And the Emmy for Outstanding Achievement in Set Decoration Goes to...
Tuesday, November 13, 2007 | posted by Mike
The Production Assistant who put Jill Davie in the front row of the Next Iron Chef finale.
Yowser!
Labels: Jill Davie, The Next Iron Chef
Symon Wins It: Michael Symon Crowned "The Next Iron Chef"
Sunday, November 11, 2007 | posted by Mike
Well, we officially have another addition to the pantheon of Iron Chefs.
Going with the "standard" Iron Chef America format for the finale seemed fitting. We're guessing that Alton Brown got out of that tuxedo as quickly as possible once the taping was over. Just a little too "high falutin'" for AB.
Flay, Cora and Morimoto were there to observe and, ultimately, to judge. Conspicuous by his absence as Mario, and they skirted the issue by saying something like "three of the Iron Chefs" instead of "all of the Iron Chefs." (What does this all mean? Dunno.)
The editors did a good job of keeping things up in the air, but it seemed pretty clear to me that Symon's dishes were wowing the chefs more during the initial tasting. Perhaps they tried to "even it up" a bit during the discussion after the tasting.
While the finale was all well and good, it was really the journey to get to this point that was the real treat. By all accounts, the short series has been a tremendous success. Hey, if Tony Bourdain can't come up with something bad to say about you, then you know you're doing something right. For all of the pedigree that Top Chef brings to the table, the quality of the participants, the high stakes created by the ultimate reward and commitment to winnowing down the participants using nothing but the merits of the competitors has made The Next Iron Chef perhaps the most compelling food reality show to date.
When it comes to the final results, I think you're dealing with professionals of such developed skills that both are more than qualified and able to do great things in Kitchen Stadium. The dynamic that Besh and Symon would bring, however, would have been vastly different. Besh brings more of the quiet professional feel, and would certainly fit the mold of the lofty and intimidating Iron Chef that we saw on the old Japanese version of the show, and which added to its campy fun. Symon has a puckishness, an obvious joy and fun that he communicates through his comments and body language while in the kitchen. Mario Batali is probably the most entertaining Iron Chef for the same reason...because of his obvious fun and the occasional dialogue with Alton.
TVFF's Shakespearean allusion guide: Small Guy + Fun = Puckish (Symon). Big Guy + Fun = Falstaffian (Batali)
Did the "right man" win?
If it is true that we'll be getting less Batali in the future, Symon should do a fantastic job of filling is shoes (clogs?). His energy and inventiveness make him exactly the kind of person you want to see on a regular basis. Plus, he bested a fantastic set of competitors, so his chops are more than proven.
Labels: Michael Symon, The Next Iron Chef
Dining Lufthansa, Plus: What Aarón Sanchez Has in Common With Todd Helton
Monday, October 29, 2007 | posted by Mike
I'm no travel expert. I haven't done a ton of flying in my life, but I certainly have done enough to know that the poor reputation of airline food is pretty well-deserved.
If you weren't aware of that fact, you've now had two opportunities to learn it, thanks to the astoundingly similar challenges posed to the contestants on this season's Top Chef and Next Iron Chef. But, hey...it was a pretty cool idea, so I won't complain.
Anyway, both challenges included an aspect that is personally familiar. For TC, it was the dread and despair of being in Newark Airport. I refuse to call it "Newark Liberty." For NIC, it was the fact that the one time that I actually had a good meal on a flight, it was flying business class to Germany on Lufthansa.
I know what you're thinking: Hey, how did you get to fly business class to Germany?!?! Well, the former day-job had a policy that, if you had to fly overseas, you were eligible to fly business class. I was attending a week-long meeting in Hamburg and that meant I got to fly in the lap of (relative) luxury from Philadelphia to Frankfurt on Lufthansa. And, let me tell you, the food was pretty darn good. I don't remember too many of the specifics, but I can say that the wines were very good (and refilled quite often!) and it was my only experience with rabbit, which was tasty, although not something I would eat every day.
In short, Lufthansa = air-born culinary cred in my book.
Last night's episode nicely underscored my point from a little while back when I talked about what I liked about NIC, and the fact that the episode ran on the same night that the Red Sox finished off the Rockies in the World Series seemed fitting. In my post from a couple weeks back, I said:
But there’s something also to be said for watching virtuosos duke it out just for bragging rights. Sure the winner gets a nice contract with Food Network and the exposure for his or her restaurant that comes with it, but my guess is that the “title” itself would be enough for many of them.
Seeing Chef Sanchez's reaction to his elimination -- he was on the verge of tears -- was echoed an hour or so later in the reaction of the Rockies to the end of their post-season run. In both instances, it was the example of individuals who are already wildly successful in their own right, but who were compelled by their competitive drive (the thing that "got them there" in the first place) to take these competitions so seriously.
