Where Did They Find These People?
Prepared by Chef Back Burner
Oh yah....the assumed trifecta of American cuisine....New York, California and the newly added Las Vegas...with a couple exceptions.
On a side note...does anyone find it weird that they do a “Road to the Runway” show but not a “Stocking the Kitchen” show?
Anyway, should they really wonder why they don’t have the creativity that they expected in the creation of a “cutting edge” Thanksgiving dinner. Maybe they think that’s where most of the trained chefs are working but if they are so well trained I ask you shouldn’t they know what a 6 course tasting menu should consist of?....or...the definition of an amuse bouche?...or ...what creme broulé consists of?
I have to say if you want the newest and most creative ideas you gotta start looking down the “back roads” of this country or at least try some new states...you know one of the things we all have in common in this country?...yah food.
At the Beechwood Inn in the North Georgia Mountains they offer a family-style gourmet Thanksgiving dinner that features a Cajun-style fresh goose.
Or up north in Harvard Square a restaurant by the name of Harvest offers their guests a side of truffled pumpkin risotto and truly local twist on a pecan pie with an Irish whisky chocolate pecan tarte.
Down in Houston, Texas at a place called Guvnor’s you can pick up a dinner for 8 that includes a deep fried Cajun turkey with rice or cornbread dressing. 
Ted’s Butcherblock, which is a full-service butcher shop in the beautiful town of Charleston, South Carolina will send you home with a creative twist on regular mashed potatoes they call smashed root vegetables which includes roasted carrots, parsnips, and turnips in with your regular potatoes.
Even in the town of Ogunquit, Maine at The Cliff House Resort & Spa...
and Carlos...are you paying close attention here?
...they put together a Grilled Autumn Pear Salad that they offer their guest at Thanksgiving dinner that includes organic arugula, candied walnuts, and Berkshire bleu cheese. Sounds so good, I might take a trip up there to “no man’s land”.
I think my point is there are a ton of good cooking ideas across this country that come from different cultural backgrounds and family experiences and I for one would like to challenge BRAVO to find those chefs...the ones from the not so expected locations with the not so expected ideas...
Tom might appreciate it...
As for me...I’m going down to a local restaurant that makes the best “Thanksgiving Sandwich” ever 365 days of the year....Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
posted by Blogging Top Chef @ 2:00 PM
13 comments
13 Comments:
"...does anyone find it weird that they do a “Road to the Runway” show but not a “Stocking the Kitchen” show?"
Good point. What happened this season? Was there too small of a stock of possibles contestants or did Bravo select the chefs because they'd be good tv?
I appreciate that the show gives opportunity to chefs of all experience levels and backgrounds. But the point of doing that should be to find us an undiscovered gem, not to make us watch (yawn) someone prepare a steak sandwhich.
Back to back episodes were on yesterday and over and over I heard the chefs talk about the safty of middle ground. WTF? They should be in there every week, every dish, trying to win.. not just "not get eliminated".
Bravo may think we're amused, shaking our heads every week saying, "what was he/she thinking with that dish?". It's not amusing. It's boring.
...or maybe they DON'T give opportunity to chefs of all backgrounds (hence the validity of the original post about the trifecta). Either way, Bravo, give us people who are at least close enough in league to actually COMPETE against each other.
ok, sorry for the rant and hogging blog space.
I just watched the "Camp Glucose" episode again yesterday, and I was thinking, wasn't it DANGEROUS to for Betty to add sugar to the cookies? One of the kids could have gone into shock or something.
I am not a trained chef - just and good home cook. No fancy platings and if I can't get it at a small town grocery store I down use it. But I could have done more inventive dishes than these. A root vegtable gratin may not be cutting edge but it sure beats twice baked potatoes.
I understand why Chef Tom seems about to explode sometimes.
Thanks for the interesting links. It was interesting to see their sites.
Yeah, the lack of originality this week was truly astounding. Marcel was the only one who deserved to be there in this challenge and, unfortunately, he still needs years of practice to get his technique down.
To me it was almost as if the producers saw the giant schism between the 5 that got immunity and the 5 that didn't...they staged the quickfire to then scare the bottom 5 into trying harder or something...in my opinion it defined who should be there and who shouldn't even more.
Although at this time I'm not sure any of them should be there for one reason or another...
