Top Chef Las Vegas: The Wrong “Ash” Leaves Vegas!
Commentary and Scoreboard by Joseph Braverman
October 13, 2009
It’s been a good two weeks or so, but Top Chef is finally back! It felt like forever to the viewing audience, but for the chefs it seems they are more stressed than ever.
No one took the heat of the competition worse this week than my favorite chef, Jennifer. Jennifer was plagued with some kind of illness this week – most likely a side effect to all the stress being placed upon the chefs – but it was not going to crush her.
However, Jennifer did the unimaginable – she actually delivered a…wait for it…bad dish during the Quickfire. Her dish was not as adventurous or as original as the judges wanted it to be, and for a second there I trembled in my boots, but somehow Jennifer worked through the disappointment in the Quickfire challenge, and scored her first Elimination Challenge win thanks to her beyond-amazing tomato and ginger brother that was marinated over her and Kevin’s beef dish.
As much as I love Jennifer and am ecstatic that she finally won an Elimination Challenge, I have to be objective here and say that Kevin is currently the frontrunner of the season. I thought for the longest time that Kevin was just a one-hit wonder, but challenge after challenge he keeps delivering with his dishes. Kevin has surprised me more than any other chef in the competition, and he actually impressed me the most when he cooked an Asian meal for the Quickfire, having never really cooked Asian food, and came out victorious in the challenge. He and Jennifer also had the best Elimination Challenge dish of the evening with their beef entrée. Kevin is on a roll so much that it impossible to discount his entire dominance in the competition.
While Kevin and Jennifer excelled, and Brian did fantastic as always, one frontrunner actually fell short this week. Michael V., who initially was my second favorite next to Jen, has been kind of bothering me the past few weeks. He is overly cocky, and he is so much invested into the creative process of his cooking that he forgets the fundamentals of cooking – you need power for your stove! There was absolutely no excuse for Michael V. to have that would explain why the lack of electrical power caused his halibut to overcook. Yes, things do happen, but you have to be prepared for them, and Michael V. was too scattered than he was not prepared and so his dish failed him. However, at least Michael V. actually did something when making his dish, which is a lot more than I can say for Ash. Ash pretty much just stood there and let Michael V. take the lead. In fact, did any viewer actually see him contribute anything to the dish? For all we know, Ash could have been just a spectator to the whole affair. It is a shame, because in the beginning weeks Ash seemed to have promise, but the past three dinner services he has been inches away from elimination. That was why I was so utterly shocked that Ashley, not Ash, went home this week! The message boards were aflame with anger and claims of unfairness on the judge’s decision, and I could not agree more. I may not have been the biggest Ashley fan, but honestly she stays when she has so much passion for her cooking, has made top dishes in the past, while someone who admits there are far superior chefs in the kitchen stays?
I found Ashley’s elimination to be absurd to the highest degree, and I think the judges themselves will be ashamed of themselves when they watch the tape over. Ash compared Michael V. to Picasso as well as put himself down to a subordinate position. How on earth do you not send someone home after making those comments? As for Ashley, yeah she screwed up the cooking but at least she was fully aware of her mistakes, while her partner Eli was on total denial mode during the judging panel. He felt his and Ashleys’ dish was great, and because he didn’t do the cooking, Ashley had to pay the price. Either Eli or Ash, but more so Ash, should have gone home this week, but they send home Ashley, who has improved immensely over the past few weeks? Something is not right here, folks. Well, at least Jen broke into tears for Ashley. I would have mimicked them myself, not for Ashley herself, but just the unfairness of the situation. Here’s to hoping Eli, Ash, or the untalented Robin leave next week. If neither of these chefs leave next week, you will be seeing a very angry commentator.
Well after all is said and eaten, here are my rankings for the remaining nine chefs. Dig in!
Kevin Current Ranking: 1 Previous Ranking: 4
Ok, I surrender! After weeks of having skepticism over Kevin’s skills as a chef, I finally have come to Kevin’s corner with both certainty and enthusiasm. Even though this week Jen received her first Elimination Challenge win, it was Kevin who performed exceptionally in both sets of challenges this week. During the Quickfire, he emerged victorious after never having any experience with Asian cooking, and his beef was so delicious that one of the guest judges wanted to take some home with him in a doggy bag. Way to compliment! Kevin is the most consistent of all the remaining chefs, and has even managed to stand out more to the judges than the Voltaggio brothers do, which is something to be doubly impressed by. As of this moment, Kevin is clearly the chef everyone needs to surpass.
Jennifer C. Current Ranking: 2 Previous Ranking: 2
Despite being sick, or in Jennifer’s mind because of it, Jennifer pulled out her first Elimination challenge win. You all know I was screaming my ass off when she won. Jennifer has been my favorite contestant since day one because of her talent, consistency, strength, and great work ethic in the kitchen. Even though I still feel like she has confidence issues that keep her from attaining the top spot in my rankings, I am very hopeful she continues this winning streak so she can be seen as a real contender to the judges.
