Chefs!

[jlh]

First, thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes! I sort of had two days of birthday-ing, or maybe a birthday eve and a birthday. Yesterday, on the day, I had a fun, low key dinner with calloocallay and sistermagpie. Salad and cake, and I so rarely have cake on my birthday, actually, so that was different.

Wednesday ali_wildgoose and samgrrrl and our friend E went to Perilla, Top Chef Season 1 winner Harold Dieterle's restaurant. Friends, it was amazing. We shared appetizers and ended up getting four different entrees, and every single bite was fantastic. It's got a chill atmosphere, located on a quiet side street in the Village, and the prices are very reasonable for the very high quality of the food: apps $10-15 and entrees $20-$30. The two signature cocktails were also delish. I highly recommend it!

Speaking Top Chef, I realized I haven't in a while. I was pretty crushed when Lia went because she was my fav. While I agreed with the eliminations of Sara N and Tre, I was sorry to see them go, too. I'm not sure I was sorry to see Joey go, but more, sorry that it was his stubbornness, rather than his actual cooking, that led to it. I cannot stand Howie, and CJ has gone down a little bit with his passive behavior during restaurant wars. The thing is, because they cast such high quality chefs from the get-go, anyone could go at any time, and that makes it exciting, sure, but hard to really root for anyone. I mean, Tre was great but also inconsistent, and had been in the bottom three more than once in quickfires and eliminations. Sara M is starting to grow on me, mostly due to her deft handling of Howie and Hung--talk about a leadership test! Dale continues to be really smart about everything he does. At this point, with the exception of Howie, I'd be fine with any of them winning. But not really rooting for someone does give you a bit of emotional distance from the show.

What are you thinking about Top Chef this season?

Comments

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

damn. *envious* Perilla is totally on my list of places I MUST go someday... you know, whenever I decide I finally want to make time to go to NYC. He might just get a new location in another city before that happens.

I've come to the conclusion that this won't be my favorite or my least favorite season of Top Chef. As much as I didn't like to see Tre go, it was the right choice given Ted's reaction to the Salmon and the dessert debacle. I agree... I'd be ok with anyone but Howie. I still haven't picked a favorite -- which is highly unusual for me by this point in the season. Of course maybe my love for Tom is finally getting in the way of my judgment of the chefs.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

The first season was SO good because it was so, well, moral and satisfying, and Harold continues to be one of my favorite reality types ever because he just was such a leader, such a presence, without being an asshole. People like that usually get weeded out in the casting process, but then, he says he got really drunk to do his audition tape and talked a really big game and was generally ridiculous. Good thing!

I feel like with the blogs and all it's less about the cheftestants and more about the judges and the guest judges and all of that, and since that's how I watch AI half the time I'm not too worried about that. I mean, the breakout star of PR is Tim Gunn, after all. You want compelling contestants but you need to have interesting judges or you'll find it hard to retain viewers year on year. I adore Gail and Padma is growing on me.

You know, I like Gordon Ramsay much better on Kitchen Nightmares than on Hell's Kitchen. I watched HK for the first time this year--not all of it, only the last, oh, 5 eps. But in Kitchen Nightmares there's a lot less screaming. And I feel like he's screaming at people who bloody well SHOULD be screamed at because they already have a restaurant and are doing a crap job. That said, we have him to thank for Harold--he wanted to go on Top Chef because he didn't like that screaming chef stereotype that Ramsay was representing on that first season of HK.

[darth-kittius.livejournal.com]

Agreed re: Harold. He just ROCKED.

Gail bugged me the first season, but I really started to like her last season. And Tom. Well I *heart* short bald white men with big personalities. So yeah, he's just awesome. I love watching him

As for Gordon. I agree, I like him MUCH better on Kitchen Nightmares than on Hell's Kitchen. Although I'm a little worried about what FOX is going to do to the series when it brings it over here. But I LOVE him the most on the F Word. That's just the *best* show for him. It really shows his interested, engaged, educational side. And the screaming chef -- or applauding chef, depending on what the brigade is doing.

Happy belated birthday!!!

[meezergal.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry I didn't get this to you yesterday, I hope it was VERY VERY HAPPY!!!

(I admit it, I've been so wrapped up in my own little world of angst about no job I'm not paying enough attention to friends. Sorry.)

Happy birthday again!!!!! Have your favorite virtual drink, cake, whatever of your choice on me!!! I enjoy having you as a LJ friend. :)

Re: Happy belated birthday!!!

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Awww! Thank you so much!

I'm so bad at birthdays that I never say anything about them on LJ anymore, actually, so one day is NO WORRY.

[toastoos.livejournal.com]

I've liked Hung from the beginning. Sometimes he may not be the best, like cauliflower foam, wth? I swear, Marcel and him just end up doing it to get a laugh or annoy people. But I've always liked his bluntness but I know a lot of people think he's a jerk. You're there for a competition, not to make friends and this is how it goes down.

Anyway, I'm getting frustrated with this season. It seems like it's taking forever to wind this season down. There's been a few weeks where the episode is skipped because of holidays or just to show a special behind the scenes stuff. Last week they didn't even send anybody home, thereby extending it another week. And now we don't even have a new episode for 2 weeks.

P.S. Happy belated birthday!

[jlh.livejournal.com]

I think that Hung isn't actually that much of a jerk to his fellow chefs; I think he plays that shit up. What I don't like is his attitude about critiques, especially the guest chefs that judge the quickfires. He always seems to feel that they are wrong and he was awesome, and if he feels that way how can he take advantage of learning from these amazing chefs? But the only one on there that I really don't like at all is Howie.

Maybe they're trying to stretch it out until PR is ready, because Top Design and Shear Genius were so lame. I mean, six more shows after next week puts us in mid-October, doesn't it?

[toastoos.livejournal.com]

It would be around that time period, as long as they don't draw it out more. But, yeah, that's what me and mom were thinking. The show that'll end up replacing it must not be ready for airtime.

[bhanesidhe.livejournal.com]

Sorry to've missed dinner. You were right of course... I'm still not used to dealing with the whole having to keep short or long notice in consideration. So, not in like with not being in charge of mine own schedule. :(

*missing on you*

[jlh.livejournal.com]

Now that school has started again I have many free and flexible afternoons so midweek sightings can be less rare. And weekends!

Also that art is adorable. OMG.

[bhanesidhe.livejournal.com]

The kids school starts Tuesday and now we get to see if we can ACTUALLY transition the two school schedules to where there is no sleepless-nights or starving babies. My needs come very low on the totem poll at this point. I'm not holding out hope for anything nearing Val!Normalcy any month soon. :(


Ha! You find me amusing!! EXcccilllent.....

[sarahtales.livejournal.com]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CLIO! I fail at life.

[jlh.livejournal.com]

You so don't. I suck at birthdays, myself.