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Independent George
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It would be perhaps a little silly to suggest that only good things can emerge when the creation of your dish involves six foot flames leaping from the wok.
Pfeh. I cannot even conceive a universe where good things do NOT emerge from six foot flames leaping from a wok. I'm pretty sure that's written in the old testament somewhere.
The Deliciousness of 2012
Beef Pies @ Chou's Kitchen Dominic Armato DISCLOSURE: Though I loved their food before getting to know them, the folks at Baratin, Noca, and Crudo are all friends. Okay, I surrender. I love this. Seriously, I've been looking forward to this all year. Of course it...
Huh. I completely missed the fact that S10 had started. I'll miss the rankings, but hopefully the regulars will make a smooth transition to the forums. I'm going over to register now.
Season 10 Announced... And Changes Afoot...
Greetings, all! Well, that was a longer layoff than I expected. But a post is clearly in order because the big news of the day (well... aside from all of the actually important news) is that Top Chef Season 10 has been officially announced, it will be taking place in Seattle, and it premi...
So, might there a Sonoran Dog-off in the works?
Spelunking in Tucson
Cheese Tortilla with Guacamole Dominic Armato Oh, the plans I had for a stunning 600x200 pixel vista of the natural wonder of Kartchner Caverns. Sadly, cameras are not allowed therein. And I fear Mi Nidito's cheese crisp is a lame substitute. When the school year starts, our littlest starts a ...
That is some beautiful char on the pizza crust. On the top of that crust.
The Quarterly Report - Q3 2012
Potato Salad @ Pane Bianco Dominic Armato Quarterly Report, XL-style. For reasons unknown, this quarter's collection of random little tidbits is especially large -- a couple hits with tiny menus, a couple of random dishes, a couple of places I don't really care to spend more time with to w...
Congratulations, Dom. Well earned, even if it makes me a little sad you're no longer in Chicago.
A Good Day
Okay, that's pretty sweet... Dominic Armato I've always said that I write this blog for myself; that I was happy doing it before anybody read it, and I'd keep on doing it if everybody stopped. And that's all true. But over the nearly three years I've been in Phoenix, I've found myself thinking...
Funnily enough, I think I started hanging out here right around when you left Chicago.
Can We Talk?
PHXfoodnerds.com Dominic Armato Here's hoping this is the start of something special. I've been in Phoenix for nearly two and a half years, now. And while there's so much exciting food stuff going on, I can't pretend that I haven't had my frustrations as well. Some of them I can't do anything ...
So did Grayson get Fan Favorite, or did the robo-voting win it for Malibu?
Top Chef - S9 Postmortem
No, I didn't lose my will to finish the season recap. Though I don't know why I watch the reunion shows. It's like they take all of the stuff I hate most about the show and make an hour long special out of it. But no, this is not the reason for my extreme tardiness. It's just been a very,...
Yup, I'm glad I didn't watch. I hated Andy Cohen's schtick even in the good seasons of Top Chef; I was 99% sure I wouldn't be able to bear it last night.
Top Chef - S9 Postmortem
No, I didn't lose my will to finish the season recap. Though I don't know why I watch the reunion shows. It's like they take all of the stuff I hate most about the show and make an hour long special out of it. But no, this is not the reason for my extreme tardiness. It's just been a very,...
Sue & Ann: Give it time; I followed Steph only because I live in her city, but it took 3 years between her win on TC, and the opening of her restaurant. I haven't really been keeping up with the other winners, but Kevin S already owned his own restaurant when he competed; Mike V is still in the process of opening his.
The one I'm most curious about is Hung; I remember reading that he used his winnings to finance a series of stages around the world, but haven't heard anything beyond that.
Top Chef - S9E17 Postmortem
I'm sure there are people who were hoping for a different outcome... buuuuuut I don't know any of them. That's a great finale. Two great chefs, both bringing it, even if the finale judges are starting to sound like Pee-wee ("I have to say, these are the best [pancakes] I've ever tasted.")...
Congratulations to Paul; the overcooked custard had me worried there a bit, but I'm glad he won out. Those both looked like absolutely phenomenal menus.
So, does an excellent finale make up for an otherwise meg regular season? I'm tempted to skip weeks 1-7 on the next go around; at the very least, I'll skip the episode, come here for the recap, and then decide for myself if I want to watch.
Top Chef - S9E17 Postmortem
I'm sure there are people who were hoping for a different outcome... buuuuuut I don't know any of them. That's a great finale. Two great chefs, both bringing it, even if the finale judges are starting to sound like Pee-wee ("I have to say, these are the best [pancakes] I've ever tasted.")...
