Top Chef Season 4 Heads To Puerto Rico

I am attempting to make-up for a lot of lost time…sitting with ill children and floundering in my own bed has kept me behind the times.  I watched last week’s episode of Top Chef and wasn’t too surprised….Thankfully.

I admit that I have been concerned that Lisa or Spike may end up in the top 4 and a talent like Stephanie, or my favorite Richard, would bite the dust in some incredibly inane challenge.  I am not going to give a big break-down from last week.  Just glad to see that my the final four include the two chefs that I believe should be the final two.

Now again, I am nervous.  If Lisa ends up sticking around, I will be more than just a little disappointed.  Stephanie and Richard have earned their place and Antonia…though I have been a little hard on her in the past…has finally stepped-up her game and I believe has earned her spot.

Now down to the controversy and conspiracy theories.  I have noted previously, that I was a little disappointed about the lack of updated blogs on the Top Chef Bravo site.  Well, one person, who usually is on top of everything did respond to that note…I was not the only one a little frustrated by it…and tried to extinguish all the conspiracy theories that are out on the Blogoshpere.  As of today, most of the blogs are updated….and Colicchio has been weighing in as well.  He was busy opening up Craftsteak at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

As of this writing, the Bravo site is being temperamental and not loading up some of the blogs.  But Ted is always worth the read, and read what he had to say about the conspiracy theories and Spikes departure.  Hopefully, Bravo will have their act together by this post.

All of the Top Chef judges aside, I was glad to finally hear from the person whose opinion I prefer anyway…Anthony Bourdain.  But…just a note….it was NOT a blog written over on the Bravo website…but on his No Reservations site…it does seem that the whole, “Bourdain’s Blog will be sponsored by Michelob” did grate on his beer taste buds:

As for me? I could give a rat’s ass who the producers or Bravo want to win or not win .  What I’ve traditionally used the Glad Family of Bags for would probably not make a good commercial. When I read the surprising announcement that Michelob, a beer I don’t drink and don’t much like, was going to be “sponsoring” my Bravo blog, I advised them that I felt compelled to disappoint them.

Ahh…the poetry.  Bourdain has a lot to say to all the NaySayers out there, who believe there is a fix.  So, he eloquently describes the overwhelmingly nasty dish of Dale’s and his thoughts on Spike and Lisa.  I was disappointed that Dale left, I feel that he is the better chef of the three, but he dug his own grave with his ego as the shovel.Bourdain:

Had Dale been a little more mature, a little better suited to lead…had he not fancied himself a crotch grabbing gangster genius..had he not been the sort of guy who unnecessarily calls temp waiters, hired for the DAY “assholes”, then he might well have seen the wisdom in adopting Stephanie’s far smarter attitude over at Team Woodstock. Note the agreement on that team that whatever happened, no one from that team was going home that week.  The whole concept, the menu, the division of labor was smartly designed to achieve just that. To protect the team–as a whole. To not f**k up–or allow anyone on their team to f**k up.

So, what are Bourdain’s thoughts on the “Three Knuckleheads”:

Disagree with the decision to send Dale home all you like. But you delude yourself by thinking that judging is in any way beholden to sinister outside forces–or the market place.  A decision on winners or losers can and has taken hours of argument and discussion.  Not this time. The best chef on that particular day, won. The worst chef–on that particular day–went home.

Of the Terrible Trio, Dale will surely have a bright career. He’s generally an excellent cook. His post-loss interviews have demonstrated commendable insight into where things went wrong for him.

Lisa, who’s appearance and hostile, defiant-looking posture alone seem to have made her this season’s designated villain surely does not deserve the hatred and vitriol seen on blogs and websites.  Nor is it likely–barring the most freakish and flukey sudden realignment of the planets and spate of untimely deaths–that she shall win Top Chef.  She’s a decent cook–but a lucky one.

Blaming others ain’t gonna take her far.

Spike, on the other hand, can look forward to a long career.

In politics. He’s perfect for it.

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