# New Top Chef Show, Opinions?



## intensecooking (Mar 16, 2006)

What do y'all think of the new Top Chef show?  I mean, Tom Colichio is the man and all, but doesn't this show seem too staged.  Most of the people on the show haven't even been in a commercial kitchen.


----------



## dedhead54 (Mar 19, 2006)

It's entertaining to me. I like Harold (I think that's his name at least) and Miguel. 

I absolutely hate Stephen although the guy can put together some great looking dishes. He just has a major snobby attitude.


----------



## intensecooking (Mar 19, 2006)

*Miguel*

I think Miguel is good because he has commercial training.  The thing that puzzles me is the sommelier - has he ever been in a kitchen, or is he just a really good sommelier?


----------



## BigDog (Mar 19, 2006)

I caught a glimpe of it last night, the part where each was given a fcruit basket and 30 minutes. Competiton based mainly on presentation. I didn't care for it. Staged is a good adjective for this show, IMHO.


----------



## ironchef (Apr 17, 2006)

I finally watched this show last night when I came home from work. I must say it was pretty intense. You can tell which chefs have talent and which ones don't. Not to say that the others aren't good chefs, but their level of creativity and ingenuity just isn't that level that it needs to be. Stephen is probably the most talented and Le Ann and Tiffani are both pretty well rounded. But Tiffani must be related to Bobby Flay. Interesting show. I may try to catch the rest of the season if I can.


----------



## SizzlininIN (Apr 17, 2006)

I've never seen it or heard of it before.  Is it on foodnetwork?


----------



## Mylegsbig (Apr 17, 2006)

i like the show, i watch it religiously.  god i hate stephen. what a pompous ***.  and did you see his ridiuclous stupid microwave dish?  an asian banana leaf tamale with spices from central america?

i also hate that red headed girl(tiffany) who looks like a man

Miguel is cool. 

the asian girl is cool.

Harold is a really cool guy as well.


----------



## jkath (Apr 17, 2006)

I've watched each episode - quite a bit of drama in the kitchen!
From the get go it was apparent that Tiffani and Leanne would be there in the end. Yep, Steven's a snobbish kid (only 24) but he does know his stuff. Only problem is that he puts so many tastes together, it gets a bit confusing.  I liked Miguel in the beginning, but he's grating on my nerves as the weeks go by. Dave has a good flair for mexican food, but he's too emotional for the game. He or Miguel will probably be the next to go. Harold is a nice, steady guy, with good training and good foresight, IMO.


----------



## jkath (Apr 17, 2006)

SizzlininIN said:
			
		

> I've never seen it or heard of it before. Is it on foodnetwork?


Bravo   http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/


----------



## ironchef (Apr 17, 2006)

Mylegsbig said:
			
		

> i like the show, i watch it religiously. god i hate stephen. what a pompous ***. and did you see his ridiuclous stupid microwave dish? an asian banana leaf tamale with spices from central america?
> 
> i also hate that red headed girl(tiffany) who looks like a man
> 
> ...


 
LOL, yeah Stephen is a bit of a priss but his talent and creativity is far and beyond anyone else on that show. Not sure how he would do as a line cook but if he just had to create the dishes and then manage the cooks,  then I think he would be very successful.

Tiffani's attitude and hair color are both reminiscent of Bobby Flay. 

Sizz, the show is on Bravo.


----------



## The Z (Apr 17, 2006)

I think it's on Bravo...  I saw it for the first time last night (this morning) when they showed a couple of episodes back to back.  I thought it was all right (good insomniac viewing I guess).

I understand that there is pressure and everything and they really want to win... but geez... some of them really do not handle pressure or obstacles very well at ALL.

There are some very nice presentations, but I'm finding it kinda hard to actually LIKE any of the participants.  I don't think I'll go out of my way to watch, but might check it out if I catch it during one of my 'surfing' moments.


----------



## SizzlininIN (Apr 17, 2006)

ok.....I don't think I have that station.


----------



## ironchef (Apr 17, 2006)

Harold is decent, but it doesn't seem that he has as much depth in knowledge as the top three (Stephen, Le Ann, Tiffani). 

David lacks creativity and poise. But it's the lack of creativity that's hurting him more I think. He wouldn't have the vision to be able to create a world class menu with flavors that would blow you away. He had the easiest dish of the night (John Dory) and he couldn't pull that off.


----------



## Erik (Apr 17, 2006)

Haven't watched...but tonight on NBC, after "Deal Or No Deal", the "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" is on.
The host was on the radio this morning, and he called it "Meal Or No Meal".


