a cook.

I disagree about Melissa, r209, r210. I think she has more of a people pleasing, type B personality. She was trying to round out a menu, instead of looking out for herself.

Yeah, Melissa needed to assert herself more at the beginning by claiming her own ingredients. Being the agreeable one has gotten other good chefs cut before.

I forgot who won the last season of Top Chef until Casey came out to co-host the Quickfire. I didn't miss her -- a forgettable winner.

Former contestants have always been a part of the show, but has anyone seen any of the Texas contestants at any point on subsequent seasons of the show, or is it the season everyone wants to forget?

[quote]Bryan Voltaggio is going to begin his mid-season ascent after this episode, IMO. All of those fraus were getting hot and bothered by him. I'm sure they kept going over to his station for 'seconds.'

Did they notice he is missing a JAW? Dude looks like Jeffrey Dahmer without a JAW.

What's up with serving chopped romaine with some grapefruit slices? Terrible. Like how is that a dish a chef serves on a TV competition show. She should have gone home.

Top Chef is the one competition reality show to never take too seriously. Not because they aren't serious. But because talking about a "dry" hard boiled egg is kind of pedantic. Food criticism is mostly ridiculous.

Hell yes, Malarkey IS adorable. He HAS a jaw and nicely shaped head and even pretty features. He's nothing special, but cute. And obnoxious. Food Network Gold. But so far he's still a real chef with a lot of restaurants.

No one wants to see Voltagian on their TV every week. He scares the children and it turns out he's not such a hot chef after all.

[quote] Top Chef is the one competition reality show to never take too seriously.

The ONE? You're a little simple if you take any competition reality show all that seriously.

Harsh, R219!

Nasty woman.

I really hope that this is the beginning of Brian's rise.

He deserves to win.

Of course no season of Top Chef would be complete without the return of thirsty Brooke Williamson.

Melissa gave me a heart attack, she's my fave and she really shit the bed with that sad looking salad. (Pretty boyish looking lesbians make me wistful, though... would make the prettiest boys).

Brian, Melissa and Gregory are the best. That said they really gave Gregory a pass for plopping some wilted spinach on his dish. That was bullshit. Brian makes beautiful food, I've also noticed how thick his wrists and forearms are. He is hot but needs to drop a few lbs. Malarkey is goofy as hell, he is entertaining but looks like Jim Carrey in the Mask. Kevin is talented but there is a lot of hype and his cooking is a bit too regional for my tastes.

Welll... I kinda take their word for it when they say something taste great, since I can't taste it, with regard to the spinach substitution. In a previous Top Chef Canada finale, cute german winner served a lemon sorbet as a palate cleanser "course". And they were kinda incredulous at judges table, but then were like "buuuut it was the best sorbet I've had in my life!"

Ok guys, I can’t stand it any longer: it’s Bryan Voltaggio but Brian Malarkey, their names are written in large letters by the OP.

Anyway back to normal programming: So glad that Bryan finally won a challenge, and delighted the fraus who fawned over him (and Michael).

Does anyone know who won LCK, or are the saving the big reveal for next week's show?

R228, you can watch it on YouTube. I don't want to spoil it for you if you're going to watch it yourself.

I'm glad that Karen went home, but it should have been Melissa, and her crab shell custard.

I think that no one should have been sent home, especially for cooking food from a completely different culture and style, than what they're used to.

I mean, would they have a challenge on cooking food from Madagascar, and then sending someone home for not doing it properly? That's just ridiculous. The whole elimination challenge was ridiculous, but it seemed to be geared towards keeping Melissa (obviously) in the competition.

Bryan Voltaggio seemed genuinely pissed when Malarkey called him "Michael." I thought that was hilarious, especially given the rivalry between the Voltaggio brothers.

Next week is gonna suck. So sad that someone is going to get cut, right before the trip to Italy. I have a feeling that it's either going to be Gregory or Stephanie, especially since Gregory forgets to plate one of the elements on his dish.

R230, It will be Stephanie, I bet. This week was her big parting-gift penultimate episode (I hope she gets her Japan trip next year!).

Bryan-with-a-"y"-and-not-Michael Voltaggio will win it all. My second prediction.

I like Asian food from China to Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and other countries; but I do not care at all for Japanese cuisine. Tonight's fussiness, ingredients, and scant portions did nothing to motivate me to investigate further.

Thanks, R229, but I'm not gonna watch -- so go ahead and spoil it if you want! (With a spoiler warning in case anyone else in the thread does NOT want to know.)

As for who'll win it all, my guess is Stephanie. I said it earlier in the thread: in the season preview, in the clip that shows Padma announcing the winner, the way she (Padma) says, "YOU'RE Top Chef!" makes it look like whomever she's telling is genuinely shocked they won. I feel like Voltaggio wouldn't be that surprised, but someone like Stephanie might be.

Is Padma pregnant again? Or has years and years of Top Chef finally taken their toll?

Padma is a goddess who goes braless. She does little cooking demos on Twitter during our time of isolation.

People still watch this shit?

Project Runway, too?

R235, no need to judge, Mary.

Japanese food is as mainstream as Italian R230 now, and if you’re a chef competing in a national competition and not able to pull a Japanese dish together, don’t bother entering. Try ‘Beat Bobby Flay” or “Kitchen Nightmares” instead.

