***** Top Chef: Las Vegas *****

I think everybody likes Michael more because he seems to have a bolder style, but I agree that Bryan is very skilled as well, and definitely more consistent.

Kevin has stepped it UP the past few weeks for sure.

I don't know anyone who dislikes Bryan. Problem is, he seems to be working in his brother's shadow. In any other group he'd certainly be among the top dogs.

At base, from a professional standpoint, Bryan is probably the better of the two, because he's more consistent. Michael is more adventuresome, and is willing to take risks---which really is the name of the game on that show.

Isn't Bryan actually the younger brother? He's certainly happier and more consistent than Michael. Michael always looks like he just ate rotten meat. Lighten up already!

I'm guessing they go out in the following order
Robin
Laureen
Eli
Mike I

leaving.....
Mike V, Brian V, Kevin and Jennifer

In the end, Kevin takes all.

ah yes, indeed I am not the only one who can't keep the Voltaggio brothers straight :smiles:

on an episode by episode basis, the brother that produced that gorgeous Deconstructed dish is my current fave :smoking:

agreed they are both very talented.

Brian is the older brother

As for Robin and Mike. While Mike has really produced any great food, I don't think any of his food has been really bad, not compared to the dishes that have sent some of his competitors home. He will soon fall though. I think Robin has gotten a break, from the producers, as she seems to be the center of much of the tension around the Top Chef house, and that helps make for good TV (it helps pull in viewers who are more about the drama then the food). I don't think it is anything that has been overly blatant this season, unlike some of the previous seasons, but I have a feeling that the producers have leaned on the judges to make another decision if at all possible to keep her around.

the episode is soon to come where both Robin and Mike I produce an overtly "bad" dish, 3 out of 3 sins, and it will be interesting to see how and who goes home.

wish I could be a fly on the wall for the entire judges' table chat, along with the producers (a la the fine print in the credits about the decision making sometimes discussed with the producers, to paraphrase).

:peace:

I would love to see an episode where Robin wins and Mike goes home. Now THAT's good tv!

If Robin won one I don't think we'd have a chance to see Mike go home. I think he'd blow a blood vessel or something the minute he heard the news and keel over dead!:smoking:

:thumb:

It is what it is! :lol::smoking::lol:

He really needs to chill...and develop a wee bit of objective critical self-assessment. :peace:

w/o giving away any endings or posting spoilers... tonights episode was pretty **** good... i was surprised by the anger/jealousy coming out of bryan voltaggio... yikes.

You have to admit he has a point. Mike behaves badly and gets rewarded with $10,000! Granted, Bryan's food was not as good as usual, but if he (Bryan) has been living with this kind of behavior his whole life, I can certainly understand his frustration. Mike reminds me of Tiffany from season 1 (or was it 2?). Very talented but an absolute b**ch. I'm certainly not rooting for him.

its a cooking contest not a popularity contest. he is by far one of the top chefs there.

A truly top chef must also work with and inspire others. Nuff said.
:mullet:

^Definitely true, but as the judges pointed out themselves, part of being a great chef is being a great teamplayer. Mike V. definitely seems like an efficient worker with a lot of talent, but he's proven himself to be a total A-hole.

Also, maybe it's just how they're editing the show and portraying him as a villain, but his decision to split the reward seemed so contrived, like he was thinking "I'll do this to show how considerate I am and how I'm a strong team player."

I mean seriously, who acts like such a schmuck and then gives away $7500???

Talent aside, he doesn't seem like somebody I would want to work with and I could definitely see where Bryan's frustration was coming from.

POSSIBLY someone who cools down and then feels badly. Possibly. :thumb:

even when theyre all competing for the same prize? i agree in a kitchen when youre with your staff/team, but in a contest? not at all.

Bryan needs to grow up and develop some shoulders. Mike V did not behave badly IMO. Bryan destroyed what he was frying and then tried to pass it to Mike to serve. Mike told him exactly what he thought and there was no way he was serving that.
Rightly so.
Bryan is so bitter about his brothers success it's comical.
As far as the spat with Robbin IIR she was the one tossing profanity. She has been lucky way too many times. Jenn is the one I continue to be disappointed with. If she wasn't a CDC for Ripert I think she would have been long gone. How many episodes did she prepare ceviche? Now she moves like a snail and can't cook fish. Terrible performance on her part and she didn't seem to really care.

it seems as if she has given up, she is definitely not bringing the same effort/performance/product to the table that she was in earlier episodes... however i am still rooting for her and for mike v to go to the end...

