So, I interpreted Shirley's comments to mean that Carlos' cooking is a bit narrow in flavor profiles and techniques.

Yes, but virtually all of hers are based on Chinese flavors and techniques. She's not necessarily wrong, just pot/kettleing a bit.

His restaurant is actually Mexican/French, but I think because most of his dishes sound more Mexican the French influence and techniques get a bit lost, particularly since the other chefs aren't generally tasting things.

I do get the sense that Carlos, not coming out of the culinary school path, possibly does not "speak chef" fluently if you know what I mean. It feels like there are some assumptions about how you interact that he's not quite on the same page with the others.

Partisan rant:

Only one of y'all has a Michelin star (and just awarded again this year), and it's not you, Shirley, Nina or Dickhead.

I knew Carlos was done as soon as he won the car.

Never win the car. A refrain old-time Survivor fans know all too well.

Carlos was the only one in the final four who was not classically trained - he got hired by a restaurant and worked his way up. So it makes sense that his cooking experience hasn't been as broad as the people who have been through culinary school.

Still, Nick has been underseasoning his beautifully plated dishes all. season. long. He has all the high-brow technique you could want, but he doesn't seem to know at all how to cook normal, simple, delicious food. And he's a dick and I hate him and his stupid whiny face.

BTW, any of you who hit Chicago need to come to Mexique with me. It is right at the end of my street and is awesome.

I do get the sense that Carlos, not coming out of the culinary school path, possibly does not "speak chef" fluently if you know what I mean.

Yes, this. There's a chef jargon that Nick, Shirley, Nina (and Tom C)all share and Carlos doesn't, and so the quality of his food gets discounted because he's not making it the "right" way.

Like in the final Quickfire last night - "blah blah three ways" is such a fucking pretentious way to cook, but it shows off technique and knife skills. And it almost never occurs to Carlos that he should be cooking that way to impress the judges.

That's what I really like about him, though. He's like, "You know what I do? Kick ass and cook delicious food. What?" It just chaps my ass that Nick made the final when he is such a tremendous jerk and apparently he cooks bland food. The worst!

I also knew Carlos was toast as soon as he won the car. It's a common reality TV curse.

In completely other news, it kinda makes me sad that there has been no commentary on new Idol, but then I haven't had much to say myself. Harry Connick, Jr. is a terrific new judge, but I'm reserving judgment because once upon a time, I was really digging Steven Tyler on the panel and we all know how that turned out. Keith Urban continues to be delightful. JLo is still so, so pretty and half naked all the time. She also rocked the old school Soul Train dookie bun one night and it was just as tremendous as I could've ever wanted. And they are cutting way back on the joke audition and haven't done any of the "Let's laugh at the mentally ill and/or disabled person" auditions at all. And and they are showing way more golden ticket winners than in the past. All that said, nobody is lighting my world on fire so far. There are just so many of them.

With the new judges I'm starting to go back to Idol this year but but I don't have the time or brain space to do more than drop in and out of the auditions.

I do get the sense that Carlos, not coming out of the culinary school path, possibly does not "speak chef" fluently if you know what I mean. It feels like there are some assumptions about how you interact that he's not quite on the same page with the others

Yes, this pretty much conveys what I was thinking. This is kind of a standard way in which such chefs are roundly discounted on TC and it chaps my ass. I was watching Chopped the other day and I wonder how many of these chefs could even deal on Chopped.

What brenda said about Idol. I do love Harry Connick, Jr.

I would love to see blind judging on Top Chef.

Only one of y'all has a Michelin star (and just awarded again this year), and it's not you, Shirley, Nina or Dickhead.

Just to be a Devil's Advocate, I will point out that the Michelin stars are only awarded for restaurants in New York, Chicago, and the San Francisco area. Chefs from any other area in the entire country, be it Philadelphia, Seattle, New Orleans, Miami, or wherever, don't have the opportunity to receive one. So it is indeed an accolade, but hardly fair to compare it to all chefs across the country.