Food TV

Philly team's 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August
POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 7:41 PM
Filed Under: Food TV
Courtesy of Food Network
Way back in April, we told you about Philly-based couple Lisa Fernandez and Zack Gaynor (above) appearing on the Food Network show 24 Hour Restaurant Battle, which involves two teams of two battling to get a drop-of-a-hat eatery up and running while host Scott Conant and other judges look on. Though we originally thought the episode would debut this month, Food Network tells Meal Ticket it will air on August 11. Fernandez currently works as a trauma clinician for the Devereux Foundation, while Zack works at Rum Bar at 20th and Walnut.

Tweets that mention Philly team’s 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-07-23 23:01:42
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Becky Carter, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Philly team’s "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" episode airs on @FoodNetwork in August: http://bit.ly/cfSVoZ [...]

Twofold Philly love on Food Network tonight :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-07-26 11:33:26
[...] July 19-23• A Tasty Bon Voyage: Outgoing CP critic Trey Popp's five most memorable reviews• Philly team's 24 Hour Restaurant Battle airs in August• Sandwich Tour 2010 begins today, and we need your suggestions!• Top Chef D.C. Episode [...]
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:41 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 6: Pipin'-hot duck balls! Getcha duck balls here!
POSTED: Friday, July 23, 2010, 5:33 PM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
Could it be? An episode of Top Chef that actually features two interesting and generally-relevant-to-cooking challenges?!
Just out of frame is a greased-up Anthony Bourdain in nothing but a towel and Havaianas
Quickfire: Transcendently beautiful Padma and plucky guest judge Michelle Bernstein — with whom Andrea has chef beef (Miami style!) — tell the remaining 10 cheftestants that they must cook a dish using an "exotic" protein — stuff like llama, emu eggs, ostrich, duck tongues ... and foie gras. (Copout!) The chefs draw knives to determine who picks what when. This is really the type of challenge that should appear on Top Chef more often, as it's the rare reality/competition show that's actually well-suited to showcase one's skill at manipulating animal testes in a creative capacity. Usually you just get real estate agents and personal trainers chewing them like Bazooka Joe and weeping while Joe Rogan screams and a bunch of veins bulge out of his weird neck. Wait ... is that Cayman Crocodile? I love Cayman Crocodile! I'm glad to see him getting work! Lemme get a closeup?
Ah yeah, that's definitely CC! You can tell by the name tag he's biting, see it? Not sure how many of you young kids remember this, but prior to his work on Top Chef, CC actually had a bit of an acting career going. It all started in the early '80s with his role as the lovable, precocious Ricky on the sitcom Silver Spoons:
A few years later, CC made an unlikely but seamless transition into film. Who could forget his moving turn as the title character in 1985's Academy Award-nominated Kiss of the Spider Woman?:
CC laid low for the first half of the '90s, but then made a roaring comeback in 1997, tackling the edgy role of Ben Hood in Ang Lee's gut-wrenching The Ice Storm. Cayman Crocodile's performance was a study in measured rage, a glowering internalization of the dregs of suburban misery:
After that, though, CC fell off the map, mostly dabbling in infomercial work and reptile porn and the like. Now he's back and he doesn't look a day older! Here's to you, Cayman Crocodile!
Look out for Cayman Crocodile in the upcoming straight-to-DVD feature Lake Placid 4: Sorry, Betty White Isn't in This One, Either
Angelo, oh Angelo, draws duck balls, which he has no experience with; he immediately announces his intentions to create a "testicle marshmallow." "I've used duck balls before," deadpans Ed, detailing a cock's comb-and-testes "cock and balls soup" he put together when working for Todd "I Look Like Gaston" English. Ed, hands-on experience with balls is one area where I think it's OK to concede alpha-male dominance to another dude. About 10 minutes into cooking, Padma throws a transcendently beautiful wrench into the system: Every chef is forced to take on the weird meat directly to their left, meaning our dude Jersey Kev gets stuck with the balls. So many dudes are touching these nuts! At the bottom: Stephen, who offers frog's legs that Bernstein calls "insipid"; No. 1 knife-drawer Alex, who cooks dried-out ostrich (serves you right for picking foie first!); and Andrea, who is sooooo salty that Bernstein gets to take a national-TV crap on her for a wild boar dish. Dishes at the top: Kelly's creamy emu egg omelette, Tamesha's duck tongue soup (mmm!) and Amanda's roasted llama with sauce soubise. Kelly ends up with the W and immunity, which is key for her since the Elimination is a wacky one this time around. The challenge: The U.S.S. Sequoia, the presidential yacht yacht, must not get nearly as much action as Air Force One (I guess there aren't many crucial diplomatic trips taken to places like St. Croix or Niagara Falls), since they allow the chefs and judges and crew to hop on board and cook up a bunch of served-cold entrées in a "Cold War" challenge. (War's hilarious ... I hope they have a "Korean War" ep with mad banchabn and kalbi ... ) The chefs split into two teams of five; they're each allowed to taste the other team's food, and subsequently nominate a winner and loser within their competing group.
This picture needs an awesome caption. Help me out in the comments.
Angelo identifies sockeye salmon as "sexy" and "vibrant" at Whole Foods (wow, which Whole Foods are you shopping at?!); he's later called out for chatting up his competitors and offering dish advice, at which point he addresses his reputation for gamesmanship. "There are conspiracies that I'm here to play tactical games," he says. "I'm here to play and win." One begets the other, A! Just do it already. Kinda like how Ed did your college girlfriend, a fact he is extremely proud to broadcast to the viewing populace. After much hemming and hawing from the competing chefs at the dinner table (Tom C. calls the chefs out for BSing their way through some harsh, negative commentary, e.g. people hate on Jersey Kev's tuna/veal dish for lack of acidity even though it's got both lemon and tomato on the plate), the gang lasts on their top two — haters-can't-hold-me Jersey Kev and Tiff, who impresses with spicy tuna in a gazpacho-style sauce. Jersey Kev gets the chip, plus a trip to Hawaii. Yeah dude! At the bottom: Tamesha, whose scallop/rhubarb/herb dish is oddly cooked and flavored; and the usually-strong Kenny Blalicchio, who does one of his now-signature "[insert number] ways" presentations with lamb and is rebuked for getting too fancy and conceptual. Of course, Blalicchio's too strong of a threat to go home, so Tameesh, Angelo's padawan ladylove, is sent packing. We promised y'all way back in Episode 1 that we'd be Photoshopping the Barbados native's head onto Rihanna's body at least once this season — now seems like an appropriate time, does it not?
Kicking it with Robin Thicke, ain't no thing
In concert, pre Chris Breezy incident

Molly Eichel
Posted 2010-07-23 12:53:41
I know Tiffany's not going to take it all, but don't you wish she would? Her post-win celebration would be epic in scope. I'm also digging previews from the next ep involving my girl Tiff and Greatest Generation Ed getting a little too cozy. I love it when Top Chef takes a turn for the CW.

