An ex-volleyball player standing at 6'8" -- it seems everyone looks up to him

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/cast/cj/index.php

re: Top Chef
 

I loved it when the chef knocked down Hung for his ice cream. Cauliflower in ice cream, you've got to be kidding me. At this point, he is only kept around because other than Howie, he's the only controversial one left. What really annoys me is when in almost every episode he insults the other contestants with 'My monkey could...'. Well, bring your monkey on, because he'd beat you in every challenge.

I was surprised when I found out C.J. is 'only' 6'8'', I thought he was at least 7'. I was judging his size from the other male contestants, who must be short. I like C.J. and hope he does well. His personality isn't as big as some of the other chefs, but neither was Harold's.

Interesting article on the Bravo reality shows in the Aug. 13 issue of New York Magazine.

Tom Colicchio says that the first two seasons of Top Chef were more reality television than cooking shows (cites Mikey who made his one good dish while high on vicodin as example), though this season is more about talent.

He also states that the producers don't try to influence his judging - and that he was ultimately responsible for Sam's elimination in season two over Padma's objections.

I'm friends with the person that one of those two finalists ended up replacing at the last minute when said person got tapped for their own television show instead. And I know the other finalist as well.

The very LAST episode, btw, finished taping about a week ago. There was a lag in production between all the main episodes and the final with the last two standing. .... and I'm actually glad that I DON'T know who won.

Weird food simply to be "unique"?Send it back!
 

This show just demonstrates the lack of training most of todays "top"US chefs have.They all would be seriously out of place in a true chefs kitchen.
The lack of knife skills,shoddy mis en place,lack of basic knowladge of ingredients,they rush rush rush-and yet they have no organizational skills.
And the food is so wierd for wierdness' sake.I think I would send back at least 2/3rds of what they have presented.
And the judges,well ,,,, I think they doth protest too much.Saying"this is inedible"over and over and over,,,without taking the time to explain what is wrong with it-shows lack of knowladge on their part.I send dishes back and fully explain what is wrong with the dish-technicly.
I do not like meanie shows like this.Seeing others fail is not my idea of entertainment.

I disagree. The contestants on the show have demonstrated in front of "true chefs", (i.e. Anthony Bourdain, Eric Ripert, Tom Colicchio, Afred Portale, etc.) dishes that have received rave reviews. Furthermore, last year's winner, Ilan had been a sous chef at Casa Mono in NYC - owned and supervised by Mario Batali. Additionaly, this year's contestant Lia (sent home already) is a sous chef at Jean Georges in NYC.

I think there are examples of chefs on each season that are less classically trained than others - but the mix of different backgrounds and expertise make the show interesting. You have to remember, that some challenges are equally bizarre (the redesign of American classic challenge this year, and the snack machine challenge from last year) as the food that's been created as you cite above. Bizarre or repulsing food to one person can be creative and exciting food to another.

I am just waiting for Howie to explode and kill six people. That being said, I have rooted for him since the beginning and continue to root for him.

I love this show! I am hoping that Hung is hung tonight :D Can't STAND him. Sara cheesegirl is just lazy imo and pretentious as all get out!

Here is my list of "gosh I hope they win order":

Tre
CJ
Casey
Howie
Dale
Hung
Sara (cheese)

IMO, The Garage is gonna win.

Just hoping that means CJ won't be heading home.

I never,ever eat in a restaurant that is owned or has associations with
" celebrity " chefs.
The very fact that they're celebrities means they're not in the kitchen doing the cooking.
I mean - the Jamie Olivers and Gordon Ramsay's of this world own restaurants on several continents - how can they possibly be in all of them at the same time cooking or at least supervising the cooking.
So what's the point in paying a premium price for a chef who isn't there !

Despite loving Restaurant Wars - kinda disappointed we're going to see it two weekends in a row...i was hoping they'd send both Dale and Howie home - send a message to all the remaining chefs.

With the exception Of Jean George Vongerichten,the chefs you mention-while celebraties-and very good cooks are not world class classical chefs.
Very few world class chefs would make interesting hosts of TV shows,there have been exceptions-but they are very few.
At least the Iron chef shows(the Japanese one)occassionally had true master chefs demonstrating the skills and discipline that only years in an apprentice program(which we do not have here in the US)can create.

Was anyone else surprised at everyone's professionalism during this week's episode? It was nice to finally watch an enjoyable episode after the past two debacles.

-FlyerBeek

I can't believe you don't consider Eric Ripert a world-class chef! His restaurant, Le Bernardin is possibly the best seafood restaurant in the world!

sad to see tre leave...seemed like a really great guy.

I'm done. No more Top Chef for me - this show is an absolute farce. :mad:

On of the top competitors is eliminated while the Jamaican cheesemonger (who should have been gone a month ago) comes in first.

Even without tasting a single dish, I must ask: what are they smoking?

