Talde

I know I just wrote about a Top Chef restaurant, but I'm doing it again just a week later.  I probably shouldn't be surprised when a restaurant by a Top Chef alum is actually good.  They made it onto the show by being at the top of their game, but after 11 seasons of the show, it has begun to feel less authentic.  I have begun assuming that all hype surrounding a restaurant venture by a former Top Chef contestant is related more to the glitz and glamour of the show rather than the food itself.  Tsk tsk for being so cynical because at Talde the raves are about the food, not the fantasy.

Dale Talde does whatever he wants.  Based on the menu, he has kind of a "screw it" attitude and cooks the food he wants to eat, while playing the music he wants to hear.  There's no Beethoven in the dining room, but you will hear some hard rock playing softly.  The more energetic music matches the food, which is packed with flavor and a bit rebellious.  Want a selection of desserts?  Tough luck.  Talde prepares just one dessert and if you like it, great.  If not, grab a candy bar from the bodega around the corner.  Incidentally, the dessert - caramelized apples in a hot pot with pickled raisins, a crème anglaise, and a spun rice cake crust - was lovely.

The food is heavily influenced by two things: Asian cuisine and marijuana.  Talde has mentioned his recreational use of weed and I'm pretty sure that some of the more inventive flavor combinations on the menu are his refined take on stoner food.  Most were probably inspired by his own late night escapades in the kitchen while under the influence.  Take, for instance, the Hawaiian bread buns.  They're a new take on sliders, reminiscent of steamed pork buns but use Hawaiian bread instead of rice cakes.  The same Hawaiian bread my mom bought in plastic bags at the grocery store and that I would love to devour drunk.  Here, they're filled with pork sausage, fried fish, or mushroom.

We pretty much tried everything on the menu so I'll just run through the list: The pretzel pork and chive dumplings were perfectly crisped and quite meaty.  The yuzu guacamole was tart and spicy with crispy rice stack to satisfy the need for crunch usually achieved with a tortilla chip.  Both noodle dishes we chose were superb.  The Southerner in me loved the fried oysters and thick cut bacon that were in the pad thai.  The short rib fell apart into a pull of peanut noodles that was far more nuanced than the sesame noodles of my usual takeout order (which is pretty much spaghetti with peanut butter).  We had a fried fish that seemed intimidating by the look of the head and tail but once we chipped away at the flesh, we were rewarded with a nice, slightly salty treat.  No complaints on the Filipino beef skewers but they were not as exciting as the Korean fried chicken.  A good crunch into the skin leads you to juicy meat.  The kimchi yogurt sauce is spicy but then cooled by the sweet pop of grapes.  For the sides we got the sticky rice, which is a great equalizer in the meal.  Finally, we got the market vegetable.  If you're lucky, it will still be in season when you're there because - bold statement alert - they may have been the best Brussels sprouts I've had.  I love love love a good roasted Brussels sprout with bacon.  And thankfully, they have become very popular so I can find them on the menus of most restaurants nowadays.  I have not yet come close to sprout fatigue, but it was so refreshing to see them prepared differently.  This time, with kafir lime.

If you don't live in Park Slope you'll probably say you'll pass because it's a little too far.  But don't do that.  It would make you stupid.  And I don't like stupid people.    

Perilla

Not to brag, but I called Harold Dieterle's win on the first episode of the first season of Top Chef.  I had an intuition that he would become wildly successful and years later I was finally able to taste that success myself at his first [of three] restaurants opened since his Top Chef win.  You would think that I would celebrate my winning prediction by going as soon as possible, but Perilla opened nearly seven years ago and I only just made it.

I'm sure when the restaurant first opened many thought its success would be due only to the chef's reality tv fame; however, the Perilla has been successful for the same reason Dieterele thrived in the Top Chef competition.  The restaurant is understated.  Just as Dieterele flew under the radar, the Perilla kitchen does not try to sneak food into the dining room under the guise of fancy foams or crazy fusion techniques.  Here you'll see straightforward ingredients on the entree list.  You don't have to ask what hanger steak or roast chicken is; you know what those things are.  The treatment of these recognizable ingredients, however, is what makes them great.  I had a dorade filet that was perfectly grilled.  A nice light piece of fish is always great, but even better when served with collard greens, chestnuts, a horseradish dashi sauce, and three broiled oysters.  The ingredients were gracefully seasonal - nobody wants to be hit over the head with food.