----------



## jkath (Apr 17, 2006)

Let's see....Dancing with the Stars....Skating with the Stars....Cooking with the Stars....

I'll stick to "Cooking with no-names who know about food".


----------



## Erik (Apr 17, 2006)

I won't go near it..."24", is too intense for me!!!


----------



## jkath (Apr 17, 2006)

Erik said:
			
		

> I won't go near it..."24", is too intense for me!!!


----------



## mish (Apr 17, 2006)

Welcome to DC, intense.

I don't watch very much TV; and sadly, Food TV has gone down the tubes. Too much "entertainment" and not enough reality cooking. I'm switching over to PBS.

FoodTV has lost it's credibility for me.


----------



## Mylegsbig (Apr 17, 2006)

this show is on Bravo.


----------



## jkath (May 4, 2006)

Well, Harold, Dave and Tiffani are on their way to Vegas for the showdown. But first, it will be a reunion of all the members in New York. I'm anxious to see what is said when the chef jackets are off. Looks to be good reality TV. Tune in Wed night. 
 My opinion: Harold will will the whole thing.


----------



## ironchef (May 5, 2006)

I thought it was pretty lame that three of them chose lamb. I would've done a duo of venison and foie gras. That would've been pretty cool though to cook for all of those chefs.  

Out of the remaining three, I hope that Harold can pull it off and win.


----------



## vyapti (May 5, 2006)

I was really looking forward to the show, but couldn't make it through the first episode.  Has it improved since then?


----------



## ironchef (May 5, 2006)

vyapti said:
			
		

> I was really looking forward to the show, but couldn't make it through the first episode. Has it improved since then?


 
Very much so because those who didn't have talent were weeded off early. From about the Ted Allen episode on were the chefs that really had the talent and creativity.


----------



## jkath (May 5, 2006)

ironchef, if they do another season (which I certainly hope they do) would you ever consider auditioning? You'd be a good candidate, imo.

As for the lamb, when I saw the three grasping at it, I knew Dave was a shoe-in. I wish Leanne could have made it rather than the ultra-uptight Tiffani.


----------



## ironchef (May 5, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> ironchef, if they do another season (which I certainly hope they do) would you ever consider auditioning? You'd be a good candidate, imo.
> 
> As for the lamb, when I saw the three grasping at it, I knew Dave was a shoe-in. I wish Leanne could have made it rather than the ultra-uptight Tiffani.


 
Yeah, if I can take off from work for that long. But seriously, I think what the criteria that they probably look for is more personality first, diversity second, and talent third. That's the only reason I can think of why half of the orignal cast even made it on the show. Most reality shows probably do that to keep the drama up there and the viewers interested.

If I was on this show, I probably would've gone postal on Stephen or Dave. I'm usually very low key and patient in the kitchen--go with the flow and whatever happens, happens; adapt and move on--but between Dave freaking out and Stephen's screw ups (not making sure the spoons were washed/labels removed would've seriously pissed me off), something would've set me off. Until the wedding dinner episode, I really thought Stephen was one of the top guys but when they showed him prepping, it was obvious that he could never cut it in a busy kitchen. Up till that point they never really showed Stephen working, just his finished products which were usually better and more creative than any of the other chefs.


----------



## jkath (May 6, 2006)

Chef, anyone and their sister would've gone postal on Steven. The guy's ego was so inflated it's amazing he didn't pop when he got near the ovens. Granted his plates were pretty, but looked more like artwork than food imo. (Like I want to eat food in stripes and shot glasses every time?)
You still ought to think about it. They need another calm person, since Harold will be gone next season (hopefully with a title!)


----------



## ironchef (May 11, 2006)

jkath, I actually went to the website and applied just for the h.ell of it. I wonder what the challenges will be next season. 
Did anyone catch the catfight episode last night? Poor Tiffani  But, hey, if you're going to dish it out, you're going to have to be able to take it. If you're going to sit there and be hypocritical of everything you've done, you deserve anything that comes your way.


----------



## mudbug (May 11, 2006)

Who lit into her, ironchef?  Didn't get to see the show, dang it.  Jennyema on TV and Lost had to come first.


----------



## ironchef (May 11, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> Who lit into her, ironchef? Didn't get to see the show, dang it. Jennyema on TV and Lost had to come first.


 
Pretty much everyone except for Lee Anne ripped into her.


----------



## mudbug (May 11, 2006)

That Lee Anne is just too nice for her own good.  Did Dave cry?