-FlyerBeek

sara did a good job tonight, tre didn't. i've been rooting for tre, but he dropped the ball tonight. no doubt, he was one of the best chefs left, but he failed tonight...bummer.

I disagree. Where did Sara M. actually excel tonight (besides chopping onions quickly)? Yes, she did lead her team to victory - but that feat largely seemed to rest on the shoulders of every one of her teammates other than her.

Now, I'm certainly not saying that Tre was the best and Sara the worst this episode . But, certainly, some on her team seemed to perform far better than her this evening (Dale, in particular, seemed to do an excellent job). Likewise, some contestants on Team April (notably Brian and Casey) simply didn't contribute while Tre still managed to do a decent job pulling it all together and despite two rough dishes (the salmon starter and bread pudding) everything else received great reviews.

Certainly none of us have the benefit of actually sampling the dishes or witnessing the complete deliberation among the judges - but just based on the material used for the episode the decision doesn't appear well reasoned. In fact, there was hardly any explanation as to why Tre was dismissed and he received nearly as much praise from some of his team's dishes as he did for the two dishes in question.

Well, just my thoughts anyway...

-FlyerBeek

I was shocked! :( I thought CJ should've been sent home. He didn't do much really. But he was smart to dodge the responsibilities and he got to stay.

What did I miss in this last episode? I thought both teams were required to make a four course menu, but team Quatre only had three. How did they get away with that?

I really expected CJ or Brian to go, and was surprised to see Tre get booted. The judges didn't complain about him nearly as much as the other two.

Exactly. There seems to be a disconnect between the panel's actual deliberations and what makes it onto the television episode. Either that or the whole process is entirely arbitrary.

-FlyerBeek

Now that the frontrunner (IMO), Tre is gone - who does everyone think has the best shot? I think if Hung gets his act together (and stays away from crap like cauliflower ice cream) he might sneak into the finals now.

Cannot win when you have been asked to pack your knives!

I personally think he was too arrogant.

Glad he is gone.

I think that Hung is going to be either very close to the finals or actually in the finals. He's good for ratings, plain and simple. Whether or not he can cook is unimportant, he makes for good TV.

I find him annoying and root against him every time I watch, but I still watch, so he's fulfilling his role.

I'm betting on Casey, Dale, Brian, and CJ at this point. Howie may have a shot though. He's a little rough around the edges, but he seems to be putting out food that is as good as most of the others on this show, and he may be tough enough to do it. However, I'd be worried about him sweating into the food.

I think Casey is out. For the past few weeks, her clips look as though they've been from the same interview. She looks so drained in them that i have a feeling it was filmed after her elimination.

Tre is talented, they all are really. Unfortunately, didn't think it was his time to go quite yet. Agree that Howie is a bit rough around the edges but I'm routin' for him! I can't cook a lick, but I'm hooked on this show! I've been re-watching the marathon all day today in fact.

Tre shouldn't have been given the axe. I was in complete and total shock.

episode tonight is season 1 vs. season 2.

saw this a couple weeks ago on Bravo - it's a fun show, with one especially cool challenge.

Total twist for me since I had it from a very good source (actually more than one) that Tre made the final two. My source was also a bit stunned... it was being much discussed at the restaurant last night.

Personally, I'm sorta relieved. I'm a regular at Abacus and I wouldn't have liked to see Tre uprooted from the kitchen there... but that is very selfish of me.

Now I'm more into the show than ever knowing my assumptions all season have been wrong.

Maybe there is another plot twist! Like what happened on Next Foodnetwork Star!

Watching some repeats of season 2 today and I realized how glad I was we didn't have anything like the "Marcel" situation last year. I found I really disliked Ilan and some of the others treatment of him. He bay be a gnat, but you've got to remain professional! I was disappointed when Ilan won because of this.

I was quite shocked last night, even though it is a game. They still seem to always keep who they like in the game until the end.

Also watching some previous season reruns today, I have to wonder if the no-send-home two episodes ago this season was not precalculated. Last season there was also an episode when nobody was sent home (when Betty was accused of cheating while making her pavlova).

-FlyerBeek

I was so surprised when Tre went home. He was such a solid player in this competition. Howie needs to go.:mad:

I dont know why Howie wasn't booted from this show weeks ago! He has made several major errors (not finishing his dish, overcooking, undercooking, etc) and managed to slip through, while a mature talented chef like Tre gets the boot. :td:

It's because he's thrown someone under the bus each time - and they've gone home instead. And from the looks of next weeks episode, he's gonna do it again.

Ratings of course. He causes controversy which causes people to watch the show. The producers clearly want to see that. He may not make it all the way to the end but they'll milk him for all they can until they finally do decide to cut him. The calm, competent professional ones are just not a lot of fun to watch because they simply get the job done. The flakes on the other hand generate ratings.

How true. Especially for Top Chef, where the producers do have a big say in who gets booted off.