Top Chef: Cookout

Happy July everyone! The third episode of Top Chef: DC saw two really hard challenges (insert sarcasm here). The quick fire challenge was to bake a pie while the elimination challenge was to cook out on the grill. Does it seem like the challenges have been fairly easy so far this season?

Quick fire challenge: so everyone has to make a pie and some of the contestants whine about it! Someone (if any of these people were remarkable I'd remember who it was) mentioned that they weren't pastry chefs! Really? I can make a pie, maybe I should've applied for the show... I think the contestants should consider themselves lucky, usually when a dessert is involved in this show someone is going home.

The judges for the quick fire challenge were Gail and Johnny Iuzzini (hot, hot, hot!). They mention that they'll be judging and hosting Top Chef: Just Desserts, I'll probably take a pass on that one when it aires. To make a long story short, Kenny wins his first challenge with a Bananas Foster Pie. Yay Kenny, one of the contestants I think I actually like. Stephen mentions that he wants to be on top too, yeah, that's what she said!

Elimination challenge: cook something on the grill at Mt. Vernon. Jonathan Waxman is the guest judge, one of my favorites from Top Chef: Masters! Right off the bat Arnold mentions he isn't a grill guy (gal). No shit? Naturally he ends up winning the challenge with a sesame lamb meatball and tabouli salad. The bottom four from the challenge: Kevin, Stephen, Tim, and Tracey. Tracey ends up being sent home, who knew the judges wouldn't like raw Italian sausage sliders.

This week's thoughts:

I read somewhere that ratings for this season are at first season levels, I guess that means low.

I almost named the title of this post "Top Chef: BBQueer" but I really need to stop picking on Arnold, and perhaps Angelo?

Who was it that admitted to being a cocaine addict? Was it Amanda? First of all I would never admit something like this on a reality television show. Secondly, you work in a restaurant, of course you do drugs and probably smoke heavily!

I could totally kick it with Tracey and have some beers with her at a neighborhood bar somewhere. She's a little obnoxious but at least she has some personality! Three episodes in and the majority of these contestants I couldn't pick out of a line up. I also like, given all her talk, the humility she showed at judge's table.

Arnold: "My flame goes poof" and "I've never been the bitch." When he opens his mouth a purse falls out!

Pork butt? Is that the technical term?

Next on Top Chef... Mike Isabella returns! Noooooo! It is what it is.

My "Bye Felicia" award goes to Andrea and her spicy root beer glazed skirt steak. The only thing that would make skirt steak worse is to glaze it with root beer, in my opinion. Bye Felicia! Unfortunately the judges disagreed.

Next out: still waiting on Stephen "I look like a baby snatcher" Hopcraft to hit the road...