'Top Chef': Never Underestimate Middle America

Let's get this block party started. Let's see: soggy corn dogs...flavorless pasta salad...and a brick of dried-out mac-and-Velveeta.

Uh-oh, there goes the neighborhood.

But first, this week's "Top Chef Chicago" starts with the Quickfire Challenge: Take the taco totally upscale. Richard wins by making tacos that have jicama slices as a shell rather than anything made of corn or flour.

Then the 14 cheftestants are asked to split themselves -- no knife drawing here -- into two teams for the Elimination Challenge. There is a definite divide between those who think that glomming on to Richard (who has just won the favor of guest chef Rick Bayless) is the best plan, and those who think that being on a team with someone who has immunity hurts their odds and decide to zag the other way.

The couple--Zoi and Jennifer--choose to be together, of course. And so does Andrew and Spike, whom I only mention in the same breath because, at this early stage in the competition, it's very helpful that Spike wears a hat, because they have similar beards. Oh wait, but Andrew makes comments later that completely single him out--but we'll get to that.

The teams are Red and Blue and the challenge is to raid the pantries and fridges of all the people who live on the same block in a Chicago neighborhood -- and then do the cooking for their block party. Blue chooses to go semi-upscale (though the biggest move on that front, Richard's version of "paella," actually bombs) and Red decides to serve what they think appeals to "Middle America." Among those items are a Waldorf salad and a pasta salad. I'm really waiting for the Jell-o mold. Alas, it never comes. Who doesn't love a good Jell-o mode, especially one that encases a canned fruit cocktail?

So, thank you to judge Ted Allen for uttering the word, at Judges' Table, that had to be on all our Red-addled minds: "condescending." Tom kicks in, as well, with the phrase "dumb down." Which makes it even more ridiculous when Red says they're stunned they've lost--I mean, really, golly gee, they got in the dunk tank and played street ball and tried much harder to make nice-nice with those "Middle Americans" on the block!

Let's get this out of the way: Nikki (Blue Team) is skating like nothing doing. Her mac-and-cheese -- with Velveeta [!] -- has to stand up for hours in transport and service, and is probably the biggest disaster of the competition (and need we mention last week's mushrooms again?) Only her butt was saved, big-time, by being on the winning team.

Stephanie gets her second victory for something that's generally a Top Chef nightmare: a dessert. A cinnamon-scented wonton crisp with fruit is really what impresses the judges this week. (It did look yummy).

On the Red End, it's really nice for Andrew that he doesn't have one of the three worst dishes because he really pulls a Tiffani by talking smack to the judges (remember when Tiffani dumped all over the challenge where they had to cook for kids? And Tom really, really wished he could fire her but she had immunity?). Firmly ensconsed in denial zone--where you believe that what "Middle America" really wants is for you to play ball with their children instead of cooking smart --Andrew declares to the judges: "You'd have to drag me out of here with security guards, more or less, because I ain't going nowhere. This is *my* house."

Well then, Andrew had better do a better job of keeping his house in order.

The bottom three dishes are: the corn dogs Erik made even though he clearly knew that a deep-fried item can't handle sitting in a serving container for hours without going all soggy; the pasta salad Zoi was too wimpy to refuse to make; and the Waldorf salad from Ryan, which had too much chicken and turned into a mushy mess.

Erik gets the boot, in large part because he makes corn dogs at his restaurant so he really should have known better. Or because Nikki is on the other team. Mushrooms compared to animal waste and mac-and-cheese that's a brick. Hmmmm.

-- JENNIFER FREY

By Jennifer Frey | March 27, 2008; 9:04 AM ET Jericho
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Um, Andrew, I hate to burst your bubble, but this is Padma and Tom's house. Not yours.

Posted by: Sara | March 27, 2008 12:15 PM

Jennifer--why is it bad to use the phrase, "middle-America"? Isn't that who they were cooking for? I don't think the Red team "dumbed down" their food--and I disagree with the judges that "good food is good food" no matter who you are. BS. Some people prefer certain things to others. The Red team went for the patrons, not the judges, and that's what they should have done. In any other reality competition, catering to the "clients" is rewarded and appreciated. Except here on Top Chef where the judges heads are too big to fit through a doorway.

Totally a tragedy that the Red team lost. I really believed they were better--so is that good editing? Or did the judges really get it wrong?

Well, I am thinking the judges are wrong on this one.

It was clear Tom C is totally biased in favor of the chefs on Blue. He said over and over that he was dissapointed in them, because he "expected more" for that set of chefs. You can only expect more if your are holding those people in higher esteem. Tom C said nothing like that to the Red team. Did he *expect* them to mess up because he wasn't expecting better from them?

The Blue team was the winner, despite the disgusting Mac-n-Cheese (and Nikki should have known better as well, as she emphasized in her vignettes that she also cooks the Mac-n-cheese in her restaurant, so booting Eric b/c he should've known better is a lost argument), because Tom C favors those chefs, Richard more than most.

And Eric specifically was sent packing because Zoi brings in more viewers with the lesbians-in-the-kitchen drama, and the strange spelling of her name; and Ryan's persistent deer-in-headlights-look is a source of comedy the show can't do without.

Why did Tom C and crowd emphasize the least liked dishes in their decision? Why not compare the good dishes and pick the winner that way? Fake-Hung's pork skewers looked great!

Posted by: Sam | March 27, 2008 02:27 PM

I'm sorry, middle america or not, no one likes soggy corndogs. Yuck. If Niki had been on the losing team, though, I think she would have gotten the boot, especially after last week's turd-shrooms.

I do wonder if the Red teams cocky attitude played into the decision making at all, however. They were acting like a bunch of jerks when their food wasn't that spectacular (both teams had good and bad, obviously). That attitude could definitely have influenced the judges' decision. I think Andrew will be around for awhile, though, because he is controversial and "edgy". I just think he is annoying. What, was he trying to imitate Borat or something for a good portion of last night's episode?

Posted by: | March 27, 2008 03:07 PM

Well - I had to agree with the "condescending" and "dumbed down" comments because it appeared none of these folks was ever a good home cook. Good home cooks have plenty of practice dragging things to "covered dish" and they know what does, and does not, travel well. I don't think good home cooks ever think there's chicken in Waldorf salad - and they use good sharp cheddar, not Velveeta, in their macaroni & cheese. As far as the latter dish is concerned, most have mastered the art of "keeping it moist" on covered dish buffet lines - or they bring a different dish. Generally unimpressed by all.

Posted by: Jean | March 28, 2008 11:34 AM

can you add a survey to your blogs each week?

Posted by: opinions | March 28, 2008 01:49 PM

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