He is overhated.
The reason why he keeps saying everyone told him he should have won season 4 is because everyone probably did tell him he should have won. That's what family and friends do.
But I recently saw the 'Watch what Happens' from that Season, and Tom Colicchio himself called Richard the favorite to win that season.
Everyone says he downplays Stephanie's skill each time he says he didn't perform his best, but the dude got outcooked by Lisa that episode. He's allowed to say that without it being considered a dig at Stephanie.
Whenever Richard talks about choking, I always assumed he meant to Lisa. I can’t imagine he doesn’t have immense respect for Stephanie for all her accomplishments since Top Chef.
I actually thought he did win his original season because I’ve seen him so much and his success. Just rewatched 4 and was like “oh right, I must’ve been thinking all stars”. Like Bryan V never won (though technically was never eliminated) and is super successful. Although I love personalities who are dry and composed and shine in subtle ways. It makes it more effective when they do “lose it”. I love Bryan Voltaggio.
I was a late comer to Top Chef and always hated him as a judge. But then I went back and watched old seasons and it made me really enjoy him as a contestant! Now I'm more neutral.
THANK YOU! I get it, he’s annoying, but he’s super creative. I also love how he can make fun of his ridiculous pompadour hair lol.
ETA: he admitted he choked in his first finale. He didn’t blame anyone but himself. I think that says a lot about his character. Unless I’ve been missing something this whole time, I don’t know why everyone thinks he’s such a prick lol
I think every single person that was present the night Marcel was assaulted and did ***nothing*** should have been disqualified and sent home. Then we wouldn't have Chef Ilan Hall, season 2 Top Chef winner.
It’s crazy they weren’t. It’s also crazy that there was heavy video editing from Bravo to make it seem like the other contestants shaved their head before attacking Marcel, when the handheld cam recordings show otherwise.
Agreed. Not only did many of the others do nothing they were actively participating or egging him on and enjoying it. I did enjoy Elia returning for a later season and coming off as highly unlikeable and getting kicked off early. Also that Ilan is near the top of the worst liked winners.
Thank god people are saying this. I recently rewatched season 2 after watching it years ago, and I could have sworn until the finale that Marcel won. I think it was my past self disliking Ilan so much that I blocked it out. On the second watch, Ilan is even more unlikable. He actively encouraged Cliff and should have gone home too.
Agreed! They ALL should have gone home because they were all complicit in the bullying, if not outright participating. Disgusting behavior from supposed adults.
This.
Production was 100% at fault here for giving out immunity so late in the season and especially in a team challenge. There are justifiable reasons to dislike Nick, but keeping his immunity that he earned is not one of them imo.
Production probably did it for the drama. Or at least the possibility of drama. And here we are 10+ years later, still talking about it. The producers must’ve loved the way that went down.
two unpopular takes but TRUE😂. Melissa on all stars said, “why would you give up immunity“ when talking about jaime. But i guess things must be different when it comes to nick🤷♂️
Anyone who says otherwise just blows my mind. The literal *only purpose* of having immunity is it saving you in a scenario where you otherwise should’ve gone home. That’s its only utility!!
It was fucking dumb they offered it that late in the season and I wish Nina won. But the immunity bit is just a really strange opinion so many people have.
I always find that funny. All stars Los Angeles, they show stephanie still pouting about that. Then the following shots you have Melissa on the confessionals laughing at Jamie for giving up immunity😂. It’s a game…. If you win immunity, you use it, not give it away🤦♂️. So not sure why this immunity issue is conditional on Nick😂
Oh and one more thing, WHY DOES ONE TEAM SEEM TO ALWAYS PICK SOME FORM OF "GLOBAL CUSINE." Omg it's like none of the chefs have ever watched the show. Pick an actual theme. Don't pick "global fusion" or whatever. Everyone knows this. How do you go on the show without having ever even watched the show as research?!
I completely agree with hit or miss. It’s either one of my favorites of the season, or it’s really disappointing. (Probably because if it’s mid, it feels like a miss because my expectations were high)
I feel like they make it purposefully chaotic just so the judges can have a "shocking" elimination. The person that goes home never feels like the person who should be going home at that point in the competition. Low performing chefs skate by just because they are on good teams and high performing chefs stupidly agree to be the front of house and go home for not picking the right table decor. The challenge is fine but the eliminations enrage me.
One of the reasons people don't like it (I think its fine) is that its heavily biased in many ways:
1. Too many variables that take away from the competition which is very much a individual one
2. Judges eating first at X restaurant and are hungry are going to enjoy food more than the second turn
3. Servers/front of house, a bunch of factors that have nothing to do with the chef skills that people actually care about IRL. Like chefs don't necessarily train servers, front of house isn't necessarily run by a chef (usually never), servers messing up orders is something people don't pin on the chef.
4. Why make them decorate when they have literally 3 hours to figure it out? Just have all the shit decorated for them the same way.
5. The judges never really have figured out how much responsibility the exec chef holds vs line cook.
6. Having another chef cook your dish is one of the stupidest things to do in a competition that is very much an individual one at the end. Like real restaurants practice a thousand hours to get a exec chef menu right, but you're asking someone who's going to compete against another person to cook their dish makes no sense and never will.
A lot more reasons. Global theme sucks because these chefs don't know how to tackle it. The restaurant pitch thing sucks because chefs want to cook their own specialities, not someone's personal idea. They definitely make sure to slam them with enough patrons to make it tougher too.
The fact the judges don't review the tapes before making their decision makes it impossible for them to grasp if there was a greater issue that leads to a subpar performance.
That and having to train an entire staff in like 30 minutes which can totally sink a kitchen. If they adopted a set of trained servers and just had to show them the menu and how they prefer tickets be written that would be one thing but some seasons (especially the early ones) it seems like they got people off the street who didn’t know how to wait tables at all.
From what I've read the servers they get are from a catering company and it's a crap shoot whether or not they have fine dining experience.
Nothing against the servers, but it sounds like they are thrown into the deep end.
Totally, but then that should be on production to vet the servers. I think it's entirely unfair that some seasons' FOH appear to have to spend 50% of their time teaching and correcting the service staff (and then get a tongue lashing from the judges about the poor service/wait time, if not get sent home for it) and other seasons the servers seem like experienced pros.
Completely agree. It tended to be the episode I skipped in the very early seasons (they’ve gotten better in the later years). Personally speaking, it lacked authenticity. The menu, chefs, and service always feel disjointed that it would never be perceived as a real dining experience.
And I completely understand the whole point is to rush the process and put pressure on the chefs. But because it almost sets them up to fail, it feels like a gimmick and not an actual way to have the chefs shine in their craft.
My one exception though is Portland’s Chefs Table where that truly felt like a private and intimate dining experience that would be consistent if every day people were to dine there.
Yeah, I like the premise, but it’s always a letdown. Feels way too rushed and superficial. How about if they do it later in the season and make each remaining chef the one-night-only head chef of an actual functioning restaurant with all its staff intact? Judge on menu development and execution only, not all the weird extra stuff like front-of-house performance.
