Top Chef 11/2 Season Premiere Show Discussion **Spoilers**

[MFWalkoff]

Loved the first show as usual.... it's interesting what you think about the contestants in the beginning and then what you think by the end. So I always try to watch closely. I was surprised they didn't get thru all the contestants the first show and then have the next show being about "the bubble". Even though most of the contestants have a 2011 nominated behind their name, it doesn't seem like they are as at ease with their skills or sophisticated as last season.
I'm surprised the guy butchering the pork even got in as far as he did. He was obviously trying to put on with Tom when he was questioned and then when the other cook came for her tenderloin - he didn't have a clue.
I'm excited. The new, different judges should add in something (hopefully good) and I heard that pee-wee herman would be a guest this year.. where did that come from??!

This is my first post and the reason I joined this board was to talk with other ppl who love top chef. howdy to you all

to the board jacqueline! Hopefully traffic in here will pick up a little as the season progresses.

Early favorites for me are Nyesha, the big ex-con guy, and the little Latino guy. Usually we make chef bio threads in the forum to help people get to know them better, but we can't even attempt it this season until they arrive at the final 16.

[jacqueline365]

yea it's kinda hard keeping up with so many ppl. i liked the little latino guy too. sometimes i wonder if they stick in some different personalities to make the show interesting. there was one girl that seemed kinda goth/rocker that it didn't seem like her dish was so great but they took her. i also kinda like the 2 guys that work together but wonder if that will rub me the wrong way here soon. it could greatly work in their favor though.
thank you very much for the welcome. hope there is a lot of chatter here as the season goes along

[jacqueline365]

emeril does seem maybe too laid back. but you never know he may grow into it during the season. i like it when they have guest judges - never know what their tastes are.
toby young was way too harsh, anthony bourdain is too (but somehow i just like that guy). i think it would be neat if they put scott from chopped as a judge - but then again he would be competition for tom's comments-i think both have strong personalities. and i really do like tom. have to love padma - yea everyone does. i still think her comments would be valid even if you put a paper bag over her head. (or i would be a hater). i wonder how hugh got into the mix.

[AZChristian]

Welcome, jacqueline 365! Hope you enjoy hanging out with us.

I thought Emeril seemed to be reading off of cue cards, none of which had BAM on them . . . so he seemed oddly subdued. Looking forward to getting to know this new bunch of chefs.

[MFWalkoff]

emeril does seem maybe too laid back. but you never know he may grow into it during the season. i like it when they have guest judges - never know what their tastes are.
toby young was way too harsh, anthony bourdain is too (but somehow i just like that guy). i think it would be neat if they put scott from chopped as a judge - but then again he would be competition for tom's comments-i think both have strong personalities. and i really do like tom. have to love padma - yea everyone does. i still think her comments would be valid even if you put a paper bag over her head. (or i would be a hater). i wonder how hugh got into the mix.

They need to lure Ted Allen back from Food Network -- he was a really good judge in the early seasons. Plus he loves bacon!

I thought Emeril did okay when he was a guest judge for the season 5 finale in New Orleans. But maybe he's better in small doses...

[FireWoman]

emeril does seem maybe too laid back. but you never know he may grow into it during the season. i like it when they have guest judges - never know what their tastes are.
toby young was way too harsh, anthony bourdain is too (but somehow i just like that guy). i think it would be neat if they put scott from chopped as a judge - but then again he would be competition for tom's comments-i think both have strong personalities. and i really do like tom. have to love padma - yea everyone does. i still think her comments would be valid even if you put a paper bag over her head. (or i would be a hater). i wonder how hugh got into the mix.

Toby tried too hard, to me that was distracting. Tony has earned the right to be harsh, we expect it from him.. and thats why I LOVE him. Him and Tom paly well off one another, almost as if Tom wants to be harsher than he is (albeit honest in his comments) and Tony ends up saying exactly what is on Toms mind hehe. Padma, I am not a fan, she can be replaced at any point I feel.

[jacqueline365]

i'm a big ted allen fan (from way back in the queer eye for the straight guy days) so i would be real happy if they put him on as a full time judge.

[marauder]

Just watched the episode. I have started always watching it on DVR because Bravo has WAY to many commercials. I agree that Emerial doesn't add anything to the episodes other then maybe star power. I much prefer rotating the celebrity chefs. Also better at getting perspectives from chefs that aren't seeing the contestants every day and developing notions about them.

On a different topic, I don't know if it has been brought up before but here is a blog post concerning someone who had a run-in with the judges and the producers at a restaurant in TX.
SymiGoddess: The night Bravo told me to stop tweeting

[ryansmommy]

I read up a bit and the chef kicked off for bad butchering skills is a young, self-taught, local (Sacramento) child prodigy that has done a surprisingly numerous amount of catering gigs (started while in high school), but no restaurant experience and, obviously, has never butchered before.

Tom is a respect-the-meat kind of chef and, of course, could not let the contestant continue. The contestant is too young or too foolish to compete for he doesn't understand that sentiment and for butchering when he didn't have to when he had no idea of what he was doing.

[Dragonlady]

I guess I'm in the minority here but I kind of like Emeril. I rarely watched his shows but caught them once in awhile. He seemed a lot more mellow on TC premier. The judges had a lot to do and many people to critique and it was nice to see them just stick to business.
I still don't like Padma....probably in the minority here too....something about the fact that she claims to be a vegetarian but still eats everything on the show. I'm not saying that I think she's being dishonest or duplicitous. I just think that if you prefer not to eat meat, how can you be an unbiased judge? Just seems odd to me.