Oh and Sam, this really didn't fit into my post but I am soooo disappointed in you egging Frank on...not much character in that! That's one strike against you being my fantasy chef:o(
Assuming that the Anonymous poster was serious about the dangerousness of adding sugar, I just wanted to point out that with diabetes and diets, you don't become ALLERGIC to sugar. You just have to be careful not to eat too much of it, and two tablespoons of sugar divided among several cookies is hardly enough to send someone into a diabetic coma or something.
Anyway, I just thought that needed to be clarified. That's not to mean that I'm okay with what Betty did, but it was hardly dangerous.
It's easy to see Chef Tom's fustration. I think this week highlighted the lack of creativity and professionalism in this season's group. I can't imagine Harold, LeeAnne, Tiffany, Dave or Stephen coming up with a menu like this group did or showing such a careless attitude about their assignment.
I watched Iron Chef tonight with Bobby Flay vs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger. The food was turkey. When you watch what those "Top Chefs" created it's clear to see why they're Top Chefs and this season's contestants are severely lacking. The Iron Chef challenge highlighted what a "cutting edge" Thanksgiving dinner could have been.
Too bad the judges see who makes the dishes before judging. I believe some objectivity is lost in that process; Gail and Padma seem "hot" for Sam and Cliff. So far, Cliff and Ilan are the only ones with consistent skills AND integrity=Top Chef. No instigating conflicts, no throwing others under the bus, no victimy or complaining blurbs, unlike some others. Sammy, tasteless baiting of Crazy Frank. Not cool. Michael's a sweet but sloppy down home chef and alcoholic; a Top Chef that does not make. Buying beer with TC money over chesse for your steak sandwich?? Priorities DUDE. Betty=Borderline Personality Disorder. I'll bet you wouldn't have blamed Sam or Cliff if they had offered to help you?? Two words=Seek Help!! Mia=two-faced "comfort food" alcoholic (check out bravo.com bonusfootage/breakfast). Elia, quit complaining about the judges and singling out Cliff's dishes. Show us the "money". Unfortunately Marcel, just like Tiffany's attitude, "It's about the food, not the people" and "I don't care if you're my best friend...". Did he not see TC 1 finale, when the judges asked the helper/runner-ups who they'd like to work for. My prediction: Cliff, Sam and Ilan final three. Cliff the winner.
so I have to say, I do not post here often. I am BPR fanatic, and got hooked on Top Chef via Project Runway. I just wanted to share an experience I had today. Me along with my wife and two friends from school, went to Betty's restaurant Grub in Hollywood. We actually met Betty there and ate lunch there. The food was pure amazing. I had simple Tuna sandwich, but the flavors in that sandwich were better than any food I have ever tasted. It was a grilled tuna sandwich. I know all four of us left there saying the food was amazing, we plan to go back often. We talked for a brief moment to Betty and expressed that we really enjoyed watching the show. She was so nice and down to earth, and not nearly as 'nutty' as the show portrays her to be. She is a very 'excited' person, but nothing over the top like I feel the show is treating her as. Anyway, great Breakfast and Lunch restaurant in Hollywood if anyone wants to try it out. There is a reason she sells only breakfast and lunch, and it is definitely off the beaten path. I think it was perfect and will be definitely taking family there to eat when they come into town.
Kris- I definitely think a little bit of anonymity could help this process be purer...as well as Tom not being in the Kitchen at all. Don't get me wrong I actually think that Elia being able to talk to him about his choice helped her in some of her perceptions about the competition, but it seems the process is getting in the way of the judging...I guess I'm saying the contestants should be able to lie to the judges...ha! But there is something behind the idea of never letting them see you sweat.
jrt- It's good to hear that the people who are "characters" on the show are a bit more normal in real life...we do have a tendency to judge them based on an editing job and think that since it's called reality tv they must be like that in their everyday existence. I will say this as I say about every reality show editing job...the red in the face rants and mood changes, she had to give them those for them to use them...they may have changed the context slightly but she did all that ranting and yelling herself...BUT I'm hoping that you will check back in with us often because I think Betty may be making an appearance in "our kitchen" in the next few weeks and we have some questions for her that she seems eager to answer...
chef back burner, i agree, she did give them the material to use. however, as television people go, they know how to edit and all I have to say is it might be a whole different ball game if we saw unedit versions. When we asked her about it, she did not deny saying or doing any of it. All she said was if you all go to see what Marcel was really doing to the extent he was doing, it wouldn't be such a shock.
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