‘Top Chef: New Orleans’ review: Biscuits, curry, and a million reasons to be hungry
If you are trying to not eat late at night, “Top Chef” is basically the devil sitting on your shoulder and tempting you to go munch on something delicious. This was especially true for an episode this week that saw a great number of various comfort foods, whether you are talking about the likes of curry, Mexican food, gnocchi, biscuits, and so much more.
Having this sort of elimination challenge that required teams to cook something familiar to them was so simple, but so great. It was almost great enough to make us forget that Dunkin’ Donuts sponsored the Quickfire. Dunkin’ Donuts having anything at all to do with “Top Chef” may be a new low for this show … but hats off to Shirley for cooking the most interesting coffee dish, and winning some money along with safety.
Now, we have to issue our complaint when it comes to the editing. The moment that we first heard Travis Masar talk about growing as a person and being open, we knew he was gone. This was the SECOND minute of the show, and we called the elimination with confidence. The moment that he messed up making those biscuits, we knew that it was going to be too late for him. This is the problem when so much of your dish is really about one thing that you have to ensure that you get it right; just one little error can doom you. Everyone was great in this challenge, and that made it even harder to rise to the occasion.
Now, the rising star of this competition has to be Nicholas Elmi. A few weeks ago, we felt like he was almost doomed for sixth or fifth place. But now? He’s won two straight elimination challenges (this time with the gnocchi), and one of those includes Restaurant Wars. He is peaking almost at the perfect time to compete against some of the other beasts of this competition, which is a great thing given that many of the guys this season haven’t quite brought it every week. Grade: B.
What did you think about tonight’s episode, and how hungry are you after watching it? Be sure to share your thoughts below, and click here if you want to read some more news related to “Top Chef.” Our full review of “Last Chance Kitchen” is also over there.
Photo: Bravo