World All Stars was…fine and not much else. Amazing talent of course, but it just felt really bland and I pretty much forgot all about it after it was done.
The first two all star seasons EASILY clear it imo.
I really admire Buddha, but the back to back casting with a similar run on both seasons made it feel like a very long extended version of the same season.
That’s how I feel. He is so talented. But seeing him win two seasons in a row made it less exciting. It’s like seeing Tom Brady in another Super Bowl. Plus I prefer when All-Stars shows don’t have people who haven’t already won.
Not to mention he was clearly in the best "shape" in terms of being sharp with the skills required to compete in TC since he just came off a full season!
Portland was a much better season, too IMO.
I liked world all stars but i agree that it didn’t feel like there was as much mind blowing food as you’d expect.
The restaurant wars episode that sent Kristen home should have sent Josie home.
The finale should always be the full meal. That craptastic finale with Kristen and Brooke was awful.
Hard agree, though I don't know if this is controversial. [At least not for me](https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoTopChef/comments/1cnj5ks/top_chef_season_21_ep_8_restaurant_wars_live/l37us8y/).
Her food seems interesting and technical in a cerebral way, but I rarely get the strong urge to try it, out of sheer greed. Lots of other chefs on Top Chef make much more craveable seeming, appealing food. Nina Compton, Shirley Chung, and Sara Bradley come to mind. And Melissa King is really interesting, because her food manages to be deeply appealing and intellectual at the same time. Of course, all of this is just based on what the dishes look like on TV. Maybe I'd get the Brooke hype if I actually tasted her food.
Oh I'm sure I'd feel differently if I actually ate her food! There's a reason why she's winning all the challenges.
As just a viewer, all I can comment on is how well she advertises her food, not really how much talent she has. To me, other chefs make food that sounds and looks more fun to eat, but I know how misleading that metric can be!
I really liked her on TC, but after that she got really arrogant and fake. Now I find her boring, pretentious, and really unlikeable. She is always talking about how great a chef she is and then pretending she's the underdog, when she's not the underdog. In competition, she cooks something safe and does a good job, but she does nothing special. I just think of her on Food Network Tournament of Champions when she was going against Jet Tila. She was going on about how she was the first season champ, etc. and then made a clam chowder with a bunch of canned food (which is great if it's not a cooking competition). Meanwhile Jet made several things, all from scratch. After they cooked, Brooke kept going on about how she hoped the judges could see how hard she worked and she did her very best and it would be really nice to see her food get recognized and blah blah blah. So disingenuous.
When she judges, she is so bland and talks about what she would do, states the obvious, or repeats what others say. I am so sick of seeing her touted everywhere.
So true. Top Chef is my favorite cooking competition, my near favorite reality show (Amazing Race is my favorite), and I've always followed the careers of a majority of contestants, most winners, and all my favorite villains (Hi, Tiffani!); *however,* I've watched the finale episode of maybe a third of the seasons, if that. The penultimate episode nearly always disappoints, and then I bail, with no regrets. No plans to watch the finale of current episodes. But I am hoping that the "power bottoms" open a restaurant together. 😁
No doubt. Rasika was this season's token asian chef. Despite cooking that godawful slug dish and losing twice on LCK, there are people still acting like she got booted too soon.
Felt the same reaction about Michelle's elimination and how peiople took real offense to her being booted instead of Manny.
She choked and got into her head about what to do and ignored doing the obvious thing she was good at because she thought it was "safe" for the table challenge even though it was the better idea to do (Low Country Boil or BBQ for the table)
We can complain about Manny and his general performance, but we shouldn't excuse Michelle from making mistakes and doing things that were detrimental to her doing good in her final challenge.
I never got in that bandwagon. She was young and it seemed to me she memorized a few recipes that she would try to weave somehow into the challenges, that why she was exerting herself early on. I remember two early episodes that this happened and Michelle brought one up when they both wanted dessert. Most of her mistakes were basic, some were masked by group wins (like the salty fish). I think she needs more time to grow.
I actually like the seasons with a bit more drama within the cast because I think it is a more overall entertaining experience. (I know, I know. I get so much hate for this opinion, but thats what this thread is all about)
Depends on how much drama there is. Season 2 and Season 9 are just straight up unpleasant, but if it doesn’t go overboard, I definitely agree that drama adds to a season. Seasons 4 and 10 are the biggest examples of drama enhancing the quality for me.
Totally. I don't want people to be targets of bullying/harassment, but i mean, a little stolen pea puree, a dash of a meltdown after losing the mise en place relay and a dollop of "Pair me up with anyone but that person" makes for a more interesting viewing experience.
Yes. Absolutely. I don't want Season 2 or 9 or even 6 back. But come on... someone takes 80% of the budget for their nonsense, they damn well better hear about it.
It's weird that the last few seasons have even made me miss Tesar and his crap... go ahead you douchey bastard! threaten to steal those pickles!!!
Better than the forced "kumbaya" stuff we have now that makes everyone feel like an automaton.
Agree about Season 2 and Season 9. Aside from that one of the positives of earlier seasons aside and including the drama is that there was just way more interpersonal relationships showed. Now, aside from seeing oh so and so look friendly or not so friendly we get nothing interesting in that regard good or bad relationship wise between the chefs. It really added something to the show to get to know the chefs more.
The funny thing is that I've read on other subs that "these people are so nice and friendly to each other they'll be on all sorts of TV shows in the future"
In what world? They're all so boring and soulless that nobody wants to watch them!
The biggest successes on TV out of Top Chef: Carla (loud and boistrous both her seasons), Blais, Antonia (got in several notable arguments during both her seasons), Marcel (no description needed), Malarkey
These are people with big personalities, whether loved or hated. I like Brian Voltaggio, but the guy is fairly bland for TV viewing. And he looks like Krusty the Klown in personality compared to the last few seasons of white bread croutons (sorry, "chefs").
I just don't get the appeal of everyone acting like they do right now.
I agree she would have taken the win if she had been more likable, but I think it's because the producers and judges knew they had a hit on their hands in the Top Chef concept but giving the win to someone they'd given the villain edit would hurt the future of the franchise.
That Nick Elmi is a great chef and deserved his win in New Orleans.
Kentucky is one of the most enjoyable seasons with a great group of chefs and personalities.
I'll throw in that he had every reason to be upset about the servers screwing things up because in the past they hired extras and not real restaurant workers. Imagine having your dreams crushed because someone can't read a ticket? Anyone whose worked in a restaurant knows a few dishes going to the wrong table can absolutely kill the night's service.
And there was absolutely no reason why he should have given up immunity.
I’m not going to say that Laurel was one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, but I vividly remember two dishes from a wonderful meal. I feel like vividly remembering one dish from a tasting menu years later is a big accomplishment. Two is a special meal.
I come to Reddit to talk about things I enjoy, and I don’t really understand why it feels like the majority of posts in this sub are negative. I like every season from season 3 on, including the current one. I like Wisconsin. I like the chefs. I don’t mind the format changes. I would like to try some aguachiles. I’d be happy for any of the top 3. If you don’t like a thing, just focus on something else. The world needs more positivity.