Phyllis Stein-Novack
Posted 2010-07-23 13:10:43
I've eaten bulls's testicles and they were downright delicious. A cowboy chef from Denver made them. 

My sister sandy the picky eater said she could not watch the quickfire because it made her sick. Figures. She has no sense of adventure when eating home or eating out. Won't even taste lamb, duck, quail, sweetbreads - you get the idea.

Frankly unusual ingredients make for fun episodes but think how difficult it is to perfectly roast a chicken. Or a capon, who, poor baby, lost his balls.

Fidel Gastro
Posted 2010-07-23 13:11:51
I know it's on some elementary school shit, but that photo above has "I just farted" written all over it.

poncho
Posted 2010-07-23 13:57:31
Loving the photo shop this week!  I also look forward to the Ed and Tiff romance saga next week.  It's like Hosea and Leah all over again minus the intense disgust!

Tweets that mention Top Chef DC Episode 6 recap — read, comment! #topchef #topchefdc #tcdc -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-07-23 14:59:26
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Philly City Paper, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Top Chef DC Episode 6 recap — read, comment! http://bit.ly/9DQ9LP #topchef #topchefdc #tcdc [...]

Brunch101
Posted 2010-07-23 19:43:21
Great Blog...Great "take" on cheftestants!

Adam
Posted 2010-07-23 20:58:18
Caption: Tom C. starstruck by guest cheftestant, Javier Bardem circa-No Country for Old Men

Didn't think I'd get to see Tamesha/Rihanna Photoshop this early, but man is it glorious!
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 5:33 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 5: What a great opportunity to make a bunch of "we got crabs" jokes!
POSTED: Thursday, July 15, 2010, 10:31 PM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
Mmm, crabs. Quickfire: Top Chef must've realized how soul-crushingly stupid last week's baby food challenge was, so they gave them a doozy in Ep 5. Guest chef Patrick O'Connell of the classy Inn at Little Washington — his dapper sensibilities scream "tweedy impertinence" a la Lester Freamon, do they not? — is a D.C.-area chef, so he sticks the cheftestants with the task of cooking up dishes highlighting the Maryland blue crab. "Is that some CRABS?!" Tiffany squeals upon entering the kitchen. Hell yes that is some crabs Tif! Look at all those squirmy, pinchy fuckers! I was excited about this QF challenge — picking and cooking crabs is a challenge, while forcing professionals to fill jars with mushy shit is not — since I'm from Maryland, but also since I assumed this would be cake for Baltimore chef Tim, who's been catching all sorts of bad breaks in recent episodes. He does up his crab with avocado, passion fruit and an heirloom tomato vin. "Give it the microphone and let it sing," goes his crab-cookin' philosophy. Hell to the yes, my fellow Terp. Angelo is the first to take the bait. "I had crabs, so it just brought back some bad memories," he deadpans in a sit-down. That is decidedly not "sexy" like your food always is, homey! He does lemongrass/ginger-infused blue crab broth, and is surprised when he spots Greatest-Generation Ed whipping up a Thai-inspired crab preparation. Elsewhere, our dude Jersey Kev (follow him on Twitter!) does a chowder spiced up with espelette pepper oil, Amanda serves a crab salad with a buried sauterne/ginger/juniper gelée ("It's ... pungent," says Padma, turning up that transcendently beautiful nose of hers) while self-proclaimed "beast in the kitchen" Kenny Blalicchio puts together a trio of crab dishes. Blalicchio and Angelo get love for their respective dishes, but Staff Sergeant Ed ends up winning the QF and immunity for his dish. They also take an opportunity to plant the seed for an Ed/Tiffany romance angle. You ain't fooling me, Top Chef — I seen this movie already!
Taraji P. Henson is sooooooo mad at you right now!
We also really have to mention the combo Jedi master/Padawan learner and Patrick Wilson/Ellen Page in Hard Candy-style storyline they're pushing ridiculously hard as far as Angelo and Tamesha go. How is this going to turn out? Is Angelo truly just interested in Tamesha because he sees a lot of himself in her? Or is there some sort of weird attraction thing going on? OR, is this all part of the extremely cunning Angelo's insidious master plan to win it all?! So much to think about! Ah fuck it, let's just go Round 2 with this shit:
You are pissing Blair Underwood off! DO NOT PISS BLAIR UNDERWOOD OFF!
I don't have time to match up skin tones and I'm sorry about that. Elimination: Chef O'Connell invites the chefs to a Virginia organic farm — one so goddamn organic that it's actually capable of growing "strawberries, eggplants, tomatoes, turnips and apples all in the same season," as Adam Erace astutely points out (sustainable maaagiccccc!) — and they're tasked with putting together a celebrate-the-bounty-of-the-earth dinner in some field for a bunch of local chefs and farmers. Cue an interminable period of cheffy bickering over who works with who (they eventually agree to team up with the same partners from last week). "We should act like civilized human beings and come to some kind of peace that way," says Tamesha. Wait a minute, that actually sounds mature and reasonable. Tamesha, please pack your knives and go.
Is Eric Ripert rocking an American Apparel circle scarf right there? Yes!
Angelo believes he is bringing epicurean sexy back with his dish. "I basically made love to that duck, to be honest with you," he coos. Haha Angelo likes doing it to food! I can't wait for his Washington Square pop-up here in Philly. (Do you have insurance to cover this kind of thing, SRO?) Stephen does some sort of crunchy salad that he hopes will stand out. "I don't want to be a forgotten side dish," he says. "I want to be a fore ... front ... runner." Fore front runner? That sounds like one of those Wheel of Fortune "Before and After" puzzles, Steve. "I'd like to solve the puzzle, Padma?" Speaking of Padma, who else thinks she should rock equestrian/Amelia Earhart chic every episode from now on? Giddyup!
"Fuck, Colicchio gave our seats away to Nene from The Real Housewives of Atlanta again. Classic Colicchio ... "
Tim plans a turnip mousseline, but abandons the idea halfway through. Amanda does minestrone and makes fun of Progresso while doing it. Alex stuffs ratatouille inside beef tenderloin, which is awesome if only because we get to hear Eric Ripert say "ratatouille" out loud. Jersey Kev's cauliflower couscous falls on the ground, so he promptly duplicates it with broccoli. At the top: Jersey Kev (back in action!); Blalicchio, with a sweet/sour eggplant that sounds awesome; Andrea, with some pork; and Kelly, with some beets and an extra-credit dessert (wow, my Dark Horse selection was so wrong). Blalicchio takes it! Dude had some other nicknames established in this episode — Black Magic, Black Lightning, Black Angus — but we're riding with Blalicchio to the death, believe it. At the bottom: Tim, whose call-an-audible decision to veer away from mousseline proved ill-advised; Amanda, who gets ripped by Tom C. for unevenly cooked components of her soup ("When we cook, why do we cut things uniformly?"); and Stephen, who also gets Colicchio-d ("You're not paying attention to your lettuces!" Put that on a damn tee!). O'Connell comments that Amanda's chopped-up veggies look like "your grandma might have done it with her ax." Do grandmas typically have axes? My grandmas didn't but they were rather unorthodox chicks, so ... anyway, after some hardcore "there's a cause and effect to everything"-style scolding from Tom, the judges send Bmore boy Tim packing. Aw, Tim!