The edit looked like Stephanie would be packing her knives, with the tears and sad family back story. But glad she finally won, with Bryan coming second. The whole meal looked like one I would gladly pay for (except for Karen’s duck).

[quote] Japanese food is as mainstream as Italian

No way. Not even close. And especially not in the U.S.

Go anywhere outside of New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, and most people wouldn't have a clue about a "kaiseki" meal.

For fuck's sake, most of the chefs said they had no clue about it. Three of the six even went so far as to say that their style of cooking was in the complete OPPOSITE direction of what they are used to doing. So please don't give me this bull about that type of food being mainstream, because it's not.

It was a bogus challenge, done strictly because of the 2020 Olympics being in tokyo, and their being broadcast on NBC - the parent company of "Top Chef."

[quote] the way she (Padma) says, "YOU'RE Top Chef!" makes it look like whomever she's telling is genuinely shocked they won. I feel like Voltaggio wouldn't be that surprised

I'll be sad if Bryan doesn't win.

Always the bridesmaid...

It must suck for Bryan the older brother to have lost to his crackhead younger brother, Michael.

How very cute though, that they are both greying in the exact same place in their facial hair.

What a cute picture of the brothers...

Why do so many food preparers have such vile ink all over their bodies.

If someone made my food looking like that, I'd vomit.

Same here, R242.

Yet for some reason, it "works" for Michael. Bryan is too wholesome to have tattoos.

Here's another cool picture of them looking.... intense.

"Daddy" Bryan.

Why doesn't Michael have any kids?

I liked this episode. I think it was a great leveler since none of the chefs had much experience with it. Most of the challenges they pretty much have free rein so it was time to see what they could do when they had very specific parameters. Bryan V tends to be very elegant and precise so I'm glad he did well. I was initially worried since his dish came first in the progression. I figured by the time everyone got to the end, any impression he made would be forgotten. Happy that was not the case.

Last Chance Kitchen spoiler below!

Kevin took on Karen, who was rightly eliminated from the main competition for her duck dish. There are several ingredients by category. Karen got to choose the ingredient and the dish had to be tea forward. Yes, tea. Kevin did a seared tuna in a broth made from mint, hibiscus and other tea. Karen did a fish poached in lemongrass and ginger tea. Kevin's was more ambitious and he won. Karen looks pretty pissed off that she has been eliminated for the third time (twice from the main competition, and now once from LCK).

Tom then brings in the current five players from the main competition, none of whom will be eliminated in LCK; rather, three of the five will take on Kevin to try to keep him from coming back. Kevin gets to pick his opponents. If Kevin wins 2 out of the 3 battles, he's back in.

First he picks Brian Malarkey. Kevin thinks Malarkey has a hard time editing himself, and in LCK where time and choices are an issue, Malarkey might try to do too much. More ingredients by category up for grabs. Malarkey picks shells (shellfish). Tom chooses the dish, and it has to be a risotto, so basically a seafood risotto. Malarkey of course can't help himself and does a spin on risotto. He adds too much broth to the final dish because he says he wants the risotto to stay moist, so it looks more like a soup. Kevin goes the more traditional route and does a classic risotto. Kevin rightly wins. Malarkey in an interview talks about how everyone knew he should have won, which is bullshit. I can't wait for this guy to go.

Kevin next picks Bryan Voltaggio, presumably because BV has not won a quickfire challenge yet. While Kevin was contemplating his pick, my partner and I were yelling, "Pick Stephanie!" She looked absolutely panicked that she'd get chosen. Her nerves were written all over her face, and I think she would have messed up. Dumb move by Kevin. The ingredient category is stinky, and Tom decides they have to make a stinky soup. Lots of ingredients with funk to them. Kevin uses a ton for his soup, including blue cheese (yuck). Bryan is more restrained, and Bryan wins. Now Kevin has to win the third battle or he's done.

Again, my partner and I are saying, "Pick Stephanie!" She's still looking scared to death. Shockingly, Kevin leaves it up to one of the five to volunteer to take him on. Gregory takes the challenge because he wants to make sure Kevin doesn't get back in. Again, a seemingly stupid move by Kevin, but he says if he gets back in, he thinks he should have to beat the strongest chefs. The ingredient category is fruit and nuts. Tom says the dish has to have some sort of dough. Gregory makes a rice dumpling soup basically topped with a fruit salad, so a dessert soup. Kevin makes a cornbread pear and walnut cobbler. Gregory's mistake is to put a watermelon and strawberry ice on top of the soup when it's far too frozen, and Tom gets brain freeze. Tom likes both dishes, but Kevin gets the win and he's back in the competition. Cut to Stephanie looking not so happy. I still think Kevin should have gone against her second, but he's in and he did it his own way.

Thanks for the recap, R246! Much appreciated. :-)

Kevin is an asshole beneath that Hee Haw accent.

He really is, R248.

The editing tries to make him look like a good guy, but you can tell that just below the surface of his "Southern politeness," is a real asshole, demanding, rude, and arrogant.

What a prick!

You're very welcome, R228.