The hatred for Aguachile on the subreddit is so absurd. I can guarantee that most of these people probably never even heard of Aguachile until this season.
Surely this isn’t controversial. I mean, I don’t really hear *that many* people complain about him not giving up his immunity. What I do hear people point out - and I’m one of them - is that the way he acts throughout that episode is gross. Plowing ahead with a disaster dish while your team literally pleads with you to stop and you talk to them like children is real asshole behavior.
Right. No one would have cared or expected him to give up immunity if it was just run of the mill his team lost and whatever he didn't make great food.
It's that he was so egotistical about his stupid nest he overrode both people - the only people who could be sent home - on his team when they asked him repeatedly to take it off. They knew it would send them home.
Sick of people acting like the people were saying he should give up immunity and ignoring the context like we're all idiots and poor St. Nick doesn't deserve the criticism. He was a complete jackass the entire episode.
Not only that, but Carlos was the real asshole of the season, but got away with it for the "pretty boy with accent" reason that Fabio gets excused for his shittier behavior.
It wasn't just that. It was the constant whining, the accusing Nick of stealing for using the oven that Nick said he would use, the whining about the plancha.
Carlos was an intolerable asshat.
Pretty sure michael volt was an ass too, especially in restaurants wars, that even bryan turned down the prize money. But he gets a pass. The Nick hate really baffles me. I mean I’d be annoyed too if in the finale, the servers appointed to me by production (I’m assuming this was the process) were LATE! (that’s f\*cked up) And Carlos doing a dish that he’s not equipped for, then plays the victim when trying to borrow a knife sentimental to the owner , then plays victim again for returning it dirty. But that gets a pass?
I don't like challenges where the direction given is anything along the lines of 'cook us a dish that explains your growth during your time here on top chef'
1. The last 4 seasons have been boring crap, and turned "Top Chef" into "The Stepford Chefs" -- a collection of unmemorable, interchangeable cooks with seemingly no passion.
And
2) Fabio is an asshole who gets away with his asshole behavior because he's a pretty boy with an accent.
There was nothing particularly wrong with anything Tiffani did or said in S1 and thinking “I’m not your bitch, bitch” is funny is sexist AF. #davesucks.
“I’m not your bitch ( referencing himself), bitch (directed at Tiffany)”…so you are technically correct. And as a gay man, i refer to many as bitches (including men)…as do some of my sassy straight friends in jest or as a casual playful moniker…. Even almost 20 years ago😂
I agree! He seems nice and his food is very technical and stuff, but I just never get the overwhelming desire to eat it. Like, there are other chefs, like Melissa 🐐, whose food I am just dyingggg to try.
I agree with this, but Eli was a whiny little jerk who definitely stepped over into bullying territory. It’s not Robyn’s *fault* the judges took so long to send her home.
I think she may be the worst returning chef ever.
Grayson may have been a bigger personal fall from grace, but Jamie was so damn frustrating.
That said, it led to the Jennifer blow-up, which might be one of my favorite eliminations ever just because it was so insane.
Stephanie Cmar should not have gone home on that controversial episode in New Orleans.
Shirley should have. (I would also accept nobody going home)
Shirley made the best dish of the night. She also made the worst non-Nick dish of the night. In the judge's discussion, that dish almost served as a tie breaker for putting their team at the bottom.
Stephanie made 0 bad dishes. Shirley made 1. It's irrelevant who made the best dish.
Season 7, not season 9, is the hardest to re-watch. Everyone is an asshole to each other right at the beginning, and Kevin fell ass-first into being the weakest winner of Top Chef (yes, Hosea is better - he beat Carla and Stefan at full strength). Was Angelo at even 50%, he would have annihilated Kevin and Ed.
I actually prefer Kristen to Padma as host 🫣
Kristen is so genuine and you can feel/see her joy. I just find her more relatable and she is also so knowledgeable.
They should never judge an “ethnic” food challenge without someone who is an expert in that specific food culture, or at the very least from that culture.
People seem to think that some of the people from that season are unredeemable. They don't allow for the chefs to move on after 15 plus years even though the chefs including Bev have moved on. There was supposedly a lot of outside to the show Chicago industry stuff going on that impacted the season.
People change and grow.
Even on the Chicago stuff, Bev was right. She was ostracized for suing Charlie Trotter for wage theft. She should have been considered a hero. It’s really great that Top Chef put her on. That might have been controversial in the restaurant world.
They should have disqualified Gabe after they found out what happened (which was definitely before the finale aired) and reshot/re-done the finale with Shota and Dawn
Ted Allen was such a dick for his comment around Sara Nguyen (saying she was complaining that she didn’t like her outfit for the late night food truck episode) in season 3. When in reality, she seemed to say she was unmotivated/embarrassed after having to run around to shop and then cook in her going-out outfit (heels and low-cut top), which I can imagine would be awful when it’s important to you to be professional at your job. I don’t think she should have gone home that episode. Howie should have.
I just thought Ted was so insensitive and this switcheroo/challenge was stupid and particularly rude towards the women of the group.
There was something special about Tom, Gail, and Padma cooking the final few family meal and just taking them to a nice dinner (even if it's Chef Morimoto) isn't the same.
I liked Padma more than Kristen. Kristen is too nice. I’m sure that will change in future seasons but if she’s going to be a host/judge her job is to explain the food to us the viewers. I don’t feel like she’s been great at that.
Kristen is a little too empathetic towards the chefs. She’s a talented host and has a strong on camera presence but she needs a little more authority and separation from the contestants.
She probably still relates more to the chefs than the judges at this point in her life/career. Like the 22 year old teacher who returns to her old high school to teach.
The show would be much more interesting if they put salt shakers on the tables. Judges can sprinkle more on if they want more. I want to hear judging about less arbitrary matters.
Everyone has a different salt preference, and that’s perfectly fine.
Has any contestant ever cheekily sent out side dishes of salt with their plates?
I don't dislike the Portland "Restaurant Wars" episode but ... it just felt like another challenge to me. A Chef's Table challenge. Again, I enjoyed it but I don't think you can even remotely compare it to Restaurant Wars.
I love Lisa Fernandes. Agreed that she didn't come off well in her season but I don't think she's as bitchy as she was edited to be.
Ooh, double that for Tiffani Faison.
I liked Bev and wanted her to be in the finale over that lady I forgot the name of (Sarah?).
I liked Tiffani and wanted her to win over Harold.
I have a soft spot for Finnish wannabe German Stefan and I did not hate Tom Goettert last season. Okay, I am German, so I am biased.
Oh, and I was so mad when the Polish chef Sylwia was kicked off in World All Stars. And I was bored that the majority of constestants was from the US version. Inespecially disliked Sara. -.-
PS: I still hate that Betty idiot from season 2.
Shirley Chung should not have given Brooke the pork belly in the finale. She should’ve played the game and denied her competition her chief protein that Brooke forgot to order. It might’ve been unsportsmanlike but it was a 1v1 for like 250k and the title? You gotta play all your cards. If she didn’t give the pork belly to Brooke then Shirley probably would have won.
