Thoughts on Top Chef S6E10: Vegetables, Schmegetables

If you have not seen Top Chef Season 6 Episode 10, read no further. This post contains spoilers!

How’d you guys like the recent episode of Top Chef Las Vegas? Here are my random thoughts as I watched the show. Would love to hear yours!

• Robin’s talking 2nd. Does that mean she’s getting booted this ep?

• TV Guide Quickfire? Marketing yet again. I’m surprised they didn’t show the magazine. The challenge is to “reinvent a classic TV dinner.” Editors of TV Guide magazine chose some shows that would inspire the chefs. I’m crossing my fingers How I Met Your Mother and The Big Bang Theory are a part of it. But oh well. So how does it turn out?

• Kevin: The Sopranos: Meatballs with Polenta, Roasted Cauliflower & Roasted Pear

• Robin: Sesame Street: Burger with Egg, Crispy Kale, Carrot Salad and Almond Lace Cookie

• Mike I: Seinfeld: HE’S NEVER SEEN SEINFELD? : Sausage & Peppers, Mushrooms & Cheese, Warm Fruit Salad

• Mike V: Cheers: Chicken Parmesan with Braised Swiss Chard & Cherry Pie. Mmm. Cherry Pie I love!

• Bryan V: Mash: Meatloaf, Mashed Potato, Asparagus and Apple Tarte Tatin. THIS is homey! I’d love to gobble this up in front of the TV, yes.

• Eli: Gilligan’s Island: Macadmia Nut Shrimp with Sweet Potato Puree, Herb Salad, Cherries & Bananas

• Jen: The Flintstones: Chicken Roulade with Garlic Cream, Pea Salad & Caramelized Peaches. She said she was looking for something with a huge bone? I wish she had looked harder. Why do I feel she’s getting more tired as the competition progresses? C’mon Iron Lady, you can do it!!!

• Bottom: Jen’s (didn’t hit the mark). Robin’s (dry meat, not special).

• Top: Kevin (consistent concept, perfectly cooked pears). Bryan (beautiful roulade, dessert was mmmm)… and who wins? KEVIN! No more immunity though. His recipe will be featured in a line of Top Chef Frozen Foods or something. With his face on it. Maybe.

• Elimination challenge: Taking over Tom’s Craft Steak restaurant at MGM for one night. Woah! And since it’s a steak house, the chefs immediately begin planning their menus around meat.

• The next day, Tom walks into the kitchen while the chefs are scrambling for meat. He then introduces their special guest… NATALIE PORTMAN! She’s so beautiful.

• Um, Eli, she was in great movies ASIDE from Star Wars. hello.

• And oh well, Natalie’s a vegetarian… and they’re in a steakhouse. Oooh. Irony strikes again. I like you Natalie, and I like you Top Chef, but this vegetarian challenge I find ho-hum already. I’m not excited because something similar was mounted a few episodes ago. Remember Zooey Deschanel?

• A dehydrated orange chip is flipped by Jen and Eli to see who gets which kind of eggplant. Improv!

• Robin’s excitement is making her spin around the kitchen like a kid in a candy store.

• Mike V encourages Eli “You’re doing a great job today Eli.” I wonder what the context of that statement was.

• Jen says she eats vegetarian food when she has to. When she has to? I wonder when that is. She wasn’t specific like Kevin, saying he goes vegetarian with his wife during Lent.

• Mike I’s leeks look weird. They’re supposed to look like scallops and the dish isn’t coming together.

• Commercial break: Ooh, Top Chef Reunion Dinner? When is this?!?! I see Harold my first Top Chef love!

• Anyway, the chefs are ready to serve. What’s for dinner?

• Robin’s Dish: Stuffed Squash Blossom, Beet Carpaccio, Fresh Garbanzo Beans and Chermoula. What’s Chermoula? The judges say there’s an overseasoning issue.

• Eli’s up next with his Confit of Eggplant, Lentils, Garlic Puree and Radish Salad… Good words around the table.

• Mike V’s chopped hazelnuts are missing and ohkay, he finds it. He created Asparagus Salad, Japanese Tomato Sashimi and Banana Polenta. REALLY good reactions. Michael is Picasso says one guest. Ash, is that you?

• Jen has a small plate concern. Why’d she pick those plates then? Charred Baby Eggplant, Braised Fennel, Tomatoes and Verjus Nage (?) topped with butter. She’s saucing the folks’ plates and the guests notice she’s shaking. Makes a beautiful side dish, that’s it.

• Mike I’s dish is Whole Roasted Leeks with Onion Jus, Baby Carrot Puree and Fingerling Potatoes. Zzz.

• Bryan V scatters garlic, which is not how he plates. Hmm. It wouldn’t hurt to loosen up a bit you know, Chef. Artichoke Barigoule, Confit of Shallot, Wild Aspargus and Fennel Puree is his dish. Someone makes a comment about something being “big in your mouth.” Lots of naughty laughter around the table. I guess no matter how refined diners are, if someone cracks a green joke, you can’t help but crack up!

• Kevin’s dish looks brown. Anyway it’s Duo of Mushrooms, Smoked Kale, Candied Garlic and Turnip Puree. MEATY. “A manly vegetarian meal,” says Natalie. Hey that’s a nice comment. I’m guessing he’s winning this challenge.

• There’s a clip showing that Paul Bartolotta invited the cheftestants to his resto. And… that’s it.

• Judges Table! Kevin, Michael and Eli are called first. Eli’s ecstatic and Bryan looks bummed. The tables are turning, cheffies!!

• Mike V’s reviews: “This dish reminds me of why you have to keep an open mind.” “There’s just so much humor in it.” Eli’s: Incredibly beautiful dish. Kevin: Really really wonderful. A mouthful of flavor. Who wins? KEVIN!!! And he wins a suite of GE appliances. WOAH!!!!

• Mike V. looks pissed Kevin won, saying he could’ve whipped up something like that in 20 minutes. Sour grapes.

• Back at the Stew Room, Mike I’s hitting the walls and yelling “Let me out!” Be careful what you wish for buddy. So yep, he’s at the bottom along with Robin and Jennifer. Why is Jennifer falling apart?

• Robin’s dish, Padma says, had no idea. Oh wow, that’s bad. In a nutshell: Robin, unbalanced. Mike, 2 hours and no leeks. Jen, garnish more than entree. Who’s packing his knives and going? Mike.

• Do the chefs look disappointed that Robin’s still there? The cut sure makes it look that way.

My Top 5: Bryan. Mike V. Jen. Kevin. Ashley.

The dish I would love to have tasted: Mike V’s Quickfire Cherry Pie. Only because I haven’t had that since forever.

Vegetables, schmegetables. I love vegetables, don’t get me wrong. This challenge just realy reminded me of that Zooey episode. Sure, the chefs were asked to create a no-meat dish in a meat restaurant. Still, it was too close to that Zooey episode. I got kinda bored. But anyway, those are just my thoughts.  Maybe next episode will be much better. I hope!

Hi! I'm Toni Tiu, and I've been blogging at at Wifely Steps since 2003. This started as a blog to help newly weds adjust to married life. It has evolved into a home and parenting blog. I write about things close to my heart -- good eats, good reads, family, marriage, and the little things that make everyday happy.