I hope the finale is Gregory, Melissa, Bryan and Kevin. Malarkey can go anytime. That guy is annoying and arrogant. Stephanie has been coasting in the middle all season. It's time she goes home. I hope the above poster is wrong that she wins. Granted she just won this last elimination challenge, but I think it was more because the frontrunners surprisingly made technical errors. Bryan made a good dish, but Stephanie's was universally praised. I think she just had a good week and others not so good, so she wound up on top.

R248 and R249, I don't know where you're coming from. Would someone who is an asshole really accept the blame in Restaurant Wars and get eliminated? He didn't throw anyone under the bus. He rightfully took ownership for the failure of his restaurant. That is the exact opposite of what an asshole would do.

Country Captain chicken dinner with 9 yucky side dishes had to take the blame. Yes the front of house was a mess, but lil Kevin designed that terrible menu. He knew he was going home, so he played the nobility card to make it seem like he was sacrificing himself. Still Kevin is at least a human person who can make eye contact and conversation. That's better than Voltaggio.

That’s true, R251; Kevin made lots of eye contact during his hissy fit about the plates.

Maybe Bryan V. is socially awkward.

He was never very talkative, but he seems like a nice guy.

Look at how cute he was, about 10 years ago.

He's still handsome, but he looked really young back then.

On the spectrum.

I never realized that Kevin and Bryan Voltaggio were on the same season!

Apparently, Michael Voltaggio finished first, Bryan Voltaggio second, and Kevin Gillespie third.

With Kevin back in the competition, that would be an interesting re-match between him and Bryan.

Yeah I think you guys are right about Kevin. He seems very arrogant, I find his cooking unsophisticated. The opposite of Bryan V...who cooks next level. His dishes all look beautiful. I also love Gregory and Melissa. They're very creative for the most part.

Great to Stephanie win one, she seems like a sweetheart.

The image of Karen power lifting is the stuff of nightmares.

Rofl R256, I forgot about Karen's power lifting segment.

And I totally agree. That was some butch action.

Crazy how she went from H.S. cheerleader, to lesbian weight lifter.

OMG, I rewatched the Voltaggio finale to figure out what R255 was smoking and Kevin was indeed in it, WTF! So this is Kevin’s third attempt to become Top Chef?

To be fair, I think its Bryan's third try as well.

[quote] WTF! So this is Kevin’s third attempt to become Top Chef?

Same for Bryan.

He lost to his brother the first time.

Then he was runner-up during his first season in Top Chef: Masters.

Now this is his third attempt in Top Chef All-Stars.

Bryan has paced himself nicely this season. He saved all his best tricks and recipes for the second half of the competition. On the other hand, Melissa peaked too early.

So it could be third time’s a charm for Bryan, R260 Let’s hope so, it’ll make for an emotional finale.

Love this show all over again

I love Top Chef too...at least there is real talent involved.

If I were Bryan’s agent, I would have insisted on a win to appear. Barring any major fuck-ups, of course.

I can't say that I was sad to see Karen go. I never got a feel for her 'style' of food, and like Kevin, she's another one with a short fuse bubbling just beneath a friendly exterior, IMO.

That was very charitable of Melissa to assign each chef with the entree that suited each one best. A more cunning cheftestant would have done the exact opposite.

The right chefs are in the Top Five, IMO. I don't know why Malarkey lost it with that plating service.

Malarky was middle of the pack the whole show..he isn't all that great. I just don't want Kevin to win. He is annoying and condescending.

Between LCK and letting Kevin cheat in the quickfire, it's so clear they want him to win.

I don't think Kevin will win. I think this is Gregory's or Melissa's to lose.

Kevin does not please me. Melissa and Gregory are dolls. All chefs are assholes, except for Voltagio who is an asshole in aspic, born without a jaw. Jesus those revered judges all looked like clogged arteries this week.

[quote]I think this is Gregory's or Melissa's to lose.

I'm not sure. I like both of them but Stephanie seems to really be doing great the last few shows. She might be a spoiler.

[quote]All chefs are assholes

Stephanie seems very likable. She certainly doesn't have her head stuck up her own ass like Kevin does. As long as Kevin doesn't win, I'm fine with any of the others winning.

I'd be happy with a Melissa, Stephanie and Gregory final three.

And I'm not sure how or when it happened, but I went from loathing Malarkey at the start of the season to loving him by the time he was booted. I have no explanation for this transition!

The Voltaggio jaw troll showed up again.

Kevin saying how he is a "First Class Snob" was just gross.

He is insufferable.

With regards to Malarkey, same here, r274. I could not stand Malarkey in his previous season(s), but came to find him very entertaining and endearing this season.

I don't get all the Kevin hate, but ok. Stephanie would be a surprise winner. She seems to be peaking, so maybe? I still think Melissa and Kevin are the ones to beat, but I remember Kevin fell apart in his season's finale. Bryan V. delivered in the season where Kevin fell apart in the finale, but unfortunately for Bryan his brother Michael V. was even better. That season had the most talented chefs.

Good riddance to Malarkey. He was insufferable all season. And in the end, he refused to get what all the judges were telling him. Typical and it's why he's gone.

Learning about Michael’s for the first time was great, is the restaurant really that legendary? Malarkey deserved to go for his dish and not because of his theatrics. The faces he pulls was getting tiresome, but maybe it was just for the camera.

Very excited for the remaining ‘cheftestants’ as described by Food and Wine magazine.