Among my issues with Sarah were the chef-killer risotto dishes. Clearly there are many opinions on what makes risotto great or not great, and Sarah twice (not once) served risotto that was not considered properly cooked by the judges. I would not expect that from an Italian specialist with her pedigree.
I'm not trying to name drop, but let me confirm Sarah knows how to cook Risotto. When I went to Spiaggia, the risotto was the showstopper of the night; it was a minimalist production, with just a few little greens sprinkled over the rice, but the stock was incredibly intense, and melded perfectly with the greens. I remember it because it was the first time in my life that I actually liked risotto, and finally understood that Seinfeld episode.
I think the problem is that people have different ideas on what makes a good risotto, and get locked into a limited view of what it should be. With the lamb's heart risotto, Tom openly admitted he was nitpicking when he said he thought it was on the verge of being underdone. I think that was a pretty clear indication that his personal preference was for a softer risotto, and not that it was objectively wrong.
The one judged by Tim Love was a long time ago and has faded from memory, but my impression then was again that it was more a matter of opinion than a technical error.
Top Chef - S9E16 Power Rankings
Gail Simmons: "It’s the final showdown between Paul and Sarah. Who would ever have known it would come to these two?" *ahem* (Allow me this moment of arrogant pride....................... okay, thanks.) If the elves ensure that every episode of season ten is at least as good as this one -...
Thanks, Dom, for that writeup regarding Sarah, editing, drama, and creativity. I toyed with posting a comment over the weekend, but couldn't quite put something coherent together. You took the words right out of my mouth.
I think television by nature changes our perceptions of food; because we can't taste anything, we're instinctively drawn to the flashier presentations and techniques. Since I started getting serious about eating, I've noticed that a lot of the things that so impressed with early don't resonate any longer; meanwhile, I'm starting to pick out much more subtle nuances in the things that might otherwise seem boring. Watching on TV, those subtleties disappear, so all you're left with are the flashes. As they've apparently trimmed down judges table comments to preserve the drama in the decisions (ugh), we viewers lose out on seeing some of those highs in the dishes.
Ironically, I think the best example of this is one of Paul's dishes, and not Sarah's: the cold vegetable soup. Without Gail's gushing on the Bravo site, I don't think any of us would have really picked up on how good it was. And in this case, the recipe makes it look even more unassuming; but when you combine the reaction with the utter simplicity of the recipe, you realize how razor-thin the margins had to be in the preparation.
Based on my experience at Spiaggia (three years ago, admittedly), I can say first-hand that so many things that sound simple and boring in theory are in fact astonishingly good in practice. That might be true of Italian cooking in general, but I don't think I ever really 'got' it until then.
Top Chef - S9E16 Power Rankings
Gail Simmons: "It’s the final showdown between Paul and Sarah. Who would ever have known it would come to these two?" *ahem* (Allow me this moment of arrogant pride....................... okay, thanks.) If the elves ensure that every episode of season ten is at least as good as this one -...
No, I can't say I was thinking of Pat Benetar. I did, however, harbor a secret hope that one of the chefs would have said, "I'm a huge fan of 'Song of Ice and Fire', so I thought I'd serve you a raw horse heart. No no no, put down the knife and fork - you're supposed eat it with your teeth." (WARNING: that link is not for the faint of heart).
Top Chef - S9E16 Postmortem
Well, that's better. Due to a wee vegetable peeler mishap, typing is somewhat less enjoyable than usual, so I'm going to keep this short and save it for Monday. But I'll say that I'm pleased with the finale matchup. I had Paul and Sarah 1-2 in the preseason, and every episode since E5. Wh...
I find it amusing the way Sarah gets knocked for cooking Italian, but everybody (rightly) objects when an Asian specialist is knocked for cooking Asian.
Asia is a large place compared to Italy, but it's not like Italian food is homogenous.
Top Chef - S9E16 Postmortem
Well, that's better. Due to a wee vegetable peeler mishap, typing is somewhat less enjoyable than usual, so I'm going to keep this short and save it for Monday. But I'll say that I'm pleased with the finale matchup. I had Paul and Sarah 1-2 in the preseason, and every episode since E5. Wh...
I guess I'll watch the episode, then, but I just can't bring myself to do it quite yet. I'll join in with comments tomorrow.
Whatever problems one might have with her TV persona, Sarah is the EC of a Michelin-starred restaurant and the protege of one of the greats. I've eaten there, and it's astonishingly good. I'm rooting for Paul, but Sarah is undeniably a talented and accomplished chef; if she wins, she will have earned it.