Molly Eichel
Posted 2010-07-15 17:57:11
Ok, so my new fave? Clearly Tiffany. She's just so adorable! Ed is not nearly attractive enough for a good Something New-style Ebony-and-Ivory romance so I'd tell her to keep that one platonic. But he's better than Angelo, who needs to stay the hell away from Tamesha. It's totally creepy how he whispers platitudes in her ear. She needs to cut the cord on that one ASAP. 

Also, Patrick O'Connell over enunciated every word he said, so he kind of sounded like a gay supervillain. And yes, listening to Eric Ripert say ratatouille was worth the hour of my time.

Tweets that mention Top Chef D.C. Episode 5: What a great opportunity to make a bunch of “we got crabs” jokes! :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-07-15 18:02:50
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Top Chef DC Episode 5 recap — read, comment! http://bit.ly/crbe9d #topchef #topchefdc #tcdc [...]

Kendall
Posted 2010-07-15 18:57:08
I swear the camera caught the very last moment of Ed pulling away from a kiss with Tiffany on the couch, even sounded like Kenny gave them a "what you two doing over there??"

adam
Posted 2010-07-15 19:16:50
Best TC recap ever, especially because I got a shout out!

Drew Lazor
Posted 2010-07-16 01:59:55
Something new!
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 10:31 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she's gone tomorrow boy
POSTED: Saturday, July 10, 2010, 11:53 PM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
Late pass, lo siento.
"We're here today to test your ability to make food taste like the stuff that comes out of a hot glue gun. Your time begins NOW!"
Quickfire: The transcendently beautiful Padma and the transcendently gruff Tom C. both recently had babies, so they do what any doting new parent would do: force a bunch of professional chefs TO MAKE BABY FOOD for them to taste and critique. NOT THE BABIES, NOT THE BABIES, them. Top Chef has had plenty of make-crap-look-gourmet challenges in the past — the infamous vending machine challenge comes to mind — but baby food?! Baby food is goopy, mucous-like mush specifically designed to be digested by intestinal tracts so underdeveloped they're the same length as a bit of cat's cradle string. So fucked. Have to admit, though, that the sight of Padma nibbling off of really small spoons was quasi-hot. (Makes me wonder — what are the most humiliating challenges in Top Chef history? Leave your picks in the comments.) Before we go any further, let's just get this out the way right quick:
The chefs learn this is a high-stakes Quickfire challenge with a $10K for two winners. Arnold immediately states that if he were to win, he'd dedicate the cash to two Thai orphanages that help children infected with HIV/AIDS. Top Chef decides that this would be a golden opportunity slip in a clip of Alex saying that he'd totally blow the cash on hookers and an 8-ball if he were to win. Top Chef: Ruining Sincere Charitable Overtures Since 2006. "The baby food was OK, but the adult dishes really missed the mark," Tom C. tells Tim. Tim — on this day, you were better at making baby food than adult food. And I am sorry. That sucks. Tom also thinks that Alex's baby food is too herbaceous; no 8-balls for you, chief. Jersey Kev's duck is too underdone and Kelly's pork is too bland. I would like to take this opportunity remind you that Top Chef just made all these actual chefs make FUCKING BABY FOOD. Lynne and Tamesha both do a solid job with their baby and adult food (heavy sigh), and Angelo makes some sort of insane multi-layered jar that the judges dub "special" (compliment?!). In the end, Tamesha and Kenny Blalicchio end up winning the cash money — but not immunity. This is so depressing. BABY FOOD. Fuck me, man. It would've been awesome if Padma and Tom brought in their respective bundles of joy and made them eat the stuff. I bet Baby Colicchio woulda been like "This definitely needs more salt. Also, I just shit myself."
Still from the upcoming spin-off Top Chef: Not Enough Plates
Elimination: Going off the really dumb/unfair/humiliating theme, the 14 remaining heads are told that they have to pair up and cook in a sort of three-round cooking tournament, making signature breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes that would be appropriate to serve at Hilton hotels. Former TC contestants Bryan, Spike and Mike I, all D.C.-area chefs, serve as guest judges. The setup is kind of nonsense, though: After each of the three rounds, the two teams with the best food are saved from elimination, leaving the losers to battle in subsequent rounds — which means the eventual champ of the round #3 (dinner) wasn't able to execute well enough to outright win during breakfast and lunch. Almost as dumb as baby food. Winner-of-the-last-ep Arnold, paired up with Lynne, hopes to keep his good performances rolling — maybe if he wins this too, "they might think I'm more than a Louis Vuitton bag!"
ARNOLD FACE IN TRIPLICATE!
Stephen/Amanda and Tiffany/Tim earn safety during breakfast; Alex, teamed with Ed, put together a tasty-sounding prosciutto potato cake, but Ed forgets to complete one of their plates. I'm not quite sure what it is about Ed, but he exudes this haughty, cheerless all-American sensibility that just screams Greatest Generation:
In the lunch round, Angelo/Tamesha (weird potential love connection?) and Alex/Staff Sergeant Darrel "Shifty" Powers Ed cook their way out of elimination, leaving Andrea/Kelly, Arnold/Lynne and Jersey Kev/Blalicchio (who are PISSED) to stave each other off in the dinner round. Andrea and Kelly take the challenge (and win free vacations) for their braised short rib/polenta plate; Jersey Kev/Blalicchio are given the business for their short ribs with veg and tempura horseradish (! — that sounds amazing), but Arnold and Lynne are both sent packing for their red curry mussels with squid ink pappardelle. NOOOOOOOO! Arnold Face just started! This calls for a retrospective:
ARNOLD FACE: Two Weeks Ago — Now
"I know, right?! But then I thought about it. Realistically, when is the next time Jean-Luc Godard requests that I serve him fruits de mer while wearing a sheer loincloth?"