----------



## ironchef (May 11, 2006)

mudbug said:
			
		

> That Lee Anne is just too nice for her own good. Did Dave cry?


 
No he didn't cry. But he sure did rip into Tiffani big time. Tiffani actually left the stage for a few minutes and she broke down.


----------



## jkath (May 11, 2006)

Mud - they're replaying that episode many times this week - check the listings. Oh my it was a goodie!!!
After seeing all the folks in a more comfortable way I've decided that Steven is a fantastic person after all. It takes a very special person to admit he was being a boorish snob, and to publicly apologize to Candace, saying he was completely at fault. Cheers to him. Andrea showed her class, as always. Never once did she put anyone down, rather, poked fun at herself (saying she was really good at getting kicked off!)
The T-Shirt! Dave getting the t-shirt with his infamous catch phrase that he said to Tiffani - classic. But the fact Tiffani wanted to take the limelight for it - egads. I love that she was finally caught in her lie. 
Wonderful TV.

Ironchef- I'm so proud of you! Way to go!!!


----------



## ironchef (May 11, 2006)

They're going to contact those in the LA area regarding the audition location and times, if you're selected.

On a side note, here is the link for the recipes from the show if anyone is interested. I was surprised that for the majority of the recipes, they are actually quite simple.

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/Recipes/


----------



## ironchef (May 17, 2006)

JKath and anyone else who has been watching, don't forget part I of the season finale is tonight.


----------



## jkath (May 17, 2006)

I cannot wait...................... All my hopes are for Harold and Dave!


----------



## ironchef (May 17, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> I cannot wait...................... All my hopes are for Harold and Dave!


 
This is the restaurant that Harold was the Sous Chef at:

http://www.theharrison.com/harrison.html


----------



## Michael in FtW (May 18, 2006)

I was really sorry to see Dave bite the dust before Tiffani - but when he failed to produce the 3rd dish on the 3rd order - I knew he was gone regardless of the tasting results. The way the judging went ... if he had even produced a cheese/fruit/nut plate _anything to have a 3rd dish_ I think he would have been safe and Tiffani would have packed her knives and gone away.

But - that didn't happen.

I still think Lee Ann is more talented than Tiffani.

I've been watching this from the beginning and I've been rooting for Harold, Dave, and Lee Ann. I've watched their cooking - and their personalities - that's why these were my favs.

Given it's down to Harold and Tiffani ... I'm rooting for Harold! I just hope he can overcome his laid back attitude and adopt some of Tiffani's killer instinct!


----------



## jkath (May 18, 2006)

ironchef said:
			
		

> This is the restaurant that Harold was the Sous Chef at:
> 
> http://www.theharrison.com/harrison.html


 
Not only a wonderful place, but their website is as impressive.

Michael, my sentiments exactly. I was yelling at the TV: Dave! You've got 45 seconds! Throw some fruit on a plate!
I can't believe she won by default. I still adore Dave.

Ironchef! Did you catch Tiffani's comments when told that the Poker Players didn't think her meal was poker-appropriate? She said something like "well, if they become better poker players, maybe they'll appreciate this kind of food" or something like that. Did you SEE who one of the players was????! 
None other than Phil Helmuth himself. HA!
She'll kick herself for that one.


----------



## mudbug (May 18, 2006)

oh crap I missed this.  Poor sweet Dave is gone?  Harold better win.  Tiffani's a brat.


----------



## ironchef (May 18, 2006)

jkath said:
			
		

> Not only a wonderful place, but their website is as impressive.
> 
> Michael, my sentiments exactly. I was yelling at the TV: Dave! You've got 45 seconds! Throw some fruit on a plate!
> I can't believe she won by default. I still adore Dave.
> ...


 
As much as I dislike Tiffani, Dave's inability to cope with pressure and perform in clutch situations is such a big issue. The fact that he could not buckle down and just put out anything, well, sorry to say but he did not deserve to advance. 

Tiffani is just something else. Through all of her attitudes displayed throughout this competition, I really hope employers are smart enough not to hire her. She is one of those people who are extremely ignorant, and are actually proud of that fact. 

I do think the show did lose some integrity when the judges decided to knock Lee Anne off the show. I'm sure that Tiffani brings in more ratings than any other contestant due to her attitude and the drama it brings, but the top three chefs were not in the final, and that's the bottom line. I realize that a lot of politics are involved, and there are a lot of things that they do not show us, but having Tiffani over Lee Anne is just as bad as making Bobby Flay an Iron Chef. I realize that Iron Chef America is backed by FoodTV, but Bobby Flay isn't even one of the top 15 chefs in New York City, much less the country. If anyone has noticed, after Bobby Flay got his butt kicked during his first few matches (after he beat Rick Bayless), they've made things a lot easier for him with who he faces, the "secret" ingredient, the judges, etc.


