I think it was not exactly fair to force people to pick such a wide variety of proteins. Alligator tail and razor clams are supposed to be comparable?

I like the guy who stood up to Anthony Bourdain. Points for having guts.

I like the guy who stood up to Anthony Bourdain. Points for having guts.

I loved that! It seemed like the perfect way to earn Bourdain's respect. I hope there is more Bourdain this season.

I loved the challenge!

I think that the contestants are so much better overall than last seasons.

ION, A&E has a new show about a matchmaker that is on RIGHT NOW. So far, enjoyable.

I like this season of "Top Chef." The chefs seem so much more skilled than last season's assholes. I agree that last week's challenge had too many varied kinds of meat (i.e. best tender, best in soups, don't overcook). I wish they had a small very basic book on guidelines and rules for the more exotic meats so that people who picked last weren't so inconvenienced.

I love the smell of new thread in the morning.

t checks clock

I love the smell of new thread in the morning.

t checks clock

in the morning...at night.

Yay, awesome new thread!

SYTYCD and Top Chef are pretty much justifications for summer for me. And so far, I'm really enjoying both of them.

Tony Bourdain, on this week's ep, seriously makes my heart flutter. I love that man.

Joey, though, is going to be a problem. I mean, there's always That One Dude? But there's being competitive and there's being an asshole.

First Winner Guy and Not First Winner Guy, though, did some gorgeous, and technically brilliant food. They deserved to be up there. I can't believe NFWG got the black chicken as tender as he did!

Yay for new seasons!

I wish they had a small very basic book on guidelines and rules for the more exotic meats so that people who picked last weren't so inconvenienced.

I loved the fact that the two top people came from the second group.

Joey, though, is going to be a problem. I mean, there's always That One Dude? But there's being competitive and there's being an asshole.

Yeah, my housemate and I decided that Tre is the arrogant asshole, but good enough that his extreme confidence is semi-justified, Hung is the "TV" asshole, who talks it up because he's decided that that's going to be his reality-show personality, and Joey is just that asshole.

Tre is the arrogant asshole, but good enough that his extreme confidence is semi-justified, Hung is the "TV" asshole, who talks it up because he's decided that that's going to be his reality-show personality, and Joey is just that asshole.

excellent point. Was it Howie ragging on Micah for reassuring Mississippi Boy? Or was that Joey? Either way, I was like--dude, you're going to w want to check that attitude, or it's going to result in you being booted off the show. We all know what happens when you play whackamole with Marcel.

Still, it was obvious that MB had to go. Bless him, you knew it from seeing him. At least Mikey had some (codeine-inspired) brilliance, and was a good team player in the sense that he took orders well. MB didn't have the sophistication, skill level, or genius that would have kept him around. the difference between having that damned fish tail sticking out of the cornbread vs the claw hanging onto Chick's black chicken was *enormous* and telling.

Was it Howie ragging on Micah for reassuring Mississippi Boy? Or was that Joey?

It was Joey.