Tweets that mention Top Chef D.C. Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she’s gone tomorrow boy :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-07-10 19:17:06
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, ruby. ruby said: Top Chef DC Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she's gone ...: Philadelphia Citypaper (blog)Quic... http://bit.ly/c5wTuv [...]

eJ
Posted 2010-07-10 22:46:54
hahah this was immensely enjoyed

poncho
Posted 2010-07-10 23:21:40
This episode was lame, at least the recap was enjoyable.  RIP Arnold Face :(

j leo
Posted 2010-07-12 05:53:03
AR-NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!-LD

Yeah, I'm devasted. But I have to say that the tournament style was interesting, if not flawed, and created a lot of suspense. I can't imagine feeling this much tension for an early-season episode in a long time. When it came down to the final group, I realized that teh team setup meant that one of Kenny, Kelly, or Arnold would have to go home, and I couldn't believe that it would be one of the first two (after all the facetime they've gotten). RIP Arnold. RIP Arnold Face. You got jobbed. There are chefs on here who still haven't done anything, and he gets thrown off with a win under his belt.

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, July 5-10 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-07-12 11:35:29
[...] July 8 Meal Ticket• Invasion of the Korean fried chicken at Meritage • Adsum in pictures• Top Chef D.C. Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she's gone tomorrow boy• Nook Bakery and Coffee Bar aiming for next week• Chhaya Cafe opening on East [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 5: What a great opportunity to make a bunch of “we got crabs” jokes! :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-07-15 17:32:22
[...] Top Chef must’ve realized how soul-crushingly stupid last week’s baby food challenge was, so they gave them a doozy in Ep 5. Guest chef Patrick O’Connell of the classy Inn at [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 14 (Finale Pt. 2): Sling blade :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-09-16 16:47:35
[...] That leaves our dude Jersey Kev, who is able to execute his vision in a cohesive fashion, with flavors, plating and innovation — they fawn over his dessert in a manner that probably has all the Top Chef Just Desserts contestants real salty right now — humming along in equal stead. Good on ya, Kev! The guy is currently hunting for a local restaurant space to start his own spot. Hope to hear more about this soon. Also very excited to learn, via that interview, that he regrets the baby food Quickfire.  [...]
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:53 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 3: Not picnic baskets — picnic caskets
POSTED: Thursday, July 1, 2010, 10:11 PM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
This season of Top Chef is shaping up to be pretty awesome, don't you agree?
"Please do your best. It was just yesterday that Johnny asphyxiated a line cook with his chain wallet for making a watery panna cotta."
Quickfire: The transcendently beautiful Padma, joined by the lovely Gail Simmons and clearly-way-into-Rocket from the Crypt Jean Georges pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini (the latter two will host the upcoming Top Chef Just Desserts), challenge the cheftestants to make a pie. AMERICA! Everyone is extremely pissed. Meanwhile, deep in the wilderness of the Pacific Northwest, a wry, telling smile spreads across the lineless face of Special Agent Dale Cooper. "I have no idea where this pie-based Quickfire challenge will lead us," says Cooper, a mug of hot coffee, black as midnight on a moonless night, half-raised to his lips. "But I have a definite feeling it will be a place both wonderful and strange."
OMGZ Agent Dale Cooper and Gail would make such a cute couple! Whaddya say, Gail?
OK that's just rude Gail! Jersey Kev says America like "Amurrica" so I like him. And Arnold whips out the big guns RIGHT AWAY. “I think pies live in the clouds with the unicorns!" he exclaims. "They just appear magically sometimes!” That shit is so Arnold Face-worthy that we're gonna have to roll out ...
ARNOLD FACE IN DRAG ON Y'ALL FOOLS!!!
Alex's pie is criticized for its quiche-ness, Tracey's crust turns out poorly and Ed's purportedly grandma-inspired banana cream pie, tricked out with salted peanut and celery espuma (!), is roundly ridiculed by Gail. "How does it compare to your grandmother's celery espuma?" she asks all Gail-like. Ed is like owwww. (Judges are mean on this episode!) Amanda gets clapped up by Iuzzuni when she leads into her pie description with some "I'm not a pastry chef"-type sentiment. "My grandma is not a pastry chef either, and she can make a pie," Iuzzuni snorts. OK it's settled, Ed's grandma and Johnny's grandma shall box to the death, Broughton's rules!
Picture both as grandmas, one with a sweet pompadour
Kelly and Stephen are praised for their tasty offerings, but Kenny Blalicchio ends up taking the Quickfire, and immunity, for a bad-ass-sounding bananas foster-inspired pie with Chinese five spice. Blalicchio is a threat! Elimination: The chefs are told they must tackle yet another American tradition — the summer picnic — by preparing dishes for 150 Capitol Hill interns at Mt. Vernon, George Washington's idyllic estate. Before we go any further I would like to bring your attention to a viewer poll question Bravo currently has posted on its website:
I get it, because of the INTERNS. You guys just HAD to go for the cheap, infinitely dated Monica Lewinsky reference, didn't you? While we're at it, here's an exclusive sneak peek at next week's viewer poll:
Each chef is required to come up with a main and a side for the Elimination, so they all go frantic-shopping at Whole Foods. This is precisely when Bravo decides to splice in a testimonial from Amanda discussing how she had a lot of drug problems in the early part of her mid-20s. I'm very happy that Amanda says she has kicked those habits, but it's really bizarre how the producers did it — they cut it in super-fast and random and apropos of nothing, like:
Again, very happy that this is no longer the case with Amanda. And despite the fact that Angelo talks a bunch of smack on her in a weird Inigo Montoya-style cadence ("She's actually very smart, but can Amanda beat me? No, she cannot beat me."), she rocks out the Elimination, impressing the judges (including guest Jonathan Waxman) with her ribs and asparagus. (Even Angelo shows love.) Those two end up in the top four, along with Ed, who erases any memory of Celeryespumagate with a spiced tuna loin dish; and Arnold, who rocks flavorful lamb meatballs so good that they end up winning the challenge. Arn's excited that he takes it — a testament to straight skills, I suppose, especially considering he had to peek at Blalicchio's grill setup pre-cooking to get a fix on what to do. "I'm not a grill guy," he states at the outset. "It'll clog the pores way too fast!"
ARNOLD FACE, ART EDITION!
They can't all be winners, of course. At the bottom of the Elimination — Tim, whose pork two ways is overshadowed by Amanda's ribs; the highly-ranked-in-the-Quickfire Stephen, with an "unappealing" bacon-wrapped Chilean sea bass; Jersey Kev, whose Puerto Rican-inspired flank steak and beans/rice is called too safe; and Tracey, who was gonna do Italian sausage but got stuck for time and ended up turning the same meat into slider patties. Like I mentioned before, the judges are cold as ice on this episode (or is it this season?) — after beating up all of the bottom four, Tom C. and Waxman focus the brunt of their ire on Tracey. "My 10-year-old son probably could've made that patty," says Waxman. "If that's what you call Italian food, it's insulting to Italians, me being one," goes Tom C. Owwwwww. Needless to say, Tracey ends up packing her knives and going. Rough!