As a table, we shared four appetizers.  We were told the spicy duck meatballs with quail egg are a customer favorite.  The spice only barely hits you at the end, just when you're noticing the pillowy fresh made mint cavatelli in the bowl.  Just because it's a favorite of the masses should not mean it's beneath you to eat this dish.  Just the opposite, in fact.  Next we tried the crispy calamari, which was just barely flash fried.  Have you ever had fried watercress?  I doubt it, but you should because the light crunch is just wonderful.  We also tried the diver scallop carpaccio, which I liked.  Cooked scallops go well with citrus so it makes sense that raw ones would too, and I particularly liked the blood orange pairing.  Finally, we ordered the farro risotto side dish as an appetizer.  It was not too thick.  Risotto can get gummy but this was more like farro with a light artichoke confit cream sauce.  I would never ever have picked grapes as the finishing touch, but I suppose that's why I don't have a hit West Village restaurant.

All four diners came from different backgrounds with different tastes, yet every plate was clean.  That's what happens when food is just plain good.

Socialeatzing

After going up and down the island of Manhattan searching for a perfect apartment (oxymoron?), we were left with a short window for a late lunch yesterday before my parents had to leave for the airport.  I chose Social Eatz because it was a short walk from my apartment and because I knew my parents would appreciate the Asian twist on comfort food.  I'll be honest, I also chose it because the owner is Top Chef alum Angelo Sosa, and my goal is to try as many of the Top Cheffers' restaurants as possible - this being one of the few I can easily afford.


We started with the edamame fritters simply because they sounded interesting (as does anything fried).  They were served with cilantro, dill, pickled onion, and garlic aioli.  The dill made it!  I think dill is an underused herb (until someone decides to cook salmon) - but it really worked with these fritters.  Although they have won awards for the Bibimbap Burger, my Daddy decided to go with the Bulgogi Burger, based on the waitress' suggestion.  My Daddy is a big fan of kimchee, so the Korean flair to this burger had him hooked.  My Mommy got the Chop Chop salad and was surprised by how much she liked the gooey six-minute egg on top - we have a convert!  I ordered the korean beef tacos, which had a spicy bean sprout kimchee that gave the sweet beef a kick in the gut.  Since it was my parents' last meal in the city, we were feeling a tad gluttonous so we also ordered the curry creamed spinach and the mac and cheese side dishes.  I thought both were great and well portioned for the price.  My Mommy commented that even my brother, who tends to avoid spinach would have piled this version on his plate. 

When you want your Mama's version of comfort food, go to her house.  When you want to experiment with those classic dishes, go to Social Eatz.  

Plein to See

Last night was Restaurant Week meal #3 and it seems they just keep getting better.  Plein Sud has received good reviews but managed to fly under the radar.  However, no restaurant is safe from my taste buds so Podz and I headed to Tribeca for some French fare.

If you're an avid Top Chef watcher, you may know that Ed Cotton, who made it to the final three in the DC season, is the chef at Plein Sud.  That may be reason enough for you to check it out, but I need to know the food is going to hold its own - regardless of who is standing over the stove.  Tribeca is not the kind of neighborhood where a restaurant can survive if they are just riding on the coattails of reality tv fame - people just won't travel down there if it's not good.  I am happy to report that you will not be disappointed if you go all the way down to Tribeca for Plein Sud.

The decor was my kinda style.  It was like a fancy farmhouse with knick-knacks set behind mesh wire cabinet doors and a bathroom that fit right into a barn, but in a clean way.  The food was also my kinda style.  I don't like when restaurants put second rate food on the Restaurant Week menu, but I didn't really see that happening here.

