Top Chef: Las Vegas, Episode 8 – Wine and Swine

Last time on Top Chef: Las Vegas, the cheftestants had to stage a dinner party with pre-selected ingredients. Ashley got kicked out of the house (and Michael Voltaggio almost did), while Jennifer went to the head of the table. Who gets a warm welcome this time, and who gets shown the door? Let’s find out.

Morning montage: Michael V. is still ruminating on his uncharacteristic close call. Even Babe Ruth struck out once or twice in his career, notes Michael. We learn that Eli lives with his parents and is close to his mom. I have no problem with that, but make of it what you will. Robin is out in the yard, and … swimming on dry land. Actually, I think she’s doing pilates, but it looks funny. She talks a bit about her experience as a cancer survivor, and says winning this show would be profound for her life. Sorry, Robin, but it’s not going to happen. I’d sooner get a date with Padma than you win Top Chef.

Quickfire: Padma introduces guest judge Charlie Palmer. Yes, he looks like a character from a ‘70s detective show, but he’s actually an incredibly influential American chef. Michael V. says Charlie paved the way for young talents like himself to be recognized as chefs, not just cooks. Don’t tell Alton Brown that – he hates it when people call themselves chefs, apparently.

Anyway, the Voltaggio brothers have actually worked for Charlie before! He promises to be impartial in his judging. Bryan knows Charlie to be a perfectionist, so he’s interested to see how this turns out.

The challenging is about pairing: an important part of menu planning, and not easy. In this challenge, the nine remaining chefs will create a dish incorporating a snack food … and in a remarkable show of product placement, we learn that the snack food will be a very specific brand of crunchy snacks made from vegetables. Send me some free snacks, and I’ll plug your food, Company X.

As the chefs gets started, Bryan explains to us that he started out under Charlie as an intern fresh out of school. The last thing Bryan wants to do is let down his mentor. Michael V. says he was Charlie’s executive chef for over a year, but thinks Charlie would pick Bryan over himself. Bryan counters that Michael seems to think Charlie doesn’t like him, which is completely untrue (that’s the clean version of what Bryan is saying). He has got to be the most deadpan man in America.

Jen says she’s a little hard on herself sometimes. Noooo. Really? She’s just a perfectionist, and doesn’t want to screw it up for Charlie. Eli says a good pairing can complement or match perfectly, but a bad pairing can be a disaster. He isn’t sure all the other chefs in the kitchen understand what works with what. Big talk for a guy who lives with his parents (okay, that was a cheap shot). Ash thinks the reason he hasn’t been at the top in a challenge yet is being too influenced what the people around him are doing He says that from this point forward, he’s going to be cooking his way. Kevin says the onion snacks remind him of green bean casserole, so he’ll take a cue from that.

Time is almost up, and Jen isn’t feeling so great – no, she’s not still sick, she’s just worried she cooked her pork chops too early, and they’re sitting out too long. She knows that if Padma and Charlie don’t come to her station first, the pork will be a mess.

The judging begins, and nope, they’re not going to poor Jen first. Eli has made a warm potato clam salad with a cold fennel and celery salad and white truffle sauce. Oh, and the onion snacks. Kevin used the onion snacks as well, pairing them with a warm bean confit tomato salad with fresh herbs and traditional southern creamed corn.

Bryan did a seared ribeye with pickled onion, sautéed mushrooms, and a chive puree. Onion snacks, too. Charlie notes that the onion snacks are a popular choice (there were several varieties from this brand to choose from), and wonders if that’s because it’s a safe choice. See, Charlie isn’t being fair – I think he’s overcompensating and being harder on Bryan because he knows him. But we’ll see how it turns out.

Robin chose jalapeno snacks and put them with a sweet corn panna cotta with avocado mousseline. It’s basically a parfait – Robin says that reflects her being an old-fashioned girl. Mike I. did a take on the Mexican food chilaquiles – fried corn tortillas with salsa or mole – with waffle fries and hot peppers. (Over at her station, Jen is looking very antsy now.)

Michael V. did tuna tartare with avocado, pickled onions, and jalapenos. I don’t know what snack he used. Ash made a chilled cucumber avocado soup with crème fraîche, crab, and red pepper, as well as barbecue chips. Laurine presents swordfish with spinach, asparagus, and fava bean puree.

Ah, finally Jen: a sautéed pork chop with tomato sauce and feta cheese is her offering. Privately, she’s “ridiculously embarrassed” to be serving a well-done pork chop to Charlie freakin’ Palmer. She suggests he use more sauce with the pork chop, which is immediately identified as being overdone.

Who were Charlie’s least favorites? Robin (no shocker; didn’t get relationship with the chip), Ash (ingredients didn’t work well together), and Jen (a good idea that wasn’t executed well). The best of the bunch were Eli (a natural choice to go with that chip), Bryan (safe dish but spot-on execution), and Kevin (ingredients went well with chip). But the winner is …

Eli. It’s his first win, and to go from the outhouse last week to the penthouse this time is nice. Ash hates to be at the bottom again … not that Eli doesn’t deserve to win, but Ash thinks he does too. You have to prove it first, buddy.