nick
Posted 2010-07-01 17:23:05
haha holy shit, that picturestrip of amanda is gold jerry, gold!

danya
Posted 2010-07-01 17:28:26
Heard a report from the field that Padma is truly as beautiful in person as she is on TV. Friend was tempted to say, "Wow, I always thought they photoshopped you!" but actually ended up saying, "Wow!" out loud. Just so you know.

Kudos on the exclusive peek at next week's poll. It should do a lot for Bravo's website ranking.

Tweets that mention Top Chef D.C. Episode 3: Not picnic baskets â?” picnic caskets :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-07-01 17:44:00
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Eddie Gehman Kohan. Eddie Gehman Kohan said: RT @mealticket Top Chef D.C. Episode 3 recap — read, comment! http://bit.ly/bB52pt #topchef #topchefdc [...]

Kendall
Posted 2010-07-01 18:31:27
And the "Headline of the Year" award goes to...

kibby
Posted 2010-07-02 09:16:44
Hahah, this post referenced so many things that I love- Snoop, Twin Peaks and Rocket from the Crypt. Amazing! 
I love how sassy Gail is this season. I hope she keeps it up and just gets sassier.
Finally, Arnold Face in drag. OMG.

Marie DiFeliciantonio
Posted 2010-07-02 09:58:10
Oh, Arnie. Work it, girl.

Molly Eichel
Posted 2010-07-02 11:07:42
I'm sad about Tracey. She talked a big game but it was all for naught. Plus, shut up Gail, you'd be lucky to have Special Agent Dale Cooper.

poncho
Posted 2010-07-02 13:44:47
Omg these recaps are getting funnier and funnier.  Arnold Face in drag is quite possible the best thing ever!

j leo
Posted 2010-07-06 20:36:59
AR-NOLD! AR-NOLD! AR-NOLD! Team Arnold forever.

Twin Peaks and Requiem for a Dream in one post? You've outdone yourself.

I'm always amused by the sheer terror that comes anytime desserts are invoolved. You'd think by now the chefs would know that if they sign up for this show, eventually they'd need to make a dessert at some point, and spend some time practicing or developing their pastry skills? Unbelievable. Everyone should know how to make a pie because it's just an awesome thing to do.

I think Tom casually mentions to Gail every once in a while that she's being too nice, which scares her into a brief fit of snappy remarks. We'll see if this continues.

Top Chef D.C. Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she’s gone tomorrow boy :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-07-10 18:53:49
[...] Winner-of-the-last-ep Arnold, paired up with Lynne, hopes to keep his good performances rolling — maybe if he wins this too, “they might think I’m more than a Louis Vuitton bag!” [...]
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 10:11 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 2: It's just lunch
POSTED: Friday, June 25, 2010, 1:03 AM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
I promise to explain this right after the jump. Quickfire: This one's dubbed a "Biparti-sandwich" Challenge, as the cheftestants are paired off according to a knife draw and made to don sewn-together two-party-system aprons, resulting in the sort of frenetic, three-legged, too-close-for-comfort competition that produces weird, unintentionally avant-garde images like the one above. The teamed-up one-handed chefs flail about and nearly stab each other a lot of times. "If anything, you'll give me a manicure!" Arnold reassures his partner Dark Horse Kelly as she slices a cuke he's holding steady. Oh, Arnold! This leads me to the first installment of what I hope will become a recurring feature this season — every time Arnold says something sassy and irreverent, you automatically get a free order of ...
ARNOLD FACE!
The twosome of Tracy and Angelo, the latter of whom uses terms like "sex on a plate" and "liquid love" to describe their flounder/sriracha mayo get-up (mmm, just talking about flounder turns me on!), win the QF, plus elimination immunity, after getting the blessing from the studly guest judge, White House assistant chef Sam Kass. Kass, for what it's worth, looks like the dude from the video game God of War:
About the Top Chef producers dropping the heartburn-y term "Biparti-sandwich" this go-'round: Surely this just the beginning of what will end up being a cache of hundreds of groanworthy political food puns. I propose that we just get all of them out of our systems right now so we can move on with our lives. I'll start it off, and then you have a spin in the comments. Ready? GO. Majority Whip-ped Cream! Bill of Raita! Secretary of Skate! Phyllo-buster! House of Crepe-resentatives! Federal kefta-cit! Supreme gorp! Impeachment! G-O-Peas!* F-B-Ice Cream!* Department of Homeland Secure-the-Cheese!* * I would like to note that those last three were contributed by City Paper's Isaiah Thompson, who is paid a living wage to write words. Elimination: Kass, who spearheads a national initiative to improve school lunches, tells four-chef teams that they must cook healthy, square, kid-friendly meals for 50 middle-school-age children, relying on a budget of $2.60 a head — the average amount allotted to feed the average kid a lunch in an American public school. "When I go out, I spent $130 on myself!" exclaims Arnold.
ARNOLD FACE!
Amanda, who's teamed with Tamesha, Stephen and Jacqueline, states that she wants to avoid cooking anything sweet, because "People who makes desserts go home." Amanda knows what's up! She opts instead for a sherry-braised chicken thigh (hm, maybe she doesn't know what's up), while the rest of her squad does rice, salad and a strawberry thing. "Kids fucking love tacos," observes Kelly, who puts together carnitas for the main component of her team's plate, which also includes a black bean cake with a Muppet-like sweet potato "wig" from Lynne, plus a sweet potato/sherbet dessert from Tiffany. (Earlier in the ep, Arnold beefs with Kelly about relenting control, but it wasn't that sassy so we won't Arnold-face y'all again.) Elsewhere, Alex, Andrea, Jersey Kev and Timothy make a well-conceived spread based around apple cider BBQ chicken, while the immune Angelo and Tracy work with Ed and Kenny Blalicchio on a chicken burger/apple pudding/PB-and-celery meal. Aside from an anonymous kid yelling "MTV CRIBS," some tween who looks like the The Last Airbender proclaiming his puberty-soaked love for Dark Horse Kelly's tacos, Gail going "Chocolate milk, please!" to a table and Padma dishing out a dozen or so transcendently beautiful bear-hugs to various brace-faces, the actual tasting is uneventful.
"The fuck you just say about my Diet Coke commercial?"
At the top: Kass agrees with Airbender, proclaiming Dark Horse Kelly's team the victor and the Colorado chef the individual victor. "That is a solid taco," Kass declares. Hee. Kelly, don't win anything for awhile so you can continue being the Dark Horse! Jersey Kev gets some close-but-no-cigar love for his healthy yogurt mousse with fruit. At the bottom: Amanda's team, for her poorly received pollo and a Jacqueline-made dessert that ends up having a bunch of unneeded sugar in it; and the Angelo/Tracy foursome, who get chastised for Ed's too-spicy potato puree, their dearth of vegetables and their admitted indifference toward that lack. After a bunch of juicy under-the-bus throwing at judges' table, Jacqueline's sacked for her patently unhealthy dessert. That's two weeks in a row — OK, I'm back to thinking Amanda knows what's up again.
"I'm going to stare at you like this, and continue to stare at you like this, until you sate my current post-partum craving. Eggs over hard and an acoustic rendition of Del Amitri's 'Roll to Me' or I'll vaporize you with my fucking eyes."