The appetizer was probably my favorite course.  Podz got a caramelized onion tart with boucheron cheese (sweet and flaky) and I had an amazing chilled fennel soup.  I know that doesn't sound special but the chantilly cream, pistachios, and poached shrimp really made this soup stand out.  For the entrees, Podz ordered stuffed eggplant and I had the seafood bisque en croute.  The soup was very good with a wonderful mix of fish, but the waiter described it as less creamy than it was.  I usually never have a problem with cream - and they weren't heavy handed - but I had just had a cream soup for the app and two of those in a row gets heavy.  Nevertheless, it was very good.  Sarah picked the Tribeca for dessert, which was caramel on top of peanut butter cream on top of a chocolate crust.  It was like a chilled, creamy peanut butter cup.  One bite was rich enough for me and then I went back to my dessert.  I'll admit, none of the desserts really got me hot under the collar at first glance.  I ended up picking the frozen nougat because it seemed like it would be the fruitiest and I needed the lightest dessert possible after all that heavy cream.  The ice cream was studded with dried fruit pieces and topped with a tangy sauce and orange segments far exceeded my expectations and I lapped it up.

The service was lovely and nobody kicked us out as we waited for the pouring rain to subside after paying our check.  I can see why Top Chef wanted Ed Cotton.  They must have been to Plein Sud.

Blais of Glory

So for the last two weeks, I thought I was going home to the Top Chef Allstars finale and for the last two weeks, I have been wrong.  Normally, I hate being wrong; but in this case, I am happy to extend the life of one of my favorite shows.  Finally, it was finale time last night and I was happy to see Richard Blais - my favorite from day one - win.  How could he not?  On a drool-worthy scorecard, he consistently pulled A+ grades.  Plus he lives in Atlanta (where he puts out amazing food at Flip), and I am proud a Georgian took home the title.

Both Mike and Richard put out elegant dishes that showed a level of restraint on their parts.  Richard, known for his amorous relationship with liquid nitrogen, contained some of his craziness and let it seep out only in the most appropriate of places.  The best example: his amuse bouche (which was not required and created just for the hell of it).  I would like to live inside Richard’s notebook for a little while because it seems to house some of the most interesting ideas.  Richard decided to name his “dream restaurant” Tongue and Cheek.  Here’s why he’s a genius:  Even the name itself is tongue and cheek since tongue and cheek are both food items.  He used the name to imply that food should be whimsy and carried that theme throughout his dishes, most perfectly with the amuse: an oyster with pearls (the pearls being lemon horseradish ice cream).  Mike’s fish and pepperoni sauce looked great but overall, it had to be Richard.   

I can’t watch a show like that without making some good food of my own, so I tried out a few new recipes last night.  I was inspired by the creamy artichoke soup I had in Boston, so I decided to attempt one.  Mine was not as velvety as the one at Upstairs on the Square, but I was too lazy to strain it and re-blend – this is a weeknight meal after all, so I got it as smooth as I could with an emersion blender, decided it was a rustic soup, and called it a day.  I topped the soup with truffle oil and pesto croutons which gave it tons of flavor.  It definitely seemed like it took a while to make but I managed to cook the whole thing while browning my sausage, which brings me to dish number two.

I browned up some sweet Italian sausage and served it atop a bed of garlic kale.  This was my first time cooking kale so I made my life a bit easier by buying the pre-cut and washed kale and just dumping it in the sauté pan.  It took longer than I expected to wilt down, but I was happy with the finished product and the fact that I just blasted myself with a ton of healthy antioxidents.  Did you know kale is the new wonder-veggie?  For a side dish, I made an orzo salad with radish, basil, green onion, pine nuts, a vinaigrette, and a little goat cheese.  The goat cheese was actually unnecessary but I had a little lying in the fridge and figured I would use it up.  I may not have made fois gras ice cream like Richard, but I think my dinner was pretty solid. 

Beating Beets

Last night was the season finale of Top Chef.  Actually, it wasn't - apparently there's another episode; but since I thought it was, I wanted to make sure I prepared some new recipes.  I didn't want to eat take out or leftovers while watching these All Stars cook food magic.  That said, it was late so I needed to make sure that whatever I made was easy.  My meal definitely did the trick.  It wasn't [literally] fresh from the sea conch ceviche or sweet potato pasta like they cooked on the show, but I was happy.