Surprise, surprise. Melissa won, for making.... Congee. Again.

Brian should have won that challenge. I swear, they are paying those judges to praise her crap food, so that when she (obviously) wins, it will seem justified.

Everyone else in the competition is trying to make elevated food, because it's supposed to be an All-Stars season. Yet they are all getting criticized for it.

Melissa shits out some Congee and a green salad, and the judges are creaming themselves over it.

It's so fucking bogus.

Gregory should have made the finale. That was BS. They should have sent Kevin's ass packing.

Poor r280 has never eaten white truffles. Perhaps a sugar daddy if you’ve got the looks?

They’re delicate and subtle. Congee, yes. Spicy beef stew, no.

I knew that Gregory was going home, the first time I heard him complain about his back.

Then they played it over, and over again.

The editors always try to sway viewer opinion, just like they did with Malarkey, and with Melissa.

They wanted the viewer to say, "Oh, Gregory's back is hurting him, so it's better for him to go home."

And, "Oh, everyone is rolling their eyes at Malarkey and making snide comments about him, so he should go home."

And finally, "Oh, Melissa's so generous and kind, and so fair when it comes to assigning others what they get to cook, and the judges just rave about her food (as if they weren't paid to do so), and that's why everyone will feel so good when she wins!"

Puke.

It's also why Kevin won't win.

Ever since he got back from Last Chance Kitchen, he's been getting the bad guy edit. There's no way he's going to win.

Brian hasn't been getting the good guy or bad guy edit. He's been getting the goofy guy edit.

So I'm calling it. Melissa wins, Brian comes in second, and either Kevin or Stephanie in third. Probably Stephanie, since she has been getting a good edit..

I'm guessing Kevin goes home next week.

Based on the episode that I watched, I was totally expecting Bryan to win. The comments during the event itself and at the judges table afterwards all indicated that Bryan's dish was pretty much without flaw and really highlighted the truffle to it's best advantage And Gail clearly states that Melissa's congee didn't have enough truffle flavor for her. If an attempt to "keep the viewer guessing" means the end result doesn't line up with what I just watched, then they badly missed the mark with the editing.

I get that they do this when it comes to the person being eliminated. Stephanie talking to her husband about it being their anniversary is a prime example. We're used to that.

This felt different.

I like Melissa a lot but how many times has she done congee now?

Okay, rant over.

Super disappointed to see Gregory go.

Loved Stephanie's joke about how Bryan is the coolest chef and then we immediately cut to Bryan with his super dorky dad-laugh.

When Padma tells Gregory to pack his knives and go, you can see Bryan's shocked face in the background -- he was fully expecting to cook against him in the finale and knew he would have been a formidable opponent. I'm disappointed -- I wanted to see his final meal.

BTW, has a gay man ever won this show?

I see the "so and so's edit" troll has arrived.

Bryan makes me laugh. I love that he's dorky.

Bryan, do you speak Italian? Nope. lol

Although I think he threw in a "grazie" and a "prego," somewhere in the episode.

Bryan doesn't speak Italian because he took Russian in high school.. lol.

Bryan had a smiling, upbeat edit this episode. He is cute and I love the dorky laugh.

I'm rooting for Melissa and Bryan to be the final two.

[quote] I'm rooting for Melissa

Don't worry. We fixed it for her.

Gayle was the only one who dared speak the truth about Melissa's crappy congee.

Of course she got over ruled.

Have any of you been to Lucca, Italy? It looked gorgeous.

I still am stunned by the fact that Bryan V., of all things, seems to have mastered the art of smiling. It makes him so much more attractive and easy to root for. But good god, can we schedule an intervention for his brother?

R295, I have. Alas, my memory of it consists only of the store I bought their famed olive oil in, which purchase was my visit's raison d'etre.

I spent a week outside Lucca. I’m surprised they didn’t show the ancient walls, which are it’s most distinctive feature.

It’s overshadowed by Florence, Pisa and Siena.

Lucca's main square is underwhelming but all in all it is a gorgeous place.

I really want Bryan V for the win, he isn't very Italian considering his last name but I'm guessing because he is probably half and was raised by his mother. I think Stephanie thought for sure she was going home. She should have left off the radicchio...why didn't she!!

Kevin is always making a sausage or a meatball. It was great to see him humbled again. He is fucking annoying as hell!

Loved this episode. Reminds me so much of the time when I worked in Northern Italy, and Cristiano Tomei the guest judge was lovely.

Was shocked to see Gregory go as I thought Stephanie’s radicchio horror (and making pasta for the Italians) would do the job.

It's interesting to see how different northern and southern Italians are, personality-wise. As you could see from this episode, northern Italians are more reserved and intimidating, while southern Italians are more friendly and boisterous.

R274, the transition with Malarkey for me was Restaurant Wars. That was when I realised what he was all about. He was great and won that for Gregory.

That might have been it, R302!

The way things are panning out, I'd say either Melissa or Bryan V will win.