Tweets that mention Top Chef D.C. Episode 2 recap (read, comment!): -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-06-24 20:24:18
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Adam Erace and Meal Ticket, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Top Chef D.C. Episode 2 recap (read, comment!): http://bit.ly/cPlsJ5 [...]

j leo
Posted 2010-06-25 03:40:27
I'm enjoying this season so far. These people are all delightfully bitchy and manipulative. Well done on the Arnold face, I am loving every second of him.

Couple of thoughts:

Even though he was on the block ,I didn't think Kenny would be gone this early after they started to focus on the rivalry/hate/chessgame between him and Angelo. I think they will be milking this for a while. 

After Kelly's win, she's not really a dark horse anymore, right? Has to be one of the early favorites. Seems competent, if not a little vain and self-congratulatory.

The first time I saw Jacqueline, I thought, she's nice, she's happy, she's not built for this, she'll be gone in five minutes. Alas.

I don't think the 10 year old me would eat any of that food, but then, I'm the kid who had a PBJ sandwich for five straight years. BTW, I went to a public school, and we had better options than those. In fact, my high school food selection was a million times better than the eatery next to the dorms at a certain college on Ogontz Avenue..... that I had to pay tuition for....

kibby
Posted 2010-06-25 11:20:16
Dude, Arnold face is SO GOOD.  Also, I would like to add to the political/food puns: Sturgeon General.

Molly Eichel
Posted 2010-06-25 12:01:40
Totally J. Leo, Kenny was never going home this early. I think they're setting him up for a down-for-the-count comeback. Although, Kelly is in that Hosea position where no one really cares about her until she takes it all in the end (sans being a total turd, of course). 
 
Two more things: Angelo is the worst. I hate him more than the hellish Michael Voltaggio. Plus, I need more sass from Tracey. She put up high sass marks in the first ep, but fell behind in this one.

poncho
Posted 2010-06-25 13:00:40
Political/Food Pun:

Offal Office

Awesome recap, I hope Arnold sticks around for awhile cause I love Arnold Face!

Drew Lazor
Posted 2010-06-25 15:00:09
j leo: 

I'm enjoying this season so far. These people are all delightfully bitchy and manipulative.

Couldn't agree more. I forgot to mention the whole Angelo/Kenny "gamesmanship" storyline. I love it! It's been awhile since they've trumped up a white knight/black knight type thing. It makes for great trashy TV.

After Kelly's win, she's not really a dark horse anymore, right? Has to be one of the early favorites.

Save your "reason" and "logic," j leo! KELLY REMAINS THE DARK HORSE

Daniel
Posted 2010-06-26 01:17:26
Arnold face is a national internet meme just waiting to happen.

Top Chef D.C. Episode 4: All Padma wants, is some food for babies, she’s gone tomorrow boy :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-07-10 19:09:59
[...] and Lynne are both sent packing for their red curry mussels with squid ink pappardelle. NOOOOOOOO! Arnold Face just started! This calls for a [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 13 (Finale Part 1): Holy Asian Extravaganza! :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-09-20 00:18:32
[...] Episode 2. Cooking for a bunch of brats. Jacqueline goes home. [...]

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, June 21-25 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-09-08 16:08:42
[...] Trace the origins of the Arnold Face and make question our judgment for Photoshopping Kevin Sbraga a... [...]
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 1:03 AM  Permalink | Post a comment

Food Network shooting Food Feud in Philly
POSTED: Thursday, June 24, 2010, 7:55 PM
Filed Under: Food TV
It's not unusual to see film crews outside of Geno's Steaks. Its proprietor, Joe Vento, is always talking to Fox News or hitting up YouTube. But it seemed odd that a similarly sized crew was also at longtme rival Pat's Steaks. Turns out they were shooting one of the first few episodes of an upcoming Food Network show called Food Feud, with the channel's host/burger king/Iron Chef soul-patch-man Michael Symon. It seems to be, from what little was discussed with an anonymous cameraman, part feature program (host Symon talking with each restaurant about the history of a so-called battle) and part competition (there will be, according to reports of episodes shot in Detroit, blind taste tests of each restaurant's goods, though we didn't witness as much this morning). Are there cut-and-dried winners? We couldn't get hold of yesterday's filmed competitors, Tony Luke's and John's Roast Pork. Will this program be close to the Travel Channel's Food Wars — which recently filmed here with CP's Drew Lazor — in spirit? Can't say. Stay tuned.