Bryan Current Ranking: 3 Previous Ranking: 1
Last time, I said Bryan was the frontrunner in the competition, and even though he excelled once again this week, I feel Bryan’s biggest detractor is his personality. He certainly is not as personable as his brother, Michael, and he is often overly quiet and reserved. Yes, he does make consistently impressive dishes, but each week he seems more and more invisible. In terms of technique, there is no one better in the competition than Bryan, but I think the judges want to see fire in a competitor’s eyes as well as a real presence, and that is something Bryan really needs to work on if he’s going to be a top dog once again
Michael V. Current Ranking: 4 Previous Ranking: 3
This week we saw a crack in Michael V’s armor, which before now seemed almost impenetrable. Michael V. is certainly one of the most accomplished chefs in the competition, probably has a better palate than any other competitor, and takes major risks that pay off, but sometimes he overdoes it with the cockiness and the self-assuredness. Michael V. did not manage the electrical problems well at all, thinking he would have everything ready at the last minute. His time management was poor, and the judges rightly criticized him for his poor resulting halibut dish. Michael V. has done too well in the competition to place any lower than fourth, but I hope his performance this week is not a sign of more bad things to come from the eccentric Voltaggio Bro.
Michael I. Current Ranking: 5 Previous Ranking: 5
Once again, Michael does well in the Quickfire challenge, and also surprises in the Elimination Challenge. While his and Robin’s dish did not really jump out of my seat, it did not make me turn my head in disgust. He is a poor team player, and seemed overly rude toward Robin many times, but there is no denying what adjective keeps Michael I. up high in the rankings: experience, experience, experience. Michael I’s experience has helped him in the competition, and even though his personality and patience both wear thin at times, he is too strong of a chef to leave as of now.
Laurine Current Ranking: 6 Previous Ranking: 8
Laurine is so invisible in this competition, but for some reason it works in her favor. I suppose it’s better to let the food do the talking than yourself, but she sure makes for a boring television personality. I barely notice her presence at all except for the fact that she’s the invisible woman. Laurine continues to produce fair dishes, if not exactly inspiring. She was certainly lucky she had Brian on her team, and they seemed to be a very focused and well-balanced partnership that delivered the second best dish of the evening. I don’t quite see Laurine leaving just yet, but I still don’t think she has a chance in hell of winning.
Eli Current Ranking: 7 Previous Ranking: 6
Whatever respect I had for Eli over the weeks has been completely washed away thanks to his arrogant attitude during this past episode. Yes, he may not have done the cooking that contributed to the overall failure of the dish, but he seemed completely unaware that his entrée was terrible to begin with. Even when the judges insisted that his dish was a disaster, Eli held up a completely unnecessary stubborn front. I thought if not Ash, then Eli would go, and I was shocked to see Eli survive over his more competent partner, Ashley. The point of the matter is, Eli is showing more and more than his chef skills are amateur when compared to some of the more experienced chefs in the competition. I think it’s just a matter of time now before Eli is sent packing.
Ash Current Ranking: 8 Previous Ranking: 9
Ash should have gone home this week! There are no two ways around that fact! He practically admitted to the judges that he was an inferior chef when it came to being partnered with Michael Voltaggio, and he never once participated in the cooking of the Elimination Challenge dish nor did he spew forth useful ideas. Ash basically sent a white flag to the judges who, for some wildly unknown reason, kept him around despite all signs pointing to the contrary. However, I think as a whole Robin is a worse cook than him, and it looks as if this is the week the infamous clip of Robin and Eli will be played out. I think Ash could possibly go next, but more than likely he will step up his game in order to backpedal his unwise wording from last episode’s judging panel. I don’t think the judges will give Ash any more room for failure from this point on.
Robin Current Ranking: 9 Previous Ranking: 10
I only kept Robin spared from elimination because we know there would be a future clip of her and Eli screaming at each other in the kitchen. Finally, the episode arrives next week and there’s no longer any reason to not have Robin at the bottom. Yes, by all accounts Ash should have been sent home last week, but overall Robin has been the weakest chef of the competition. She continuously produces simplistic yet unoriginal dishes, talks more than works, and does not have enough fine dining experience to go the distance. Robin has lasted for far too long in this competition, and hopefully next week she will fly, fly away. Therefore, I predict Robin will be the next chef eliminated from Top Chef: Las Vegas.
