1. Hilarious. The man is a walking stereotype. I also thought his close friendship with Stefan is starting to look awfully crush-y.
2. Definitely. A hot dog is cheap, unhealthy, and available on every corner. What doesn't scream New Yorker about that?
3. I wasn't so surprised with her win as much as I was surprised that her initial statement was all "I don't want to be known as the girl who does a bunch of Indian food just because I'm Indian" and she made a chutney out of the gate and an Indian-flavored hot dog the next day.
4. No it doesn't, and I hope it never gets them.
5. Absolutely - it's about professionalism. But it doesn't look like Ariane would have listened. She was very bull-headed in making her decision.
6. Never. Didn't anyone watch the frozen scallop episode? Do seafood fresh or don't do it!
7. I wasn't a fan. It just didn't seem to look terribly good on her.
8. Presentation isn't as important as flavor, but when flavor is so clearly an issue as it seemed to be last night, maybe presentation was all they had to fall back on?
9. What about that video made you think Jill was going down? She seemed much more competent in that video than she did on the show. Did anyone else notice her twitching while up on the block? I felt kind of bad for her. My thoughts, however, are much simpler: WHY IS ARIANE STILL ON THIS SHOW?!?
10. Who do I like? Richard, Jaime, Leah, Hosea, Eugene. Dislike: Carla, Ariane, Radhika. I'm on the fence about Alex. Not a lot of screen time for him maybe means that he'll go far?

1. Fabio is ridiculous, but it looks like the boy can really cook. I really wanted to taste those olives! It looked delicious!!
2. Having lived in New York for 5 years, there is nothing more representative of food in New York than the Hot Dog and that hot dog from the vendor looked amazing!!!
3. I thought Radhika's hot dog looked really good, but didn't she say she didn't want to be known for Indian food? I love Indian food so I don't have anything against it, but I am confused.
4. I think so, I don't really remember the ones in the episode, but I think we do have them.
5. I want to say that morally I would tell her, but I understand not telling her. I don't know why she is still on the show, I guess Jill and Patrick were just that little bit worse than her. Shouldn't a Top Chef have a little confidence? She is so insecure.
6. Ditto Frozen Scallop episode!!!! I am allergic to crab, but I know not to serve canned, I am from crab town though.
7. I liked Gail's dress, I really like the way she dresses, wasn't such a fan of Padma's dress
8. ON this level of competition presentation is important and in some cases it was really poor. I didn't think Eugene's was so bad, it was rustic.
9. I think Jill choked on the show. Her video was great. Her restaurant has delicious food. It is a very hip environment, but the food is really surprising and just fantastic. She was my hometown girl so I am really sad to see her eliminated so early in the season, but I will say that quiche looked disgusting.
10. I like Jamie, Richard, and Eugene. I know the Europeans are good, but I find them a little annoying and I like European people, we get along very well, they just rub me a little the wrong way. I can't deal with ariane, carla, and danny. Although Carla's dessert looked yummy.

1. he really is funny - and i think that it adds a dynamic to the show that we haven't seen before. who jumps to the conclusion that he's got a bad dish when the judges clearly states that there are winners AND losers there
2. i don't - but i did assume that's where they were going with it. i see carts all over the place, but they aren't really a key food here.
3. no - i had a feeling that it would since it still resembled a hot dog but it was 'new'
4. mine doesn't either! we have baskets or carts..but not the ones that they have. i wonder which one they go to. i did see padma at the one in union square about a month ago, so i wonder if that's the on that they use.
5. no - it's a competition and if i can last, i would do what i could. it's not sabotage really -
6. BIG NO NO - you know that everyone has a good palate and will be able to tell the taste vs. fresh
7. at least she's consistent
8. i think that in today's cooking world, you need to stand out some how and if that means by presentation, then YES
9. that was kind of a given. she didn't make an effort and she wasn't really that good.
10. i like fabio - he cracks me up, and i like radhika (sp). i don't care for a lot of them, but i'm going to hold my name calling for a few weeks since i don't really know who can cook and who's just nervous.

1.Fabio cracks me up! I loved his defense and I especially loved Padma's reaction: "wwe were giving you a compliment!"
2. Do you consider hot dogs to be a quintessential New York dish? No. That whole challenge was GROSS to me.
3.Were you surprised by Radhika's quickfire win? YES.
4. You are lucky, I have no whole foods
5. Ariane sucks, she needs to go home next. I would definitely have told her it was gross. Padma doesn't spit it out JUST because it is too sweet, it looked nasty.
6. Sure, cook with Canned Crabs. But you are not going to win!
7. Is good presentation as important as delicious flavor? Yes. How can presentation be dated though?? I get it, but it just seems a little snooty to me.
8.
Now that we know the chefs a little better, who do you like/dislike? I don't know them well enough yet

1. I sort of of love Fabio. He's kind of refreshingly funny when so many of them are super serious.
2. Honestly, I thought it would be pizza.
3. Not really surprised, but I'm with shoneyjoe - she's been doing a lot of Indian for someone who doesn't want to be known for it.
4. Nope.
5. I dunno, maybe. Maybe not though, because she annoys me.
6. Don't! Come on, you know from watching old episodes that it's better to rethink than stubbornly continue on with something that doesn't use the right ingredients, esp. ones you can't even taste!
8. It's important, certainly, and more so on a food competition show like this.
9. I really wish Ariane had gone instead. I mean, she messed up last week against a culinary student and Padma SPIT HER DESSERT OUT. How is that not enough?
10. Carla and Ariane both really annoy the heck out of me. Ariane is whiny, insecure, and lacks the talent for this show, and Carla is way too new age-y for me. Also, her crazy eyes freak me out. They kind of deserve each other.

