By Jennifer Larson

Well, tonight we got a “second helping” of the restaurant wars. The contestants did such a poor job last week that they were all given a second chance to prove themselves worthy of the title Top Chef this week. I don’t know if I would want that on my resume, but then again, they were only given 24 hours – and in some cases – less than enthusiastic restaurant partners to create magic, so I guess we can’t expect miracles. That being said, it seemed as if the food wasn’t even up to par. At this point in the competition, I would expect to see the judges salivating at all the tantalizing treats put before them. At one point, it seemed as if somebody put a raw tarantula in front of Ted and forced him to eat it.

But there was more to tonight’s episode of TOP CHEF than sloppy leftovers from last week’s show. The contestants were thrown into a relay race of cooking, in the Quickfire Challenge. Watching Howie continuously be forced to act as a team player is just pure entertainment. I swear he’d have pulled all of his hair out by now, if he had any to begin with. This is one guy that has to be in control, and having to put his fate in his competition’s hands kills him. I know this, because it’s written all over his face week after week. No wonder he sweats so much. It would actually be funny, if it weren’t so gross. Whether Howie wins remains to be seen, but he will definitely be one reality TV personality I remember, if for no other reason than the extra special sauce he adds to all his food.

But, Howie isn’t the only competitor on TOP CHEF. In fact, he isn’t even the one to beat, at least not in my humble Hamburger Helper eating opinion. I still have high hopes for the terrific trio of Hung, Tre and Brian. Too bad they weren’t on the same team for the Quickfire Challenge. The contestants were paired in their restaurant teams, and had to shuck, chop and whip their way to the finish line. The prize for this challenge was extra help with their second restaurant opening from a sommelier, Steven from season one, as well as more money for their restaurant’s wine list. Considering the disastrous openings both teams had last week, every bit of help can make all the difference. The most surprising part of the Quickfire was how slow Casey was at chopping her onions. I thought onion chopping was culinary skills 101? And, thanks to Casey’s snail pace, “The Garage” team won the coveted prize.


Oh ya, I forgot to mention that “The Garage” team also got help with their interior design from Christopher Ciccone. If that name sounds familiar it’s because he is none other than Madonna’s brother. And, he happened to have been a pain-in-the-ass guest the night before. With all that extra help, Tre decided to mosey on over to executive chef, Sara M, to find out what the other team was planning for their menu. Not a bad idea, especially when he found out they are staying with – what was considered last week as – heavy food, which was not a good thing. While they may not have changed their style of food, they did change their name from “The Garage” to “Quatre”, which means four in French. I guess they decided to go with pretentious instead of dirty, for the feel of their restaurant.

Once again, Ted walked in with his nose in the air. He was not pleased with Dale’s choice of uniform, nor for that matter, was he happy with the tuna tartar. Apparently it’s so cliché. The best part of “Quatre’s” service was watching Dale tell Steven to tone it down a notch. Pretty ballsy, considering he was part of their Quickfire reward. Meanwhile, “Restaurant April” started off with a bang, than sank fast with the second course. As Ted stated, “that was the worst dish I’ve tasted in a long time,” … ouch! And to think, he said that without ever tasting my meatloaf surprise.


The good news is that both restaurants were much improved; The bad news is that somebody did have to go tonight. Apparently the extra help worked, because team “Quatre” won the elimination round for this week. I’m sure Steven made all the difference, at least there’s no doubt that’s what he will say. And in a surprise, Sara M was the overall winner, which is pretty good for a cheese maker. Sadly, the judges felt that “Restaurant April” suffered from a lack of leadership, and that sent one time heavy contender, Tre, packing. Very shocking and disappointing, but proof that one bad night can bring even the best down. This just makes this show all the more interesting to watch. Can’t wait for next week!