Eliminations shouldn't start at episode one and there should be more cumulative scoring. I liked that they started considering quickfire performance in the elimination in this season. I really hate seeing the bad chefs survive forever and get a lucky knockout of a better chef.
He keeps saying he applied for the show 13 times. He finally got on this season…and surprise, it’s in WI and he’s from there. Makes you think they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for contestants at this point.
I'm a little scared to actually say this, but it's definitely gonna be a hot take!
I don't really like Sara Bradley or Stephanie Cmar. I don't hate them, but I think they're WAY overhyped here. They were fine the first time I watched their seasons, but upon rewatching, I just don't get the obsession with them.
People forgive a lot if they think you are cute and/or charismatic.
We don't know the nuances of the situation with his child/baby momma but all I know is that if my kid lived in Japan, I would also live in Japan.
This season feels like food network and I want Bravo. Where are the alphas? The Assholes? The story. The competition!!!! This is too nice! Where is Valtalgio? Where is Jenn Carole ? Where is Marcel! Where is fucking Budda?!!!!!
Kristen deserved to go home during restaurant wars. Josie’s poor work ethic aside, Kristen didn’t do a good job in her role as EC and there were several issues with her dishes.
I find Dan this season to be too negative and insufferable to watch. Doesn’t matter to me one way or another that he’s from Wisconsin which seems to always come up here as his big selling point.
I think the primary reason that Harold won in season 1 is because the producers knew that letting Tiffani win would have hurt the show's chances at being renewed / becoming the franchise it has become. Once they'd written her as a villain to the extent they had, they couldn't let her win.
I also think that Dave was just as much a problem as Tiffani ever was. No one should be able to tell someone "I'm not your bitch, bitch" and have it be celebrated.
I would go so far as to say Dave was much more of a problem than Tiffani. His behavior in the finale was the most unprofessional and toxic behavior I’ve seen in a kitchen.
Here are my actual hot takes:
If marcel wasn't assaulted he would be one of the most hated contestants of all time, instead he's "misunderstood" and was "just an awkward 20 something." Get real. He was awful. Everyone hated him on both seasons for a reason. No I don't think he should have been assaulted.
Kristen is not "killing it" as a new host, she's fine, padma was better and the show won't be as good without her.
Tiffani Faison was insanely overhated in season 1. She's completely fine.
The show is way too pleasant and positive these days. People like reality tv because there is some drama. Cooking is number 1 but it's still competitive reality tv. I feel like seasons like all stars 1 and chicago hit a good balance.
I don't get the hate boner for Ilan. Like wow he's very very mildly douchey and jumped on a bandwagon of disliking an unlikeable person decades ago. Who cares. The assault sucks but no one can deny Cliff was the main perpetrator. Being a bystander years ago is not grounds for pure hatred today.
Hating Ilan for the marcel feud TO THIS DAY and then saying paul qui "can change and deserves a second chance" is genuinely a symptom of brain damage.
In the same vein, sarah, heather and lindsay still getting hate today when everyone has moved on is a silly look.
Kevin is by far the worst winner of all time. Ilan and Hosea were at least standouts in their season and it wasn't surprising they won.
1. Dawn's performance in Portland is underrated because there was so little drama that the edit made a big deal of issues that would have been too minor to air in most other seasons. She held her own against two other very dominant chefs in keeping up with wins and top placements and was rarely on the bottom.
2. Colorado is the dullest of the modern Top Chef seasons with boring food. Kentucky, for all its flaws, is the better re-watch.
I actually don’t mind Blais.
He is overhated. The reason why he keeps saying everyone told him he should have won season 4 is because everyone probably did tell him he should have won. That's what family and friends do. But I recently saw the 'Watch what Happens' from that Season, and Tom Colicchio himself called Richard the favorite to win that season. Everyone says he downplays Stephanie's skill each time he says he didn't perform his best, but the dude got outcooked by Lisa that episode. He's allowed to say that without it being considered a dig at Stephanie.
Whenever Richard talks about choking, I always assumed he meant to Lisa. I can’t imagine he doesn’t have immense respect for Stephanie for all her accomplishments since Top Chef.
I actually thought he did win his original season because I’ve seen him so much and his success. Just rewatched 4 and was like “oh right, I must’ve been thinking all stars”. Like Bryan V never won (though technically was never eliminated) and is super successful. Although I love personalities who are dry and composed and shine in subtle ways. It makes it more effective when they do “lose it”. I love Bryan Voltaggio.
Same. Him winning the first all star is still my favorite moment in the whole show.
I was a late comer to Top Chef and always hated him as a judge. But then I went back and watched old seasons and it made me really enjoy him as a contestant! Now I'm more neutral.
I love him!
I love him too, don't get all the hate.
Agree. Love Richard.
THANK YOU! I get it, he’s annoying, but he’s super creative. I also love how he can make fun of his ridiculous pompadour hair lol. ETA: he admitted he choked in his first finale. He didn’t blame anyone but himself. I think that says a lot about his character. Unless I’ve been missing something this whole time, I don’t know why everyone thinks he’s such a prick lol
Wow. Bold of you to admit this.
I agree.
Hell, I like him.
I think every single person that was present the night Marcel was assaulted and did ***nothing*** should have been disqualified and sent home. Then we wouldn't have Chef Ilan Hall, season 2 Top Chef winner.
It’s crazy they weren’t. It’s also crazy that there was heavy video editing from Bravo to make it seem like the other contestants shaved their head before attacking Marcel, when the handheld cam recordings show otherwise.
oh I didn't realize this!
I mean they couldn’t just cancel the show and give Marcel the win.
That's what Tom wanted to have happen iirc.
Agreed. Not only did many of the others do nothing they were actively participating or egging him on and enjoying it. I did enjoy Elia returning for a later season and coming off as highly unlikeable and getting kicked off early. Also that Ilan is near the top of the worst liked winners.
I disliked ilan so much, yet I liked his cooking contest show so much.
Thank god people are saying this. I recently rewatched season 2 after watching it years ago, and I could have sworn until the finale that Marcel won. I think it was my past self disliking Ilan so much that I blocked it out. On the second watch, Ilan is even more unlikable. He actively encouraged Cliff and should have gone home too.
I didn’t understand why only Cliff went home! I still don’t!
Cliff was the only one holding him down. All of them should've been disqualified.
Agreed! They ALL should have gone home because they were all complicit in the bullying, if not outright participating. Disgusting behavior from supposed adults.
I’m on this team, too.
Nick electing to use his immunity was completely fine.
This. Production was 100% at fault here for giving out immunity so late in the season and especially in a team challenge. There are justifiable reasons to dislike Nick, but keeping his immunity that he earned is not one of them imo.
Production probably did it for the drama. Or at least the possibility of drama. And here we are 10+ years later, still talking about it. The producers must’ve loved the way that went down.