I like Melissa, she was super cute saying maybe a nice girl would enjoy her food. If Bryan wins, he can afford to finish the reconstruction of his jaw. They made the mandible so wide but his chin is a totally recessed little nub. He'll never look normal, but he can look better. I think his strange laugh comes from his facial deformity. It's like he has to flap what should be his jaw bone up and down while pushing air out. Disturbing. But his teeth are realistic and his taste buds are intact. Kevin is not getting a bad edit - he's just really angry looking. Pig eyed mean man Country Captain. Gail looked like she used to in the old days when they directly passed her from the Nine Inch Nails bus over to Blue Rodeo or god forbid Nickelback. Tired out and beaten up. Swollen. That woman can party.

I want Stephanie to win at this point. But I'll donate to BVs jaw reconstruction.

Omg you are totally bizarre and insane, R305.

What are you taking?

Anyone else impressed by Padma’s Italian? Sounded good to me.

High class call girls need to know more than one language, R307.

Her Italian, r307, and that red coat! What a show off.

R307, Padma's Italian was very good for a non-native, non-habitual speaker. She's a very interesting, wordly woman.

Padma is the sexiest woman in the world. A goddess. The show is nothing without her.

The most interesting thing about Padme is that she was married to Salmon Rushdie.

How in the hell did they even meet? But I'm actually more curious why they divorced. Was it because he had a bounty on his head?

Padma's daughter from Adam Dell is gorgeous.

If she gets to be Padma's height, she could definitely be a model.

R301, Depends on the proximity to Austria. We know who hailed from there.

R311, She speaks like she doesn't understand the purposes of inflection or tone. And sorry, but Indian-American isn't going to happen.

I like Padma. She makes a gracious hostess, is multilingual, attractive, adds an international flair -- actually not bad qualities for a sort of First Lady role. I do wonder about her time as Rushdie's wife. I am sure she has stories to tell.

I like Padma, too. And (like some of the chefs) especially "Champagne Padma."

Padma has already happened

Speaking of Padma, she has a new show coming out on Hulu, "Taste the Nation."

Eating for a living? I wouldn’t mind being Padma.

Talking of which I wonder how the judges can eat so much food at a single sitting? Presumably, they only take a bite out of each dish just for a taste. But I do notice a lot of empty plates so dishes are clearly being eaten.

I hope Melissa, Brian, or Stephanie win.

Why are four chefs going to the finale?

Or is it going to be like last season in Kentucky, where one chef gets eliminated after the first course?

So who won?

Melissa. Kevin (thankfully) is out and finals next week.

I hate Melissa.

Like, really really hate Melissa.

I turn away from the television whenever her face comes on the screen.

If Bryan Voltaggio or Stephanie doesn't win, I'll never watch Top Chef again.

I felt very hurt for Bryan when the Italian chefs said that his food had no heart or soul.

That was really harsh.

He looked like he wanted to cry when he heard those comments.

r325, r326, r327, we get it from your 70 or so posts on this thread. You like Brian. You don't like Melissa. We understand.

[quote] It's also why Kevin won't win.

[quote] Ever since he got back from Last Chance Kitchen, he's been getting the bad guy edit. There's no way he's going to win.

[quote] I'm guessing Kevin goes home next week.

Ha! I called it.

Call me the "editing troll" all you want. I was right.

They should have called this season "The Melissa Show."

Clearly, they wanted her to win from the very beginning.

I think I have developed a crush on Lorenzo Cogo.

I was thrilled that I wouldn't be seeing Kevin's pinched face again - and then they showed next week's promo. I hope he doesn't drive Brian crazy. Poor Melissa, stuck with Lee Anne. Maybe Stephanie wins. If she does win, let the bitching begin.

How can you hate Melissa?

Team Melissa. I love her.

I also love Lorenzo, but in a completely different way. Oh my.

I think Stephanie rode the middle or scraped the bottom for the first 2/3 of this season. Then she began to turn it around. I didn't think she had any business getting to the finale, but now I think maybe she's a huge threat. She said yesterday that she wanted to make the Top 10, then wanted to make the final. From here on out, it's all gravy to her. That means she has finally relaxed and is cooking good food. She was far too much in her own head through 2/3 of the season. Now if she relaxes and just cooks the way she can, she has a shot at winning.

R327, I know what you mean! It looked like Bryan V's soul was crushed by those comments. Those were pretty harsh. But no one really liked his dishes very much. He's lucky Kevin plopped all that parmesan on his soup and then royally fucked up the pork, or he'd be going home instead of Kevin.

Bryan tends to overthink things. He needs to take a page out of Stephanie's book and just try to relax a bit, get out of his own head.

I felt really bad for Bryan. Hmmm, I also wonder how much of those Italian chefs' opinions about his food having no heart/soul is because Bryan V. can come across as a somewhat stoic introvert -- therefore not passionate? People make judgments like that about introverts all of the time, even if subliminally.

To whomever upthread, I did not need help from the editing to help form a negative opinion about Kevin. You can see in his eyes how angry and defensive he would get whenever they critiqued his food negatively.

I am happy with this final 3. Melissa is kicking ass.

[quote] I felt really bad for Bryan. Hmmm, I also wonder how much of those Italian chefs' opinions about his food having no heart/soul is because Bryan V. can come across as a somewhat stoic introvert -- therefore not passionate? People make judgments like that about introverts all of the time, even if subliminally.

