<p>I just watched Top Chef for the first time. The contestants kept saying they want to be in the “final four”. I am guessing that is a big deal. What do they usually do for a final four challenge?</p>
<p>It was interesting to watch them try to recreate a professional chef’s dishes after only tasting them once. </p>
<p>Is it just this bunch of people or is the show not as gossipy and backstabbing as Project Runway? They appeared to be quite supportive of each other.</p>
<p>OK I am a Top Chef fan. I started watching in season 2. My D got me a Top Chep cookbook for Christmas.</p>
<p>They are a bit older and more mature than the Project Runway girls. They are competitive and there is some trash talk, but they really pitch in and help each other when it really counts. There is a $10,000 fan favorite that viewers choose at the end. </p>
<p>They start out with about 15 chefs, with one eliminated each week. Actually its usually the top 3 that is a big deal, but only the winner really “gets the prize.” </p>
<p>The producers seem to choose a variety of chefs each season, usually one that every one loves to hate. (Last year it was the winner–Hon. Yeah, I didn’t like him. He was both the diva and the one we all hated. There is alway a “diva” type who thinks they are better than everyone else. There is usualy an attractive guy that the girls all like (this year Jeff) and a girl that the guys think is a looker. Sometimes a really good chef gets caught on a tough week and goes out early. The chef that was out last night -Jamie-was one of the better contestants this season. </p>
<p>This season they have had more chefs who are not from the USA. </p>
<p>Two of those left have had some really bad outcomes with their food, but were on the winning teams and saved themselves. I thought Jeff would have lasted longer. He had talent, but always had to do a 4 part 50 ingredient dish instead of keeping it simple. Jamie left over a dish that sounded impossible to recreate. Braised celery? </p>
<p>There is an official Top Chef website that you can go to and watch the previous episodes from this season. You can watch comercial free and see an hour show in about 35 min.</p>
<p>I find it much more enjoyable to watch than Hell’s Kitchen. The Top Chef contestants are the real thing.</p>
<p>This week’s challenge seemed intimidating! Definitely showed who had classical training!</p>
<p>This group definitely seems more supportive than usual. There has been drama in past seasons but not as much a Project Runway. In the past, for the final 4, they’ve created a complete meal - either 4 or 5 courses I believe.</p>
<p>Top Chef and Project Runway are the only 2 shows I watch regularly. Love them! They’re fierce! :)</p>
<p>Fabio is my fav and Carla has grown on me.</p>
<p>I won’t watch Hell’s Kitchen because it stresses me out! Way too much yelling.</p>
<p>I was sad to see Ariane and Jamie leave, two of my favourites, and I really would have voted for whingy back-stabbing Leah or Hosea last night, but of course that was based on the whole season not last night</p>
<p>I like Carla, but I am not sure she is in the same league as Jamie. I think Stephan and Fabio look pretty strong, now that Jamie and Jeff are out. Ariane probably didn’t have enough classical training.</p>
<p>Stephan keeps getting lucky–ie knowing how to prep/filet sardines AND an eel. But he has some great skills. I think it may come down to Stephan and Fabio…</p>
<p>I keep wondering what Leah’s BF’s reaction has been as he has watched the season unfold. I sure hope they ask her about it when they do the show where they have all the chefs on and chat/ask questions. Did she tell him when she got home that she cheated on him? Did she prepare him for what would be airing? Did she think they would not have focused on her little trist with Hosea? They sure have played some of those scenes over and over, esp in the recap that is played at the beginning of each show.</p>
<p>I am also a fan. I’ve never seen Project Runway, but think Top Chef is better than all the Food Network chef contests. They ( Top Chefs) are almost always already professionals, or have had significant training. They manage to work in some drama, but it does not seem…what is the word?..gratuitous?</p>
<p>Are the challenges always serious like the one I just saw (6 chefs cooking at a famous chef’s restaurant) or do they do wackier things like make a meal out of what you can buy at a 7-11?</p>
<p>If they do oddball things - what one did you like best?</p>
<p>Just finished watching this week’s episode about a half hour ago - my first season of watching it and we all love it!</p>
<p>I was really sad to see both Arianne and Jeff go - Jamie leaves but Leah stays? Get out of here!</p>
<p>A couple of questions…
<p>Every time I see Carla, I’m reminded of Big Bird.</p>
<p>This season has been unusual in that we’ve seen the chefs helping each other when needed. I can’t recall another season when they did it this much.</p>
<p>I was sorry to see Jamie go this week; I think she’s a lot more talented than Leah, and I really can’t believe Leah is still there!</p>
<p>I liked Ariane – both because she was older than most of the others, and because she’s from New Jersey and her restaurant is very near where I live.</p>
<p>Carla’s begun to impress me the last few episodes. And I really enjoy watching Fabio and listening to him talk – sorry, I love that accent and that charm! But it’s very, very hard for me to imagine anyone winning other than Stephan. It seems sometimes like he wins every week!</p>