----------



## jkath (May 19, 2006)

ironchef said:
			
		

> I do think the show did lose some integrity when the judges decided to knock Lee Anne off the show. I'm sure that Tiffani brings in more ratings than any other contestant due to her attitude and the drama it brings, but the top three chefs were not in the final, and that's the bottom line.


 
I bet LeAnne has had many offers since being on the show.  

I would love to go to her restaurant. Of course, I'd like to know where Tiffani works in Vegas so that I can avoid it. And, if I swore in public, I'd want one of Dave's T-shirts.


----------



## Michael in FtW (May 24, 2006)

And the winner (Top Chef) is ... *HAROLD*!

Tiffani needs to learn something that was one of my Dad's favorite sayings as I was growing up ... "Be nice to the people you meet on your way up - you'll meet the same ones on your way down!" When you're trying to win a competition you really don't want to alienate the kitchen help ... although I don't think Stephen or Dave "threw" the game .... remember the high marks Dave got for *HIS* dessert (that Tiffani tried to take credit for ...) I don't think her philosophy of "don't talk in the kitchen" helped too much in communication between the "staff".

I think something else that "might" have helped doom her was the question about who do you cook to please - the customer or yourself. Harold tried to please both - Tiffani had the attitude that there was something wrong with you if you didn't like the way _*she*_ did things. OOPS!

Come on Ironchef! Sign up and join the next battle royale!!!


----------



## jkath (May 25, 2006)

Woo Hoo! I knew Harold could do it! 

PS - MICHAEL....big oops! 
check time zones before posting finale stats! I saw you'd posted on this topic, and didn't look, as it was BEFORE the show began here in California! (It just finnished airing in my time zone 4 minutes ago)

As for IC, he did apply and I think he'd make an awesome addition to the show!

I wish I had Dave's dessert recipe!


----------



## jkath (May 25, 2006)

oh yeah!

http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/popup.php?t=NBC+Universal+Store+-+Top+Chef+%26quot%3B*****%26quot%3B+Shirt&u=%2Fimg%2Fproduct%2Fcatl%2F00008950-284517.jpg&h=400&w=400


----------



## Michael in FtW (May 25, 2006)

Oh, DRAT! Sorry jkath .... I didn't think about the time zone difference ... I was "not thinking" that it was being broadcast at different times - figured it was 10p Atlantic, 9p Central, 8p Mountain and 7p Central ... 

Maybe Dave's dessert recipes will show up in a day or two? I would love to have them.

Man, would I have loved to have the "Dave's slogan" t-shirt to wear to "Divorce Court" about 25 years ago ... I couldn't have done any worse ... 

Still would love to see *OUR* Ironchef in the next go-around ...


----------



## SizzlininIN (May 25, 2006)

I just finally found this show on my station not long ago.  I was flipping through the stations last night and found the final.  Tiffani.....wow she is a royal witch isn't she.  I couldn't believe how she treated the guys that were helping her out in the kitchen and then to take credit for a dessert that she didn't even create.  And how she came out and talked about the food and wine with each of the dishes.....and to top it off it was 2 dishes she talked about.  That really tuned me off.  I think she's really hurt her career by the way she presented herself on the show.


----------



## Trip (May 25, 2006)

I like Iron Chef, America (like original one too).


----------



## ironchef (May 25, 2006)

I don't think any business person with any sort of brains will hire Tiffani. She'd just create too many problems in the kitchen I think, although she may be different in a money paying situation. She did after all work at Daniel Boloud's restaurant in Vegas so that says something. I wouldn't personally hire her though as I don't think she's that talented. It seems that like for the most part, her presentations are better than her flavors. 

Well congratulations to Harold. I would've loved cooking the final with the stuff they had. I'll be meeting with some people who select applicants for the show on June 1st at the Hard Rock Cafe in LA. It's gonna be hard though because they said that between the different cities that they're holding interviews in (LA, SF, Vegas, NYC, Chicago), they have something like 10,000 people who applied so far which is substantially  more than last year.


----------



## mudbug (May 25, 2006)

I hope you make it, ironchef.


----------



## ironchef (May 25, 2006)

Well assuming they pick 12 people again, I have about a 1/1200 chance of making it.


----------



## mudbug (May 25, 2006)

well, they need to ask us!


----------