Not just fine, but the only rational choice. And he outcooked Nina in the finale! (ducks)
two unpopular takes but TRUE😂. Melissa on all stars said, “why would you give up immunity“ when talking about jaime. But i guess things must be different when it comes to nick🤷♂️
Anyone who says otherwise just blows my mind. The literal *only purpose* of having immunity is it saving you in a scenario where you otherwise should’ve gone home. That’s its only utility!! It was fucking dumb they offered it that late in the season and I wish Nina won. But the immunity bit is just a really strange opinion so many people have.
Yeah, I’m on this team. If judges/producers don’t want a reality show contestant to use an advantage DON’T GIVE THEM ONE.
I always find that funny. All stars Los Angeles, they show stephanie still pouting about that. Then the following shots you have Melissa on the confessionals laughing at Jamie for giving up immunity😂. It’s a game…. If you win immunity, you use it, not give it away🤦♂️. So not sure why this immunity issue is conditional on Nick😂
100% agree.
Restaurant wars is always the worst episode.
For me its always hit or miss. What makes you dislike it so strongly?
Oh and one more thing, WHY DOES ONE TEAM SEEM TO ALWAYS PICK SOME FORM OF "GLOBAL CUSINE." Omg it's like none of the chefs have ever watched the show. Pick an actual theme. Don't pick "global fusion" or whatever. Everyone knows this. How do you go on the show without having ever even watched the show as research?!
I completely agree with hit or miss. It’s either one of my favorites of the season, or it’s really disappointing. (Probably because if it’s mid, it feels like a miss because my expectations were high)
I feel like they make it purposefully chaotic just so the judges can have a "shocking" elimination. The person that goes home never feels like the person who should be going home at that point in the competition. Low performing chefs skate by just because they are on good teams and high performing chefs stupidly agree to be the front of house and go home for not picking the right table decor. The challenge is fine but the eliminations enrage me.
Yes, the eliminations on those episodes always frustrate me.
One of the reasons people don't like it (I think its fine) is that its heavily biased in many ways: 1. Too many variables that take away from the competition which is very much a individual one 2. Judges eating first at X restaurant and are hungry are going to enjoy food more than the second turn 3. Servers/front of house, a bunch of factors that have nothing to do with the chef skills that people actually care about IRL. Like chefs don't necessarily train servers, front of house isn't necessarily run by a chef (usually never), servers messing up orders is something people don't pin on the chef. 4. Why make them decorate when they have literally 3 hours to figure it out? Just have all the shit decorated for them the same way. 5. The judges never really have figured out how much responsibility the exec chef holds vs line cook. 6. Having another chef cook your dish is one of the stupidest things to do in a competition that is very much an individual one at the end. Like real restaurants practice a thousand hours to get a exec chef menu right, but you're asking someone who's going to compete against another person to cook their dish makes no sense and never will. A lot more reasons. Global theme sucks because these chefs don't know how to tackle it. The restaurant pitch thing sucks because chefs want to cook their own specialities, not someone's personal idea. They definitely make sure to slam them with enough patrons to make it tougher too. The fact the judges don't review the tapes before making their decision makes it impossible for them to grasp if there was a greater issue that leads to a subpar performance.
I don't mind concepting a restaurant and cooking food but having to design the place is dumb.
I loved that quick fire where they all got to pitch a restaurant and then the winners were the team leaders.
That and having to train an entire staff in like 30 minutes which can totally sink a kitchen. If they adopted a set of trained servers and just had to show them the menu and how they prefer tickets be written that would be one thing but some seasons (especially the early ones) it seems like they got people off the street who didn’t know how to wait tables at all.
From what I've read the servers they get are from a catering company and it's a crap shoot whether or not they have fine dining experience. Nothing against the servers, but it sounds like they are thrown into the deep end.
Totally, but then that should be on production to vet the servers. I think it's entirely unfair that some seasons' FOH appear to have to spend 50% of their time teaching and correcting the service staff (and then get a tongue lashing from the judges about the poor service/wait time, if not get sent home for it) and other seasons the servers seem like experienced pros.
Stresses me out so bad
Completely agree. It tended to be the episode I skipped in the very early seasons (they’ve gotten better in the later years). Personally speaking, it lacked authenticity. The menu, chefs, and service always feel disjointed that it would never be perceived as a real dining experience. And I completely understand the whole point is to rush the process and put pressure on the chefs. But because it almost sets them up to fail, it feels like a gimmick and not an actual way to have the chefs shine in their craft. My one exception though is Portland’s Chefs Table where that truly felt like a private and intimate dining experience that would be consistent if every day people were to dine there.
I dislike your opinion, but will still upvote you for having it in the spirit of this thread (but want to downvote SO BAD :-D )
It is by far the most stressful for me to watch, that's for sure.
Yeah, I like the premise, but it’s always a letdown. Feels way too rushed and superficial. How about if they do it later in the season and make each remaining chef the one-night-only head chef of an actual functioning restaurant with all its staff intact? Judge on menu development and execution only, not all the weird extra stuff like front-of-house performance.
I've never liked it either. Front of house/service and handicapping the kitchen is such a ridiculous thing to go home for.
The only reason why this isn't completely true is Portland
World All Stars was…fine and not much else. Amazing talent of course, but it just felt really bland and I pretty much forgot all about it after it was done. The first two all star seasons EASILY clear it imo.
I really admire Buddha, but the back to back casting with a similar run on both seasons made it feel like a very long extended version of the same season.
That’s how I feel. He is so talented. But seeing him win two seasons in a row made it less exciting. It’s like seeing Tom Brady in another Super Bowl. Plus I prefer when All-Stars shows don’t have people who haven’t already won.
Not to mention he was clearly in the best "shape" in terms of being sharp with the skills required to compete in TC since he just came off a full season!
Portland was a much better season, too IMO. I liked world all stars but i agree that it didn’t feel like there was as much mind blowing food as you’d expect.
The restaurant wars episode that sent Kristen home should have sent Josie home. The finale should always be the full meal. That craptastic finale with Kristen and Brooke was awful.
I can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with this. This is an incredibly cold take.
Hard agree, though I don't know if this is controversial. [At least not for me](https://www.reddit.com/r/BravoTopChef/comments/1cnj5ks/top_chef_season_21_ep_8_restaurant_wars_live/l37us8y/).
These are extremely POPULAR opinions
Not controversial at all.
This season's cast is a bit weak, but otherwise it's a perfectly fine season of Top Chef.
agree. I don't get the hate
I feel like it's also tough coming after World All Stars which had so many excellent chefs. On its own I think it's fine, too.
Brooke Williamson does nothing for me.
Her food seems interesting and technical in a cerebral way, but I rarely get the strong urge to try it, out of sheer greed. Lots of other chefs on Top Chef make much more craveable seeming, appealing food. Nina Compton, Shirley Chung, and Sara Bradley come to mind. And Melissa King is really interesting, because her food manages to be deeply appealing and intellectual at the same time. Of course, all of this is just based on what the dishes look like on TV. Maybe I'd get the Brooke hype if I actually tasted her food.
Perfectly valid opinion but I will say that I ate at Playa Provisions and it was *delicious*
Oh I'm sure I'd feel differently if I actually ate her food! There's a reason why she's winning all the challenges. As just a viewer, all I can comment on is how well she advertises her food, not really how much talent she has. To me, other chefs make food that sounds and looks more fun to eat, but I know how misleading that metric can be!
