The show's called 'Top Chef', but you wouldn't have known it from this week's episode. The remaining contestants didn't do a thing right.
LET’S GET STARTED:
Elia’s in bed, thinking about how sad and cool it is to be the final female standing in the competition. She gets dressed and heads over to the guys’ quarters. Cliff, Sam, Ilan and Michael are having breakfast.
Elia asks, “Where’s Marcel?” The guys are like he’s outside crying.
Marcel, for his part, is writing a rap about how no one likes him or his food. I realize how glad I am that Marcel is not on the White Rapper Show. Eeek!
QUICK-FIRE CHALLENGE:
Mike Yakura, our guest judge from Sutra, walks in with Padma, and the two tell the chefs to create an amazing snack food using Mayonnaise, BBQ sauce or Italian Salad Dressing – all from Kraft, our sponsor. Yeah!
Most of the contestants are like, “but mayonnaise isn’t gourmet.” Oh well, suck it up! Sam is like, “I love Mayo.” Yeah, Sam! You go, boy! Marcel makes some lamb kebabs with a curry/mayo sauce. Yummers. Sam cooks a sammie (sandwich in Rachael Ray-speak). It’s got shrimp tempura, peaches and BBQ aioli. Sounds interesting. Interesting is exactly what Chef Yakura calls it. Cliff makes a tartare with mayo. Michael puts a crab quesadilla with brie and a mayo salad – ay, my arteries are clogging just listening to the ingredients in his dish – and Elia creates a fig/raisin toast with BBQ sauce?
In the end, we have two winners – Marcel and Sam. They get to pick their teams for the next challenge. Marcel chooses Elia and Cliff. Sam takes Ilan and Michael.
ELIMINATION CHALLENGE:
Padma tells the chefs they have to serve 24 people the next night in a restaurant that’s basically empty space right now. They must create a menu, help a designer prepare the space and buy all the goods as well as cook those goods and serve ‘em. Wow! It’s a lot of work.
Sam, Ilan and Michael decide on a rustic Italian restaurant, Lalalina. They’re serving a bunch of cool stuff – and some watermelon gnocchi. My mama’s Italian and that sounds wrong to me. Watermelon with gorgonzola cheese. Yuckers!
Marcel, Cliff and Elia had wanted to do an Italian place too, but then they changed to a high-scale diner. The M.E.C. diner would feature the world’s ‘best’ burger, tempura veggies and an oreo lemon pie.
Each team has some problems along the way. Elia and Cliff clash. Michael doesn’t get no wine. Both Ilan and Cliff, who handle the front end of their respective restaurants, don’t do a good enough job. The food is off, the service is off and everything’s just a bit wrong.
In the end, the judges decide that NO ONE WINS. Every one of the chefs is vulnerable for elimination.
WHO GETS SENT HOME & WHY:
Michael is told to ‘pack his knives and go.’ The judges determined that he was just a worker, not an innovator. He stuck to his list, but put no thought or real effort into things.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Next week, something big goes down. I’m assuming it has something to do with Marcel. The judges want to reprimand the cast for their ‘behavior.’ Ohhh! I can’t wait to see what happens.
