One more TCM episode down, and this time Rick Bayless and his tongue (the one on the plate, not the one in his mouth) took the prize, so the master of Mexican advances on to the next round.
We know what the "critics" think, but what about the real judges? Though a few of our faves took a break this week (apparently they have "real lives"), plenty of folks had thoughts to share. So without further ado, here's what the bloggers are saying:
My Monkey Could Do That on the downside of professionalism: "Wilo gets beef heart, Rick gets tongue, Cindy has tripe, and Ludo gets pig’s ears. Of course, since these are well-qualified chefs this does not faze them in the slightest. Which is SO BORING. Not one whiner?"
Jordan Baker on Rick Bayless and his tongue: "A guy in a pink polo shirt and a Spike hat says "come on Rick, slip me some tongue," and Rick replies 'Yeah, once Rick Bayless has slipped you some tongue, you never forget it.' It sounds less pervy in his cheerful Rick Bayless voice than it looks written out like that."
Slashfood on the Bayless luck: "Of course, any competition in which Mexican cuisine whiz Rick Bayless is given tongue while others make do with tripe is somewhat stacked from the beginning. (That's a little like daring Julia Child to whip up something prominently featuring butter.)"
Chicagoist on Cindy Pawlcyn's non-Tex-Mex take on offal: "Pawlcyn's menudo is up next and she nails it when she calls her dish the more intimidating dish because she didn't wrap that shit up all tight in a pita or tortilla 'cause nothing says non-threatening to yer average folks like another part of the world's version of Wonder Bread. Well, she didn't say all that. But you get our point."
Chew on That on Ludo Lefebvre's Ludo-ness: "I didn’t care for Ludo Lefebvre’s attitude, frankly. Every chef wants to win but he was just plain snooty about everything that I just didn’t want him to win. Not to mention, I certainly don’t want to go to his restaurant now either."
Top Chef Examiner on the next logical spinoff: "Coming off a somewhat sleepy friends and family atmosphere in the first episode of Top Chef Masters, each subsequent episode seems to be getting a little more competitive, a little more ugly. Way to go Bravo on keeping the steam truck rolling! Here's a show idea...maybe a Wylie vs. Ludo showdown, Iron Chef style?"
TWOP on the aesthetic qualities of Lefebvre's Quickfire dish: "Ludo’s dish is based around red. He serves steak tartare with watermelon, red onions and beet gazpacho. It looks like a plate of placenta. I’m sorry. I know that’s gross, but it’s true."
TV Fodder on Wilo Benet's Quickfire faux pas: "Wilo created a lovely smoked salmon tartar with coconut milk and tomato paste sauce. They loved the look and taste, but would have preferred it if he had remembered to take off the ring that he used to shape the salmon."
Fans of Reality TV on Lefebvre's hilarious assumption about Bayless: "At the checkout Ludo finds that Rick is planning tacos; he is displeased because Rick 'copied him.' Yes, Ludo. Because everything has to do with you, and not, you know, what training or expertise someone may have."
Time Out Chicago on Cindy Pawlcyn's extracurriculars: "Pawlcyn confidently mentions that she runs some kind of women’s organ-cooking club, which sounds like a satanic feminist cult with great potlucks."
Serious Eats on the character drama (finally!): "This episode was crafted as a battle of good and evil: the big-hearted Puerto Rican who teared up when talking about charity; the affable Northern Californian who, even after her loss, said she "couldn't wait to cook tripe again"; the unfailingly lovable Bayless... and the surly, oily, insufferable Frenchman who whined about pig's ears, dismissed the other chefs with a snort, and yelled at Bayless when he tried to help him box up his food."
Limecrete on the advantages of being bilingual: "It is here we get our first instance of Ludo's problems with the time limit, which will be a theme for the evening. By the way, cussing in French isn't censored."