<p>This year, although they’re filming most of the season in New York, the “final four” will be competing in New Orleans. Usually, the contestants have free rein to cook whatever they want for the final challenge.</p>
<p>In terms of strange ingredients, that’s more likely to happen in the “quickfire” challenge that begins every episode. Like the challenge earlier this season where everyone had to cook a dish using spam.</p>
<p>There’s always been a reunion show either the week before or the week after the final episode, just like there was always one on Project Runway until the most recent cycle. They sit around and ask them embarrassing questions from viewers, and show clips, and announce who gets the $10,000 prize for winning the “fan favorite” vote.</p>
<p>Perhaps this is the site to watch episodes</p>
<p>[Where</a> to Watch Top Chef | Fancast](<a href=“http://www.fancast.com/tv/Top-Chef/4501/watch-it]Where”>http://www.fancast.com/tv/Top-Chef/4501/watch-it)</p>
<p>or</p>
<p>[Hulu</a> - Videos](<a href=“Stream TV and Movies Live and Online | Hulu”>Stream TV and Movies Live and Online | Hulu)</p>
<p>I think the only reason Jamie went is because they wanted to keep the little romance weirdness between Hosea and Leah. I haven’t seen too many decisions on this show that I think were influenced by the producers but I think this one was. I also hate the new little twit judge.</p>
<p>I think Stefan looks unstoppable at this point. But I love Fabio! And I’ll be so disappointed if he isn’t one of the top three. </p>
<p>My d tells me that Hosea is self-taught. I’m not a fan of his, but that’s quite impressive, since he’s managed not to be out of his league in a room with trained chefs.</p>
<p>
They’ve done many low-end challenges. My favorite was in season 2, when the Quickfire Challenge was to create an appetizer (actually, an amuse bouche) from the contents of a vending machine. Amazing! These people are seriously talented.</p>
<p>
This has got to be the first question anyone asks during the reunion show!</p>
<p>
I haven’t been able to find it on the web, but the episodes are often repeated on Bravo on weekends. Check the listings. </p>
<p>I too was sorry to see Jamie go. I think it should have been Fabio. He’s good-looking and his accent is wonderful and he seems like a nice guy, but he’s been in the bottom so many times! Leah should have been gone a long time ago. So I think the final four, going to New Orleans, will be Carla, Hosea, Stephan and Fabio.</p>
<p>I agree that they kept Leah and her boy toy for purposes other than their cooking abilities. Jamie (who does annoy me) should not have gone home in that challenge. I think they want to set up the theater of Leah and Hosea competing directly against each other in the finals. She does a lot to set back the cause of women. Remember last season they kept that “witch” who should have gone home many times just because she stirred things up.
I also agree with the poster who gets stressed out by Hell’s Kitchen. He gives me a knot in my stomach. Also, those supposed Chefs are no where near the quality of the chefs on Top Chef.<br>
I think it is interesting that several posters mention project runway. I love that show and hope all the litigation settles soon and it will be on soon. I miss it. Now that is drama!!</p>
<p>Stefan may be unbeatable, but I’d rather work with Jamie, Hosea, Carla, and Fabio. I believe Leah and b/f broke up after show, but rel’shp rocky from start. I wish she had gone rather than Jamie (who could stand up to Stefan). Plucky gal!!</p>
<p>I’ve watched since season 1 and this is definitely the least “drama” of all of them. Past seasons all pretty much had the one chef that everyone disliked to the point of ganging up on them. I found myself rooting for that one chef because I can’t tolerate the gang bully mentality ( no matter how unlikeable the person may appear to be) </p>
<p>I agree that this is the best cooking show out there - I love it. I want Stefan to win or maybe Carla. I don’t mind that Stefan is arrogant - I find it amusing. And Carla would be great for the good guy win.</p>
<p>I agree that this year is probably second only to Season 1 in having quality chefs who don’t have huge personality issues. I think any one of them would be able to work well with other chefs. I love Fabio, too, but there’s no one I love hate. </p>
<p>The food looks good, too. No foam (Marcel) or weird combinations of ingredients. The most common bad criticism I’ve heard this year is “uninspired” “boring.” I can’t believe on the Bernardin restaurant show that they didn’t seem to realize they’d have to recreate all the dishes they were eating. Why else were they served multiple fish dishes? It wasn’t a meal. I think it was a bit unfair that Stefan won that one. There really wasn’t much difficulty involved, esp. after Eric told him the asparagus wasn’t cooked in the original dish.</p>
<p>I didn’t care for Jamie, it is just something about her. I also don’t like Stefan, I am sure he will win, but he seems so pompous that I want to slap the smirk off of his face. I always think about it as if I would be willing to work for him. You can be a great chef, but if people quit b/c they can’t stand you than the restaurant will fail…It is not just about the food, the ambience and staff matter too. I guess that is why I root for Fabio and Hosea.</p>
<p>Leah whined too much…she also seemed to quit if it got too hard.</p>
<p>I think some of them also failed because they never went out of their comfort zone (Edward…evrything was Asian, and the blond girl, everything was spicy)</p>
<p>Who was the guy that was kicked off last week…everytime I looked at him he reminded me of the character Chase on House. He is a spitting image of him</p>