The Humble Gourmand

We have some lovely Brie here, or perhaps some St. Andre … Oh sorry, since last night’s Top Chef I’ve had a huge craving for cheese. I think it was because Chef Dale served up so much whine.

While I sympathize with Dale stating at judges table that he was the person that got stuck “doing all the work” (I think every one of us has been there), I don’t sympathize on what caused him to say that. Let’s review Dale’s demeanor throughout the episode: angry — he didn’t win the quickfire (the relay, which is my favorite challenge); angry — he had to work with Lisa, Nikki, and Spike; arrogant — he didn’t trust his teammates to do any of the work that he supposedly got stuck with; then whiny — at the judges table when he pointed his finger squarely at Spike (who I do have strong feelings about, but let’s not get started on Spike, it is Dale’s turn to be berated).

All through the episode Dale didn’t step up. He sulked. He whined. He acted like who he was cooking for last episode, only not as cute.

Let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the challenge, though. First of all, my congrats to the lucky couple. They weathered the uncertainties of the TC menu, and possibly sacrificed the biggest part of their wedding (next to the open bar) to allow Wedding Wars to make an emergence once more. A weaker couple would have crumbled under the pressure. Wedding Wars!! The thought of it sounds intimidating. Battling an all-nighter journey with the possibility of a Bridezilla at the end of the trek. The only way to survive this would be a decisive course of action and teamwork, something that the bride’s team had in spades. They braved the night with Richard as their valiant leader, Stephanie navigating them to cake glory, and Andrew finally finding a use for his excessive energy. They did exactly what should have been done — kept it simple and thoughtful.

The groom’s team was a whole different, sad, and painful story. Their journey through the night diverted the four different cheftestants on far more than four different paths. They tried to appeal to the groom’s tastes, but they had too much going on. The roasted vegetables, the sea bass, the pizzas, the bruschetta, the hazelnut cake, Dale’s complaining. Too many things on the menu, not enough direction (much of which was due to Nikki’s lack of leadership).

As every judge has managed to say at some point this season, this isn’t Middle-of-the-Road Chef. This isn’t Managed-to-Get-By, Challenge After Challenge. This is Top Chef. The top chef will be the one that stands up and gives direction, while taking (and not giving) the blame.

1. Jackson

   May 9 10:47 a.m. 1

   I go back and forth on Dale. When he's working with people he respects, he does a good job, and usually shines. When he doesn't respect those around him, however, he becomes borderline dysfunctional. In the end, he's one of the better chefs on the show, and he generally tells it how it is. Like he said about Lisa's reluctance to make mayonnaise: "if you don't know how to do that, and you're scared of it, why are you still here?"

   Last night, he was a bit justified in being frustrated. Nikki, who was the obvious person to assume the role of leader, completely failed in every possible way. Spike is just a tool in every possible way. And we know he's not a huge fan of Lisa. So he's with the worst possible team, and becomes a whining baby, but does a reasonably good job given the circumstances. I don't think he was really as close to being kicked as they portrayed at the very end.

   If he's running a restaurant, he's going to surround himself with people he respects as chefs, so he would probably act like the Dale who worked with Richard, rather than this week's Dale.

   It's increasingly clear that the top four are Stephanie, Richard, Antonia, and Dale (with Andrew's taste just seeming a bit too immature for him to make it there, imho). They're all hard workers with good taste who generally make decent decisions.

2. Mel

   May 9 4:31 p.m. 2

   Thanks for the response Jackson.

   While I agree with you on Dale's talent, I don't think he will beat Andrew out for the top four. I guess you can call it a gut instinct, but I feel as if Dale is the Howie of this season (if you were a season 3 enthusiast). So-so, then great, then his ego is going to get in the way. While he is talented, I don't think he is able to tame the beast. Dale seems to succumb to stupid mistakes (so do Stephanie and Antonia for that matter), which I have noticed has been the demise of many chefs in the second half of the season.