Did the Italian chefs actually spend any time with the competing chefs, though, to even know what their personalities are like? I could see why BV's first dish, especially, might come across as soulless no matter who cooked it. That Parmesan should have been used as is; instead, Bryan decided to apply his technical skills to transform it into a foamy blob of fonduto that looked cool but obfuscated the most delicious qualities of the cheese. Bad decision that showed a lack of appreciation for what makes the ingredient special.

[quote]Given the way Padma says "you are Top Chef!" in the preview, it sounds like whomever wins is stunned that he/she won... so maybe it *will* be Stephanie.

I said it back at R178 and I continue to think she'll win it.

Especially after seeing the preview clip of her saying something along the lines of feeling out-chef-ed because her food looks simple/plain compared to the others' plates.

Plus, she'll be paired with Malarkey, while Melissa somehow ends up with LeAnn (NOOOOO!!!) as her finale sous-chef. Obviously, I'm already ruling out a Bryan win.

^^ That should be: Lee Anne.

The other cheftestants must feel major FOMO after watching this episode.

Stephanie looked terrified in front of the Michelin-starred chefs, but Melissa pushed the envelope by blending cultures from different geographies. Poor Bryan, he did make the best pasta so he should be proud of that achievement.

On the fringes, r318. She married Rushdie. You don't think her aspirations are limited to food networks, do you?

R338, We're practically guaranteed a Lee Anne screw-up that she will blame on somebody else.

Does a photo exist of Bryan smiling. Is he the most dour contestant to ever be on Top Chef?

Bryan smiles. He just has resting bitch face.

He has resting ball itch face.

Oh, Bryan.

He's the only person of Italian heritage, who (while in Italy) would tell the cashier "Gracias!" instead of Grazie.

Poor guy really is kind of clueless.

That said, Bryan needs to do something reckless, to release his passion. He has the technique down pat.

He needs to jump out of an airplane, or have sex with another guy. ANYTHING that will take that stick out of his ass.

The episode before this week's episode showed Bryan smiling and laughing a lot. Hope he wins, but it would be a surprise at this point.

I find Bryan to be incredibly dull.

I wanted Gregory to win, at this point I have to root for Melissa.

[quote]I felt very hurt for Bryan when the Italian chefs said that his food had no heart or soul.

That's why his brother, Michael, will always be the better chef, and why he beat Bryan on their season together. Michael cooks with passion.

Michael is a crack head, R349.

[Quote]BTW, has a gay man ever won this show?

Season 3 winner Hung identifies as bisexual, though I don't think that came up in the season. That's as close as we have gotten.

Season 10 Kristen Kish is a lesbian, but she kept that a secret while doing Top Chef. Wasn't publicly out at the time.

[quote] That said, Bryan needs to do something reckless, to release his passion.

Bryan could really benefit from somebody feeding him a secret 'special' brownie. Boy needs to relax.

Bryan eats through a tube in his stomach. His jaw and facial reconstruction make it difficult for him to swallow. That's why he laughs like a walrus - the mechanism is not fully functioning. He has to push up air from his stomach and try not to turn people off. Poor guy. He has mastered a bit of a smile and his taste buds function. The cobbler's son has no shoes my grandpa used to say. Good luck Bryan on your next appearance on Top Chef!

I like all the finalists. I feel bad that I’m so satisfied that smug Kevin was eliminated. I want Bryan or Stephanie to win..seems like they’re building Melissa up too much for the win

R346 Bryan is the least Italian of all them ...with that awesome last name of his and he says Gracias! Boy needs to spend some time in the homeland

R353 = Bitter melon melissa

I like Stephanie as a human being but I don't think she deserves to win this season, it would feel weird if she does. She did spend most of the season riding along on the bottom.

Tomorrow is the finale!

FYI there will be an all-day Bravo marathon of Top Chef All-Stars, starting early Thursday morning.

Restaurant Wars judge Kevin Boehm is so hot!

Kevin claims that he's married and straight, but I'm not so sure...

I'm betting that Melissa wins.

[quote] I'm betting that Melissa wins.

Even Helen Keller could see that, R361.

The producers had it in the bag for her from day one.

Melissa's the TOP Congee, Brodo, and Crappy Tossed Salad CHEF in the world!

Bryan Voltaggio will always be my winner.

Bryan may be a chef, but he aint no top.

A deserving winner, you can't look at the season and think anyone else deserved to win.

Impressive growth too. She was not on the same level as Gregory or Mei during the Boston season.

I want a plate of Bryan's lasagna with a side of Gail's fennel and orange salad and a glass of red wine. Mamma Mia!

[quote] A deserving winner, you can't look at the season and think anyone else deserved to win.

That's if you believe the editing.

I'm officially done with Top Chef.

I want to watch Top Chef America, not Top Chef china.

White people never get a fair deal on this show. It panders to orientals.

Fuck that.

Did I call it, or did I call it?

Fuck you assholes for calling me the "editing troll."

I was RIGHT. About everything.

Love, R284

Poor Bryan never should have appeared on this show.

I think that it actually did him a dis-service, by somewhat diminishing his status as a chef.

I mean, to be beat by someone who only makes congee, broth, and bad tossed salad? What a joke.

He would have been better off just doing what he was doing, because he had reached a somewhat legendary status after his first appearance on Top Chef.

This show was rigged from the beginning, so it actually hurt him being on it.

Melissa was a very worthy winner.