I've been to a bunch of minor league baseball games. They're fun. The hot dogs and beer are affordable and the players are all struggling to be noticed and move up to the big leagues. But I've never felt particularly elated when the home team won. Why? Because winning for these guys, although a great reward, is just an means to a greater end, which is to make it to "the show."
Whether you're talking about the World Series or Next Iron Chef, there really isn't an agenda of personal gain or monetary reward. Sure, they'll get a sweet gig on the Food Network and a couple thousand dollar bonus for winning the Series. But what really is at stake in these competitions is the respect and admiration of one's colleagues and the satisfaction that comes with knowing that you came out on top when you competed with the best.
What we saw from Sanchez and the Rockies last night is the honest emotion of striving for the top of the mountain and just coming up a bit short. That is the very definition of drama, and it makes for compelling television.
Labels: The Next Iron Chef
It’s Ladies First at “The Next Iron Chef”
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 | posted by Mike
No, I’m not talking about chivalry when it comes to the order of dishes presented to the judges.I’m talking about the fact that we’re 2-for-2 at eliminating the female contestants on the show, after jettisoning the insanely (yet charmingly) perky Jill Davie last night. Frankly, the whole thing with the molecular gastronomy challenge as a way to eliminate one of the contestants is a bit of a gimmick, but for me to start criticizing reality competition shows for needlessly making contestants jump through hoops now is kind of silly, no?
So, when did we know that Chef Davie was going to be heading home? Well, in retrospect, it should have been when she made some sort of comment about having to work even harder to prove herself as a woman in the kitchen. Saying something like that (and having it make the final cut of the show) is almost always the kiss of death. At that point, she might as well have been wearing a red shirt.
(I kid, but I don’t mean to downplay the fact that women do have a tough time finding acceptance in the kitchens of restaurants…places well-known for being a difficult atmosphere in which to work for women.)
But all is not lost for Chef Davie, as she can console herself by remembering that she’s already a regular on a pretty darn good show of her own, Shopping with Chefs. The Fine Living program that shows you how to shop for ingredients and equipment has received the coveted “record series” status on my DVR. Be sure to check it out for yourself.
Labels: The Next Iron Chef
The Iron Eight
Tuesday, July 24, 2007 | posted by Mike
I made a couple of short mentions recently about the upcoming The Next Iron Chef, but I've been a bit negligent in giving you the goods on any of the details. Sorry about that.
A press release from the Network has the lowdown (That dirty, dirty, dirty, dirty lowdown. Sorry, I love that song and couldn't resist.):
The title of Iron Chef is synonymous with the world's foremost culinary masters; and with the announcement of eight finalists, Food Network has begun production for The Next Iron Chef, the newest reality competition created to identify the next master to join the existing exclusive club of superstar chefs Mario Batali, Cat Cora, Bobby Flay and Masaharu Morimoto. Representing some of the nation's best culinary talent, the finalists will battle for the chance to be crowned the next Iron Chef America. Hosted by Alton Brown (Good Eats, Iron Chef America), The Next Iron Chef will premiere Sunday, October 7th at 9pm ET/PT on Food Network.
Hit me with the good stuff, TVFF's Favorite FN Exec® Bob Tuschman!
"We have chosen a group of chefs who we believe to be at the forefront of the culinary landscape, each of whom could stand proudly beside Bobby, Mario, Morimoto and Cat as a new Iron Chef," says Tuschman. "In our quest, we are looking for an individual to complement the current group and bring a unique blend of innovation, creativity and passion to the show, which is currently the highest-rated program on the network."
So, who are the contestants?
- John Besh (New Orleans, LA) Executive Chef, Restaurant August, Besh
Steak, Luke and La Provence. - Chris Cosentino (San Francisco, CA) Executive Chef, Incanto
- Jill Davie (Santa Monica, CA) Executive Chef, JOSIE
- Traci Des Jardins (San Francisco, CA) Executive Chef & Co-Owner,
Jardiniere, Mijita and Acme Chophouse - Gavin Kaysen (San Diego, CA) Chef de Cuisine, El Bizcocho at the Rancho
Bernardo Inn - Morou Ouattara (Washington, DC) Executive Chef & Owner, Farrah Olivia
- Aaron Sanchez (New York, NY) Executive Chef & Owner, Centrico and
Paladar - Michael Symon (Cleveland, OH) Executive Chef & Owner, Lola and Lolita
Wait a second...that wouldn't happen to be the same Jill Davie that's currently appearing on Fine Living's Shopping with Chefs, would it? Why, yes it is!
You already know that we're fans of SwC, but maybe you don't get Fine Living in your neighborhood. Or maybe you're just too good to watch shows on your full screen television (well la-di-da!, Mr./Ms. Fancy Pants). If that's the case, you can actually get a couple of clips of the series as a podcast on iTunes (don't bother clicking unless you have iTunes installed). Hey, you have to justify the $599 you spent on that iPhone somehow, right?
Also, you can check out Jill and her cohost David Myers on the video below.
Labels: Bob Tuschman, Shopping with Chefs, The Next Iron Chef