10. Oh, and as for likes - the Europeans, Jaime, the other guy from Team Rainbow (can't remember his name), and Eugene.

my favorites so far are both members of Team Rainbow! Jaime kind of reminds me of Stephanie from last season a little bit...

1. Fabio is hysterical! I'm not sure he'll be the winner, but he sure does make me laugh!
2. I wouldn't say they're the quintessential NY food, but they're definitely towards the top of the list - I wanted to try *most* of the dishes, although Irish tatar sauce was not appealing to me at all!
3. I wasn't really surprised - I think she's talented.
4. Mine doesn't either!
5. I would have definitely told her! If it's too sweet, it's too sweet!
6. Don't - it's Top Chef. Come on.
7. I approve as well.
8. I think flavor tops presentation, but it's a cooking show. They should produce pretty dishes!
9. I wasn't a fan.
10. I dislike Ariane. She's annoying. I like Eugene - he's my favorite.

My favorite? Stefan right now, that could change.

My least favorite? the chick with the blonde hair and black eyebrows.

I HATE that this early on they dont show everyones quickfire dishes......

i love eugene!!!

I can't stand Fabio. His cooking is good, but I wish they would stop letting him talk.

When Padma said that they were going to do something that was quintessentially NY for the quickfire I was thinking pizza, but then I remembered that they did that last season. But being a New Yorker myself I think that hot dogs are pretty New York, so I thought it was a good challenge.

I liked Rhadika's dish for the quickfire and was glad that she won. But the dessert she made for the elimination challenge I thought was kind of a cop out. On the one hand I guess its good that she experimented with something since she had immunity, but really, avocado mousse?

No, canned crab is never a good thing. Thats just like Spike and the frozen scallops last season. He should have changed his dish when he saw that Whole Foods didn't have the kind of crab meat that he needed.

I'm so over Ariane and her defeatist I don't deserve to be here attitude. Maybe if she stopped thinking like that her dishes would come out better. If she's in the bottom again next week I bet she's going home.

Oh and when Jill picked up those ostrich eggs in the store I texted my friend and I was like she is so going home. And I was right!

1. I am going to be honest. I like him. Maybe it's how overly stereotypical he is, but he seems like a nice guy. He also seems to be quite talented.
2. Well, I've never been to New York and I'm a vegetarian haha. But none the less, not a big hot dog fan even when I did eat meat. But it's always interesting to see the different ideas and takes they did on the traditional foods.
3. A little. I mean her dish seemed good. But I am also bugged by how much Indian she has done for someone who doesn't want to be known for just doing Indian food!
4. I don't even have a Whole Foods here..:[
5. Yes I would. I wouldn't have held her hand step by step but I would have given her my honest opinion.
6. Don't.
8. I don't think it is equally important but I do feel that it is very important. I think taste and quality of food will always trump presentation but that does not mean that it's ok for it to look dated or sloppy. But it's more excusable than the food being so gross you actually have to spit it out.
9. Wow. Jill did not fit in [on the show] at all. Just my 2 cents.
10. I don't know them enough to really say who I like or dislike yet. I haven't even remembered all their names yet! lol

i

whoops! i love fabio. i wanna go to his restaurant for the spherical olives.

Ostrich eggs in an omelette? A blind taste test and I bet no one could tell any difference from a chicken egg.

Random: Fabio is William Shatner's private chef!!!!

Where can I see this episode? I missed it. I checked the Bravo schedule until next thursday, it is not listed.

Thank you.

Ps. You can also send me a message

Where can I see this episode? I missed it. I checked the Bravo schedule until next thursday, it is not listed.

Thank you.

Ps. You can also send me a message

I know I'm late commenting on this, but I just had to say that Fabio really is what you see on the show! I lived in Italy for a while a few years ago and was pretty good friends with Fabio while I was there. He really is the nicest person, and cooks some amazing food.

1. Is Fabio for real? How can he possibly be every Italian cliché all rolled into one guy? Wasn't it hysterical when he defended his winning dish?
I kinda like Fabio. Team Euro is kinda annoying. It was soo cute when he defended his dish.

2. Do you consider hot dogs to be a quintessential New York dish?
Hot dogs are definitely NY.

3. Were you surprised by Radhika's quickfire win?
No way! I was going to be really mad if she didn't win.

4. Does your Whole Foods have mini pull carts? Mine doesn't!
I don't go to Whole Foods, but I think they might.

5. Would you have told Ariane her dessert was too sweet?
I would have, yes.

6. Do or don't: cooking with canned crab on Top Chef?
Don't!

7. Gail was wearing the same dress she wore to the Macy's Culinary Council Party! Fab approves.
Um, okay.

8. Donatella mentioned that many of the dishes were dated in their presentation. Is good presentation as important as delicious flavor?
Presentation is very important, but not as important is delicious flavor! If something doesn't look good, but at least tastes good I wouldn't mind. Not all things that look good taste good, but most things that don't look good do taste good.

9. After watching this video of Jill on the Internet last week, I knew she was headed for the chopping block. Thoughts?
I understand the stress with all the cameras and I'm sure off camera I think that she could definitely explain her dish. A television show is just a place where she could prove herself though. She can't take the stress of everything around her and I'm glad she is gone.

10. Now that we know the chefs a little better, who do you like/dislike? I'll start: I like Jamie, the Euros, and Richard. I dislike Carla, Alex, and Danny.
I like Team Rainbow, I kinda like Team Euro...and I don't really know anyone else by name. I dislike Carla and Ariane though.

I also like Rhadika.