Top Chef - S9E16 Postmortem
Well, that's better. Due to a wee vegetable peeler mishap, typing is somewhat less enjoyable than usual, so I'm going to keep this short and save it for Monday. But I'll say that I'm pleased with the finale matchup. I had Paul and Sarah 1-2 in the preseason, and every episode since E5. Wh...
Well? Is it worth watching?
I usually try to avoid spoilers, but I was so completely demoralized last week that I just didn't care to watch.
Top Chef - S9E16 Postmortem
Well, that's better. Due to a wee vegetable peeler mishap, typing is somewhat less enjoyable than usual, so I'm going to keep this short and save it for Monday. But I'll say that I'm pleased with the finale matchup. I had Paul and Sarah 1-2 in the preseason, and every episode since E5. Wh...
Sarah's already got a Michelin star; the publicity helps, but it's not like she's a heretofore unknown quantity. But for Paul, she'd have likely been the ringer this season.
Top Chef - S9E15 Postmortem
Yeah, I got nothing. Rankings Monday if I can summon the will. If not, catch you next Wednesday.
Now I want one of those YouTube mashups of Top Chef and The Running Man.
Top Chef - S9E15 Postmortem
Yeah, I got nothing. Rankings Monday if I can summon the will. If not, catch you next Wednesday.
Do the producers have no understanding of what made TC popular in the first place?
You know what worries me? What if they're right - what if they have a better understanding of what makes it popular than we do, and ratings spike because of this crap?
Top Chef - S9E15 Postmortem
Yeah, I got nothing. Rankings Monday if I can summon the will. If not, catch you next Wednesday.
This whole episode was BS. I've never been this underwhelmed headed into a finale. I can't even comment on the food because, frankly, I didn't give a damn about the food in this episode.
Top Chef - S9E15 Postmortem
Yeah, I got nothing. Rankings Monday if I can summon the will. If not, catch you next Wednesday.
I was joking; riffing on "When Harry Met Sally." ;)
But is he LM?
Top Chef - S9E14 Power Rankings
Bummer. I'm still feeling Ed's loss, though that's largely because I just reviewed his exit interview (one of the better ones, BTW). But I can't complain about how it happened, because this was a pretty decent episode, blindfold idiocy aside. First, though, a quick apology... in playing w...
But that's not even close to how the voting broke down in previous years.
S3: Casey
S4: Steph
S5: Fabio
S6: Kevin
S7: Tiffany
S8: Carla
I know I'm being ridiculous here - I'm upset over the fake voting on a TV reality show - but the injustice of it is really bugging me.
Top Chef - S9E14 Power Rankings
Bummer. I'm still feeling Ed's loss, though that's largely because I just reviewed his exit interview (one of the better ones, BTW). But I can't complain about how it happened, because this was a pretty decent episode, blindfold idiocy aside. First, though, a quick apology... in playing w...
TX: er, what? This is the actual quote:
Who's been most fun to get to know?
Wow, we've had so many really talented guys. The Voltaggio brothers are going to have a long career; Kevin from that season is going to have a long career; Sarah from this season is running one of the best Italian restaurants in the country; Paul is amazing, too; Look at their pedigree. These guys aren't going on the show because they want to go do demos and festivals, they really want to cook.
I do not think that means what you think it means.
Top Chef - S9E14 Power Rankings
Bummer. I'm still feeling Ed's loss, though that's largely because I just reviewed his exit interview (one of the better ones, BTW). But I can't complain about how it happened, because this was a pretty decent episode, blindfold idiocy aside. First, though, a quick apology... in playing w...
For me, Grayson wins big for the Frog song, but I really enjoyed Ed's sardonic humor.
I can't recall much of anything about Malibu, either in terms of food or personality. Heck, I found Chuy more memorable based on 2 episodes than Malibu.
Top Chef - S9E14 Power Rankings
Bummer. I'm still feeling Ed's loss, though that's largely because I just reviewed his exit interview (one of the better ones, BTW). But I can't complain about how it happened, because this was a pretty decent episode, blindfold idiocy aside. First, though, a quick apology... in playing w...
Heck, I've never had a problem with IQF seafood, but the margins are much smaller in a competition than they are for home use.
I loved the way Tom & Padma busted out laughing when Ed told them he selected the pork casings. Great job by him using them for the broth.
Top Chef - S9E14 Postmortem
Aaaaaaaaa! Well, I suppose I should consider myself fortunate that I went this deep into the season before one really hurt. I was bummed to see some others go, but this was the first one that got me, even if I'm not surprised. And I was thisclose to getting my midseason wish for the final...
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