Tweets that mention Food Network shooting Food Feud in Philly :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-06-24 18:54:46
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Valerie Lagauskas, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Food Network shooting new show "Food Feud" here in Philly: http://bit.ly/aEap3z [...]
Posted by A.D. Amorosi @ 7:55 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

Top Chef D.C. Episode 1: Yes We Can (Peel Potatoes)
POSTED: Thursday, June 17, 2010, 11:10 PM
Filed Under: Food TV | Top Chef
"Come forth, and bury your chef heads deep in the swollen bosom of democracy!"
Wow, Top Chef D.C. really snuck the hell up on us, did it not? It seemed like just yesterday that we were bambling incoherently about Kevin's fire-engine-red beard and our jawsome girl Jen C and the Voltaggio brothers' beach-volleyball-scene-in-Top Gun-inspired personalities. Now Season 7's taken the fight to the District of Columbia, a city that features a strong contingent of celebrity-chef restaurant outposts and a "Chinatown" that literally consists of a bunch of non-Asian-run chain restaurants plastered with Chinese lettering. Very first Quickfire: The perma-stoic Tom C and the transcendently beautiful Padma — boasting some post-transcendently-beautiful-baby curves, I'll holler! — herd the 17 new cheftestants onto some exposed roofdeck that looks like a great place to cultivate melanoma and task them with their debut challenge. It's a "high-stakes" mise en place race that involves speedily peeling potatoes, brunoising onions and breaking down chickens; the four chefs left standing by the end are asked to cook a dish using the three basic ingredients, with the best dish earning $20,000. (Yay, no more Vegas-inspired gambling motifs!) Attempting to craft any sort of narrative about this hot-mess beehive of frenzied prep-cook activity would likely drive me to kill/eat a Lean Cuisine, so I'm just going to run down some bullet points right quick: - Rough shit re: L.A. chef Amanda stabbing herself in the first 5 seconds. - Angelo, who looks like someone who I cannot for the life of me nail down (thoughts?), is being slipped into the villain role pretty early, what with his jet-set conversation ice-breakers and Cristiano Ronaldo hair. Says here he was responsible for putting together the menu at Buddakan NYC, the beast of a Starr restaurant so well-oiled David Chang compares it to The Matrix. - Colorado native Kenny is bald and seems very good at cooking so I would like to dub him the Black Tom Colicchio. Blalicchio! Foreal though did you see that guy wreck the chicken round on some Hung shit? - Atlanta chef Tracy straight-up saying she wanted Kenny Blalicchio to fall off the building was awesome. - The clear, red-striped container the chefs had to fill up with brunoised onions was totally borrowed from Double Dare set storage. For the next Quickfire I'm guessing the chefs will have to dig a tiny flag out of the nostril of gigantic slime-filled nose. PHYSICAL CHALLENGE! So Blalicchio, D.C.-based chef Kenny, Angelo and Kevin, former Garces culinary director and current exec chef at Starr restaurant Rat's out in Hamilton (rep!), fight their way to the end, and each put together some solid dishes. (He will now be known as Jersey Kev.) But it's Angelo, with a roasted chicken with onion jam and potato noodles, who ends up getting that $20K.
"We're all mega jet-lagged, so it'd be really helpful if you fed us a couple irritatingly pithy culinary talking points about your crappy dish while you plate it."
Very first Elimination: The group's instructed to develop a dish that represents where they hail from and serve it at a cocktail reception. We get to see the judges' table crew, which of course features Gail but also boasts the every-episode presence of Eric Ripert for the first time. The whole thing's a gigantic blur to me considering the manic pace of the editing and the fact that Padma currently looks like that but the main things worth mentioning are: - The Bachelor said that he wouldn't serve Stephen's potato-crusted ribeye to his kids. The Bachelor! That's fucking rough dude! Also, DJ Pauly D hates your goddamn celeriac purée. - Tamesha is from Barbados so we'll probably be Photoshopping her head onto Rihanna's body at least once this season. - Kelly, who's being edited into the "Talented Female Chef with the Persecution Complex" role, is my sleeper pick to go far. - John, the hippy-dippy-style dude from Michigan, is the recipient of the "Chef Most Likely to Consider Turning into a Na'Vi a Smooth Transition" Award. I SEE YOU:
Lizzy Janssen
I'm getting dizzy, on with this shit! At the top is a near-rematch of the Quickfire finalists, with Blalicchio, Jersey Kev and Angelo joined by born-in-Russia Alex, who impresses with a deconstructed borscht and short rib dish. Judges have nice things to say about everyone's work ("As soon as we put it all in our mouth, it was really well-balanced," Gail says of Blacchio's dish), but QF winner Angelo pulls the Elimination out, too, thanks to a smoked arctic char topped with bacon froth. Yo once a pimp gets threats ...
Padma's eyes are up here, guys.
Bottom four: Stephen (I'm still sorry about The Bachelor taking it to you), whose steak Ripert compares to chicken nuggets; Jacqueline, who flubs a chicken liver mousse; Na'vi John, who is roundly criticized for using store-bought puff pastry in a maple-based dessert; and previously-at-the-top Timothy, whose Maryland rockfish didn't turn out quite right. I seriously thought that Jacqueline was going to get axed for her oddly fat-free mousse (plus the fact that she stated she needed the recipe even though she'd prepared it hundreds of times), but it's John who's booted for his botched dessert. Shame; he seemed like a zany cat who would've made for some solid-ass television. Oh well, on to the next one. Was that Nancy Pelosi I saw in a preview? That wasn't Pelosi was it?

adam
Posted 2010-06-17 18:21:39
Welcome back, TC Recaps! I've missed you.

Shao
Posted 2010-06-17 18:26:46
Yup, that was Nancy Pelosi. I'm going to predict a Michelle Obama appearance in the White House garden sometime this season.

Jackie
Posted 2010-06-17 18:28:06
Seriously. Thank god top chef recaps are back!

Holly Moore
Posted 2010-06-17 18:30:30
"the four chefs left standing by the end are asked to cook a dish using the three basic ingredients, with the best dish earning $20,000. (Yay, no more Vegas-inspired gambling motifs!)"

The producers blew it. Instead of Vegas inspired prizes, quickfire winners, in DC tradition, could be sent on a junket to St. Bart, pick up a money-stuffed brief case over drinks at the Hay-Adams or have a contractor build a wing onto their house.

Tweets that mention Top Chef D.C. Episode 1: Yes We Can (Peel Potatoes) :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-06-17 18:41:28
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Shao, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Top Chef recaps are BACK. Top Chef D.C. Episode 1 (read, comment!): http://bit.ly/dtw8Sj [...]

Paul
Posted 2010-06-17 22:14:48
I do not know why but i just get the feeling that this particular series of "Top Chef" will suck, plus they already seem to be setting up the French guy as season 7 villan and Kenny Gilbert as the new Kevin Gillespie IMO.

kibby
Posted 2010-06-18 08:58:13
I'm sooooo upset that they kicked off the clear front runner in terms of entertainment value.  He journaled!!!

