Top Chef: Portland-ia

June 1, 2021 5:31 AM - Season 18, Episode 9

For this week’s Quickfire Challenge, Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein from the hit comedy series “Portlandia” task the chefs with creating a dish using hipster ingredients using only old vintage appliances and equipment. For their Elimination Challenge, the chefs must develop and create a recipe fit for the home cook, and are surprised when unexpected guests show up to test their recipes. All-Star alumni and cookbook authors Dale Talde and Richard Blais join the judges’ table to help decide which chef must pack their knives.

description via bravotv.com

posted by everybody had matching towels (9 comments total)

Three strikes and you're out. Poor guy just kept hoping they'd like his pasta and they never did...
posted by hydra77 at 8:26 AM on June 1, 2021 [3 favorites]

"I didn't go home for my second bad pasta so I should definitely do it again where I have even less control over what the judges get served, right?"

I should really rewatch RW to see where Sarah's dishes might have gone wrong; they usually drop hints but I was watching the other team more closely. Unfair to blame it completely on terrible concept or bad service.
posted by supercres at 11:36 AM on June 1, 2021

Just a headsup I believe she spells here name Sara without the H.
posted by Carillon at 2:53 PM on June 1, 2021

I just remembered that FanFare is a thing- thanks for posting these, ehmt! Top Chef is basically the only thing I watch pretty close to the real air date. I really do like how supportive and reasonable it has turned in the last couple seasons.

I was definitely cool with this decision; he always seems happy with his pasta and then the judges hate it. It’s very weird that he didn’t adjust significantly, ask for feedback from other cheftestants or just give up on pasta entirely since his concept of what is good seems to be different than theirs (in addition to the wrinkle this show of also forcing someone else to make absolutely inedible pasta).

Is related Last Chance Kitchen talk ok here, or no?
posted by charmedimsure at 3:13 PM on June 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Just a headsup I believe she spells here name Sara without the H.

Ah, heard, thanks. Saw her name spelled both ways on an earlier thread, meant to look it up, forgot.

Is related Last Chance Kitchen talk ok here, or no?

Would defer to others; IMO yes since it's available immediately after the episode, but don't feel strongly about it.
posted by supercres at 3:41 PM on June 1, 2021

Voting YES for last chance kitchen!
posted by sixswitch at 5:19 PM on June 1, 2021

Did they publish any of these? I would love to check out Maria's, it sounds very much like something I'd love to make and eat.
posted by Carillon at 8:34 PM on June 1, 2021 [1 favorite]

Also YES to LCK chat here! It is available if you want to post it separately (I did that when it revealed who was returning) but...if you're watching one you're probably watching the other? Also if anyone wants this post up faster please do not feel you have to wait for me!
posted by everybody had matching towels at 6:42 AM on June 2, 2021

I really liked this week's elimination challenge, the recipe writing. I hadn't realized just how big the gulf was between written tested recipes and what chefs in working kitchens actually do. Despite that it worked out well. What seemed best is the recipes with the vaguest instructions; "sauté mushrooms in butter" as opposed to "sauté mushrooms for 7 minutes in 4 tbps butter". But you have to know what you can elide and hope the other chef figures out.
posted by Nelson at 5:14 PM on June 13, 2021