Top Chef 4/17: Live Blog

Get ready for another exciting episode and some sarcasm!

So Spike is hearing that some think he should have been the one to go home. Maybe if he didn’t act like such a douche others wouldn’t want to send him home. To Lisa’s credit the whole interaction with Dale bothered her and she did try to make a passable peace. Dale even apologized for how he talked to her.

Quick Fire:

So our guest judge is Koren Grieveson. I have never heard of her. The theme is Simple Pleasures. They got to taste 3 out of 16 beers and choose 1 to make a dish to pair with it. They will have 30 minutes cooking. Dale put pretzels in the food processor and was surprised when they turned to dust. What did he expect? Jennifer got a hat tip because she was the last chef and her beignets weren’t greasy and were still light. The bottom was Nikki, Spike, and Dale. The top was Richard, Stephanie, and Jennifer. The winner was Jennifer.

Elimination:

The Challenge was to go to the Bears game and cook at the tailgate party. The fans will determine the top and bottom 3. Then the judges will decide the winner and loser. They had 30 minutes to shop and $350. Spike claims wings first. Mark was mad others used shrimp because then how could he “throw some shrimp on the Barbie”? Ryan proclaims himself a metro-sexual and not a fan of sports.

They had 2 hours to prep and get packed up. It was funny to see Lisa beating the skirt steak with a rolling pin. That is one way to get out aggression. The refrigerators were so full that they were taping them to make sure the frigs didn’t open.

Once prep was over they all went back and apartments and relaxed. Then Spike and Mark are in the bath together (clothed). Just a little freaky!

Spike: Fire Spiced Wings, Jicama and Pinapple Slaw with Lime Dressing
Dale: Baby Back Ribs in Tandori Marinade and Potato Salad with Raisins and Mango.
Richard: Pate Melt Burger
Nikki: Sausage and Pepper Heroes, Grilled Shrimp with Hot Sauce, Spiced Cider
Mark: Chicken and Scallion Skewers with Soy and Onion Glaze, New Zealand Corn Chowder
Ryan: Bread Salad, Marinated Chicken Thighs, Poached Pears, Chili Spiked Cocoa
Stephanie: Pork Tenderloin with Pear, Potato and Bacon Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette
Jennifer: Chicken Marinated with Harissa and a Quinoa Tabouli
Antonia: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Sandwich, Pickled onion with Pineapple and Banana
Andrew: Beer and Mustard Honey Glazed Shrimp with Parsnip/Potato Whip, Apple Chutney and Bacon
Lisa: Skirt Steak and Corn Cakes with Salsa Verde

Then we get to Soldier Field. They had an hour to work. Everyone was given the choice between a gas and charcoal BBQ’s. Mark was the only one that chose charcoal. The guest judge in the elimination was local chef Paul Kahan and we had Gail this time instead of Ted. We had 3 huge Bears legend. Spike claims to be a Bears fan and then asked when the last time they won the Super Bowl. Bad question. That will get the crowd against him. Ryan was really working the crowd and that could definitely help him. He actually had the fans helping him. Andrew was wearing a helmet because “this is his game”. Then his ears got stuck in the helmet. Mark had big problems with the grill and he was very messy. Nikki was just about out of food before the judges tasted. So the judges didn’t get Peppers, Onions, and Sauce. Nikki was just hoping that the fans votes would just take her into the middle.

Judgment:

First up were Antonia, Dale and Stephanie. They were the fan favorites! The judges loved all of the top 3 and they chose Dale the winner. He got a Bears Top Chef jersey and the grill he used! The bottom 3 were Mark, Nikki and Ryan. I guess Ryan’s playing with the fans didn’t out weigh bad food. The judges were holding Nikki very accountable for not making her own sausage and for running out of onions, peppers and sauce. They also thought that having shrimp on the side was odd. They thought that poached pears with creme freshe and huckleberry sauce was crazy for tailgating. Gail also didn’t like the bread salad at all. Ryan went on about bringing California flair but Tom reminded him that wasn’t what the challenge wasn’t about. They felt Mark’s soup was ok but gritty texture. They also felt his area and presentation was a mess. In the end Ryan was bounced. I think it is because he specifically didn’t want to make what would work. He was above it.

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