Top Chef: Teamwork

Last night was the long awaited "Restaurant Wars" episode of Top Chef: Las Vegas. I guess it's one of the most popular challenges in the series. I know I always look forward to it simply because there's usually a meltdown by one or both teams. It makes for some good television.

The quick fire challenge centered around the same theme as the elimination challenge: teamwork. The contestants were split off into two teams, Michael and Bryan Voltaggio, Robin and Eli representing one team and Jennifer, Kevin, Mike I. and Laurine representing the other team. After being split they were to cook and plate a dish together with each team member only being allowed 10 minutes to work on the dish while the rest of the team was blind folded. Initially I agreed with Kevin that the challenge was ridiculous but as the challenge progressed I found it to be a lot of fun to watch. Each team was able to successfully add to the team members work before them and the dishes from both teams turned out rather well. Kevin's team (I can't remember the team colors) won the challenge and was rewarded with a 10,000 dollar chip that they could either keep and split or let the money ride into the elimination challenge and collect a 10,000 dollar chip each, provided they win that challenge. They opted to let it ride. If it were me I would have voted to let it ride as well. When in Vegas...

Finally, the elimination challenge: "Restaurant Wars" (insert dramatic music here)! Two teams enter, one team falls apart. Team Revolt (Michael, Bryan, Robin and Eli) versus Team Mission (Jennifer, Kevin, Mike and Laurine). I thought for sure team Mission was going to take the challenge. I just knew that Robin, Eli or the brothers would ruin their chances through conflict or personality clashes. I couldn't have been more wrong. Team Revolt totally kicked ass! In fact Tom Colicchio said it was the best performance in any "Restaurant Wars" throughout the series. High praise. So what went wrong with Team Mission? What usually does in this challenge, a poor front of the house performance, not to mention some pretty bad food. Everything seemed to fall apart for team Mission with the exception of a couple of dishes. Laurine got the boot for her poor front of the house execution as well as some under cooked lamb. This surprised me a bit after the beating Jennifer took at Judge's table. Basically everything she attempted to do fell extremely flat. Was she left on the show because she is a better chef than Laurine even though her performance may not have been on this episode? I wonder.

This week's observations:

It was nice that the teams weren't responsible for their restaurant decor this time around. I hope this decision continues in future seasons of Top Chef.

Laurine's performance running the front of the house was cringeworthy, especially to me having been a service and bar manager in the past. Just dropping off the plates to the judges and running off was particularly bad! I guess they were expected to figure out on their own what they were eating. I also agreed with Tom's assessment that she was hiding out in the kitchen and probably was just holding on until their restaurant nightmare was over. Eli's performance running the front of the house for his team was quite good. The only thing that bothered me was him using the word "guys" to address the judge's table. Ugh. It's so informal, I think, unless of course it's a couple of guys bellying up to the bar to have some brewskies and watch the game.

Michael Voltaggio was kind of a dick in the kitchen this week. There's nothing wrong with being a strong leader but his attitude stinks. In the end he did direct the team to a win and did offer to share his monetary reward for the individual win with his teammates which I thought was classy. I wonder why Michael became so angry with Robin cursing at him? Everyone on the show runs around cussing like a merchant Marine! I guess he didn't like it being directed toward him. Now he knows how his brother feels.

Mike I. and Eli were minimally annoying this week. The reaction Mike I. had to Natalie Portman being a guest on the previews for next week was hilarious. Close that mouth Mike and grab a drool rag!

Is it me or is Padme a complete hag this season? Maybe she always has been and I'm just now starting to realize it. She was more annoying than Toby this week. Usually (to me) no one is more annoying than Toby. Or maybe she's trying to be especially annoying as this is her last season (so rumor has it).

Prediction for next week: one of the top four is eliminated in a shocking upset while Robin continues to hang on for life.