The main course was a tuna fish sandwich on toasted 12 grain bread.  I feel like everyone has a can of tuna in their pantry that never gets eaten because it doesn't seem that appetizing or exciting.  If that's how you feel then do what I did: mix the tuna with mayo and prepared pesto, pile on toast and top with cucumbers.  Suddenly, tuna doesn't seem so bad, right?  I didn't plan it, but my green sandwich worked out nicely as a little pre-St. Patty's day treat.

Side dish number one was a quinoa pilaf with corn and green onion - easy and flavorful.  Side number two was where it got interesting.  I never ate beets until I moved to NYC (the beet is not a major player in Southern cooking); but once I tried them, I realized they're not as scary as they seem.  Beets are kind of a standoffish veggie, don't you think?  Although I now eat beets, they have been strictly restaurant fare.  As scared as I originally was to eat them, I was even more terrified to cook them.  I didn't know how to cook them and had only heard terrible tales about how the bright fusha juice will stain your hands and clothes.  When I found a recipe that looked easy enough, I took a deep breath and went for it.  I peeled and chopped the beets, tossed them with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roasted them for about 35 minutes.  When they were nice and roasted, I mixed them with scallions, lemon juice, and feta.  It was delicious!  I love a vegetable that you can really sink your teeth into and beets have that sturdy texture that makes you forget you're eating something healthy.   I was scared for absolutely no reason.  My hands were nice and pink, but all it took was one good hand washing for them to get back to normal.

For dessert I made tiny ice cream sandwiches using mini vanilla waffles (from the freezer section) instead of cookies and Ben and Jerry's Peach Cobbler ice cream as the filling (peach ice cream with cinnamon sugar shortbread pieces and a peach swirl).  Talk about the easiest dessert ever that can be quite a stunner for entertaining, especially if you dust with powdered sugar (which I did not because I was just sitting at home by myself).

No, this meal wouldn't have put me in the finale for Top Chef, but it was the perfect meal to eat while watching it.

Great News!

My favorite restaurant (EVER) is Five & Ten.  New York...LA...Chicago - they all have great restaurant scenes, but my absolute favorite place to dine can be found in good ol' Athens, GA.  Five & Ten will always hold a special place in my heart for opening my eyes to the world of cheese.  I've always been a cheese girl, but there was not a plethora of fancy cheeses in Savannah when I was growing up.  Off I went to college where my brother introduced my parents and I to Five & Ten.  One trip and we were hooked.  Every time my parents came to town, we went to Five & Ten (you know those dinners when the parents relieve their broke college kids from nights of Easy Mac and take them to a nice place).  I think the reason Five & Ten stuck with us (at least with my Mommy and I) was all because of the cheese plate.  Never before had I seen a cheese plate, and I couldn't imagine a better course of food.  The combination of hard and soft cheeses and the matching jams, nuts, and toasts just spoke to me.  This is food, I thought. But it's not just the cheese I love about Five & Ten.  Not once have I had a bad meal there.

The consistently delicious food is all due to Hugh Acheson, head chef.  Thankfully, others have taken notice.  And I'm not just talking about the James Beard folks (but yea, he's been nominated for those awards, too).  I just learned that Chef Acheson will be on the next season of TOP CHEF MASTERS!!!!  So set your DVRs for April 6th so you can watch my man in action.  I never got into the Masters part of the franchise before, but between the fact that my favorite restaurant's chef is a contestant and that Ruth Reichl and Curtis Stone are judges, I think this show will be added to the roster.  Good luck, Hugh Acheson!

Getting My Just Desserts

To jump into their premiere season with a bang, Top Chef: Just Desserts decided to give away free dessert all over the city from food trucks this past Tuesday.  I have to thank Twitter for bringing this amazing deal to my attention.  Once I found out one of the food trucks would be parked in close proximity to my office, I decided to do lunch backwards.

