Recap Roundup: Top Chef Masters 2 Episode 9

And now we are three...

Jordan Baker on Waxman getting the boot: "It seems like the critics have penalized him for making things that are too “simple” for a Top Chef Master. Which. . .really? REALLY? He’s Jonathan Mother Fucking Waxman, fools. Simple, perfect food is what he does. You want shrimp on trapezes, you know where to find them."

Grub Street on Marcus v. Waxman: "You can decide whether it’s genuine or halfhearted praise, but Marcus’s response to his Quickfire challenge was, 'Jonathan’s recipes are easy to follow. I mean, they’re very direct. He uses things that are approachable.' This coming from the chef who later runs out of money trying to buy every ingredient in stock at Whole Foods. "

TWOP on Susur's lady dessert: "He plates it to look like a vagina, which turns some people off. And yet, the entire table falls silent while eating it because it's so good."

Onion AV Club on the Quickfire: "The soupification of those entrées really zapped my interest, though, a sloppy addition that felt more like a hassle than a challenge. Top Chef-throwback or no, I would have much preferred to see the chefs prepare each other's recipe with their own spin than see them scrap those dishes midway through for soup. Improvising isn't the same thing as having to deal with an entirely new set of instructions halfway through..."

Speakeasy (WSJ) on Susur hotness: "Did you guys get a peek at Susur’s book cover? His long hair is caught blowing in the wind, like a still shot from Highlander. Man, the more we know, the more we love this guy."

Creative Loafing on that word: "I’m not even going to go into detail about how many times they used the 'v' word (you know, as in 'lady parts') this episode for no apparent reason other than they knew they could get away with it on Bravo. And we thought us podcasters were tasteless and childish."

Box Office Prophets kind of hates Rick: "The Masters head over to Whole Foods and nothing much happens, except that Rick grosses me out by reaching over the plastic barrier to fondle the seafood. He’s trying to show the Whole Foods attendant which pieces of seafood he wants, but still…that’s gross."