Top Chef Seattle 1/23 Show Discussion *Spoilers*

[cubsfan55]

BTW, I loved the look Kristin gave her when Josie showed up in LCK.

Oh, I would *love* to see that, but I don't have a way to catch LCK.

You know I honestly just don't care anymore; I didn't even bother watching last night. After last week I am totally done with this show.

That's exactly what I said -- last week!

[Uncle David]

I live in Seattle, and Tom doesn't have a home around here, to my knowledge. I'm sure that the production company just leased the home featured in last night's episode for him during filming.

I read somewhere he had rented the house for the duration of the production.

I'm sure there were some REALLY juicy discussions that were left out!!!

I've worked for both Emeril and Wolfgang, and I assure you, these guys can sit around the dinner table and talk until the wee hours of the morning.

[CuckoosNest]

Honestly, the raw footage of that dining table would probably be totally non-airable but fantastic watching. A bunch of chefs who know each other, wine, and some grist in the form of the food and cheftestants? I'm sure there were some REALLY juicy discussions that were left out!!!

I found the attitude, snarkiness and drunken vitriol displayed at the dining table in this episode to be disgusting. They got really nasty this time, and a lot of it seemed unnecessarily personal.

I used to really admire Tom Colicchio, but this season, he just comes across as constantly pissed off. I can't help but think he's been on the show too long and he's just tired of it... he's rude and unreasonable, and the levels of contempt and condescent he displays lately are just about unwatchable. The man needs to get over himself... he doesn't walk on water.

I've been an avid fan of this show, but last night's episode may have launched the series right over the shark for me.

(Oh, PS: I'm eaten at David "Holier Than Thou" Chang's Momofuku... it's NOT all that. Good? Yes. Great? Not even close.)

[kireelady]

Who won the last LCK?

[Maybaybie]

Who won the last LCK?

I'm not sure if we are allowed to say here, but it is in the LCK thread...

Top Chef Seattle: Last Chance Kitchen/Save A Chef (BravoTV.com) *Spoilers*

[Shoepie]

I loved watching them eat and talk about the chicken! I would have liked to have seen more. No doubt there was a lot of x rated material.

Tom, if not all, were waiting for Josie to trip to get rid of her. I knew this was the day.

I love this show; it is #1 on my list.

[mindy384]

I've worked for both Emeril and Wolfgang, and I assure you, these guys can sit around the dinner table and talk until the wee hours of the morning.

Give us the juicy details! In my experience working for a real "chef" was a bit difficult--they seem to fly off the handle for no reason but are capable of being incredibly nice. Obviously, I haven't worked for all chefs and certainly not these two but I would guess that Wolfgang and Emeril are very nice (?) but demanding?

[ClosetRTWatcher]

I've worked for both Emeril and Wolfgang, and I assure you, these guys can sit around the dinner table and talk until the wee hours of the morning.

That's awesome Unc! I would like to hear more as well!!

[Uncle David]

I would guess that Wolfgang and Emeril are very nice (?) but demanding?

Established celebrity chefs are often quite different than their younger incarnations. In the case of both Wolf and Emeril, early in their careers, they could be considered maniacal prima donas who were known for temper tantrums that would occasionally manifest themselves physically. However, once their place in culinary history was secure they were able to leave the daily frustration of operating the high-end restaurants up to the executive chefs of the different restaurants. Then, they were able to just make appearances as they wished, and enjoy the fruits of their labors.

I've often felt that Emeril was the hardest working Chef in the celebrity restaurant world. It seemed the man never stopped. He would be in the restaurant (Emeril's New Orleans Fish House in Las Vegas) at 4am to tape Good Morning America. He would then spend the day in meetings addressing things like a new restaurant in Vegas, what was going on at his other restaurants in New Orleans, (Emeril had the day's specials, and the stats from the previous night's service faxed to him every day for approval) taping his television show, etc. By that evening he would be in the kitchen shoulder to shoulder with the Executive Chef rocking the dinner service. When service slowed down he would head out to one of the tables on the patio with all of the senior staff and whomever he was traveling with where they'd eat dinner and drink Nocello until 3 or 4 in the morning. I'm glad I never knew Emeril in the early days, because the only Emeril I know is the very sweet guy that I looked forward to working with.

In Wolf's case he would make the rounds of his LA restaurants (He had three.) where he was the star. 'A List' celebrities would go up to the open kitchen to talk to him. Not just 'A List' but the cream of the 'A List'. For instance, one particular night I had a 5 table station near the kitchen. (Unlike other restaurants, in a Puck restaurant you want to be close to the kitchen in case he shows up while you're there.) One table had Sylvester Stallone and Brigitte Nielsen on a double date with Stallone's brother. Another table had Mel Gibson and his wife in quiet conversation. Table three had Jack Nicholson with Warren Beatty and Annette Bening, and my large table had Frank Sinatra hosting a party of 10 people. No idea who the people were on table 5. This scenario was the rule, not the exception. Yet, Wolf seemed unaffected by it all. After decades of being a culinary star in a city jammed with stars, finding Wolf having a beer with staff members after the restaurant was closed was commonplace.

[ness]

Uncle David . . .

LOVED reading your post and finding out about the side of these culinary titans that we don't see!

If you've got any more stories, tidbits, etc., to share, please: GIVE 'EM UP!!!!!!!!!!