They weren't giving away boring, tiny samples.  They were giving away full-size treats from some of the best bake-shops in New York.  On top of that, there was no regulation on how many treats you could try.  We were trepidatious about asking for more than one and spent the entire time in line trying to choose the single best dessert available, but it turned out they were happy to let us try everything!  I'm not a cupcake gal, so I passed on Billy's Bakery (though my office pals were disappointed because they think Billy's is the city's best cupcake), but I did get a cup of Breyer's ice cream, two Godiva truffles, and a compost cookie from Momofuku Bakery and Milk Bar.

Momofuku's Milk Bar is 100%, hands down my absolute favorite dessert shop in the city.  When it comes to sweet treats, it cant be topped.  I couldn't believe I was able to walk away from this food truck with a full size compost cookie, which is filled with pretzels, potato chips, coffee, butterscotch, oats, and chocolate chips.  It reminded me that I haven't had a Momofuku moment in quite a while and it is probably time I head down to the East Village for some crack pie, cereal milk, and cake truffles.

Top Chef, I recommend you do this before every episode.

Cheftestant Showdown: Top Chef Recap, 6/30 Episode

Last night's episode saw the demise of Tracey who, as a self-proclaimed clairvoyant, shoulda seen it coming.  The chefs were practically shaking when Padma told them they had to make desserts, which was less about the cheftestants, more about promoting the new "Top Chef: Just Desserts" spinoff.  "But I'm not a pastry chef," Amanda whined.  To which the guest judge responded by basically calling her an idiot because even his grandma can make a pie.  I guess Arnold's theory that pastry chefs live in a magical world with unicorns is off-base.  Maybe he's been taking all the drugs Amanda did in her 20s (did anyone else find that to be a really random time to bring that up?). 

Then it was off to the park for a picnic where Alex would like to "take advantage of an intern" Lewinsky style.  It's not the mile high club.  That's not an item to cross off your list if you're not in politics.  For a more detailed account of the episode and to see which chefs are rising to the top, keep reading.

• Arnold: 
• Innovation: 3
• Drool Factor: 5 - Probably the best looking dish I saw.  It's also nice to have a chilled soup on a hot day - good thinking.
• Chef Likeability: 3 - In episode 1, we learned he prepped for the show by getting a stylist and a facial. Now we learned he doesn't grill because it clogs his pores.  We get it; you're gay.  But you don't need to keep pointing it out; the cat's outta the bag.  That said, he was far less annoying this episode than before.
• Angelo:
• Innovation: 4 - I'm intrigued by "smokey" egg salad and lettuce wraps are an unconventional picnic choice
• Drool Factor: 4 - High score when you combine his elimination challenge dish and his quickfire pie
• Chef Likeability: 2 - This is a big step up for Angelo who never eclipses 1 in this category, but he was all magnanimous while extoling Amanda's ribs so I figured I'd throw him a bone.
• Amanda:
• Innovation: 2
• Drool Factor: 2 - Accoding to the judges, her asparagus was simply to die for...but I could make that at home.  Over it.
• Chef Likeability: 2 - I don't like her use of "prison rules"
• Kenny:
• Innovation: 3 - Pie was unique, picnic was just ok
• Drool Factor: 4 - All points go to the pie here.  I love bananas foster.  Love currents.  That pie was BANANAS.  Very glad he finally got a much deserves win.
• Chef Likeability: 5 - All points here are due to the fact that his girlfriend goes by the name JUICY.

Looks like Kenny wins this round with Arnold (surprisingly) pulling up in a close second.  Until next week...

Cheftestant Showdown: Top Chef Recap, 6/23 Episode

This week, we learned that peanut butter is the worst thing ever according to Amanda and that Padma will be a great mom because all the middle schoolers want to give her ginormous hugs.  But more importantly, let's chat about where the chefs fall this week...

