Top Chef: Living the High Life

March 28, 2024 10:02 AM - Season 21, Episode 2

“Top Chef” Colorado winner Joe Flamm joins Kristen for the Quickfire Challenge, tasking the chefs to create a dish featuring hops. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs visit the historic Miller Caves where they must team up to serve a seven-course progressive meal featuring elevated bar snacks.

This year, I'd like to try something a little different and explicitly include Last Chance Kitchen in our discussion. I'll note the LCK episode and cheftestants here in the 'more inside' each week.

LCK is S21E01, Valentine vs Soo

posted by Frayed Knot (10 comments total)

One of my favorite things on Top Chef is when 'rustic' wins over 'fine dining,' and this is one of the best examples. Kevin makes a plate of beautiful food full of technique -- but it tastes like a bunch of salty olives and puts him on the bottom. Yellow team takes the win, even though all the 'chefy' folks are on Red. Consistently, Top Chef rewards cheftestants who make delicious food, and I am always here for it.

Not a fan of the idea of the 'play in' on LCK. I was really hoping Valentine would win, making the whole thing silly. But not to be, I guess.

And interesting that Dave is just straight up gone, didn't even get a chance at LCK, or to be the peanut gallery!
posted by Frayed Knot at 10:08 AM on March 28

My guess is that Dave just wanted out after his elimination?
I also like when the chefs do weird stuff that turns out to be really good. For the 6th course, the judges weren't happy about getting 2 desserts, but when it came out, they really liked it. (And it wasn't even top 3 for the team!) Tom also described the winning dessert as something you wouldn't find outside the competition.
posted by Spike Glee at 11:42 AM on March 28

I was very intrigued by the hopped rice pudding. And it was hilarious that the judges were sneering at the "pre-dessert" when it turned out (right?) to be the winning dish.
posted by praemunire at 11:47 AM on March 28

I thought that Rasika did the dessert dessert, which won.
posted by Spike Glee at 12:11 PM on March 28 [1 favorite]

You may be right. I was watching while doing something else.
posted by praemunire at 1:53 PM on March 28

Gail. Oh my Gail. “I was reeally looking for something toasted.”

I want to work with whoever’s dressing Kristin. Elevated coveralls, and then that amazing sharp blazer look…
posted by sixswitch at 8:32 PM on March 29 [1 favorite]

Haha love Gail "you were all crapping on the pre -dessert"
posted by Carillon at 9:30 PM on March 29

Was also surprised at LCK. On Twitter Tom said David opted out, David said on IG that he couldn’t say anything owing to a NDA. I hope Soo makes it in and everyone is very susprised! (I assume they always have alternates? Or maybe the first episode was always going to be a 3-way. Hopefully Soo competes in the next full season if he doesn’t make it onto the main show.)

Kristin is a lot of fun. i’m glad she’s finding her rhythm; the first half of the first episode was really awkward. No judge talking heads please!
posted by supercres at 11:13 PM on March 29

Does anyone actually cook with hops? It seemed a very strange choice of ingredient unless they were flavoring beer.

I complained last episode that it seemed they were doing "Loud Game Show Drama". Didn't feel that vibe this time, it felt just like ordinary Top Chef. Kristin is a terrific host, she has a great personality and really fills the screen. And feels like she's owning the show, the way Padma did. Maybe Gail's stepped up a bit?

Like sixswitch I'm in love with Kristin's outfits. It's striking to me how very similar they are to things Padma would have worn. She's her own woman for sure but they seem to have tried to blur the lines a bit of the host transition.
posted by Nelson at 7:08 AM on April 1 [1 favorite]

I think there was a chef there who said they had cooked with them a bunch before.
posted by Carillon at 10:25 PM on April 2