I think Jen is very talented but she is getting sidetracked and thinking too much about being in the public eye. I can't say I wouldn't be the same being on national tv. She is very talented and I think under different circumstances she would outshine most of the competitors.

I don't get the feeling Bryan is jealous of his brother he seems like a kind sincere person and just get's frustrated with the competition aspect of their relationship. Michael on the other hand thrives on pushing his brother's buttons and being better then him. At least that is what I am picking up on.

I said it a little while ago, that Jen was cracking under the pressure and this week's episode seems to prove that. She is a very talented chef, we saw that in the beginning, but the pressure is getting to her and unless she does a quick 180 she won't make the finals.

Mike V. is kind of abrasive, but I don't think he's an a**. It will be interesting how this brother thing is going to play out.

I agree. At the end of the day they are probably equally talented, but Michael just can't seem to resist that competition/aggression thing so common in brothers. I have 2 boys in their twenties that are about the same number of years apart and I see similar behavior in them.

Still, I think it's interesting that Michael considers himself a great guy with a heart of gold when that isn't at all apparent to the viewers. Of course, you don't know how much editing is done for the sake of drama. :rolleyes:

Very true - they've some great editors. The drama plays off the viewers' emotions so well. The day after it airs I'm all fired up. Now I look back on what I wrote yesterday and I'm thinking "wow, calm down self...it's just a show."

Yes, even when they're competing for the same prize they should be able to work well with others. That's true for any competition. You don't see Olympic swimmers winning by dissing and blaming the other competitors - in fact quite the opposite is apparent. Especially during restaurant wars, it hurts your chances to win if you don't play well with others. I understand Robin's frustration and use of profanity... (what, like nobody's ever used profanity in the kitchen before? Mike V. included, especially directed at his brother.) And when the judges said they liked her dessert what did Mike V do? He took credit. :laser: If I were in her shoes I'd feel completely insulted - he gives her part of his winnings but takes credit on her dessert? His team had good reason to be angry with him.

Again, Mike was a big disappointment. He throws blame around on everyone but himself. "I just wish I had taken over front of house because I have experience running BIG restaurants." Statements like these are neither helpful nor relevant to the team effort.

Jen is possibly one of the best chefs there, not quite the raw talent that Kevin is, but certainly a force to be reckoned with... if only she could work on her confidence.

Jen has been in the top 3 or 4 pretty consistently, until this last episode. I was really afraid she was going home, even though she's clearly better than some of the others.

^Correct me if I'm wrong, but they usually let the clearly talented chefs off the hook at least once or twice while they weed out their weaker links. I didn't think Jen was going to get sent home.

If you have a DVR or you get a chance to watch the episode again I think you might see that may be subject to interpretation. Not only did Mike give Robbin the recipe for the dessert both brothers had to stop her from changing the presentation they agreed on. I think it was incredibly foolish for Mike to split the 10K. I wouldn't have given Robbin a dime.
Jenn may well be in the top four but I'm struggling with her performance. Re-watching the show her knife skills cleaning the fish appeared dismal. The sauce was broke and even Tom C. remarked that Ripert would not be pleased with her performance.
Worse yet she chose Tilapia to serve at restaurant wars <GAK>. Tilapia might be sustainable but those catch words often get in the way of common sense. Some one please tell her that friends don't let friends eat pond raised fish. Hopefully it was at least a US product.

What's funny is that after watching an episode of Avec Eric, I thought Ripert's knife skills were shockingly dismal.

Tilapia is just gross.

I didn't even know Avec Eric had started. What channel is that on? Is any one else watching "The Next Iron Chef" ?

hahaha... i think its been a while since hes been 'on the line'... (i saw that as well though... and i cannot bash him, he is one of my favourite chefs of all time... maybe even say 'idol'. )

no spoilers here...

interesting turn of events this evening, and for the first time top chef made me LOL in real life while watching it... nice joke by that brunette at dinner...