• Angelo:
• Innovation: 0 - Peanut butter and celery.  Are you kidding me?  If you're going to sabatoge someone, do it with flair - turn off your opponent's oven or something; don't make ants on a log.
• Drool Factor: 0 - It's celery and peanut butter.  The judges should have laughed in your face.
• Chef Likeability: 1 - Not a complete 0 because this is the first time we've seen a chef actively try to take down a competitor through conniving means...and we secretly like it. 
• Kenny:
• Innovation: 1
• Drool Factor: 2
• Chef Likeability: 4 - He weathers sabotage in style; however, he doesn't get the full 5 points because he seemed genuinely surprised to hear that tomato is a fruit, not a vegetable.
• Amanda:
• Innovation: 1
• Drool Factor: 1 - Tom said it looked like a turd.  That comment alone made me gag, maybe even induce a little bile, but drool?  No I was def not drooling over turd.
• Chef Likeability: 1 - Waaaay too confident for someone who has failed every challenge to date.  Plus she kinda reminds me of Leah from last season...not a good thing.
• Andrea:
• Innovation: 3 - She thought of ways to make classic kid-friendly (and typically fatty) foods healthy.
• Drool Factor: 2
• Chef Likeability: 4 - I think she could be the dark horse of the competition.  I'm just waiting for her to pop out of the weeds like the hyenas on the prowl for zebras in The Lion King.
• Kelly:
• Innovation: 4 - Love the oatmeal in the tortillas
• Drool Factor: 3
• Chef Likeability: 1 - I get it.  You made the tacos.  We ALL heard you.
• Tiffany:
• Innovation: 4 - Chocolate sorbet and sweet potato is an interesting combo that I never would have thought of...but may be making for dinner tonight
• Drool Factor: 2
• Chef Likeability: 3

Looks like this round goes to the ladies, with Andrea and Tiffany taking the lead.  Though I think the real winner was probably the guest judge.  He is a cute Mr. Clean type who's trying to eradicate childhood obesity.  You could tell he thought he was a tad cooler than the cheftestants...and I kinda agree.

Cheftestant Showdown: Top Chef Recap, 6/16 Episode

Top Chef is, hands down, my favorite reality show.  Before I delve any further into this season's premiere, I would like to pose three questions:

1. Where did Eric Ripert come from?  And more importantly, where have I been?  I pride myself on staying up-to-date with all the major food blogs, and I don't recall reading about him joining the judges' table.  No matter; welcome, chef.
2. What happened to the Glad family of products?  I'm not sure why they dropped out and Dial jumped in.  What does body wash have to do with cooking?
3. The Bachelor?  Stick to your own reality show.

Now for the recap.  I've created a set of criteria to determine the frontrunners of the season.  Let's see how our cheftestants are faring after episode #1 (all on a scale of 1-5):

• Angelo
• Innovation: 4 - The man made pasta out of potatoes that wasn't gnocci during the quickfire
• Drool Factor: 3 
• Chef Likability: 2 - Loses major points for extreme cockiness and excessive name dropping.  The only reason he didn't get a zero in this category is because his food backed it all up.
• Kenny
• Innovation: 3 - Cinnamon and coffee would not cross my mind as a rub for trout, but it looked yummy.
• Drool Factor: 3 
• Chef Likability: 4 - Not only did he seem nice and talented, the man was a downright machine during the quickfire.
• Kevin
• Innovation: 1 - Nothing new
• Drool Factor: 1
• Chef Likability: 2 - His restaurant is called Rat's.  In my experience, rats are the one thing you don't want in a restaurant.
• Arnold
• Innovation: 3 - Not sure if that cake was sweet or savory, but it looked yummy
• Drool Factor: 2
• Chef Likability: 0 - You may think his crazy dancing is funny.  I happen to find him incredibly annoying.  
• Alex
• Innovation: 5 - I'm very intrigued by deconstructed dishes and this one had that wow factor.
• Drool Factor: 4 - I drool over unique stuff
• Chef Likability: 1 - I don't dislike him, just don't know anything about him

In future episodes, I'll touch on more chefs, but since this was only the first episode and there are 17 chefs, I was a little too overwhelmed to talk about every dish/chef.  

Aaaand now I'm hungry.