It was a good season. Melissa deserved the win. I'm happy for Stephanie but I'd much rather have seen Gregory in the finale. I hope this is the last time I'm forced to endure Kevin and Lee Anne but I know that's just wishful thinking. I have developed kind of a crush on Tom C.

[quote] White people never get a fair deal on this show.

Twelve of the 17 Top Chef winners so far are white, weirdo.

R353, You're pretty deranged, you know that? And not in a funny way.

I think Melissa deserved to win. She did something in the finale that was unique and risky. Brian has nothing to be ashamed about, he is a damn good chef. Stephanie, so happy for her she found her confidence and produced some really great food toward the end. Great season!!

It was a very satisfying season. Melissa deserved her win. She cooked really well all season (yes, with the exception of the salad fiasco) and her final meal nailed the three key factors of creativity, skillful execution, and soul that the judges are always looking for. She’s excellent at the fusion thing—I mean, really, how many chefs could serve a Chinese-influenced dish that makes an ancient Italian butcher cry at how well she respected his country’s traditions?

[quote]It was a good season. Melissa deserved the win. I'm happy for Stephanie but I'd much rather have seen Gregory in the finale.

Agree. I wish Gregory had been a part of the final three, that would have made it a real battle of the titans.

But that is Top Chef for you. It is pretty common place to really strong chefs to end up getting eliminated prematurely.

What a tense and dramatic finale. It sounded like a very close call with Bryan and Melissa, but she ultimately won by the way she pushed and blended cultures together.

But as Bryan said at the end, he’s reached the finale of 3 seasons and no chef is going to ever top that. So he's the Top Chef of something!

Tom made it sound like it really wasn't that close r377, Bryan did a good job but Melissa made perhaps his favorite finale meal ever.

[quote] Agree. I wish Gregory had been a part of the final three, that would have made it a real battle of the titans.

I also agree with this. Gregory's an interesting chef who's clearly a league above Stephanie in skill and creativity, and I'd love to see what he would have cooked in the finale. But, yeah, there is always one really good chef who chokes in or near the finale and this year, it was him. I do think Stephanie improved a lot over the season and got into a real groove starting with her kaiseki win. Also, she seems like a lovely person and it was nice to see her snap out of her depression and have such a good experience on the show.

I'd be happy to eat a meal cooked by any of the three finalists. With the exception of Kevin's "pork on pork" almost everything everyone cooked in Italy looked and sounded delicious.

I wish Melissa had shown more gratitude to Leanne, who worked her butt off to get that dessert just perfect. They were essentially tied until the dessert course, so it was Leanne's milk tea tiramisu that won it for her.

Eh. The tiramisu was not Lee Anne's idea or recipe and they pretty much had to do it over because Lee Anne fucked it up the first time. I don't think that dish necessarily put Melissa over the edge, either; every course was close, including dessert. People rightfully (as far as I could tell) raved about Bryan's chocolate dessert, too. I thought Melissa was pretty gracious about getting stuck with obnoxious Lee Anne as her sous chef, actually.

Kevin was so fucking obnoxious, thought so much of himself, I was glad to see him go

You can't deny that Lee Anne's tiramisu won it for Melissa. The judges said as much, and that Italian butcher even cried real tears over it.

Melissa should have given her $10k check for winning Fan Favorite to Lee Anne. I'm disappointed that she didn't

^^^Agreed, there was only so much he could wring out of the cancer pity card. But the dude milked it in EVERY episode.

That's BS R383, LeeAnn screwed up the original and Melissa had to re-do it. It was Melissa idea, not LeeAnns

No, Lee Anne was the one who raised doubts about the tiramisu and suggested that she remake it. Why are you denying that Lee Anne's tiramisu won it for her? The judges told them that it was tied before the final dessert course. Lee Anne pushed Melissa over the top.

Asians can be so competitive and mean to other Asians. I think that is what's going on here. Melissa doesn't want to share any of the glory and success with Lee Anne. She's coming across as selfish.

What episode did you watch r386? Melissa had massive problems with it every time she tasted it and knew it needed to be improved.

Yes, Lee Anne did the labor involved in remaking it...which is what she is there to do. None of them can complete their menus without the help of a Sous Chef.

It wasn't "Lee Anne's tiramisu," trolly polly r383. Melissa donated the fan favorite money to LGBTQ and racial justice causes, which is pretty cool.

[quote] The judges told them that it was tied before the final dessert course.

No, they didn't. Give it up.

It's amazing to read what other people get out of these shows. Put me in the camp that it was NOT Le Anne's tiramisu. Le Anne didn't get it right and Melissa had to have her do it over. She probably lost time and help she was counting on from her sous chef, but instead Le Anne had to re-do it. No criticism to Le Anne. It can be very difficult to realize someone else's vision. Melissa corrected course, Le Anne took the direction well, and it ended up just fine.

Melissa won because she did something different. She was able to merge her Asian culinary background with Italian ingredients in a respectful but different and exciting way. She did something different than the other two. Plus I think the judges couldn't help but be influenced by how the season went. Other than a couple missteps, Melissa had the most wins and put up the most exciting food overall. She was impressive for the vast majority of the season.

I was happy to see Stephanie so happy. I am very close to my brother, so I can understand how the death of a sibling you're close to can throw you into a funk. I'm glad this season was cathartic for her.