Ashley Eliminated
After criticizing Ashley for the first part of the season, I have to say I am completely outraged that she was eliminated in the last episode. For three weeks now, she has improved tenfold, producing successful dish after successful dish. Even in the Quickfire this episode, her dish was one of the ones that stood out the most. Sure, her undercooking of the shrimp and over-salting of the gnocchi was a huge no-no, but at least she knew her mistakes. Eli seemed totally unaware of the dish’s failure, and Ash seemed to just throw in the towel. Ashley should not have packed her knives, and despite her inconsistency and mangled hair, I still felt she could have been a dark horse if she had stayed just a bit longer.
Ron Eliminated
Ron knew enough about deconstruction as he did about producing a successful dish – in other words, he knew absolutely nothing. He stumbled along week after week on the hope that his Caribbean roots would help him establish some authentic and unique dishes, but each week he just kept getting worse. He had no clue about the challenge, and I am so glad I predicted his demise, because otherwise it just would have seemed cruel to keep him any longer. Despite a strong dish in the first episode, Ron failed to ignite the judge’s interests in both him and his dishes.
Mattin Eliminated
I’m very embarrassed I ranked Mattin in third place after episode one. I thought he would be an excellent European chef that would take the competition by storm, but week after week he disappointed severely. I knew he wouldn’t win after failing to make edible French food, but I still suspected somehow he would pull himself out of the rut and stay for awhile longer. It turns out, Mattin was far too overconfident with his dishes, that even the terrible ones he would not admit were inedible and horrid. His refusal of acknowledging his mistakes in the kitchen is ultimately what did him in. I liked Mattin, but he was an embarrassment to European cooks everywhere, especially French chefs.
Hector Eliminated
This elimination was definitely a shock from the outset. I predicted that a male would finally be kicked off during the Elimination Challenge this week, but I thought it would have been the dull Ron, and now Hector who seemed to be making great strides in the show ever since his week one disaster. However, Hector’s biggest weakness throughout the entire competition was overestimating himself and thinking he knew more than the judges or other chefs did, and that is ultimately what bit him in the butt. He thought he could easily handle the time crunch of searing and cooking the steak, but it turns out he definitely could not handle it and was sent packing as a result. I think post dishes being served, Hector was the logical choice to be cut, but before the episode began I never would have imagined Hector, who seemed like a consistent chef so far, would have been eliminated. Color me shocked, Top Chef: Las Vegas!
Jesse Eliminated
I guess Jesse’s nine lives had finally run out, and producers must have felt they were giving this non-culinary school attendee too many chances. I thought since Jesse did so well in the first Quickfire Challenge that she may have a chance to make it through the week, but I was dead wrong. Everything about that girl reeked of low confidence, and that is something a competitor absolutely must not have in this competition if they are ever going to be considered a winner. It was Jesse’s time, and even though she had one of the best personalities in the bunch, there is no excusing personality as a means of staying when the talent is so consistently bad.
Preeti Eliminated
Who didn’t see Preeti’s elimination from a mile away? She was unmemorable in her cooking and dishes throughout her entire time on the show, and she never seemed to get any stronger during the challenges. In the end, the judges were forced to cut her when she seemed not to understand how uncreative, bland, and third-rate her vegetarian pasta salad was. I am glad Preeti is gone, because I was starting to feel sorry for the small ounces of hope she was establishing for herself in the competition. I do respect that Padma pronounced Preeti’s name correctly. In fact, this was probably my favorite Padma showing yet! She rocks when angry!
Eve Eliminated
Wow, my elimination prediction was correct! Although to be fair, I don’t think anyone would say Eve’s elimination was a surprise. No matter what Eve did, her cooking sucked, and even though she defended herself by saying that her style of cooking is incomprehensible to the judges, at the end of the day you are trying to impress them and make food everyone, not just yourself, can love and enjoy. Eve may be all smiles, and she seems like a nice lady, but I am glad the judges decided not to string her along and just give the woman a boot. Eve took it with class, but I am not sorry she left. She was the worst of the worst – not being able to deliver a single good dish is no excuse after two episodes and four challenges.
Jennifer "JZ" Z. Eliminated
So JZ is eliminated, which is awesome because I won’t have to differentiate the Jennifer’s anymore, especially since Jennifer C. is my favorite contestant this season! JZ just had a horrific dish more suited to the devil than top chef judges, and it is no wonder why they sent over-ballsy JZ home. I think she could have done better than Eve overall in the competition, but serving a dish so horrific it makes the judges consider never coming over for a simple home-cooked meal, you know your goose is cooked.
Well those are my rankings for the seventh episode of Top Chef: Las Vegas. Comment away and enjoy! Feel free to email me. I got a lot of emails during my last articles on DWTS and SYTYCD!!
Joseph Braverman is a 20 year old film student at the University of Santa Cruz,
California. Aside from being a reality tv junky, he loves reading, watching
films, and spending time with friends and family. You can contact him at
jbravj@gmail.com.
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