Top Chef Agency

I am so excited about tonight's premier of Top Chef.  I can't wait to see a new batch of up-and-comers.  Tonight's post, however, is about another cooking competition, which I have dubbed Top Chef Agency.

Last night, some co-workers and I went head-to-head against six other agencies in a culinary showdown of sorts.  Four of the teams (ours included) worked on Menu B, while the three other groups attempted Menu A.  I am proud to say my team beat out all the other Menu B teams; however, when it came down to us and the Menu A winner, the another agency took home the grand prize. 

Since we're talking about the prizes, I have to admit, I'm not all too sad we brought home the silver.  The final two teams each won the same amount of prize money, but the grand prize winner also took home medals and a bronzed pan.  Trophies are nice, but what I really wanted was the money, anyway. 

The most exciting part of the challenge was actually being judged.  The panel of judges was made up of the executive chef and sous chef from Metrazur and the executive chef of Aureole (who had an awesome seersucker chef's coat, and if you've read my About Me page, you know I love seersucker).  These are two of the nicest restaurants in the city.  It's hard enough to get these men to cook for you; and here they are, eating my food.  Not just eating, complimenting.  One chef took a bite and said, and I quote, "Mmm, it's good."  As another was about to dip his fork into our dish, he remarked, "They charred the tomatoes.  That's cool."  You can't see me, but I'm patting myself on the back right now since I was manning the tomatoes.

Last night spurred some activity ideas: I want to have my own Top Chef competition among friends.  It would be a new twist on game night.  I would also like to take more classes at the Institute of Culinary Education (ICE), which is where the event was held.  If anyone wants to pony up the cash (I think it's somewhere in the $125 range), I would love a buddy.

I still think our dish should have won, and I am ready for a rematch - anytime, anyplace.  See below for pics of our bread salad and roasted tomato/herb/goat cheese pasta. 

"If you're tired you take a napa; you don't move to Napa": Top Chef Semifinals

I actually didn't want to watch last week's episode of Top Chef.  In fact, i allowed the show to sit in my DVR lineup for a full 24 hours before I decided to get it over with.  Why did I refuse to watch one of my all-time favorite shows?  I couldn't bear to see any of the top 4 contestants leave.  The judges seemed to be as torn about the decision as I was, as they were scrounging for complaints about each contestant.  In the end, it was Jennifer's turn to pack her knives, and I was a little sad.  Some of my thoughts from the episode are as follows: 

• Eric Ripert's mentee was immensely talented and was the only lady left.  Now that she's out of the competition, will she allow a romance to blossom with Michael Voltaggio?  Their lovechild would probably have seasoned his own amniotic fluid.  That was probably a gross thing to say.  Sorry.
• Kevin had motion sickness on the train during the Quickfire.  I kinda wish we got to see him blow chunks all over Padma's baby bump.
• Michael needs to get over this whole "Kevin's food is simple and, therefore, not as good as mine" thing.  It's tasty.  Deal with it.  I think he's just jealous there's no facebook group for his soulpatch and Kevin is the only one with facial hair facebook love.
• Kevin continues to surprise me.  First we find out this carnivore gives up meat for lent; now we learn his restaurant serves all sustainable protein.  Did I mention he's a Southerner?  Rock on, dude.

Welcome Back

This week, Padma broke her stone face during the elimination challenge and welcomed Jennifer back to the big time after a stint of mediocre food.  It was a ballsy departure from the typical "thank you chef" response.

While Jennifer rejoined the competion metaphorically, we did have one physical return: Gail!  If Toby never judged another episode, I would be satisfied.  He tries a little too hard to be Simon Cowell and all of his comments seem forced.  Gail's critiques, on the other hand, are the appropriate mix of saucy and sweet.  It's good to have you back, Gail.

I would also like to point out that I called the final 4 contestants in the very first episode.  You may not be able to see it right now, but I'm giving myself a pat on the back.  I'll miss Eli and his pinchable cheeks, but it was his time to go.  Of course, I'm pulling for the lone Southerner left in the game - team Kevin all the way!