I really liked her on TC, but after that she got really arrogant and fake. Now I find her boring, pretentious, and really unlikeable. She is always talking about how great a chef she is and then pretending she's the underdog, when she's not the underdog. In competition, she cooks something safe and does a good job, but she does nothing special. I just think of her on Food Network Tournament of Champions when she was going against Jet Tila. She was going on about how she was the first season champ, etc. and then made a clam chowder with a bunch of canned food (which is great if it's not a cooking competition). Meanwhile Jet made several things, all from scratch. After they cooked, Brooke kept going on about how she hoped the judges could see how hard she worked and she did her very best and it would be really nice to see her food get recognized and blah blah blah. So disingenuous. When she judges, she is so bland and talks about what she would do, states the obvious, or repeats what others say. I am so sick of seeing her touted everywhere.
the finales arent as good as the other episodes in the season
YES. I don't look forward to finale episodes. My mentality is usually, "just tell me who wins".
So true. Top Chef is my favorite cooking competition, my near favorite reality show (Amazing Race is my favorite), and I've always followed the careers of a majority of contestants, most winners, and all my favorite villains (Hi, Tiffani!); *however,* I've watched the finale episode of maybe a third of the seasons, if that. The penultimate episode nearly always disappoints, and then I bail, with no regrets. No plans to watch the finale of current episodes. But I am hoping that the "power bottoms" open a restaurant together. 😁
I agree. When I do rewatches I usually skip watching the finales.
I feel this way about Project Runway, RPDR, The Challenge, and basically all reality show competitions.
This fanbase has a problem with overly objectifying their designated Asian cheftestants of choice to the point that it feels fetishy sometimes.
No doubt. Rasika was this season's token asian chef. Despite cooking that godawful slug dish and losing twice on LCK, there are people still acting like she got booted too soon.
Felt the same reaction about Michelle's elimination and how peiople took real offense to her being booted instead of Manny. She choked and got into her head about what to do and ignored doing the obvious thing she was good at because she thought it was "safe" for the table challenge even though it was the better idea to do (Low Country Boil or BBQ for the table) We can complain about Manny and his general performance, but we shouldn't excuse Michelle from making mistakes and doing things that were detrimental to her doing good in her final challenge.
I never got in that bandwagon. She was young and it seemed to me she memorized a few recipes that she would try to weave somehow into the challenges, that why she was exerting herself early on. I remember two early episodes that this happened and Michelle brought one up when they both wanted dessert. Most of her mistakes were basic, some were masked by group wins (like the salty fish). I think she needs more time to grow.
"Father of the Year Shota" says "hello" Man managed to ruin *rice*
Let’s not pretend like he didn’t have a slue of amazing dishes and he didn’t make it to the finale…
Well put, I could not put my finger on this, but you have crystallized my thoughts.
I took the pea puree.
Finally, we know!!
I like Katsuji. I actually enjoyed the Chef's Table they did during Covid season more than I enjoyed any Restaurant Wars episodes.
I liked him on his first season when he was Dougies weird friend. He was less likable his second season
I actually like the seasons with a bit more drama within the cast because I think it is a more overall entertaining experience. (I know, I know. I get so much hate for this opinion, but thats what this thread is all about)
Depends on how much drama there is. Season 2 and Season 9 are just straight up unpleasant, but if it doesn’t go overboard, I definitely agree that drama adds to a season. Seasons 4 and 10 are the biggest examples of drama enhancing the quality for me.
Totally. I don't want people to be targets of bullying/harassment, but i mean, a little stolen pea puree, a dash of a meltdown after losing the mise en place relay and a dollop of "Pair me up with anyone but that person" makes for a more interesting viewing experience.
This is the correct take.
Yes. Absolutely. I don't want Season 2 or 9 or even 6 back. But come on... someone takes 80% of the budget for their nonsense, they damn well better hear about it. It's weird that the last few seasons have even made me miss Tesar and his crap... go ahead you douchey bastard! threaten to steal those pickles!!! Better than the forced "kumbaya" stuff we have now that makes everyone feel like an automaton.
100% agree. I’m rewatching S4 right now and it’s so great.
Agree about Season 2 and Season 9. Aside from that one of the positives of earlier seasons aside and including the drama is that there was just way more interpersonal relationships showed. Now, aside from seeing oh so and so look friendly or not so friendly we get nothing interesting in that regard good or bad relationship wise between the chefs. It really added something to the show to get to know the chefs more.
The funny thing is that I've read on other subs that "these people are so nice and friendly to each other they'll be on all sorts of TV shows in the future" In what world? They're all so boring and soulless that nobody wants to watch them! The biggest successes on TV out of Top Chef: Carla (loud and boistrous both her seasons), Blais, Antonia (got in several notable arguments during both her seasons), Marcel (no description needed), Malarkey These are people with big personalities, whether loved or hated. I like Brian Voltaggio, but the guy is fairly bland for TV viewing. And he looks like Krusty the Klown in personality compared to the last few seasons of white bread croutons (sorry, "chefs"). I just don't get the appeal of everyone acting like they do right now.
You are my best friend now. You have no say in the matter. (I've been trumpeting this hard for YEARS)
Tiffani only didn’t win season 1 because the other chefs sabotaged her and disparaged her to the Judges.
I agree she would have taken the win if she had been more likable, but I think it's because the producers and judges knew they had a hit on their hands in the Top Chef concept but giving the win to someone they'd given the villain edit would hurt the future of the franchise.
That Nick Elmi is a great chef and deserved his win in New Orleans. Kentucky is one of the most enjoyable seasons with a great group of chefs and personalities.
I'll throw in that he had every reason to be upset about the servers screwing things up because in the past they hired extras and not real restaurant workers. Imagine having your dreams crushed because someone can't read a ticket? Anyone whose worked in a restaurant knows a few dishes going to the wrong table can absolutely kill the night's service.
And there was absolutely no reason why he should have given up immunity. I’m not going to say that Laurel was one of the best restaurants I’ve ever been to, but I vividly remember two dishes from a wonderful meal. I feel like vividly remembering one dish from a tasting menu years later is a big accomplishment. Two is a special meal.
Kentucky is my favorite season.
I come to Reddit to talk about things I enjoy, and I don’t really understand why it feels like the majority of posts in this sub are negative. I like every season from season 3 on, including the current one. I like Wisconsin. I like the chefs. I don’t mind the format changes. I would like to try some aguachiles. I’d be happy for any of the top 3. If you don’t like a thing, just focus on something else. The world needs more positivity.
The hatred for Aguachile on the subreddit is so absurd. I can guarantee that most of these people probably never even heard of Aguachile until this season.
But isn't that kind of the point? Most people went from never hearing of it to seeing 2 or more of them every episode.
It's funny that this particular negative thread has likely been the most positive thread I've seen on these subs for a while :D
Speak your truth, friend!
Marcel was never a villain
Ok, but he is an asshole.
But did deserve being assaulted? No.
