Top Chef: Supper Club

April 19, 2024 2:16 PM - Season 21, Episode 5

While in Madison, the chefs receive a message bright and early from Kristen alerting them that they’ll be shopping for their Quickfire Challenge at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, the largest producer only farmers market in the nation. However, they won’t know what their challenge is until after they shop. Joining Kristen as judges for the Quickfire Challenge are local chef Tory Miller and comedian, director and activist W. Kamau Bell. For the Elimination Challenge, the chefs will be participating the time-honored Wisconsin tradition the Supper Club where they’ll be split into two teams to create a traditional supper club menu that they’ll cook and serve at the Harvey House, owned by this week’s guest judges Joe and Shaina Papach.
posted by Frayed Knot (4 comments total)

5 episodes into the season, and I feel comfortable making the call that this is the most mediocre group of cheftestants we’ve had in some time. I take it from granted they can all make good food. They are all accomplished professionals, and the days if a Top Chef “chef” being just slightly better than a good home cook are many seasons behind us. But none of them seem to be very good at the GAME of Top Chef. 

They keep not cooking their own food! That’s twice now Charley has doubted his own flavors, and this time it sends him home. And when they do start to cook truly to themselves (like Rasika), they screw up the seasoning (like Rasika!), or the meta game, like the budget and the shopping. 

I think the show is still great! Kristin is a wonderful host, and the shows are compelling. I just wish the food was better.
posted by Frayed Knot at 2:29 PM on April 19

I usually think it's a lack of confidence or vision that hampers folks and shows in the food, but this also seems like more basic chef mistakes.
posted by Carillon at 2:52 PM on April 19

Michelle made top 3 with her bread pudding, and I don't remember the judges being that excited by it. She and Rasika are the two most consistently good chefs on there this season. After that, I dunno. Hopefully, Soo coming on will shake things up.
Also, I wanted to yell at the TV when what's her name bought the pricy alcohol. Other chefs were sacrificing a huge chunk of their plans so you could serve a drink? I'm glad Tom called her out.
posted by Spike Glee at 4:09 PM on April 19

Yeah, it seemed like there was a disconnect between the major screwups we saw happening and how the voting turned out. The French chef sure seemed to luck out by being the weakest dish on the winning team.

I think the only major complaint with Michelle’s bread pudding was it didn’t have enough pineapple, which she had given to a teammate. Funny that she hadn’t even wanted to do the dessert.

Danny really got the short end of the stick on his team, glad it didn’t result in him going down.

Really looking forward to Soo joining the main show next time. He has been doing the most inventive things on LCK by far. At least Charley didn’t embarrass himself with his second chance at making piklis.
posted by jimw at 9:16 PM on April 20