Melissa the congee queen won so many challenges because her food was so simple, and probably had tons of MSG.

Of course people are going to love it. Who doesn't love a salt bomb? There's a reason why people love MSG so much. It's like putting a bullion cube in your cooking.

All she ever made were broths and congee. Bryan and Stephanie could have done that same simple shit, but both of them made difficult, technical, and elevated dishes.

Bryan could have banged out the easy stuff that judges would have raved about, but he took the hard road and got penalized for it.

But whatever. All hail Melissa, the congee queen. She gets $250,000 for doing variations on soup.

And if you go back and watch that camp challenge, she should have been eliminated there. Without question, her tossed green salad was the absolute WORST thing I've ever seen on Top Chef. But naturally, they gave her a pass. Because Tom Colicchio absolutely creams himself over anything she does.

P.S., nobody wants to eat Italian-Chinese "fusion."

It sounds absolutely disgusting.

We now have a Melissa hater troll to add to the Kevin hater troll(s). Enjoy your bitter lives.

Jesus, let's all pile onto Melissa. Melissa earned the title, from beginning to end of season. Oh, and Asian-fusion just about anything can be great, depending on the chef. MSG? Just the suggestion is warped.

No one is piling on Melissa. We just think that she's being ungrateful by not thanking Lee Anne for playing a big part in her win. She wouldn't have won without Lee Anne and she didn't even mention her.

No one thinks that but you, r395. Agreed that people aren't really piling on Melissa, though—it's just you and the one anti-Asian nutbag who's been whining about her all season. Most recognize that she deserved to win.

Who's the weirdo with the hard on for Lee Anne? The entire finale was fit into an hour and fifteen minutes. There's not time to show everything. I blocked the racist troll a while back, so thankfully haven't seen her comments.

My family and I did an online cooking demo with Melissa this afternoon. She made "Pride" dumplings in umami broth. We made them for dinner and they were delicious. She an incredible teacher. She answered tons of TC questions also. The funniest thing she said was that the producers had every chef imitate Bryan's laugh. She was surprised that they never showed that. I'm going to go back and watch her congee demo.

[quote] My family and I did an online cooking demo with Melissa this afternoon. She made "Pride" dumplings in umami broth.

[quote] I'm going to go back and watch her congee demo.

Rofl at R397!!

You just proved everything that the "racist" person was saying about Melissa.

They said all she ever made was broth and congee, and that's exactly what she taught you!

Melissa really is the congee queen.

Gregory didn't have a "bad day" in the sense of cooking.

I think that his back really caused him problems, so it was more a physical issue, rather than a technical issue.

He couldn't participate as a sous chef in the finale, because his back was still bothering him. So it must really have been hurting him, even days after he got eliminated.

Why did Bryan even bother showing up for this season?

He doesn't need Top Chef. He is already an acclaimed chef, unlike Melissa.

I think that the way he was ripped off on this show will discourage future all-stars from appearing.

Melissa won because she checked off the most "woke" boxes, which Top Chef loves.

She's female, she's a lesbian, and she's a minority.

It's like a Bravo wet dream.

[quote] Melissa won because she checked off the most "woke" boxes, which Top Chef loves.

Right; that’s why 12 of 17 Top Chefs have been straight white men.

Finally caught up. I'm glad Melissa won and it's hard to argue with her victory -- she placed consistently at the top the entire season.

The entire final meal sounded extraordinary.

I think Gail had a little crush on Bryan V.

Gail was the only impartial judge.

Gail looked great. Except for 20 extra pounds she looks almost like the same girl who Chris Cornell gangbanged and passed around from town to town 24 years ago. Gail is Canadian, so she can handle the elements. She always wanted to make it to the top and that involved more than blowing the bus drivers for Bon Jovi.

But I digress. Bryan was proud to mumble that 16 people have won Top Chef, but only he has the distinction of losing 3 times. His toast with Melissa and Clarissa was a nice attempt to pretend he can swallow. Nice of them not to show him drooling. Onwards Bryan. There's more to lose.

All of their meals seemed pretty damn delicious but I'm not a fan of the carona pigeon in black bean sauce that Melissa made. My mother always said there is nothing more pathetic than an old man crying. That Italian chef weeping over green tea Tiaramiso??? Get some Cialis dude. A T patch.

Gail Simmons is still beloved in Montreal and Edmonton. That girl would pull a train for an order of onion rings and a diet coke.

Congratulations to all the winners. Padma looked like Cher's true Indian sister. HOW!

What is it about a cooking show that attracts the deranged?

You tell us R406. Do you imagine yourself refined when you're watching?

Not particularly, r407; just not deranged.

Semicolons are kind of refined. Ask Gail Simmons.

I watch Top Chef because I have a crush on Tom Colicchio and it's a good show. I also like to try and figure out how much vodka Padma has consumed by judges table. She can really put the stuff away.

Padma's new show on Hulu is a little uneven, but mostly great. I am seeing a lot of missing posts on this thread, which means that the racist, misogynist weirdo is probably posting a lot. R406, it's all one person. Just block him/her.

Miss Warwicke is posting here? Yes block that racist man's ass. He's a psycho who is supposedly banned from Datalounge, but he keeps coming back the way old Klansmen from Missouri do. He's an infection to this site. Shameful.