Molly Eichel
Posted 2010-06-18 10:26:11
Love Kenny/Blalicchio, HATE Angelo! You might recognize his voice because  he sounds like a douche. I also love Tracy, she's ballsy and hilarious. I just hope she has the goods to back it up.

danya
Posted 2010-06-18 13:31:50
I think you're really on to something with Double Dare + Top Chef. Obstacle courses made of bain maries and fryolators. "Make this dish while coasting through slime on a rolling stainless steel table!"

I also felt a tiny urge to watch the show after reading this. Is Bravo giving you kickbacks? (They should.)

Felicia D'Ambrosio
Posted 2010-06-18 14:40:29
Compelling prose as always, but it was hard to rip my eyeballs away from Padma's hips. So nice to get the TC experience without actually owning a TV.

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, June 14-18 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-06-18 17:50:30
[...] Saturday: Whisky and cheese at Di Bruno Bros.• June 20: Kanella launches meze-style Sundays • Top Chef D.C. Episode 1: Yes We Can (Peel Potatoes)• The Franklin goes halfsies for the summer• Philly's mobile cupcake scene [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 2: It’s just lunch :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-06-24 20:03:47
[...] at judges’ table, Jacqueline’s sacked for her patently unhealthy dessert. That’s two weeks in a row — OK, I’m back to thinking Amanda knows what’s up [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 13 (Finale Part 1): Holy Asian Extravaganza! :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-09-13 12:11:24
[...] Episode 1. Too many people. Na’Vi John goes home. [...]

Top Chef D.C. Episode 14 (Finale Pt. 2): Sling blade :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2010-09-16 23:12:52
[...] dude Kevin Sbraga, the Willingboro native who we’ve been calling Jersey Kev on this blog since Day 1, took home Season 7 of Top Chef like a damn boss! And Brendan Fraser goes WILD! I’ll be honest [...]
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:10 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

New food show's hunting for talent
POSTED: Wednesday, June 9, 2010, 4:54 PM
Filed Under: Food TV
Got a note from a producer who's scouring cities, including Philly, for a TV-caliber personality capable of hosting a show based around "the inside track on where to find great food for cheap." We gather that they're looking for someone who's super "on" to gab about grub in general. Casting listing and contact info after the jump.
Seeking a dynamic personality who is extremely passionate about food!!! Do you love to cook, eat, write about food, or even just talk about food? Are you bursting with so much personality you could HOST your own show? Calling all food bloggers, chefs, food critics, cookbook authors, home cooks… AND anyone who can speak enthusiastically about food!!! If you are a FOODIE … then we want to hear from you! PLEASE SEND A PHOTO, CONTACT INFO, AND A SHORT BIO TO: foodiecasting@me.com

Holly Moore
Posted 2010-06-09 12:18:50
Does one have to be a foodie?

Tweets that mention New food show's hunting for talent :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2010-06-09 15:58:11
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Posted by Drew Lazor @ 4:54 PM  Permalink | Post a comment

We're telling you what you can do Every time Jack tries to "fix" someone or something, take a shot: Lost series finale parties in Philly
POSTED: Friday, May 21, 2010, 7:48 PM
Filed Under: Food Events | Food TV
Philly Beer Scene TweetPhoto
The time has come for Lost-ophiles — the vexing, glorious, soul-crushing, addictive, annoying and triumphant ABC series will end its six-season run with a 150-minute finale episode this coming Sunday, May 23. While a lot of us dorks are planning home parties complete with Dharma Initiative branding, many Lost fans might be looking to head out on the town to ring in the end of an era. Several local bars/restaurants are getting in on the fun; we've detailed a few finale events after the jump. If you know of any other Lost parties going down in the area, leave a comment or email drew.lazor@citypaper.net with details and we'll update accordingly. Also, please watch this video of Man in Black counseling Jacob. UPDATE [22may10]: We knew they would be OTHERS! (ZOMGZ LOST JOKE!) Added some new Lost parties/specials after the jump. Also, changed the headline because some fellow Lost fans told us it sucked. If you all everybody have one better than this, leave it in the comments! - Philly Beer Scene is organizing an elaborate Lost party starting at 7 p.m. at Cork in Westmont (90 Haddon Ave.). PBS editor Mat Falco tells Meal Ticket that they'll be projecting the show on a giant screen in the parking lot, where they'll also be roasting a boar (!). Great Lakes is the beer sponsor, though the Cleveland brewery's labels will be covered up with Dharma Initative branding (above). They'll have a coconut-shucking contest, a costume contest and Lost trivia starting at 8 p.m.; they'll be giving away club box tix to Phillies games and other prizes. Free to get in, pay as you go. In the case of inclement weather, the party will simply move inside, big-ass screen and all. - At Tabu (200 S. 12th St.), they'll broadcast the show on all six TVs on the first floor. Their usual three-buck Sunday drink deal will apply ($3 wines, $3 well drinks, $3 sweet tea vodka drinks), but they'll also be offering a special drink menu punning off Lost character names — think "Cupkate" and "E-Claire." They're still deciding on whether or not to put out Lost-themed food specials. We'll update if we hear more. - National Mechanics (22 S. Third St.) will also kick off a Lost party at 7 p.m. We're still waiting on details for this, but as of right now we know that there'll be live performances from (ahem) Geronimo Jackson and Drive Shaft. - Starting at 7 p.m., Cantina dos Segundos (931 N. Second St.) will air the show and serve up Lost-themed drinks like a Black Rock mojito (blackberry mojitos with black rock candy) and a "Sawyer Special" (a Dharma beer and a shot of Sauza). Wild boar tacos to eat. - All TVs at The Institute (549 N. 12th St.) will be tuned to Lost. Two bucks off all Sly Fox drafts and $2 off appetizers from 7 to 11 p.m. - Sabrina's (910 Christian St.) is running some awesome Lost-themed specials, including:
  • Hurley's "Mr. Cluck"" Mexi-Special: fried flour tortilla topped with Spanish rice with achiote grilled chicken, chorizo, tomatoes, bell peppers, black beans and chilies. Finished with fried eggs, tomatillo-mango pico de gallo and lime sour cream.
  • Charlie's You All Everybody" Egg White Omelet: with roasted sweet potatoes, grlled fennel, onions, arugula, basil and sharp cheddar cheese.
  • Dharma Initiative Breakfast Special: bobota bread with olives and rosemary topped with scrambled eggs with fresh spinach, feta cheese and roasted eggplant, grilled turkey sausage, topped with artichoke-plum tomato-red onion chutney and cucumber dill sour cream.

eJ
Posted 2010-05-21 21:07:56
i'm pretty sure Cantina Dos Segundos has a party going down... got an invite fia facebook
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:48 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews here — those are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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