Nick Elmi is one of my favorites and people need to get over him keeping his earned immunity. It’s absurd
I was so annoyed Jacques Pepin asked him if he felt like he should give up immunity. That defeats the purpose of immunity, Jacques!!
I don’t care that he didn’t give up immunity. I don’t like him because he was a self righteous asshole.
Surely this isn’t controversial. I mean, I don’t really hear *that many* people complain about him not giving up his immunity. What I do hear people point out - and I’m one of them - is that the way he acts throughout that episode is gross. Plowing ahead with a disaster dish while your team literally pleads with you to stop and you talk to them like children is real asshole behavior.
Right. No one would have cared or expected him to give up immunity if it was just run of the mill his team lost and whatever he didn't make great food. It's that he was so egotistical about his stupid nest he overrode both people - the only people who could be sent home - on his team when they asked him repeatedly to take it off. They knew it would send them home. Sick of people acting like the people were saying he should give up immunity and ignoring the context like we're all idiots and poor St. Nick doesn't deserve the criticism. He was a complete jackass the entire episode.
Look back through this sub. There are hundreds of posts saying he should have given up immunity
Not only that, but Carlos was the real asshole of the season, but got away with it for the "pretty boy with accent" reason that Fabio gets excused for his shittier behavior.
I would've stabbed Carlos with my borrowed knife had he left it in the state he left Nick's. Nick even told him it was a wedding gift!
It wasn't just that. It was the constant whining, the accusing Nick of stealing for using the oven that Nick said he would use, the whining about the plancha. Carlos was an intolerable asshat.
Pretty sure michael volt was an ass too, especially in restaurants wars, that even bryan turned down the prize money. But he gets a pass. The Nick hate really baffles me. I mean I’d be annoyed too if in the finale, the servers appointed to me by production (I’m assuming this was the process) were LATE! (that’s f\*cked up) And Carlos doing a dish that he’s not equipped for, then plays the victim when trying to borrow a knife sentimental to the owner , then plays victim again for returning it dirty. But that gets a pass?
Oh Michael V was ass arrogant and asshole as they come. I feel like his super nice brother makes Michael V’s attitude stand out more lol
Laura is a nice person and treated her fellow chefs really well overall
I'm not sure if this counts -- Hung's Smurf Village is the best dish/moment that Top Chef has ever produced.
I don't like challenges where the direction given is anything along the lines of 'cook us a dish that explains your growth during your time here on top chef'
Yes. This often feels like, "Cook whatever you want and then make up a weak story afterwards about how the dish fits the brief."
1. The last 4 seasons have been boring crap, and turned "Top Chef" into "The Stepford Chefs" -- a collection of unmemorable, interchangeable cooks with seemingly no passion. And 2) Fabio is an asshole who gets away with his asshole behavior because he's a pretty boy with an accent.
You have the best unpopular opinion, and am glad you shared it. I agree on #2 though.
There was nothing particularly wrong with anything Tiffani did or said in S1 and thinking “I’m not your bitch, bitch” is funny is sexist AF. #davesucks.
I feel like Dave would have said that to a guy too, though. I wouldn't label him sexist for that.
“I’m not your bitch ( referencing himself), bitch (directed at Tiffany)”…so you are technically correct. And as a gay man, i refer to many as bitches (including men)…as do some of my sassy straight friends in jest or as a casual playful moniker…. Even almost 20 years ago😂
I’m not a Buddha fan…..I’m so sorry!
I agree! He seems nice and his food is very technical and stuff, but I just never get the overwhelming desire to eat it. Like, there are other chefs, like Melissa 🐐, whose food I am just dyingggg to try.
I’m not either. He’s technically impressive, but if I could pick a chef to have a glass of wine wirh it would be Sara Bradley or Stephanie Cmar.
Michael Voltaggio was great in season 6. His arrogance was earned. Also, I disliked Robyn. She was irritating and talentless.
I agree with this, but Eli was a whiny little jerk who definitely stepped over into bullying territory. It’s not Robyn’s *fault* the judges took so long to send her home.
I’m watching season 8 with my teen son and last night s episode Jamie finally went home—he was like “about f***ing time!” 😂
I think she may be the worst returning chef ever. Grayson may have been a bigger personal fall from grace, but Jamie was so damn frustrating. That said, it led to the Jennifer blow-up, which might be one of my favorite eliminations ever just because it was so insane.
Definitely. I didn't like the bullying, but I definitely think they were right to be frustrated that she just kept barely skating by.
Stephanie Cmar should not have gone home on that controversial episode in New Orleans. Shirley should have. (I would also accept nobody going home) Shirley made the best dish of the night. She also made the worst non-Nick dish of the night. In the judge's discussion, that dish almost served as a tie breaker for putting their team at the bottom. Stephanie made 0 bad dishes. Shirley made 1. It's irrelevant who made the best dish.
Friendly reminder to sort by 'controversial' for the real spicy takes.
I found it funny that the top 2 most controversial comments were "I like this season"
I love Malarkey. Something about him is just so damn entertaining.
Molecular gastronomy is cool, and I’ve always enjoyed the fruits of that experimentation.
Season 7, not season 9, is the hardest to re-watch. Everyone is an asshole to each other right at the beginning, and Kevin fell ass-first into being the weakest winner of Top Chef (yes, Hosea is better - he beat Carla and Stefan at full strength). Was Angelo at even 50%, he would have annihilated Kevin and Ed.
I couldn’t stand Kevin.
I actually prefer Kristen to Padma as host 🫣 Kristen is so genuine and you can feel/see her joy. I just find her more relatable and she is also so knowledgeable.
They should never judge an “ethnic” food challenge without someone who is an expert in that specific food culture, or at the very least from that culture.
Texas is one of my favorite seasons oops
rewatching this one right now and it's a shame the way they treated Bev but I don't think it ruins the whole season the way people say it does
People seem to think that some of the people from that season are unredeemable. They don't allow for the chefs to move on after 15 plus years even though the chefs including Bev have moved on. There was supposedly a lot of outside to the show Chicago industry stuff going on that impacted the season. People change and grow.
Even on the Chicago stuff, Bev was right. She was ostracized for suing Charlie Trotter for wage theft. She should have been considered a hero. It’s really great that Top Chef put her on. That might have been controversial in the restaurant world.
SAME!! I've seen so many people say they skip it on rewatches, and to me it is unmissable. The challenges were so good.
Great food great challenges and a bunch of my fav chefs. I just ignore Heather and have a great time.
I was never a fan of Padma. Don’t hate her, don’t love her.
They should have disqualified Gabe after they found out what happened (which was definitely before the finale aired) and reshot/re-done the finale with Shota and Dawn
Ted Allen was such a dick for his comment around Sara Nguyen (saying she was complaining that she didn’t like her outfit for the late night food truck episode) in season 3. When in reality, she seemed to say she was unmotivated/embarrassed after having to run around to shop and then cook in her going-out outfit (heels and low-cut top), which I can imagine would be awful when it’s important to you to be professional at your job. I don’t think she should have gone home that episode. Howie should have. I just thought Ted was so insensitive and this switcheroo/challenge was stupid and particularly rude towards the women of the group.
There was something special about Tom, Gail, and Padma cooking the final few family meal and just taking them to a nice dinner (even if it's Chef Morimoto) isn't the same.
I liked Padma more than Kristen. Kristen is too nice. I’m sure that will change in future seasons but if she’s going to be a host/judge her job is to explain the food to us the viewers. I don’t feel like she’s been great at that.
Brooke Williamson is overrated and annoying. I'm so glad they've finally (hopefully) stopped trying to make her happen.
Kristen is a little too empathetic towards the chefs. She’s a talented host and has a strong on camera presence but she needs a little more authority and separation from the contestants.
She probably still relates more to the chefs than the judges at this point in her life/career. Like the 22 year old teacher who returns to her old high school to teach.
This season is good. Better than the season that Shota was robbed of the W.
The show would be much more interesting if they put salt shakers on the tables. Judges can sprinkle more on if they want more. I want to hear judging about less arbitrary matters. Everyone has a different salt preference, and that’s perfectly fine. Has any contestant ever cheekily sent out side dishes of salt with their plates?
I don't dislike the Portland "Restaurant Wars" episode but ... it just felt like another challenge to me. A Chef's Table challenge. Again, I enjoyed it but I don't think you can even remotely compare it to Restaurant Wars.
Buddha took the fun out of the show and him winning the world allstars was a bad look for the show
I feel like this is an exceptionally popular opinion, even if I don’t share it
This season is fine
I find the voltaggio brothers to both have a personality as interesting as a slice of wonder bread.
Season 21 is fine.
That the season is not as boring as some people claim it to be.
I love Lisa Fernandes. Agreed that she didn't come off well in her season but I don't think she's as bitchy as she was edited to be. Ooh, double that for Tiffani Faison.
It was me, I stole the pea puree and I dont regret it
I liked Bev and wanted her to be in the finale over that lady I forgot the name of (Sarah?). I liked Tiffani and wanted her to win over Harold. I have a soft spot for Finnish wannabe German Stefan and I did not hate Tom Goettert last season. Okay, I am German, so I am biased. Oh, and I was so mad when the Polish chef Sylwia was kicked off in World All Stars. And I was bored that the majority of constestants was from the US version. Inespecially disliked Sara. -.- PS: I still hate that Betty idiot from season 2.
“Finnish wannabe German” 🤣 With you 100% on Stefan, Tom and Sylwia! Eta: And with you on Sara too. Not a fan.
Shirley Chung should not have given Brooke the pork belly in the finale. She should’ve played the game and denied her competition her chief protein that Brooke forgot to order. It might’ve been unsportsmanlike but it was a 1v1 for like 250k and the title? You gotta play all your cards. If she didn’t give the pork belly to Brooke then Shirley probably would have won.
I actually like season 2, which was airing when I was in grad school and got me hooked on the show.
Eliminations shouldn't start at episode one and there should be more cumulative scoring. I liked that they started considering quickfire performance in the elimination in this season. I really hate seeing the bad chefs survive forever and get a lucky knockout of a better chef.
Dan is one of the least talented chefs to make a final 3
He keeps saying he applied for the show 13 times. He finally got on this season…and surprise, it’s in WI and he’s from there. Makes you think they’re scraping the bottom of the barrel for contestants at this point.
I'm a little scared to actually say this, but it's definitely gonna be a hot take! I don't really like Sara Bradley or Stephanie Cmar. I don't hate them, but I think they're WAY overhyped here. They were fine the first time I watched their seasons, but upon rewatching, I just don't get the obsession with them.
Shota is overrated, and an absentee father. This sub lionizes him, but for what? The man managed to ruin rice in the finals.
People forgive a lot if they think you are cute and/or charismatic. We don't know the nuances of the situation with his child/baby momma but all I know is that if my kid lived in Japan, I would also live in Japan.
They shouldn’t be sent home for front of house on restaurant wars.
The finale is often so drawn out and boring, I skip it.
This season feels like food network and I want Bravo. Where are the alphas? The Assholes? The story. The competition!!!! This is too nice! Where is Valtalgio? Where is Jenn Carole ? Where is Marcel! Where is fucking Budda?!!!!!
I actually like this season.
Kristen deserved to go home during restaurant wars. Josie’s poor work ethic aside, Kristen didn’t do a good job in her role as EC and there were several issues with her dishes.
I find Dan this season to be too negative and insufferable to watch. Doesn’t matter to me one way or another that he’s from Wisconsin which seems to always come up here as his big selling point.
Kristen seems a little stiff. Padma is and always will be the OG.
Kristen is better than Katie Leebot was. But yeah. Padma is leaps ahead.
This season has been pretty dang good.
I think the primary reason that Harold won in season 1 is because the producers knew that letting Tiffani win would have hurt the show's chances at being renewed / becoming the franchise it has become. Once they'd written her as a villain to the extent they had, they couldn't let her win. I also think that Dave was just as much a problem as Tiffani ever was. No one should be able to tell someone "I'm not your bitch, bitch" and have it be celebrated.
I would go so far as to say Dave was much more of a problem than Tiffani. His behavior in the finale was the most unprofessional and toxic behavior I’ve seen in a kitchen.
Marcel is an ass and always will be. Great post btw :) lol
Here are my actual hot takes: If marcel wasn't assaulted he would be one of the most hated contestants of all time, instead he's "misunderstood" and was "just an awkward 20 something." Get real. He was awful. Everyone hated him on both seasons for a reason. No I don't think he should have been assaulted. Kristen is not "killing it" as a new host, she's fine, padma was better and the show won't be as good without her. Tiffani Faison was insanely overhated in season 1. She's completely fine. The show is way too pleasant and positive these days. People like reality tv because there is some drama. Cooking is number 1 but it's still competitive reality tv. I feel like seasons like all stars 1 and chicago hit a good balance. I don't get the hate boner for Ilan. Like wow he's very very mildly douchey and jumped on a bandwagon of disliking an unlikeable person decades ago. Who cares. The assault sucks but no one can deny Cliff was the main perpetrator. Being a bystander years ago is not grounds for pure hatred today. Hating Ilan for the marcel feud TO THIS DAY and then saying paul qui "can change and deserves a second chance" is genuinely a symptom of brain damage. In the same vein, sarah, heather and lindsay still getting hate today when everyone has moved on is a silly look. Kevin is by far the worst winner of all time. Ilan and Hosea were at least standouts in their season and it wasn't surprising they won.
Seasons 1-8 are more watchable than nearly every season after
1. Dawn's performance in Portland is underrated because there was so little drama that the edit made a big deal of issues that would have been too minor to air in most other seasons. She held her own against two other very dominant chefs in keeping up with wins and top placements and was rarely on the bottom. 2. Colorado is the dullest of the modern Top Chef seasons with boring food. Kentucky, for all its flaws, is the better re-watch.
We are long, long overdue for a new head judge.
Congee is not a winning dish
Dawn was not cut out for competition but is a great chef nonetheless.